APOD 2.3

This photo was taken by Eclipse chasers during the most recent solar eclipse on November 3rd. This snapshot of a solar eclipse was taken from a chartered jet traveling 500 miles per hour 600 miles southeast of Bermuda. The silhouette of the Moon only covered the Sun totaly for only an instance, blanketing the clouds in its dark shadow. I chose this photo because I would like to see a solar eclipse with my own eyes. Hopefully I will be able to see the eclipse that is planned to occur on the 21st of August in the year 2017 in Kentucky.

APOD 2.2

It may look like the scene of a Hollywood extraterrestrial movie, but it is actually the real volcanic landscape of northeastern Iceland. The picture was taken on the night of September 12th when geomagnetic storms produced this beautiful yet spooky auroral display while ghostly towers of steam and gas venting from fumaroles drifted eerily infront of the greenish lights. I chose this photo because I plan viewing the aurora lights for myself and seeing that it is the night after Halloween, it seemed appropriate. I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

APOD 2.1

1996; the year the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl, the year I was born, but most importantly the year the ever so amazing Hale-Bopp Comet began it's transit across the sky. The bluish-white comet was it's brightest from May of 1996 to Seprember of the next year. It's next expected pass through the Earth's sky is near the year 4380. Don't fret because there are other comets to see in the next century. On the 28th of November, Comet ISON will reach perihelion around the Sun and will be visble by us on Earth. It is expected to be the brightest comet ever seen in human history, but some astronomers have their doubts. Halley's Comet, another very famous comet, will reach it's perihelion in July of the year 2061. Both of these upcoming comets I plan on observing and having a life changing experience like the two boys in the photo that I selected for today's APOD.

Sir Isaac Newton Biography

Most of us only know one of the things that Sir Isaac Newton is known for, his laws of motion which have yet to be proven false. Most don't know that he built the first reflecting telescope, was the first to develop the theory of visible light, and created calculus in his spare time. Even though Newton is known for his advances in mathematics, he is also credited with many significant theories and discoveries in astronomy. His biggest contribution to the astronomical world was certainly his law of universal gravitation. Newton was confronted by his colleague Sir Edmund Halley in the year of 1684, with the problem of explaining orbital motion. After being confronted by Halley, Newton spent the next two and a half years formulating his three laws of motion. The first law states that an object that's in motion or at rest, stays in motion or at rest until acted on by an outside force. The second law states that force (F) is proportional to mass (m) multiplied by acceleration (a). The third and final law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite re-action. These laws did explain phenomena that were puzzling astronomers and mathematicians at the time, but they failed to explain orbital motion. One day while Newton was drinking tea in his garden, he saw an apple fall from a tree. By the time the apple had hit the ground, Newton had realized that the same force that attracted the apple toward the Earth is also what keeps the Moon in orbit. Applying this "eureka" moment and his three laws of motion to Kepler's laws of orbit motion, he was able to come up with the law of universal gravitation. Using this law, he debunked former beliefs in a geocentric universe. He was not the first to suggest a heliocentric universe, but he was the first to give significant scientific evidence of it being valid. Newton then published all of his findings in his book Principia in 1687. After this major contribution his later accomplishments do not get close to surpassing it, but they are still ever so important. With the help of a prism, Newton found that white light was actually a mixture of many different colors ranging from red to purple. He took his knowledge of light and developed a new kind of telescope that was yet to be used. Instead of using a series of lenses, it used a mirror to reflect the images. This reflecting property increased the magnification property even though the first model was only six inches long.

All of Sir Isaac Newton's contributions are still used/believed today. After Principia was published, it marked a major turning point in the history of science because the model of the heliocentric universe would have enough evidence to not to be challenged and overturned. Also with his advances in optics, he would give later astronomers a perfect guideline for new astronomical discoveries. Including being able to find the chemical composition, temperature, and speed of movement of distant material in space.

Sources:
Newton, Isaac (1642–1727). The Principia: a new Translation, Guide by I. Bernard Cohen, University of California (1999)

Westfall, Richard S. (2007). Isaac Newton. Cambridge University Press.

Westfall, Richard S. (1983) [1980]. Never at Rest: A Biography of Isaac Newton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 530–1.

28 Sept. 2013 - Astronomy Night Observations

We observed the planets Venus and Saturn first because they would be setting in the next hour. When we looked at Saturn through the telescope we were able to see a clear picture of it's rings and moons. While the telescope aimed at M20 (in Sagittarius) we reviewed and observed the more recognizable constellations such as Scorpius, Aquila, Delphinus, Cygnus, etc. Once the telescope was finished focusing in on M20, we all took turns looking at the immense star cluster. After everyone got there fill of M20, we turned our heads back to the sky where Mr. Percival was helping us map the night sky with a high-powered laser pointer. He showed us an easy way to find constellations by drawing imaginary lines in the sky to link them to eachother. The last thing that we observed through the telescope was the star Alberio in the constellation Cygnus. We were able to see that the "star" is actually two different colored stars revolving around eachother. Before the clouds moved, we took our lasts looks at the constellations Scutum, Hercules, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia.

Hours spent observing: 2x2=4

APOD 1.3

A couple of weeks ago on September 6, people on the east coast of the United States were able to see the launch of the Minotaur V rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallop's Island, Virginia. It is planned to orbit the moon after some minor adjustments to it's course. I chose this photo because I have experienced a shuttle launch from Cape Caneveral's Kennedy Space Center so this picture is very recognizable.

APOD 1.2

The above picture is of the Pleiades Star Cluster, also known as "The Seven Sisters." This constellation is about 400 light years away and lies near "Taurus" in the night sky. Astronomers have noticed that one of the stars has lost magnitude or brightness. Now leaving only six of "The Sisters" visible to the unaided eye. I chose this photo because the Pleiades Star Cluster was one of the first constellations I learned and was able to point out in the night sky. Everytime I see "The Seven Sisters" now, it brings out the curious 12-year-old child within me.

APOD 1.1



Comet Dust rained down over Hebei Province, China earlier this month. The photo is actually a combination of multiple lens exposures that managed to capture 68 meteors. I myself have layed out under thestars and caught a glimpse of a couple meteors, but have never been able to see 68 of them. I chose this photo because I have experienced a meteor shower and I am hoping to experience many more.