The Most Inspiring Thing In The Universe

I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking about space recently and have reached a solid conclusion. The most inspiring thing in the universe is the universe itself. After all, when looking back through history nothing has made all of humanity more excited and interested than exploration. Who are the people that fifth graders have to memorize the name of? The European explorers of the Americas. What rallied an entire nation and even a world in the mid 1900's? The Race to Space! As Vincent Van Gogh once said, 

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the site of the stars makes me dream."

I find that to be such a true statement. When I look up at the sky and see the light of stars that has traveled many light years to reach my retinas, I see the world in a much clearer reality. Everything seems to be put in perspective. That perspective inspires me to go forth into the world and really do what makes me happy and what helps the world. 

Based on that, I have decided to start blogging again. I love the chance that this blog offers me to share my passion with the world. Nothing makes me smile more and feel more productive than talking about the wonders and the workings of the universe and how they are part of everyone's everyday lives. 

The Universe is Infinitely Large and Getting Infinitely Larger

Reread that title and really think about it. After all infinite is really, really big and if infinite is getting bigger that is really, really, really BIG! Blows your mind right? I know that whenever I think about things like that I always walk away with a headache. Besides a headache, these trains of thought also leave me with a sense of awe about how incredibly large the universe is and how little and unimportant that makes me seem. You want to know why? Well, here goes.

The Earth has a circumference of 24,901 miles. The Earth is inside the solar system which is approximately 6 billion miles across. Feeling small yet? 

The solar system resides inside the Milky Way galaxy which is so big it has to be measured in light years. A light year is 587,849,981,000,000,000,000 miles. The Milky Way is 100,000 to 120,000 light years in diameter and contains 200 to 400 billion stars. Around the Milky Way are some 100 billion other galaxies!!! (Keep in mind that these numbers are only what we can see from Earth. There are probably lots more out there.) Now you should really feel small.

This is one 10 millionth of the night sky and all those spots are galaxies
Photo Courtesy of nasa.gov

As was previously mentioned the universe is getting infinitely larger. This means that as the universe expands we on Earth will see less and less of it. Future generations (a very long time from now) will look up in the sky and see absolutely nothing. You read that right. Absolutely. Nothing. 

Picture this: It’s a warm summer’s evening. You just had a barbecue with your family. You’re full and happy. The sun is just set so it is getting dark. You look up into the sky and see....nothing. Can you imagine that? Imagine how small and unimportant you would feel? Alone in the universe? 

But then you can look around you and see your family, your friends, and truly appreciate what you have. We can do the same thing with our multitudes of stars. Only when we look up into the sky, see all those stars, and take in the awe of the heavens can we really appreciate what we have here on Earth. 

To start off, we are alive. As far as we know we are the only ones alive in the universe. Then we can look around us and see the incredible people and places we are so lucky to have. I mean, just look around. The Earth is a magnificent place that is TOTALLY worth protecting. Think about the people who are most important in your life and remember how wonderful it is to have relationships with those around us. We are darn lucky to be human! So, let’s be happy to be who we are and never forget to fight for what we have because it is precious.

A One Way Trip To Mars? No Thanks

There are 78,000 people applying to be aboard a one way trip to Mars. The trip is sponsored by the a group called Mars One. Their goal is to put a permanent human settlement on Mars. They want the first four people to be on Mars by 2023.

For me personally I think this project is not a very good idea. I think that while the populous should be involved in space exploration we need to leave the engineering and carrying out of the projects to space agencies who have experience and protocol. 

From the start of space exploration our space agencies around the world have learned what needs to be done to keep human life safe in space. Also, we have protocol for not bringing things such as viruses and bacteria from Earth out into space. From the moment a human sets foot on Mars it will be contaminated and could potentially kill any forms of life that may exist there.I also think that the space exploration should be a public and publicly funded endeavor. It needs to be of the people. Private enterprise is great for some things but not space exploration.

Proposed Mars Colony
Courtesy of space.com

Another obvious fault with the plans of Mars One is the why. Our robotic technology gets better everyday. So why spend over four billion dollars to put a human on Mars and endanger their life and potential extraterrestrial life forms? A robot can do scientific observation faster and more effectively than a human when it comes to researching Mars. I’m not saying the spark of human curiosity is not extremely valuable. I’m saying that for right now robots are the way to go.

Also, Mars is a very toxic environment for a human. One little error can cause drastic failure and death. Until we have a really good reason to put humans on Mars and until we have a way to bring them home let’s wait. 

