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Category Archives: Earth
Tardigrades
Tardigrades are the toughest animals that we have yet discovered, not due to their physical strength, but rather their incredible ability to survive. People praise cockroaches for their ability to survive levels of radiation that would be lethal to humans, but the real heroes are microscopic “water bears” called tardigrades. Tardigrades are extremophiles, or micro-organisms … Continue reading Tardigrades Continue reading → Continue reading
Posted in astro2110, blog7, Class, Earth, extremophiles, tardigrades, Universe
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The Rare Earth Hypothesis
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 → Continue reading
Posted in Aliens, astro2110, blog7, Earth, Exoplanets, Fermi Paradox, Moon, Solar System, Terrestrials
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Are Extremophiles Our Roommates?
Extremophiles are microorganisms that can survive in extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or great acidity. A recent study has found extremophiles in a location much more familiar to us, and it’s actually in the homes of humans. The study took samples from water heaters across all 50 states. Around 50% of the tested samples … Continue reading Are Extremophiles Our Roommates? → Continue reading → Continue reading
Posted in astro2110, blog6, Earth, extremophiles, microbes, Observables, science
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Comets as Omens of the Future
Comets have been noticed by ancient civilizations for millenia, and, like many other celestial bodies, were viewed as omens of the future. Comets in particular were considered bad omens. The most famous example is Halley’s Comet, seen in 1066 by the English and theorized to have been an omen for Harold II of England’s death. … Continue reading Comets as Omens of the Future Continue reading → Continue reading
Has Anyone Been Hit By a Meteorite?
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 → Continue reading
Posted in astro2110, blog5, Earth, Historical, meteorite, Small SS Objects, Solar System
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A Brief, Incomplete History of “Earth”
When looking at our solar system, it is pretty easy to notice one thing that separates Earth from the other planets with which we share a star. Namely, Earth is the only planet not named after a Roman deity. You have Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and even Pluto! So where does “Earth” […] Continue reading → Continue reading
Climate Change
Climate change is predominantly caused by the greenhouse effect, which is when gases in our atmosphere prevent heat from the sun from escaping the Earth. As greenhouse gasses continue to be added to our atmosphere (primarily by burning fossil fuels), the greenhouse effect becomes more severe, allowing less and less heat to escape from our … Continue reading Climate Change Continue reading → Continue reading
Posted in astro2110, blog4, Class, climate change, Earth
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Cars and the Greenhouse Effect
Earth experiences a warming through the greenhouse effect: the absorption and re-emission of light from the planet’s surface by compounds in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide and water. Greenhouse gases are necessary for keeping life on Earth warm enough to survive, but an increase in their concentration has led to a undesirable heating of … Continue reading Cars and the Greenhouse Effect → Continue reading → Continue reading
Posted in astro2110, blog4, Earth, Global warming, Light, Terrestrials
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Building Our New Home
Many of us recognize the iconic potato farm that Matt Damon incredulously built from human feces, water from rocket fuel, and Thanksgiving potatoes. And while The Martian certainly did take a few scientific liberties, it had most scientists agreeing that farming on Mars wasn’t completely out of the question. In fact in August 2015 astronauts […] Continue reading
Our Earth, the Spinning Top?
What if I told you that in a couple thousand years from now, your Zodiac sign would no longer be your Zodiac sign? It may be devastating to devout followers of astrology, but the relative positions of the Zodiac constellations are changing very, very slowly, at least from our viewpoint. This is due to a … Continue reading Our Earth, the Spinning Top? → Continue reading → Continue reading
Posted in astro2110, blog1, Class, Earth, precession, Solar System, Stars, Terrestrials
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