What Are Exoplanets, How Are They Detected, And What Do They Mean For Astronomy?
Sound exotic? Exoplanets are being discussed more and more often in astronomy, yet many people are left puzzled by what precisely an exoplanet is. …
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Greenwich Royal Observatory History and Facts: The Home of the Prime Meridian, Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time or GMT), and a 28" Refracting Telescope
The Greenwich Royal Observatory, which founded in 1675 is the site of the Prime Meridian, Universal Time, and a 28-inch refracting telescope. Read …
Continue ReadingNASA Spinoff Technologies - Everyday Uses For NASA Technology from Medical Testing to Temper Foam
NASA has long been at the front line of developing new technology with a variety of private enterprises. This technology, commonly called …
Continue ReadingThe Chandrasekhar Limit, White Dwarfs & Supernovae
The Chandrasekhar Limit defines the upper mass limit for white dwarf stars which, once reached, can trigger a supernova. What is this limit, how is it …
Continue ReadingWhen And What Was The Maunder Minimum?
Imagine a thirty year period where a mere 50 sunspots were observed—compared to 40-50,000 we see in our own times. Weird, huh? This time period, known …
Continue ReadingImportant Facts about NASA's Apollo 11- Man's First Mission to the Moon
Apollo 11 was one of the crowning achievements of human history and the first time we as a species have set foot on another celestial body. Here are …
Continue ReadingAstrobiology: Origins of Life on Earth and in the Cosmos - Part 1: Introduction to Prebiotic Evolution
In the first article of the series, we’ll look at the ideas of prebiotic evolution and the primordial soup, originally put forth by Alexander Oparin …
Continue ReadingAstrobiology: Origins of Life on Earth and in the Cosmos - Part 3 - The "Metabolism First" Model of the Origin of Life and Other Hypotheses
The third article in the series explores the “metabolism first” model and other origin of life theories, some being slight modifications of the two …
Continue ReadingAstrobiology: Origins of Life on Earth and in the Cosmos. Part 2: The "Genes First" Model of the Origin of Life
The second article in the Astrobiology series examines the “genes first” model of the origin of life, and in particular the “RNA world” hypothesis.
Continue ReadingStephen W. Hawking Biography: Facts About His Life, Accomplishments in Astronomy and Physics, Interesting Facts Including His 2009 Illness
Stephen Hawking, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, is famous for a number of scientific theories and commercial publications. His most famous book, …
Continue ReadingNothing but the Facts about Fritz Zwicky
One of the least known but most prolific astronomers and astrophysicists was Fritz Zwicky. His achievements changed the way we look at the universe …
Continue ReadingNothing But the Facts About Giovanni Cassini
Giovanni Cassini was a 17th century Italian/French astronomer who discovered the gaps is Saturn’s rings, four of its moons, and the rotational …
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