Overall I admire the initiative of Mars One but I don’t think it is the way to go right now.

So then I must ask, what do you think?

Rocket Science For Dummies

I admit it. Despite having a blog all about space I actually know very little about the actual mechanics of space. That is why I am on a never ending quest to learn as much as I can about space and the mysteries it holds. I’m proud to say that Neil Degrasse Tyson’s Death By Black Hole was the first non-fiction book I ever finished of my own free will. The reason I finished it? It was fascinating!! Who knew that there are creatures who can survive at -328 degrees F? Or that the reason the ultra-violet radiation from the sun is bad for you is because it is literally decomposing your skin? Learning about space is really fun and I think that is because it is unlike what one hears in their everyday life. 

Funny Poster
Courtesy of zazzle.com

When I sit down to read one of my many, many, many, many space related books I can never put them down. The topics fascinate me. Right now I am reading about parallel worlds. How cool is that? Did you know that there could be another one of you and me in a parallel world? And that’s not science fiction? 

Now this post is all about rocket science. Rocket science is the how. How do we get a rocket into space? How do we put a lander on the moon or on Mars.  How? How? How? That is what rocket scientists do. They design the crafts that leave earth’s atmosphere and go exploring. They are the explorers of tomorrow because they are exploring the one place humans haven’t gone all over, space. Humans are explorers by nature. We are curious and that, for the most part, is a good thing. That is why rocket science is so cool! They design the crafts that will go “where no man (ahem, human) has gone before.”

Now, I can’t teach you all about the astrophysics of rocket science because I am not an astronautical engineer, (which, by the way, is the technical name for a rocket scientist) but what I can do is give you links to some of my all time favorite space books that have taught me about space. 

Emma’s Favorite Space Books:

Death By Black Hole 

By Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Death From The Skies

By Philip Plait (He is the guy who did the lecture I got to go to)

Space Chronicles 

By Neil DeGrasse Tyson

The Hidden Reality 

By Brian Greene

Hyperspace 

By Michio Kaku

Asteroids, Astronomers, and........Birthdays?

Yup! Those three things constituted my Thursday. 

The first part of my day was the birthdays. While at school I got to celebrate my friend Micaela’s birthday. (She has a really awesome blog which is definitely worth checking out!) I then went to the Clark Planetarium’s Tenth Anniversary Gala to celebrate their tenth birthday.

The Clark Planetarium is one of my favorite places to go. They have a really fun gift shop, cool movies, and amazing interactives. While there I had the privilege of eating really good food, although, I had to harken back to the days when I played princess in order to remember how to go about using ten different pieces of silverware correctly. 

I then got to do something SUPER-DUPER cool! That is where the astronomers come in. I had the amazing privilege of meeting Dr. Philip Plait! That name may not mean a lot to you but in the world of astronomy he is well-known. Dr. Plait used to work for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on the Hubble Telescope. He is most well-known for his blog titled Bad Astronomy. It is a highly entertaining blog that debunks bogus astronomy. 

After meeting Dr. Plait we then got to listen to a lecture by him. He discussed one of the topics that is mentioned in his book, Death From The Skies. That is when the asteroid part of my evening took place. Death From The Skies is all about the ways that the universe can kill us. The first chapter of his book details the possibility of Earth being hit by asteroids and comets. Dr. Plait talked about the recent meteor explosion that occurred over Russia in 2012 on the same day that asteroid DA-14 passed us. He also showed some movie clips of astronomical objects colliding with Earth that came from Hollywood. He then showed us just how wrong they were scientifically. It was quite entertaining. 

Phil Plait introducing his lecture

To wrap up the evening there was a book signing where I got my (brand spanking new) copy of Death From The Skies signed. (See below) 

How cool is that?!?!?!

Overall, it was one of the coolest evenings of my life! I love being around people who share the same passion that I do for space. It will be hard to top that experience but I have something coming up next week that might just do it. Keep checking back to find out more....Bye!

Astronomy Jokes and Quotes: How Does The Man-in-the-Moon Cut His Hair?

Eclipse it!

Who doesn’t love a good joke? Or a philosophical moment now and then? I love both of those things. That is why I decided to devote this post to astronomy and science related jokes and quotes. I hope you enjoy it!

Quotes

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein

-I have experienced enough human stupidity in my life to know that Albert was right on with this one. I have always loved Einstein’s sense of humor. He makes science so funny! No one can read a list of his quotes and not smile at least once.

No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.

