Planetary science

I could picture the Earth in my head. The blues of water, greens of vegetation, and whites of clouds, all the essentials of life swirling together as if left by brush strokes. I had been seeing it since my first earth science class in elementary school, glaring out at me from textbooks as if demanding an answer. How could you do this? The question reverberated in my head, the dull ache of cognitive dissonance setting in as I peered out the window. I didn’t have an answer. None of us did. That’s why we’re here, I thought to myself, because we couldn’t find an answer. Unable to bear the sight, I pulled my eyes away from the window and let my head loll back against the cool pleather of my seat, hoping that I might just be granted a brief reprieve…

Colonies on Other Planets Isaiah Dokus 1/12/2017 The Earth is deteriorating, and growing faster by the day. We are using up our natural resources faster than I can type this sentence. Eventually, we may need to move. Not to another oil drilling site, but to a completely different planet. Our knowledge of space travel and other technologies is quickly progressing. So we may have a chance on a new world. Other “habitable” planets have been found. The two most discussed are called KOI 326.01…

The Boss Awakening Boss stood on the beach looking out at the ocean as the sun sank into the red clouds, its’ job done for the day. A cloud drifted in the distance spreading its rain. The beach sand was soft under his feet and the warm water was clear and filled with fish that seemed to enjoy swimming with him. A pair of flutter-bys flapped their colorful wings of blue, red, green and gold as they passed him in a harmonic dance. The cool breeze coming off the ocean felt good as he listened to…

In the beginnings of the creation of a model of our planetary system, Greek philosopher Aristotle stated that Earth could be found at the center of the universe, giving birth to an idea called "geocentrism" around 300 B.C. This belief consisted of planets orbiting Earth in perfectly circular paths called "epicycles". This worked for a while, but as more and more observations were done, the model started to fall apart, with a multitude of additional corrections changing the model until it was no…

and hard specifically about planetary motion, he never answered the question of whether celestial bodies moved, and if so, by what force. Abu ‘Ali Ibn Sina, a Muslim scholar in 1000 AD, confirmed Aristotle’s suspicions by saying, “Nobody begins to move or comes to rest of itself.” (Hecht, 2015, p. 80) Almost seven hundred years later Newton will state this fact in his First Law, but will also have an answer as to why this is…

In this chapter you have an introduction to Astronomy. Astronomy is the study of the universe investigating the position, movement, composition, properties, physical states, and evolution of celestial objects. Astrology is not a science that determines your future based on the alignment of the planets at the moment of birth. The difference between these two is that Astronomy is a science and can be scientifically proven. Astrology is not a science and can’t be scientifically proven. The way…

and directed to two contrary parts.” (p. 83) Three hundred and thirty years later, Newton’s laws continue to explain key concepts and revolutionize the ways in which we view objects in motion. II. The History of Scientific Understandings of Motion Sir Isaac Newton himself is attributed with the saying, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” (Koyré, 1952, p. 315) The study of motion can be traced to approximately 300 B.C. to the greek philosopher, Aristotle.…

Scientist have transformed history with new discoveries. Phenomenal events that change the direction of science. Many scientific theories have caused conflict with the religious beliefs and values of some people. Galileo Galilei’s interest in optics and astronomy drove him to innovative discoveries, His confirmation of Copernicus theory of a heliocentric solar system, caused a clash between faith and science. This refuted Aristotle’s theory that the heavens were perfect and unchanging. The…

The Age of Science was significant as it rejected this idea of having to accept that the Church’s notions as truth. Truth and knowledge must be based on tangible, scientific, and empirical evidence. Skepticism became encouraged, as many stupendous thinkers, writers, and scientists emerged from this time period. While many influential figures have emerged at this time period, three individuals that have made a tremendous impact in the name of science are Johannes Kepler, Ada Byron, and Galileo. …

Sara Seager is considered a pioneer in the research of exoplanets, a relatively new field of study which largely began in the 1990s. Seager, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist, has been called an “astronomical Indiana Jones” and was named Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential in Space in 2012. She is currently a professor of planetary science and physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received her B.Sc. degree in mathematics and physics for the University of Toronto in 1994,…