Q&A with Future Mars-walker Astronaut Alyssa Carson

By on Feb 17, 2016 in Interview | 0 comments

Going to Mars will be no easy task. NASA and other private space companies have set goals for 2030 to go to Mars. To become an astronaut they say you need the “right stuff.” Being a Mars astronaut not only gets adults excited but even teenagers such as 14 year old Alyssa Carson. She has dedicated her life to becoming a Mars astronaut and you can tell she’s the real deal (find out what I mean here). I got a chance to ask Alyssa Carson a list of questions around her journey to becoming a Mars astronaut. Here we go! How has your journey to becoming an astronaut going? What things are you looking forward to in 2016? My journey towards becoming an astronaut has been going great. Somethings I am looking forward to in 2016 is doing more scuba trips, as well as starting my pilots license. I am also excited to continue going to camps especially in the summer. What was your...

What is Dark Matter and How Much is in the Milky Way?

By on Feb 15, 2016 in Cosmology | 1 comment

One fact that always humbles me is that the universe is made up 68% dark matter, 27% dark energy, and less than 5% matter. That means that all the current knowledge that we have is only about < 5% of the universe. When we say matter we are talking about stars, planets, moons, nebulas, and all the atoms in the universe. That makes up about 5%. This fact is just mind boggling and you should take a second to let that sink in. Now, that leaves us with dark matter and dark energy? Dark energy is what we believe is causing the universe to expand. Beyond that, we don’t know much about it. Dark matter on the other hand is interesting. We can say the things that are not dark matter but actually don’t know what it is either. Scientists know that dark matter is not in the form of stars and planets. It’s also not in the form of dark clouds or matter. Dark matter is also not...

Top 10 Astronomy Discoveries in 2015

By on Dec 28, 2015 in Round Up Post | 0 comments

What a year it has been for science and astronomy. From the first up close and personal images of Pluto to key insights of what happened to Mars’ water, it’s been nothing short of excitement. While we’ve made some great discoveries this year we’ve also had some fantastic surprises as well that are worth mentioning. Without further delay let’s jump into the best astronomy discoveries of 2015!   1. New Horizons makes historic Pluto flyby and delivers incredible data Credit: NASA Arguably one of the most exciting discoveries in 2015 or perhaps as far as the last decade is Pluto. As one of the most controversial planets this dwarf planet gave us a heart, moons, and a bizarre surface. There is still more data on the way for Pluto and we’re still discovering more and more. Check out Sky and Telescopes “Top 10 Surprises from Pluto” for a...

Your Next 2016 Space Calendar!

By on Dec 13, 2015 in Reviews | 0 comments

Whether you’re a space enthusiast or looking for a perfect little thank you this Year in Space Calendar is nothing short of amazing. By the way, if you’re a Carl Sagan fan then you’ll be glad to know this calendar was published with help from Sagan’s pride and joy – The Planetary Society. This calendar is created in collaboration with Planetary Society so you know you’ll be getting a wonderful experience. One thing this calendar does a great job of is keeping you informed and teaching you something new each month. Check out some of these samples from the calendar.   Each month is loaded with tons of information from nebulae to epic / historic space missions. What I really do appreciate is the fact they highlight a scientist in each month. This gives me a deeper appreciation for the people who have contributed to space exploration and helping us find our...

MAVEN Reveals How Mars Lost its Atmosphere

By on Nov 7, 2015 in Solar System | 0 comments

Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution or the MAVEN mission discovered some incredible new pieces of information about Mars. These findings revealed that the Sun, in its devilish way, destroyed the atmosphere of Mars. Stripping away a heavenly environment where water flowed and life could thrive in. Furthermore, NASA learned that the once-thick atmosphere of Mars was blown away by the Sun’s solar winds between 4.2 billion and 3.7 billion years ago.   What’s terrifying is that Mars only retained 1% of its atmosphere as a result. Not only that but the rate at which Mars was losing its atmosphere: one quarter pound of atoms per second! That is the mass of a cheeseburger being stripped away by the solar winds every second. A tasty but frightening image. What about our very own Earth? Don’t we get hit by solar winds too? Well our Earth is shielded by such harmful...