Astronomy in “The Big Bang Theory” and “Interstellar”

I originally came into Astronomy 201 just wanted to fulfill my last hours as a second-semester senior at Vanderbilt University with a subject I was interested in. Now that the course is coming its conclusion, the class has evolved into my favorite class I have taken this semester and the one I learned the most and has sparked my interest even further in the subject. Throughout the semester, I found myself, like most students, spending a little too much time watching Netflix and TV. I justified it by watching The Big Bang Theory and Interstellar and saying I was “studying” for astronomy. Even though I wasn’t really studying, I found myself understanding the complex topics covered by the lovable characters of The Big Bang Theory. One of the areas that stood out to me most was Dr. Raj Koothrappali’s work with the Kepler Belt. I suddenly found myself understanding Raj’s work and his search for Trans-Neptunian objects. Trans-Neptunian objects is any minor planet that orbits at a greater average distance than Neptune or 30 astronomical units.

I watched Interstellar about 2 weeks ago, which is a great movie (everyone should watch it)! It is extremely applicable to what we are studying currently which is extraterrestrial life. Even though within the movie, they did not find alien life, they found habitable exoplanets that humans could establish life on. The characters deal with a plethora of topics we discussed in class such as time relativity and the space-time continuum. Theoretical physicist Kip Thorne consulted on the movie making sure that the science was accurate as possible. Overall, taking astronomy 201 has enabled me to understand the science in modern media, which now I can go and impress my friends with my knowledge.

‘Definite Evidence’ Of Alien Life Within 20-30 Years

In a panel discussion earlier this month, NASA Chief Scientist, Ellen Stofan, said that there is definite evidence that we will find alien life within the next 20-30 years. She defines life not as ‘little green men’ but microbes, which as we learned in class can survive in a range of conditions. These microbes were given the name ‘extremophiles’ due to their ability to survive in conditions previously thought to extreme to sustain life. John Grunsfeld, a former astronaut and associate administrator for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate, concurred with Stofan’s assessment of finding extraterrestrial life in the next 20-30 years. The panel took place on April 7th, and the full discussion is available below. It is interesting to consider where we will find life. Will it be a world that is much like our own Earth, that humans could live on without considerable construction of habitats? Or will the world have hostile and extreme conditions that only extremophiles can survive on?

The Goldilocks Zone: Not as elusive as previously thought?

New research from the Australian National University and the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen has calculated that billions of the milky Way star’s have one to three planets in the habitable zone (or nicknamed: “The Goldilocks Zone” because it is not too cold or too hot, but just the right temperature for liquid water). Below a picture shows the different habitable zones based on the different temperatures of stars. The red area is too hot for liquid water and the blue area is too cold for liquid water. The green area is the habitable zone where the temperature is appropriate for liquid water.

NASA’s Diagram of the Habitable Zone of Planets based on Temperature of Stars

The group of researchers figured this out using a law established back in late 1700s called the Titius-Bode Law. The Titius-Bode Law is a rule that predicts the spacing of planets in the Solar System. The relationship was first discovered in 1766 by Johann Titius and was turned into a mathematical equation by J.E. Bode in 1778  (Cornell University). The researchers took a close look at 151 planetary systems. These 151 planetary systems had between 3-6 planets detected by NASA’s Kepler satellite. All of these 151 planetary systems had at least one planet in the habitable zone. Don’t get your hopes up for aliens just yet, however! Just because a planet is in the habitable zone and has the possibility of liquid water does not necessary mean water is there. This research, however, reveals that our Earth might not be the only habitable planet in our galaxy.

Do we have Jupiter to thank for Earth?

A new study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that Jupiter may just be more than the largest gas giant planet in our solar system. We little earthlings may be here thanks to Jupiter and its role in the formation of the solar system. The theory states that the inner solar system (the area between the Sun and the asteroid belt) was once home to many “super-Earth” planets. “Super-Earths” were planets in the size range from slightly bigger to Earth and slightly less than Neptune. Scientists suggest that Jupiter had an “epic, planet-shattering journey” into the Sun knocking all the Super-Earths into the Sun and destroying them. Jupiter then migrated back out to its current position. This theory attempts to explain why our own solar system is an outlier compared to other solar systems in our galaxy. As we remember from our class lectures (and our recently handed back test 3), most exceptions in solar system formation are the result of giant impacts. Jupiter would have collided with these Super-Earths resulting in a giant impacts creating exceptions and maybe accounting why our solar system might look different from other solar systems in our own galaxy. So let us all say a quick thank you to Jupiter for clearing the way for our spectacular Earth! So from us Earthlings: Thank you, Jupiter!

A Detailed Picture of Jupiter from March 2010

Surface of Venus Revealed from Earth Telescope

As many of us know, Venus is covered in a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide that makes it very difficult for scientist to view the surface of Venus. In the past, NASA’s Magellan spacecraft has used radar to penetrate the atmosphere to gather date on the surface. However recently, astronomers were able to take pictures of Venus’ surface with a telescope on Earth. The telescope is a powerful radar transmitter at the NSF’s (National Science Foundation) Arecibo Observatory, located in Puerto Rico. The Arecibo Radio telescope is the largest dish antenna in the world, measuring in at 1,000 feet across. Check out an ariel view of the telescope below:

Arecibo Radio Telescope Ariel View Photo Credit: naic.edu

The ability to use this telescope to study the surface of Venus will allow astronomers to continually monitor the surface of Venus to study for geological activity that might reveal clues about the planet’s formation. Check out the stunning images from the telescope on Venus’ surface.

