A Time for Transition

January 12, 2011 Leave a Comment
Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin
Image by cliff1066™ via Flickr

Our Earth is getting older and older; and the more of mankind fills every piece of the planet, the quicker the whole aging process becomes. Technological advancement is all part of that as well. Make no mistake: we’re heading into a “greener” state of being where the environment is crucial. As the Earth gets older, resources become scarce. Space exploration and an endeavor to discover more resources out there are actually now an incredible realization — and not just science fiction.

There’s no stopping the progress of technology. In the long run, it will benefit everything and everyone. Soon we will see automobiles that no longer run on petroleum. There will be no more pollution. Vehicles that travel into space will be more extensively convenient and easier to use on a more frequent basis. Non-emission releasing fuels such as Hydrogen and algae will become the future of transportation and the saving grace of the Earth.

How would all of this happen? The fields of study and the countless numbers of people that have a desire to learn will bring it all about. Thanks to some of the most convenient online undergraduate programs, all of these important discoveries will eventually be fully realized not just in theory but in practice by tomorrow’s researchers and scientists. Fostering the development of this education is crucial to the advancement of the environment and green technology that will help benefit things like space exploration and a safer way to travel without burning fossil fuels. Engineering and chemical engineering degrees become the top-of-the-list majors to focus on these days. The future will look incredibly bright so long as we continue to strive for something even better through quality education.

As said before, there’s no stopping the progress of technology. And green technology stands in the front of the line. Our Earth is important; let’s make sure we keep it that way.

Filed Under: Planets, Universe Tagged With: , , ,

What makes a neutron star and pulsars special?

January 8, 2011 Leave a Comment

When one thinks about a star, the picture that forms is that of a massive celestial body burning bright with energy, just like our Sun but bigger.  So it may come as a surprise to some that there are stars in the universe that have a tiny radius of 10 to 15 kilometers and are so dim that it is difficult to spot them! Neutron stars are tiny wonders in space, the remains of gigantic stars that have died. When an old star with a mass between 1.3 to 3 times that of the Sun dies, its outer layers are disperse by a supernova explosion while its core, which is mostly iron, collapses due to its own gravitational pull and forms a Neutron star. As the name suggests, a Neutron star is made up entirely of neutron particles.

During the formation, the star retains some of the rotational momentum of its parent star. However, since a neutron star is only a tiny fraction of the size of the original star, this makes the neutron star to go into an unimaginably fast spin. It takes a neutron star anywhere between 1.4 microseconds to 30 seconds to complete one rotation and that’s fast! The star’s density is so great that just a tea spoon of its mass would equal 900 times the mass of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Neutron Stars have such high gravitational pulls that a coin dropped a meter away from the surface would impact within 1 microsecond at a speed of 7.2 million kilometers per hour.

A Pulsar is a kind of neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation. As the star is spinning, the beam is only visible when its direction is towards the Earth, giving the Pulsar the appearance of a beacon or pulse and so the name Pulsar. This is also why Pulsars are often known as Space Lighthouses. Neutron stars and Pulsars are tiny but amazing.

Filed Under: Universe Tagged With: ,

How to Star Gaze In Your Back Yard

December 14, 2010 Leave a Comment

Article ContentA hot, clear, summer night is perfect for a family barbeque, roasting marshmallows, and star gazing. Children and adults alike enjoy looking up at the stars, making wishes, and dreaming of far away lands. Star gazing can be free, and is a great way for a family to spend an evening together.

Different constellations are viewable at different times of the year and from different locations on Earth. A star gazing guide or star chart will help you locate constellations in your area. Free star maps can be printed from the home computer and basic star wheels and star charts can be found in many retail stores. Get a plan together. Have the kids look at the charts and pick a few constellations they’d like to find.

Believe it or not, beginner or novice star gazers will do best without a telescope. Yes, a telescope allows a person to view greater distances into space, and will provide a more detailed view of celestial bodies, but increased amount of visible stars can make it very confusing to identity the stars and constellations you are searching for.

Before it get’s dark, gather all your supplies. To keep your eyes adjusted to the dark, cover a flashlight with red paper so you can still see your notes, charts, and graphs. Turn off all outdoor lights around your house. The less lights that are on Earth, the better the lights are in space.

Go hunt for your constellations! Start with the biggest and brightest stars, as they are easier to spot. Then, look for the other starts in the constellation. After you have spent some time looking at the stars with the naked eye, try binoculars or a cheep telescope. Or, better yet, have both available for family member to take turns using and talk about how the stars look different, depending on how you view them.

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General Information on the Swift-Tuttle Comet

December 13, 2010 Leave a Comment

ContentThe Swift-Tuttle comet is the largest known object to repeatedly pass near Earth and is also one of the oldest known comets with sightings that span two millennia. This comet has made news in recent years for several reasons. The most concerning news came in the late 1990’s as scientists studying the comet realized that it is going to come uncomfortably close to Earth around July 11 2126, potentially colliding with our home planet. The other reason that the Swift-Tuttle comet is so popular is because it is the originator of the yearly Perseids meteor showers. It has a 133 year solar orbit and it is expected the comet will next pass the sun on July 11, 2126.

Scientists are able to calculate the path of millions of space objects, including comets. Experts agree that the next time Swift-Tuttle will come close to the sun is on July 11, 2126. But, if there is a slight error in the calculations of +15, or the comet changes it’s orbit only minutely, it could collide with Earth around August 14 2126. The odds of a collision are very slim, but Earth does pass through the comet’s orbit.

Swift-Tuttle comet’s scientific name is Comet 109P. It got its real name from two gentlemen who discovered the comet two weeks apart, without realizing it. On July 16, 1862, Lewis Swift found this comet in the Camelopardalis constellation. He reported that is was a bright telescopic object, but assumed he was looking at the Schmidt comet and did not report this sighting. On July 19, 1862, Horace Parnell Tuttle spotted Comet 109P and made a note that it was heading north. Tuttle made an official announcement and when Swift heard, he realized it was the same comet he viewed and made an announcement. As a result, both men are given credit for the discovery of the Swift-Tuttle comet.

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