I hadn’t realized it at the time, but because of that moment, my life would change for the better. It wouldn 't hit me for a while that because of what I saw, I would see the world in an entirely new perspective than what I had before. It was a defining moment, looking through that cylindrical time machine we humans call a telescope, showing me in the blackness of space more than any teacher had, or could have. I felt like something drove me that brisk night. Bringing me to do something that I normally
August 1, 1818 on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket to William and Lydia Mitchell. When Maria Mitchell was growing up in the Quaker community, few girls were allowed to study astronomy and higher mathematics. Even though the Mitchell's weren't rich Maria's father, a devoted amateur( most astronomers of that time were amateurs) astronomer, introduced her to mathematics and the night sky. He also encouraged her toward teaching and passed on a sense of God as in the natural world. By the time Maria was
Literature and Astronomy "Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Who is to say of the two, which has the grander view?" - Victor Hugo Hugo's words ring true for me because my principal academic interests fall into two main categories: literature and astronomy. In literature, I have learned that there is a great amount of meaning to be found through careful analysis; one must often look at literature "under a microscope" to discover its deepest value. Yet in studying astronomy, I have begun
At the age of ten his father died and his uncle took him in along with his brothers and sisters. His uncle wanted to make sure he had the best education possible. He went to three different Universities to learn math, science, law, medicine, and astronomy. A spot opened up in the church and his uncles connections got Copernicus the spot. He studied the Bible and became a priest like his uncle. With all of the income he was receiving it allowed him to not work and study the universe. He went on studying
FAITH AND REASON DURING THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY During the seventeenth and eighteenth century many ideas were placed forth that ended up changing peopleís faith and reason. These new ideas challenged humanís conception of the universe and of oneís place in it. They challenged the view of a person, and they also challenged the belief of the economy. There were many scientists and philosophers during this time period, Francis Bacon, René Descartes, John Locke, Nicolaus Copernicus
Mar’s surface. Welles also added fictional content, such as the aliens being described as machine-like beings. This piece of science fiction fits the description because it has a bit of realism, with a twist of fantasy. There is a long history of astronomy in science fiction. Some of the earliest can be seen with the Greeks, with their tales of gods representing the parts of the universe they could see. Other cultures began writings of men going beyond the limits of the atmosphere as early a...
The year is 2061. Ordinary astronomy enthusiasts and seasoned astrophysicists alike flock to the darkest, most obscure corners of the Earth to witness the return of what is arguably the most famous near-Earth object in history. This celebrated occurrence is known as the perihelion of Halley’s Comet, and though its observance dates back to at least 239 B.C., the man responsible for accurately analyzing its repeated occurrences and calculating its seventy-five year orbit is no other than Edmond Halley
The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient mechanical device designed to compute various astronomical calculations and is often referred to as the first analog computer. Originating from the second half of the 2nd century BC, a mechanical device of its complexity is not see again for over 1000 years, until 14th century clockwork. The mechanism was discovered when it was recovered from the Antikythera Shipwreck between Crete and the Greek mainland. The device was housed in a wooden box with bronze front
THE TELESCOPE Since the beginning of astronomy, astronomers had a unanimous goal: to see farther, better and in greater details. The earliest known telescope was created by Hans Lippershey in 1608. Others have claimed to have made the discovery of telescope but according to documents, he is the earliest who has applied for the patent. The telescope had an convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece. A year later, using such an early refracting telescope, Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist and
The Hale Telescope Who has not ever, even if just for a brief moment, looked up at a dark but vividly lit starry night sky and wondered how far those seemingly little lights reach, and if that beauty goes on forever, or if it ends at some point. I believe this question has been pondered by mankind since our creation, and early astronomers are proof of this pondering. Telescopes began as a way for these early astronomers to chart the stars and planets and their movements as they searched for more
What Astronomy Really Is What is astronomy? Astronomy consist of a lot of things that make up our solar system such as: the nine planets, asteroids, meteorites, the moon and the sun. Astronomy is also a fascinating hobby that can be followed by anyone. You do not need to be, as some people seem to imagine, ‘mathematically-minded’ , in order to start, or even to become a very experienced observer. Yet astronomy is one of the few hobbies where not only can you gain great enjoyment, but if
Astronomy Astronomy is not just about the stars. Astronomy is about the constellations, the nine planets, the sun and the moons. The solar system is very complex and has many extraordinary objects. There are four different types of stars: Protostars, Bright Stars, Red Giants, and White Dwarfs. Protostars are stars that are on the verge of being born. They are glowing clouds of dust and gas. Gravity pulls on every atom moving them towards the center of the cloud of dust, which causes the Protostar
“Why is the night sky dark?”(Hienrich) For thousands of years this question, also known as Olber’s paradox, has been asked. Astronomers are constantly growing closer to the answer but still no one has yet found a finite answer. As scientists relentlessly collect data hoping to find some clue as to the answer to this riddle we seem to realize that the answer may be because of something that is too mind blowing for us to comprehend. Several explanations have been considered over the years. But as of
Greek Geometry Although the original roots of geometry can be traced to the Egyptians, the Greeks built on most Egyptian theories that we use today. Greek astronomy and Greek geometry were both used in order to answer many difficult questions of the time. Without geometry, the study of astronomy would have been almost impossible, and vice versa. Even though many Greek theorems and principles were later built on by geniuses such as Einstein and Lobachevsky, the basis still remains the same. The
Introduction I feel that the History of Astronomy is important because it has allowed the astronomers of present be able to not only learn from their past but also have a greater appreciation for the science of present. The reasons being, that students and astronomers now have the ability to learn from past discoveries and ideas, which allow the knowledge of today to have more relevance and meaning. Because of this history we have a much more appreciation for the work of brilliant minds of our scientific
Galileo Galilei is a good person who was unjustly put in jail for solid fact and because your church didn’t want to believe him. He studied many subjects, such as astronomy and mathematics. He proved the Copernican theory with solid evidence, and your clergy decides to put him in jail! His discovery would revolutionize the world of science, and you choose to push him away, locked up from society? That’s not good. Galileo should be set free from jail and all charges because a) The Sun, and all of
Galileo Galilei, a science and mathematics professor Born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa, Italy, was a man who pioneered observations of the universe and physics. His studies led to the foundations of modern physics and astronomy. Galileo, also an innovator, made improvements on what is known today as the telescope, which he used to make his astronomical observations and discoveries. Although his observations made with the telescope set ground to the heliocentric model of our solar system, it would
want to be an astronomer. Astronomy is basically the study of the universe. I think it is an interesting job, while others might think it is boring. I'd rather look at the sky all night than watch TV all day! But what do astronomers do and how to I become one? To begin, how much do astronomers get paid? Well, the annual salary of an astronomer is about $110,980.00, and can be higher or lower depending on the astronomy job, as there are many different jobs in astronomy. Most people think astronomers
For my science career I chose a meteorologist. I have always found it interesting to watch the weather section of the news; it is usually the only part of the news I watch. I have also been interested in the job of news anchors. This choice was perfect as while because a family friends of mine is a meteorologist for Kare 11. A meteorologist is scientist who studies the atmosphere and with that knowledge they predict weather, examine trends of the atmosphere, and looks at effects on the environment
Have you ever looked at the night sky and make shapes in the stars? Well, believe it or not those shapes are called constellations. A constellation is a group of stars that make a certain shape or object in the sky. Some constellations that you might be familiar with are Orion, the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper. I wanted to learn more about a constellation I was not familiar with, so I will be telling you about the constellation Leo. Leo is the latin word for lion. Mesopotamian civilizations