Phases of the Moon: The phases of the Moon are caused by us viewing the Moon at different angles. Half of the moon is always illuminated but we can't always see the half that is illuminated. When it is a full moon the illuminated half is facing us and when it's a new moon the light half is facing the sun so we see the Moon's shadow. All the different phases of the Moon are us seeing the different portions of the Moon that are lit up. As a little kid I always dreamed of the moon being made of cheese because I loved cheese. If the Moon really was made of cheese it wouldn't have been able to withstand all the impacts of space debris pelting it's surface. I also loved to see what shapes I could make with the different phases of the Moon. I always saw the crescent moon as a giant fingernail but I guess it isn't so.
Types of Galaxies:There are three major types of galaxies. Spiral is the first. Spiral galaxies normally have a small ball in the middle and curved arms coming out of it and into the disk part. Elliptical galaxies don't really have a disk and are normally just a large ball or football type shape. Irregular galaxies are fairly self x \explanatory. They are just really irregular and asymmetric. Most don't have a clear pattern. The Milky Way galaxy is a spiral galaxy. Our solar system is located near the outer edge of one of the arms. The galaxy that is closest to us, Andromeda, is also a spiral galaxy. It seems that spiral galaxies are the most common type. I wonder why that is? If spiral galaxies weren't the most common I wonder how our universe would be different. I think we would have more room because spiral galaxies reach very far with their disk and the other galaxies are a little more compact.
Theories of the Universe: Everything forms out of dust after a huge bang rocked the universe. Or maybe a mystic being created the universe to his/her/it's liking. Scientists and religious figures have been arguing about the formation of the universe for hundreds of years. Many people believe different theories and there isn't an exact way to prove one or disprove another. Most theories could essentially be possible but not all make sense. Some are extremely modern and use cutting-edge to help prove their point and some date back to Ancient Greece and older.
The most popular scientific theory that is widely excepted is the Big Bang Theory. This theory states that at a singular moment around 13.7 million years ago a gigantic explosion rocked through the extremely compact universe and forced it to begin expanding. Eventually the universe as we know it formed. The oldest theory is that some god or some divine being created the universe one day and made it has he/her/it saw fit. This theory is the basis of most major religions and so is the most widely excepted.
There are theories on how the universe functions, not just on how it was created. At first Ancient Greeks thought that the universe revolved around earth. To them it made sense. The earth stayed the same and the sun, stars, planets, and other objects revolved around it. This was called the geocentric theory. Another cool theory is called the Bubble theory. If the universe began expanding after the Big bang, eventually it will have to collapse, so this theory states that there will be alternating Big bangs after the collapses in a endless cycle. Some scientists think there may even be multiple universes.
I, being Catholic, believe a theory that's slightly different than described in the bible. I think that God started the Big Bang and then everything slowly came into being. This would make both scientists and religious figures happy if this were true. I'm not so sure that the universe perpetually destroys and creates itself because what would God do then? Maybe god created multiple universes and if he did what lies inside the other universes or are heaven and hell totally separate universes?
I, being Catholic, believe a theory that's slightly different than described in the bible. I think that God started the Big Bang and then everything slowly came into being. This would make both scientists and religious figures happy if this were true. I'm not so sure that the universe perpetually destroys and creates itself because what would God do then? Maybe god created multiple universes and if he did what lies inside the other universes or are heaven and hell totally separate universes?
If there are multiple universes then maybe all of these theories are right, or maybe none are. Most people will take a stand and say they believe one of the hundreds of theories out there or some may believe nothing. These theories are made by some of histories brightest minds as an attempt to understand our world and what lays outside it.
"BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free." BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2011..
"Learn More at Space.com. From Satellites to Stars, NASA information, Astronomy, the Sun and the Planets, we have your information here.." Learn More at Space.com. From Satellites to Stars, NASA information, Astronomy, the Sun and the Planets, we have your information here.. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2011. "BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free." BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2011.
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" Science and Technology News, Science Articles | Discover Magazine ." Science and Technology News, Science Articles | Discover Magazine . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.
UFO's
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Life on other planets:
Small bacteria to full on beings. Anything will do in the field of astrobiology. This is the study and hunt for life outside of Earth and for strange forms of life on Earth that will give us clues in the search elsewhere. Life on other planets or solar systems isn't as far fetched as it sounds, actually it's quite likely. If you think about it why should Earth be the only planet in an infinite universe that contains life? I believe that there is life out there and I even think that there are multiple forms of life in our very own solar system on places like Mars and the moon Europa.
Just because there may not be oxygen on other planets doesn't rule out the possibility of life. Life needs on of these six elements to survive, carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur. We are constantly surprised though. Recently NASA scientists found a bacteria in Mono Lake, California that lives off a poison that would kill most life forms on earth, arsenic. This bacteria uses arsenic as an energy source and as a part of it's DNA! The implications of this are incredible! This shows that life can exist in the most hostile conditions and survive without phosphorus, a chemical that was thought to be an essential chunk of DNA.
If life can exist on a deadly poison why can't exist on a different planet? I strongly believe that there is life in this solar system. Take Mars, for example. Astronomers believe large amounts of water lie under it's surface and there are also large ice caps on it's north and south poles. Bacteria can stay in suspended animation inside the ice for long periods of time. This means that life could still exist on Mars. If there are bacteria, could life grow into animals and other forms of sentient life? Would those forms of life look different that those on earth? What would these creatures feed on? All of these questions will come to mind if NASA discovers bacteria on Mars. I think it would be awesome for NASA to find life on a different planet because it would give us clues to how life on our planet evolved. Another thing that makes Mars a good candidate is the fact that scientists believe that it's inside the life
[ belt. If a planet is inside the life belt it means that this planet is neither too hot or too cold. Earth is in the center of this belt and NASA believes that Mars in on the outside edge of it.
Another likely candidate for life is Jupiter's moon Europa. Europa is covered in a thin layer of ice and has active volcanic activity. NASA's astrobiologists believe that a layer of liquid water may lie underneath the ice, kept liquid by heat from the planet's core. The water is thought contain large amounts of oxygen due to Jupiter's magnetic field reacting with substance in Europa's ice. Large amounts of fish type creatures could live in the oceans. This is the only place besides Earth thought to posses large amounts of liquid water. Fish need something to eat on so theoretically an entire ecosystem would have to exist in order sustain the fish. Think of it, it's not an alien but a full fledged ecosystem is a close second.
These to places are likely sources of life in our own solar system but what about in others? I think that other solar systems are even more likely because they may have different amounts of planets or different types of stars. It will be harder to find life in other solar systems because it will take much longer to get probes or even people there. NASA scientists that even if life doesn't currently exist in other solar systems, as a star goes into it's red giant phase it may warm the colder planets and life may get a second chance to form in it's new warmer climate. If this happens though whatever life forms come into existence may not have the longest time to figure out how to save itself for when the star eventually collapses.
There are many possibilities for life in the universe. Just because it's possible for life to exist on other planets doesn't mean it does. We have no physical evidence of life on different planets and without proof all of this is meaningless babble. I still firmly believe that we aren't the only life forms in our universe but we need hard evidence before we can make legitimate statement that contains facts backing it up.
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Black Holes
Moon Landing from Sam M. on Vimeo.
"Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine." Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://www.badastronomy.com/>.
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- "P I R L." P I R L. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2011. <http://pirlwww.lpl.arizona.edu>
