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Tag Archives: pluto
Cryovolcanoes on Pluto
A recent discovery published by Nature Communications has revealed a series of ice volcanoes on the surface of Pluto. The images which lead to this discovery were captured by Nasa’s New Horizons in 2015, but it was only recently that scientists were able to identify specific peaks that they now believe are ice volcanoes, known […] Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged astro2110, blog5, pluto, Solar System
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You Can’t Sit With us
The famous used to be planet kicked out by none other than Neil deGrasse Tyson is now considered a dwarf planet, ever since 2006. Pluto was reclassified because it didn’t meet the three criteria the IUA uses to define a full sized planet Criteria Must orbit a star It must be big enough to have […] Continue reading
Kuiper Belt Objects
The Kuiper Belt is a region in the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune as shown in the photo above. Although they have only scratched the surface, there has been about 2,000 objects discovered so far in the Kuiper belt. It is said to be filled with bits of rock and ice, along withContinue reading “Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Space Travel, Universe
Tagged astro2110, blog5, Comets, history, kuiperbelt, pluto
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The Heart of Pluto
Pluto’s beloved carotid glacier, Tombaugh Regio, has been the apple of astronomers’ eyes ever since New Horizons made its fly-by in 2015. This fly-by gave us the highest resolution images of Pluto we’ve ever been able to capture, and in these new photos, a particular feature on the dwarf planet’s surface rose to a meteoricContinue reading “The Heart of Pluto” Continue reading
A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!
On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union changed Pluto’s status from planet to dwarf planet. This caused an outrage amongst the public. Memes were created and shared expressing Pluto’s sadness at its “demotion” from planetary status. Textbooks had to be changed and the general public was oddly passionate over an object in space’s official title. Nevertheless, people wereContinue reading “A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!” Continue reading
Posted in Dwarf Planets
Tagged astro2110, blog5, pluto
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What does Pluto’s blue haze originate from?
Within the past year, new theories and suggestions have been proposed as to why Pluto’s atmosphere appears to have a blue haze. Before we get into any of the results from this theory, it is important to understand how we even got here in the first place. In a recent video that we watched inContinue reading “What does Pluto’s blue haze originate from?” Continue reading
Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space
Extremophiles are organisms on Earth that thrive in extreme environment that most other organisms wouldn’t be able to survive in. They are found in places that at a glance, seem unlivable, places like inside volcanoes, or deep in the ocean under extreme pressures. So why do these extremophiles matter when thinking about space? The ideaContinue reading “Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Galaxies, Moons, Stars
Tagged astro2110, blog6, jupiter, life, life in space, planets, pluto, Solar System, space, Uncategorized
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Why isn’t Pluto a planet?
Contrary to what Jerry Smith says in Rick and Morty, Pluto is not a planet. But why did Pluto lose this designation in 2006? The International Astronomical Union has 3 main criteria to determine what is a planet and what is not. These three criteria are: having an orbit around the sun, having sufficient massContinue reading “Why isn’t Pluto a planet?” Continue reading
Dwarf Perspective
There are many celestial bodies in the Kuiper Belt. One notable object is a dwarf planet named Makemake. This dwarf planet was one of the objects NASA used to demote Pluto from its previous planet status down to dwarf planet status. NASA wasn’t aware of other bodies that looked like Pluto, and when they foundContinue reading “Dwarf Perspective” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Dwarf Planets, Observables
Tagged astro2110, blog5, NASA, pluto
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Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?
It’s no secret Pluto has been out of the privileged circle of celestial bodies to be considered planets for over a decade now. But many don’t realize what events led to this ousting, and the reasonings for doing so. Pluto had long since been considered a planet since its discovery in the 1930’s. Yet startingContinue reading “Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?” Continue reading