Tag Archives: Solar System

Night Sky App

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Maddy Pollard

I downloaded the Night Sky app at the beginning of this semester, before I even knew I would be taking this class. On a late night walk back from the library, my friend and I noticed an unusually bright star in the sky. Interested to find out what it was, I downloaded this app and […] Continue reading →

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What’s Next?

Posted on April 29, 2023 by alicebyrnes

While I’ve always been vaguely interested in astronomy, before taking this class some part of my brain assumed we had somewhat stagnated on space exploration. This is largely because I knew other stars and galaxies were so far away, and we just don’t have the technology to travel to them. Ultimately, this class helped me […] Continue reading →

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Final Post

Posted on April 29, 2023 by dromalley

It has been a long and interesting semester, filled with learning about everything from the laws of gravity, to the instruments of astronomy, and even alien life. Over the course of this semester, my view of the Solar System has changed drastically, both in detail and much more generally. I’ve learned many surprising facts about […] Continue reading →

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Farewell, for now

Posted on April 28, 2023 by 7smessier45

I have always loved the stars, nebulae, planets, and all the space in between, but I never had a chance to seriously study them until this year. I am incredibly grateful that I was able to devote two classes (and a lab!) to learning more about the processes that govern solar system formation and how […] Continue reading →

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The Universe and Me

Posted on April 23, 2023 by cuia2

     Looking back on the whole course, I felt like I learned so much about our solar system and beyond. I think it’s important to understand where you come from so you can better understand yourself and your place in the universe. Now, I definitely know more about the theory behind the formation of our solar […] Continue reading →

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The Drake Equation and its Implications

Posted on April 23, 2023 by cuia2

     I’ve always wondered if there was life like humans in space, and thanks to the Drake equation, I’m now 99.9% sure there are multiple alien civilizations as advanced, if not more advanced, than us in our own galaxy. The Drake Equation hypothesizes that the number of alien civilizations that can communicate can be calculated with […] Continue reading →

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Neptune

Posted on April 17, 2023 by zws42

Neptune, the eighth planet from the Sun, is one of the four gas giants in our solar system, along with Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. More specifically, it can be considered an ice giant since it is made up of ices and carbon compounds in addition to hydrogen and helium. Neptune is about 17 times the […] Continue reading →

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The Great Red Spot

Posted on April 11, 2023 by jackdoyle25

If you look for an image of Jupiter in any article or textbook, you’ll likely see the famous Great Red Spot in that picture. This immense storm on Jupiter’s surface is more than double the size of Earth, and has raged on for centuries. The incredible size and duration of the Great Red Spot begs […] Continue reading →

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What do we know about the Oort Cloud?

Posted on April 10, 2023 by alicebyrnes

Not much is known about the Oort Cloud, because it is simply so far away! Rather than being a disk like the asteroid and Kuiper belts, it is thought to be a spherical shell that surrounds the Solar system. The precise bounds of the cloud are not known, but it is thought to extend from […] Continue reading →

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 New Horizons: Exploring Pluto and Beyond

Posted on April 9, 2023 by 7smessier45

Hello (again), and welcome (back) to my Astronomy Blog! Today we’re picking up where we left off with Pluto and the New Horizons mission.  The New Horizons Mission Although NASA approved the mission in 2001, the New Horizons mission officially entered the public conscience when the craft was launched on January 19th, 2006. The speedy […] Continue reading →

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