Albert Einstein

-I like this quote because it shows how hard science is. So much can go wrong, especially in the study of the cosmos but no matter what new information will be gleaned from the experiments. That is one of the main reasons why I think science is SO cool!

Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.

Carl Sagan

-How many times have you started the first week of science class learning about how you use the scientific method everyday? I know I have done so for many years in a row. I think that this quote emphasizes that. It describes so perfectly how we as the inquisitive humans that we are, use science multiple times everyday. Science is in your life whether you like it or not! So there! :)

Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure science. 

Edwin Powell Hubble

-When Mr. Hubble (the one who the Hubble telescope is named after) said this he described exactly what science is to me. Science is an adventure that we all embark on everyday! When people do science they are exploring unknown territory. That is why I love exploring the cosmos. It is a new, exciting adventure everyday.

Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better

Albert Einstein

-I like this quote because it helps me to remember that sometimes it is important to return to the roots that we all have in nature. Nature is the beginning and end of everything. From dust you came and to dust you shall return. Whoa! Deep moment right there! But really, if we all take a moment to look at what is around us then we understand ourselves and everything else much better.

Jokes

I was up all night wondering where the Sun had gone… then it dawned on me.

-So punny!

It is reported that Copernicus' parents said the following to him at the age of twelve: "Copernicus, young man, when are you going to come to terms with the fact that the world does not revolve around you.”

-This is something that all teenagers are told at least once in their life. :)

Photo Courtesy of sciencegeek.net

-I love this cartoon. It shows the hard parts of science but emphasizes how COOL it all is!!

How does one astronaut on the moon tell another astronaut that he is sorry?

He Apollo-gises.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this collection of science jokes and quotes. I sure had fun assembling it. Please comment and tell me what you thought of this and what you want to hear about in the future. Have a wonderful weekend!

Star Trek vs. Science

Star Trek Enterprise
Photo Courtesy of news.yahoo.com

Announcing the battle of the eon! It’s the devices and physics in Star Trek versus the hard, facts of science. Who will win? Well, the science battle of a lifetime is coming up next. I am about to pit the devices and concepts of Star Trek 

against the realities of science. Up first....

The Tricoder

Spock with tricorder
Photo Courtesy of guardian.co.uk

In Star Trek the doctor and other members of the landing parties would often carry a device called a tricorder. A tricorder is a device that when scanned over a person’s body can tell you all about their vital signs and chemical composition. It can also tell various features about the surrounding landscape.

                                                                 Versus 

Science

The tricorder has a lot of potential. There are lots people who think that a device similar to a tricorder is the the future of healthcare. Because of the popularity of the concept there are lots of people who are aiming to create one. The X-Prize Foundation is offering prizes totaling 12.5 million for a functioning tricorder. Also there is the Tricorder Project. The Tricorder Project was started by a man named Peter Jansen. He designed a device similar to the tricorder and then gave the instructions out to the public so that all could make one. Overall, the tricorder holds lots of promise for the medical world and is a pretty realistic concept.

Warp Drive

In Star Trek whenever they need to travel far distances across space the captain will command that the warp drive be engaged. They then speed across the universe faster than the speed of light.

                                                                  Versus 

Science

Many of you are probably thinking that there is no way warp drive could ever be possible. You may just be wrong. There are many physicists who are working on a way to bend the fabric of space-time and move faster than the speed of light. They propose using a device that the astronauts would sit inside that would create a bubble in space-time. 

Proposed space "bubble"
Photo Courtesy of space.com

The astronauts inside the bubble would not feel anything different. The space in front of the ship would be expanding and the part in back contracting which would move the ship forward. So even though warp drive is currently theoretical it could become an actuality.

And the winner is.....well, really neither science nor Star Trek can win this battle. What can be said is that the future of space travel holds wonderful possibilities and the devices from Star Trek may be very helpful along the way. We can also say that when Gene Rodenberry created Star Trek he was very creative but also surprisingly realistic. I bid you farewell today with the classic Star Trek goodbye.

Live long and prosper

Thor’s Hammer Weighs As Much As 300 Billion Elephants

That was the measurement that astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson came to when he began to calculate the weight of the hammer that the Marvel superhero wields. Besides being able to calculate random things like the weight of a hammer and find Superman’s home planet, Neil DeGrasse Tyson also has contributed lots of valuable knowledge and literature to the world of astrophysics.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Photo Courtesy of haydenplanetarium.org

Dr. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium. He is also an author of many wonderful  books. I just finished reading Death By Black Hole which is the first non-fiction book I have been able to complete. It is a wonderful collection of essays about different phenomena's in the universe. 

