Tag Archives: Solar System

(milky) way up, I feel blessed

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Sofia

This semester has been vital to understanding of the universe around me. Coming for Intro to Astronomy last semester, I felt that I had a pretty comprehensive basis upon which to build. What I didn’t realize coming in however was just how much more I was going to learn. The level of detail about not … Continue reading “(milky) way up, I feel blessed” Continue reading →

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Jupiter’s Galilean Moons

Posted on April 10, 2016 by harperastronomyblog

Discovered by Galileo in 1610, Jupiter’s four largest moons are some of the most interesting worlds in our Solar System. “Volcanic Io”: Jupiter’s inner-most moon, Io, is the fourth largest moon in the solar system. It is also the most volcanically-active object in the Solar System, with over 400 active volcanoes. Large mountains cover its […] Continue reading →

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Enceladus

Posted on April 10, 2016 by imanig625

One of Saturn’s many moons, Enceladus, has been peppered with eruptions. Underneath the icy surface, there is a probability of a global ocean, which makes it even more suspicious that it has developed these fissures on its surface, mainly on the south pole. The erupted particles take about forty minutes or so to reach the… Continue reading →

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Blog 8 (Saturn’s Rings)

Posted on April 10, 2016 by astronomer0110

Saturn’s rings are one of the most fascinating subjects in astronomy for many people because they are one of the most visible examples of beauty in our Solar System. Interestingly enough, the other Jovian planets also have rings, but they are not nearly as conspicuous as the rings on Saturn are. What fascinated me when […] Continue reading →

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The Demise of Pluto

Posted on April 10, 2016 by samihahplanet

  Left: Pluto Demoted, Right: Size Comparison The discovery of Pluto had scientists ecstatic. Far out in the distance was this tiny, freezing,  icy planet with moons! Then it was official: Pluto must be added to the list of planets. It’s round, orbits the Sun and has a posse of moons, what more could we need? […] Continue reading →

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Blog #7 (Pluto)

Posted on April 10, 2016 by astronomer0110

It’s a well-publicized fact by now that Pluto has been downgraded from planet to dwarf planet. Many people felt betrayed that one of the 9 planets they learned from childhood was no longer considered a planet. In reality, it was a logical decision because Pluto’s orbit is more elliptical, icier, and smaller than the rest […] Continue reading →

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Uranus

Posted on April 10, 2016 by imanig625

Uranus the most mysterious of the gas giants, in its form, orbit, and rotation. It is a widely known fact that Uranus rotates on its side, but its strange tilt also means that its magnetic field is skewed, so that its magnetic north and south are vastly different than its polar. In addition, the storms… Continue reading →

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Creation of the Kuiper Belt

Posted on April 9, 2016 by OscarBen

Recently in class we’ve been talking about the outer portion of our Solar System. Beyond Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, the disc-shaped region that begins at about 30 AUs and ends around 55 AUs. The Kuiper Belt is home to hundreds of thousands of icy bodies, an estimated trillion or more comets, and Pluto, according to… More Creation of the Kuiper Belt Continue reading →

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Mars One Timeline

Posted on April 9, 2016 by lindseynestor

Next year, the astronauts of Mars One are expected to begin their decade-long training before the first set of four astronauts departs for Mars in 2026. I decided to investigate a bit further into the details of the plan outlined for Mars One as a whole between now and then…. 2017: Training begins! Hopefully the […] Continue reading →

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Volcanic Io

Posted on April 9, 2016 by lindseynestor

Volcanoes are one of the coolest geographical features of Earth (in my opinion), but volcanoes outside of our world are even cooler. Jupiter’s moon Io is the most volcanically active world in our solar system – in other words, it is FULL of volcanic awesome-ness. Io’s volcanic activity produces HUGE volcanic plumes. To give some […] Continue reading →

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