Tag Archives: Solar System

The Rare Earth Hypothesis

Posted on April 25, 2019 by epiphany9

I was inspired by Victoria’s post to think more about the Fermi Paradox, and specifically, explanations of the uniqueness of intelligent life on Earth. The Rare Earth Hypothesis is one such explanation; it postulates that conditions favorable to life (and particularly intelligent life) are incredibly rare in the universe. It is in opposition to hypotheses […] Continue reading →

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Adaptive Archaea

Posted on April 25, 2019 by epiphany9

Discovered in 1970, Archaea might be the least well-known of the three domains of life (the others being Bacteria and Eukaryota), but it is a fascinating and diverse group of organisms and quite possibly the first on Earth. Like bacteria, archaea are unicellular, prokaryotic organisms, meaning that they lack nuclei and other membrane-bound organelles in […] Continue reading →

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I See the Light

Posted on April 24, 2019 by reallyroyalqueen

An amazing part of the class this semester was the ability to understand and correct some of the misconceptions that I have held about the Solar System for years. Whether it was about the ‘dark’ side of the moon, the brightness of the North Star, tides, the asteroid belt being hard to navigate through, or … Continue reading I See the Light → Continue reading →

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The Northern Lights

Posted on April 21, 2019 by richardtli

One of the world’s most fascinating and natural wonders are the Northern Lights. These magical lights come in a variety of dancing colors. This seemingly random light show occurs as a result of interactions of Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere with solar winds. Solar winds released by the Sun’s sunspot regions travel through space until … Continue reading The Northern Lights → Continue reading →

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How Hard is Interstellar Travel?

Posted on April 21, 2019 by richardtli

Traveling to other solar systems seem pretty easy in the movies, but in real life, it could get quite complicated. First of all, the closest star system to us is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.37 light-years away, which is very far from us even if we can travel at the speed of light. But even … Continue reading How Hard is Interstellar Travel? → Continue reading →

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The Quest to Inhabit Mars

Posted on April 20, 2019 by kylebward

As a species, we need multiple paths to survival. One of which is living in space. With this in mind, companies like SpaceX have plans to colonize Mars. But why Mars? It is the next most habitable planet after Earth. It contains water, temperatures that are not too hot nor too cold, enough sunlight, ability … Continue reading The Quest to Inhabit Mars → Continue reading →

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Electric Propulsion

Posted on April 20, 2019 by kylebward

A propulsion method I was unaware of is electric propulsion (EP). An EP system consists of thruster components, propellant components, power components, and an optional pointing mechanism. Essentially, electric and magnetic fields react to charged particles in the rocket’s exhaust which accelerates charged particles that make up propellant. This requires less energy than chemical rockets … Continue reading Electric Propulsion → Continue reading →

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Future Exoplanet Research

Posted on April 10, 2019 by kylebward

The future of exoplanet research means not just the discovery of more exoplanets, but characterizing them. To do so, the European Space Agency (ESA) is launching the Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite (CHEOPS), the PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars mission (PLATO), and the Atmospheric Remote-Sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey mission (ARIEL). CHEOPS will observe bright stars with … Continue reading Future Exoplanet Research → Continue reading →

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Has Anyone Been Hit By a Meteorite?

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Campbell Flower

We are pretty used to things falling from the sky unexpectedly, as this often results in humans falling victim to injury. So it is pretty natural to ask, has anyone been hit by a meteorite: a piece of rock and metal that has survived passage from space through Earth’s atmosphere and ultimately fallen to Earth’s … Continue reading Has Anyone Been Hit By a Meteorite? → Continue reading →

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 7, 2019 by haivilo

Halley’s Comet is one of the most famous comets known to humanity. While there’s no real reason for its popularity, it’s still an interesting space object to be observed. It was first observed in 239 B.C. in China and notably found by Edmond Halley who examined three sightings in 1531,1607, and 1682. He stated that […] Continue reading →

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