An Equinox is a biannual event, at which point the Sun is positioned directly above the equator. On these days, both the northern and southern hemisphere experience roughly the same length of daytime and night time hours. The name equinox comes from the Latin terms 'aequi' and 'nox' (aequinoctium) which mean 'equal' and 'night' respectively. It is an event that has been … [Read more...]
What Is An Equinox?
Is The Universe Infinite?
But it is important we keep asking, and searching because the journey to the answer is as important as the answer itself. In science, observation is key to confirming truth. This adds a level of complexity in answering the question 'is the universe infinite?' The shape of the Universe adds further complication, so to tackle the big question we first need to understand why … [Read more...]
Why Do Sunspots Appear Dark?
Sunspots are dark areas on the surface of the Sun that were first discovered in the seventeenth century. We know that Galileo and Scheiner both observed these spots in 1611, and it is likely that Thomas Harriot observed them first a year earlier in 1610. Today we know that sunspots are regions of intense magnetic activity, but when they were first discovered many … [Read more...]
What Was Before The Big Bang?
Lemaître's work was based on the earlier theories of Willem De Sitter and Albert Einstein. In 1929, two years after Lemaître's proposed theory, Edwin Hubble provided observational data to further reinforce the theory of an expanding universe, and thus a finite universe with a beginning. While this is the currently accepted theory, the bedrock to the theory was not accepted … [Read more...]
Where Are The Space Shuttles Now?
The Era Of The Space Shuttle The space shuttle was an American spacecraft designed to carry payloads and crew members into low Earth orbit, as part of the Space Shuttle Program. It, along with the accompanying launch system, was the United States’ primary spacecraft for transporting astronauts and cargo into space from 1981 to 2011. It was conceived in the 1960's and the … [Read more...]