Tag Archives: Uncategorized

Blog 5: Pluto

Posted on April 4, 2017 by vandyastro

Pluto’s atmosphere is layered making observations hard to figure out. While its atmosphere appears to be mostly cloud free, images taken by the new horizons’ cameras have shown potential clouds. These clouds would mean that the weather on Pluto is even more complex than previously understood or imaged.   Pluto’s surface is icy and has […] Continue reading →

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TRAPPIST-1

Posted on April 4, 2017 by adamz6300

NASA’s Spitzer telescope has recently discovered multiple Earth size planets orbiting a single star. 7 planets to be exact. The system was named TRAPPIST after the Belgian operated telescope in Chile that discovered the first two planets. These planets are relatively close to us as well. 40 lightyears may seem like a lot, but in astronomical […] Continue reading →

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New Horizons Probe Halfway Between Pluto and Its Next Target in Kuiper Belt

Posted on April 4, 2017 by njelinek425

Just today, (April 4) the NASA probe New Horizons reached its halfway point between the Pluto system and its next target in the Kuiper belt, the small object 2014 MU69. 2014 MU69 is a trans-Plutonian, rather small Kuiper Belt object; with an average diameter of only about 30 miles it is only about 1% the size of […] Continue reading →

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Some Planets Are Just So Extra… (Extrasolar, That Is)

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

An extrasolar planet, or an exoplanet, is one which orbits a star other than our Sun. These planets provide interest and opportunities for research, because under the correct conditions, such as those upon Earth, there is a possibility that life could exist and/or be discovered upon these planets. By observing exoplanets, and specifically searching various… Continue reading Some Planets Are Just So Extra… (Extrasolar, That Is) Continue reading →

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Blog 4: Electron Rainfall

Posted on April 4, 2017 by vandyastro

Picture   Earths two radiation belt known as the Van Allen belts where discover in 1958. But recent discoveries have shown that a third belt will sometimes appear. The image above shows the three belts in yellow and green represents the space between them. The Van Allen Belts since they are regions of dynamic radiation […] Continue reading →

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Juno Probe Makes Fourth Passage of Jupiter’s Clouds

Posted on April 4, 2017 by njelinek425

  Last Monday (March 27), NASA’s Juno spacecraft made a historic passage within the vicinity of the cloud tops of Jupiter’s atmosphere, marking its fifth overall flyby of the gas giant and fourth “science pass”, or experimental run. The probe marked its closest point to the planet at 08:52 GMT, coming within 2700 miles of its […] Continue reading →

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Here’s Some Information About Pluto So It Feels Less Rejected

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

While Earthlings seem to have a general adoration (borderline obsession) with the personified Pluto, the planet itself does present several scientific marvels and interests. One such fascinating feature of Pluto is in it’s region known as Sputnik Planum. This weirdly smooth section of the planet is segmented into cellular units, and a proposed reason for… Continue reading Here’s Some Information About Pluto So It Feels Less Rejected Continue reading →

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The Sun Is Going To Kill Us

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Paolo Dumancas

As nuclear fusion depletes a star’s hydrogen supply throughout the phases of stellar evolution, a spherical shell of hydrogen will … More Continue reading →

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The Shape of The Terrestrial Planets

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

Here upon Earth, it is known that the planet’s surface is constantly changing, due to weather, tectonic movements, erosion by water, wind, flora, fauna, etc., and various other natural phenomena. These forces cause geographic features such as mountains, valleys, and other characteristics of Earth’s surface. Although the terrestrial planets all share various characteristics, the other… Continue reading The Shape of The Terrestrial Planets Continue reading →

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Potentially Hospitable Exoplanets

Posted on April 3, 2017 by kendylldellinger

One of the most exciting thoughts for many is the possibility of life on another planet. With our Solar System being explored without success, the search has spread to other systems for a hospitable exoplanet. An exoplanet, also know as an extrasolar planet, is simply a planet outside of our solar system. The goal for […] Continue reading →

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