I admire Neil DeGrasse because he has many wonderful quotes. One of my favorites is-

“One thing is for certain, the more profoundly baffled you have

been in your life, the more open your mind becomes to new ideas.”

- Death By Black Hole pg. 305

I love this quote because I think it is perfectly true. I know from personal experience that when I am baffled I learn the most and that what I learn after being baffled is what sticks with me into the future. Another one of my favorite quotes is-

“A common way to compute density is, of course, to take the ratio of 

an object's mass to its volume. But other types of densities exist, 

such as the resistance of somebody's brain to the imparting of 

common sense.”- Death By Black Hole pg. 135

I love this quote because it makes me laugh and because I have had experience with people who have a resistance to the imparting of common sense. 

Another reason that Neil DeGrasse Tyson is so amazing is because he has the coolest job ever. He is an astrophysicist. The word astrophysics tends to scare people away but it really isn’t that scary. If you break the word apart it becomes astro and physics. Astro basically means “pertaining to the universe.” Physics is the study of why things work and occur the way the do. So astrophysics is the study of how and why things work the way they do in the universe. How cool is that?!

It is no coincidence that I wrote about Neil DeGrasse Tyson today. I just placed in the mailbox a letter to him that happened to contain the URL of my blog. So, if Dr. Tyson you are reading this now I want you to know that I think that what you do is amazing and that I look up to you!

If You Are 90,816,000 Feet Tall Then You Had Better Duck

On February 15, 2013 asteroid DA14 will pass within 90,816,000 feet of Earth. Also known as 17,200 miles. Now that may sound like a very, very, VERY, long way away but really it is not. In fact, there are GPS satellites that fly further out from Earth than that. 

So, if you are here on Earth you need not worry, there is absolutely no chance that the asteroid will hit the Earth. NASA’s Neat Earth Object Observation Program (NEOO) has been tracking this satellite and all of it’s possible trajectories. They have determined that it definitely will not hit the Earth or the International Space Station and most likely will not even hit a satellite. 

The asteroid DA14 is about half a football field in diameter. The flyby of this asteroid is special because it is the closest ever predicted Earth approach for an object this size. The asteroid will be traveling at 17,450 miles per hour or 4.8 miles per second. That is really fast!

Those in Africa, Asia, and Australia who have a good pair of binoculars will be able to see the asteroid as it passes by the Earth. The asteroid will come up from the South Pole and then pass Australia, Asia, and Africa. To learn more about the trajectory you can view the video below or look at the image. In the picture below the geosynchronous ring is the ring on which GPS satellites rotate. It is 22,236 miles out from Earth’s equator. The positioning of satellites on this ring means that if someone on Earth observes the satellite it will appear in the same place in the sky because it rotates with the Earth.

Photo Courtesy of nasa.gov

So, my parting message to you is this: When you think about the asteroids in the sky tomorrow remember that Earth is not the only thing in this universe. Try to clear your mind and keep focused on what really matters. 

Oh! I almost forgot! Happy Valentines to all!! 

The Big Bang: The Beginning of Everything

Welcome to The Universe and U! My name is Emma, and I am so happy to get to begin blogging about all the cool things that are happening in and about space and how they connect to our everyday lives. 

I am fascinated and really like how blogs can be about anything! No matter what the topic is someone can write a blog about it. Blogs are unique and so much fun to look at because of their originality and creativity.

To start my blogging journey I looked around a few blogs. The first I looked at was Bill Nye’s blog. He blogs about happenings in space. Another blog I read is produced by the Hayden Planetarium. It talks about all sorts of cool aspects about space. The third and final blog I looked at is produced by NASA’a Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was about the projects that the JPL laboratory is in charge of; like the Curiosity Rover.

The blogs I looked at gave me inspiration for my personal blog because they reinforced my excitement in space. With a blog about space there are limitless possibilities. So many cool things are being discovered everyday and they all effect everyone.

During my examination of these blogs as well as other blogs I saw in class I learned about how blogs tend to be written in a much more personal fashion than lots of other writing. Their tone is friendly and personable. Sometimes blogs are informational and sometimes they are advice giving among other topics. 

Also in my reading of these blogs I learned about how blogs can have a variety of special features. These may include different feeds, columns by many authors, and contests for their readers. All the special features in blogs add to the reasons why they are so unique.

There are so many amazing realizations about space happening everyday and I can't wait to share more about them!