Tag Archives: technology

Junk in space: how do we deal with it?

Posted on May 4, 2021 by allyworthington

Junk floating through space, affectionately known as space junk, is dangerous to spacecraft and satellites, for obvious reasons. A team in Australia wants to use laser technology to track and destroy it. Adaptive optics is the technology that helps telescopes see stars without a twinkle, attributed to the Earth’s atmosphere. Adaptive optics sharpens images of … Continue reading Junk in space: how do we deal with it? → Continue reading →

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My Perspective of the Universe

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Mykayla

Throughout this astronomy class, my eyes have been opened to the vastness, complexity, order, and majesty of the universe. In learning about our solar system and the processes which formed the planets and everything about them, I have seen how many different pieces must come together in order for the Earth to spin, orbit theContinue reading “My Perspective of the Universe” Continue reading →

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Our Neighbor the Space Octopus

Posted on May 4, 2021 by brandonlipper

While the potential of finding microorganisms on Mars has intrigued us here on Earth for a while now, more advanced life may live on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon: Europa. In fact, Professor Monica Grady has proposed that, not only is life on Europa likely, but said life may include organisms with intelligence similar to thatContinue reading “Our Neighbor the Space Octopus” Continue reading →

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Keeping Up With The Kardashev Scale

Posted on May 2, 2021 by olivesobservatory

Feel free to take a few seconds out of your day to fully appreciate the genius title I came up with for this post. I’ll even give you some scrolling to do while you appreciate it! The Kardashev scale was designed in 1964 by Nikolai Kardashev to measure a civilization’s level of technological capability based… Continue reading →

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Plutonium: Not Just a Power Source in “Back to the Future”

Posted on April 17, 2021 by connorrobbwilcox

Did you ever wonder how spaceships and shuttles have the power to take off and travel through that big black expanse we call space? Or ever thought about how these rockets survived with the limited technology we had in the 1950s, 60s and 70s during the Space Race? Well the answer has to do withContinue reading “Plutonium: Not Just a Power Source in “Back to the Future”” Continue reading →

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The New Space-Based Instrument of American Imperialism– The Space Force

Posted on April 17, 2021 by wslopes

At first glance, I thought the newest branch of the US Military, Donald Trump’s “Space Force”, was going to be tasked with things such as dealing with more existential threats from Space, such as a life ending asteroid or something. While I was confused as to why this would warrant a 6th branch of theContinue reading “The New Space-Based Instrument of American Imperialism– The Space Force” Continue reading →

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Living on Titan

Posted on April 17, 2021 by connorrobbwilcox

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is an icy world with an atmosphere thicker and denser than Earth’s (1.5 times the atmospheric pressure of Earth) that has clouds of smog that coat it in a large, cloudy golden haze. So how could scientists think it could be a habitable substitute for Earth forContinue reading “Living on Titan” Continue reading →

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Going Up?

Posted on April 14, 2021 by olivesobservatory

Space. Elevators. I know what you’re thinking- huh? What even are those? Those were my exact thoughts before I learned all about the concept of space elevators 10 minutes ago, and I’m going to share everything I learned with you. Rockets have been our only mode of transportation to space for quite a while, but… Continue reading →

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The Cassini Spacecraft and Huygens Probe

Posted on April 13, 2021 by thestarstudent

NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft, launched in 1997, flew by Venus and Earth’s Moon, through the Asteroid belt, and near Jupiter until it settled in the Saturn Planetary System for thirteen years. This was a historical mission for multiple reasons. Not only was it the first to orbit Saturn, but the Huygens Probe it carried was theContinue reading “The Cassini Spacecraft and Huygens Probe” Continue reading →

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Commercial Space Travel?

Posted on March 27, 2021 by zhengjs1

Have you ever thought about traveling to space? While we’re far from intergalactical travel and settlements on other planets, space tourism and commercial space flights are closer to reality than ever before. A year ago, humans were able to access space through a non-government funded space vehicle for the first time in history under SpaceContinue reading “Commercial Space Travel?” Continue reading →

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