Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

Science of Astronomy

Articles about the science of astronomy and objects that are visible in the night sky.

No Signal from “Alien Megastructure” Around Star

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science

An artist's conception of a disk of dust around a distant star which could periodically block or attenuate its light for external observers (credit: NASA)
An artist’s conception of a disk of dust around a distant star which could periodically block or attenuate its light for external observers (credit: NASA)

Using the Allen Telescope Array, astronomers at the SETI institute have examined the star KIC 8462852 for signs of extraterrestrial communications. So far they have come up empty. But astronomers around the world continue to examine this curious star which appears to decrease in apparent brightness by up to 20% for a period of 5 days to 80 days. Some have suggested– seriously– that the timing and magnitude of the brightness drop might be caused by a massive alien megastructure that surrounds the star [Read more…] about No Signal from “Alien Megastructure” Around Star

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The Pull of the Moon – Video

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science, Solar System

The Pull of the Moon from Alan Dyer on Vimeo.

Ocean tides are one of the few phenomena that bring the workings of the sky down to Earth.  The gravitational pull of the Moon, and to a lesser degree the Sun, tug on the world’s oceans while the Earth rotates under them, causing the ocean to appear to rise and fall twice each day. Isaac Newton applied his theory of gravitation to explain the tides. He reasoned that the Moon pulls on the ocean on the Moon-facing side of Earth, pulls on the Earth itself to a lesser degree because it’s further away, and pulls on the ocean on the far side of the Earth least of all. The effect is to cause the oceans to bulge slightly on a line towards the Moon as the earth rotates. So we see two tides each day spaced by 12 hours plus a little bit more to account for the Moon’s revolution around the Sun. Other than sunlight itself, tides are one of the most familiar astronomical phenomena we see around us.

In this time-lapse video by photographer Alan Dyer, you see the tides in action on the east coast of Canada, including the Bay of Fundy, a place in New Brunswick that boasts the highest tides in the world. It ends with a view of the Moon and Sun setting over the Bay of Fundy.

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Pluto: Stranger Than Expected

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science, Solar System

Ice mountains near the equator of Pluto. These mountains are 3,500 meters high and only 100 million years old.
Ice mountains near the equator of Pluto. These mountains are 3,500 meters high and only 100 million years old.

We have learned again this week, with the fleeting passage of the New Horizons probe past Pluto, that nature is stranger than fiction, better really, with more surprises, plot twists, and interesting imagery than the most adept imaginations can conjure. The data is coming in slowly from Pluto, and we’ve received just a few images of the many yet to come. But here’s what we know from New Horizons so far… [Read more…] about Pluto: Stranger Than Expected

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New Horizons Lives Makes Successful Flyby of Pluto

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science, Solar System

Just confirmed at 5:55 PDT… the New Horizons spacecraft is still operating after passing Pluto earlier today. Congratulations to the NASA team for a job well done! The craft is now outbound to the Kuiper Belt and beyond. Stay tuned for more data and images that are (hopefully) coming in from the craft which is 4.5 light-hours away!

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Ode to a Flower: Science, Understanding, and Beauty

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Science

Does understanding more about astronomy make the night sky less beautiful? Does science take the mystery and beauty of nature and make it dull and joyless? The great physicist and teacher Richard Feynman thought not. In a famous BBC interview, Feynman explained, using a flower as an example, why understanding something makes it more beautiful, more interesting, not less. Not convinced? Take a look at this short video clip of Feynman’s “Ode to a Flower” and decide for yourself.

 

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