The Diversity of The Solar System

After being in ASTR 2110, my biggest takeaway is probably the intense diversity that exists in our own solar system. Everything here is all made from the same protoplanetary disk, yet we have small terrestrial dwarf planets, medium sized terrestrial planets, and gas giants. How can the same material that made Venus’ thick atmosphere also

Extremophile Viability in Space

In 2014, a group of scientists studied the viability of four different types of extremophiles in space-like conditions. These conditions that replicated an experience on Mars included extreme low temperatures, levels of UV radiation, humidity, and low pressure. The extremophiles in the experiment were Sulfolobus solfataricus from Solfatara volcano in southern Italy that can live

Saturn’s Hexagon

Scientists at Harvard are trying to learn more about Saturn’s hexagonal storm on its north pole. While storms on Earth tend to be round or spiral in shape, this feature on Saturn is distinctly a hexagon, and we don’t fully know why! As of now, Harvard has created computer simulations that have indicated how polygonal

The Cassini Spacecraft and Huygens Probe

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 the

Europa and Possible Life

Europa is one of Jupiter’s 79 moons and is slightly smaller than Earth’s moon. It’s surface is covered in salty water that is almost twice the amount of water in all of Earth’s oceans combined. Covering all this water is a 10-15 mile thick sheet of ice. The inner part of the moon is thought

Geological Map of the Moon

The United States Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center and NASA worked together to create a complete geological map of the Moon in early 2020. The map shows the immense amount of impact craters on the moon’s surface. It was made with information from six maps from the Apollo-era in conjunction with modern data. Specifically, data

Celestial Navigation in Disney’s Moana

Celestial Navigation was essential for Polynesian voyagers, and the Disney Film Moana does a very good job of depicting legitimate techniques. During the film’s production, Disney created a group of experts on the matter, including Polynesian elders and locals, called the Oceanic Story Trust. Their goal was to advise on cultural accuracy. Thousands of years

Johannes Kepler in Context

Johannes Kepler (December 27, 1571 – November 15, 1630) was a German astronomer best known for discovering three laws (although he did not call them that) about planetary motion. These laws state that 1) planets orbit around the sun in an elliptical shape; 2) The planet covers an equal area in equal time during its

El Castillo

El castillo, a pyramid at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, is a Mayan temple dedicated to the plumed serpent God Kukulcán. The structure’s design is deeply related to astronomy and the calendar. Firstly, there are 91 steps on each of the four sides and a top platform, making 365 steps, one for each day of the

Introducing Me

Hello everyone! My name is Hana (it rhymes with Madonna), I’m from Los Angeles, and I am a Freshman at Vanderbilt University. I took Introductory Astronomy last semester, and I’m excited to learn more about our Solar System in this class!