The Surface of Venus from the Arecibo Radio Telescope Photo Credit: astronomynow.com

Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

The Sun triggered a radio blackout with the first X-class solar flare of 2015 on Wednesday, March 11th at 12:22pm ET. A solar flare is a sudden flash of brightness on the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are classified as A, B, C, M, or X, with X-class being the most intense of the flares. The solar flare sent a blast of energy (mostly X-rays and UV radiation) towards Earth that caused a radio blackout over large areas of the globe, including most of the Americas. The solar flare also created a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is a massive burst of gas and magnetic field. The CME might be headed towards Earth, so astronomers will be keeping a close look at it! Below is a picture of the Sun right after the solar flare occurred on Wednesday. You can see where the flare took place, it is the bright white spot on the surface.

The Sun after Wednesday’s X-class flare

Earth or Mars?

Photo Credit: NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

This picture looks like something that could be taken on Earth, however it is not! This picture was taken by the Curiosity rover near the base of Mount Sharp. Mount Sharp, also know as Aeolis Mons, reaches a height of about 3.4 miles. Surprisingly, it is one of the smallest mountains on Mars. The tallest mountain on Mars is the famous Olympus Mons, which reaches a height of 14 miles (wow!). For comparison, Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, is 5.5 miles high. So what causes these layered rock formations on Mars? The leading theory is WATER! Scientists believe that the layering was caused by an ancient Martian lake. Imagine the possibilities if this theory is true. There was once water on Mars, which might lead us to the possible conclusion that there is life on Mars! This picture was taken from the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, go ahead and check it out! It is interesting to see what pictures they post every day!

The World’s Largest Vaccuum

The world’s largest vacuum is located at NASA’s Space Power Facility in Ohio. In this video, a bowling ball and a feather are dropped together under the conditions of outer space to demonstrate the concept that objects will fall at the same constant rate regardless of weight. The reason why this experiment must be conducted in a vacuum is because of air resistance. The reason why a bowling ball and a feather will not fall at the same constant rate on Earth is due to air resistance. The shape of the feather creates more drag thus causes it to accelerate slower than the bowling ball. However, in space  like conditions (a vacuum with no air resistance) both objects will accelerate at the same speed because the only force acting upon them is gravity. This experiment seeks to support the experiments the famous astronomer Galileo performed by dropping objects off the Leaning Tower of Pisa in 1589. Give the video a watch! Its pretty amazing to see the size of the vacuum, which measures 100 feet in diameter and 122 feet high!

Historical Astronomers in Context

2. Galileo Galilei was an extremely important figure in astronomy. He was the first person to use a telescope to observe the sky and publish his results. He discovered the four satellites around Jupiter. The discovery of the moons showed that everything did not revolve around the Earth. This provided compelling evidence in support of the Copernican system (heliocentric model) versus the standing geocentric model of our solar system (Baalke).

3.

A)In 1607, Jamestown, Virginia was established as the first permanent English colony on American mainland.

In 1618, the Thirty Years’ War started. The Protestants revolt against Catholic oppression. Denmark, Sweden, and France invade Germany during the later portion of the war.

B) Gian Lorenzo Bernini

1. Born: December 7^th, 1598
2. Died: November 28^th, 1680

• Bernin was an Italian artist, most famous for his sculpting. He worked principally in Rome, Italy. He created many famous statues such as Apollo and Daphne (1622-25). He was commissioned by Pope Alexander VII to create the piazza leading to St Peter’s.

4. The time period I focused on was Galileo’s lifetime, which occurred during the height of The Renaissance. The Renaissance literally means, “re-birth”. It was an explosion of art, literature and science. Galileo lived during the height of the Renaissance and contributing to the great scientific accomplishments of the era. It is mind-blowing to recognize that Galileo and the great Renaissance sculptor, Bernini, lived during the same time. I often think of Galileo as a modern figure because he was such a progressive for science, meanwhile Bernini was dedicated to preserving the ancient Greco-Roman period. It was very enlightening to realize that Galileo and Bernini were contemporaries.

Stonehenge and the Summer Solstice

Everyone is familiar with the famous landmark Stonehenge located in Wiltshire, England. The first construction on Stonehenge was start about 5,000 years ago. We are still not sure what the original purpose of Stonehenge is but people have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities or an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar, or that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens at the time (Britannica).

Stonehenge has been very closely linked to summer and winter solstices. The summer solstice marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and falls on June 21st. The timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator (Farmers Almanac). As you can see in the picture below, the sun rises right over the Heel stone of the monument on the Summer solstice.

2014 Summer Solstice at Stonehedge

Stonehenge also aligns on the winter solstice sunset. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night. It also marks the sun’s most southerly point on the celestial sphere. Below is a picture of the winter solstice sunset and its alignment in the monument.

Winter Solstice Sunset at Stonehenge Photo by: http://stonehengetours.com/

It is amazing to consider the fact that people thousands of years ago without the modern technology we have were able to construct a monument that precisely measures the sun and its direction. We are still not sure what Stonehenge’s original purpose is, but one thing is for sure, the people who constructed it definitely had a sense about our Sun, stars, and Earth.