Frequently Asked Questions About Astronomy and Space

Frequently Asked Questions About Astronomy and Space Astronomy and space exploration are  topics that really get people thinking about far away worlds and distant galaxies. Stargazing under a starry sky or surfing the Web looking at images from telescopes always fires up the imagination. Even though a telescope or pair of binoculars, stargazers can get a magnified view of everything from distant worlds to nearby galaxies. And, that act of stargazing spurs a LOT of questions. Astronomers get asked a lot of those questions, as do planetarium directors, science teachers, scout leaders, astronauts, and many others who research and teach the subjects. Here are some of the most-often-asked questions that astronomers and planetarium people get about space, astronomy, and exploration and collected them along with some pithy answers and links to more detailed articles!   Where Does Space Begin? The standard space-travel answer to that question puts the edge of space at 100 kilometers above Earths surface. That boundary is also called the von Krmn  line, named after the Theodore von Krmn, the  Hungarian scientist who figured it out. Earths atmosphere looks very thin when compared to the rest of the planet. The green line is airglow high in the atmosphere, caused by cosmic rays striking the gases up there. This was shot by astronaut Terry Virts from the International Space Station. The legal definition of space is that it begins at the top of the atmosphere. NASA How Did the Universe Begin? The universe began some 13.7 billion years ago in an event called the Big Bang. It was not an explosion (as is often depicted in some artwork) but more of a sudden expansion from a tiny pinpoint of matter called a singularity. From that beginning, the universe has expanded and grown more complex. Most depictions of the beginning of the universe show it almost as an explosion. It was really the beginning of the expansion of space and time, from a small point that contained the entire universe. The first stars formed a few hundred million years after the expansion began. Our universe is now 13.8 billion years old and measures 92 billion light-years across. HENNING DALHOFF / Getty Images What is the Universe Made of?   This is one of those questions that has an answer that is quite mind-expanding. Basically, the universe consists of galaxies and the objects they contain: stars, planets, nebulae, black holes and other dense objects.  The early universe was largely hydrogen with some helium and lithium, and the first stars formed from that helium. As they evolved and died, they created heavier and heavier elements, which formed second- and third-generation stars and their planets. This represents a timeline of the universe from the Big Bang through the present. At the left is the birth event of the cosmos, known as the Big Bang. NASA / WMAP Science Team Will the Universe Ever End? The universe had a definite beginning, called the Big Bang. Its ending is more like the long, slow expansion. The truth is,  the universe is slowly dying as it expands and grows and gradually cools. It will take billions and billions of years to cool completely and stop its expansion.   How Many Stars Can We See at Night? That depends on many factors, including how dark the skies are where. In light-polluted areas, people see only the brightest stars and not the dimmer ones. Out in the countryside, the view is better. Theoretically, with the naked eye and good seeing conditions, an observer can see around 3,000 stars without using a telescope or binoculars.   What Types of Stars Are Out There? Astronomers classify stars and assign types to them. They do this according to their temperatures and colors, along with some other characteristics.  Generally speaking, there are stars like the Sun, which live their lives for billions of years before swelling up and gently dying. Other, more massive stars are called giants and are usually red to orange in color. There are also white dwarfs. Our Sun is properly classified as a yellow dwarf.   This version of the Hertzprung-Russell diagram plots the temperatures of stars against their luminosities. The position of a star in the diagram provides information about what stage it is in, as well as its mass and brightness. A stars type depends on its temperature, age, and other characteristics plotted on diagrams such as this. European Southern Observatory Why Do Some Stars Appear To Twinkle? The childrens nursery rhyme about Twinkle, twinkle little star actually poses a very sophisticated science question about what stars are. The short answer is: the stars themselves dont twinkle. Our planets atmosphere causes starlight to waver as it passes through and that appears to us as twinkling.   How Long Does a Star Live? Compared to humans, stars live incredibly long lives. The shortest-lived ones can shine for tens of millions of years while the old-timers can last for many billions of years. The study of stars lives and how they are born, live, and die is called stellar evolution, and involves looking at many types of stars to understand their life cycles.   This is what a sun-like star looks like as it dies. Its called a planetary nebula. The Cats Eye planetary nebula, as seen by Hubble Space Telescope. NASA/ESA/STScI What is the Moon Made of?   When the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the Moon in 1969, they collected many rock and dust samples for study. Planetary scientists already knew the Moon is made of rock, but the analysis of that rock told them about the Moons history, the composition of the minerals that make up its rocks, and the impacts that created its craters and plains. Its a largely basaltic world, which implies heavy volcanic activity in its past. What are Moon Phases? The Moons shape appears to change throughout the month, and its shapes are called the phases of the Moon.  They are a result of our orbit around the Sun combined with the Moons orbit around Earth.   This image shows the phases of the Moon and why they happen. The center ring shows the Moon as it orbits around the Earth, as seen from above the north pole. Sunlight illuminates half the Earth and half the moon at all times. But as the Moon orbits around the Earth, at some points in its orbit the sunlit part of the Moon can be seen from the Earth. At other points, we can only see the parts of the Moon that are in shadow. The outer ring shows what we see on the Earth during each corresponding part of the moons orbit. NASA Whats in the Space Between Stars? We often think of space as the absence of matter, but actual space is not really all that empty. The stars and planets are scattered throughout the galaxies, and between them is a vacuum filled with gas and dust.  The gases between galaxies are often there due to a galaxy collision that rips gases away from each of the galaxies in involved. In addition, if conditions are right, supernova explosions can also drive hot gases out into intergalactic space. Whats it Like to Live and Work in Space?   Dozens and dozens of people have done it, and more will in the future! It turns out that, aside from the low gravity, higher radiation hazard, and other dangers of space, its a lifestyle and a job.   What Happens to a Human Body in a Vacuum? Do the movies get it right? Well, not actually. Most of them depict messy, explosive endings, or other dramatic events. The truth is while being in space without a spacesuit WILL kill whoever is unlucky enough to be in that situation  (unless the person gets rescued very, very quickly), their body probably wont explode. Its more likely to freeze and suffocate first. Still not a great way to go. What Happens When Black Holes Collide? People are fascinated by black holes and their actions in the universe. Until very recently, its been tough for scientists to measure what happens when black holes collide. Certainly, its a very energetic event and would give off a lot of radiation. However, another cool thing happens: the collision creates gravitational waves and those can be measured! Those waves are also created when neutron stars collide! When two supermassive black holes collide and merge, some of the excess energy from the event is broadcast as gravitational waves. These can be detected on Earth using very delicate instruments at the LIGO observatory. The SXS (Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes) Project There are many more questions that astronomy and space spur in peoples minds. The universe is a big place to explore, and as we learn more about it, the questions will continue to flow! Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Reflection essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Reflection - Essay Example In this paper I will discuss that campus learning is very important for college students as compared to online learning, while keeping in view my own experience of college campus. When I joined my college, I met many other students; and thus, started socializing with my peers, which is an integral part of personality development. My personality has groomed a lot after I have joined my college. I know this when I compare myself to when I was in school. I believe that in campus learning, college students come to know how to behave in classrooms; how to show respect to teachers; how to deal with peers; and, how to show discipline while learning. This socializing is beneficial for them in both short and long terms because they learn how to deal with life and its problems and how to cope with relationships. I learned how to communicate with my teachers and friends, which benefitted me in my personal life as well. Hence, campus learning teaches effective relationship management which cannot be learned through online learning. Campus learning makes students follow the deadlines in a better way, and they learn how to follow a set routine pattern for their studies. When I joined college, one of my friends, who is an online student, convinced me that college campus environment is very strict and makes the student follow the schedules forcibly. However, my experience has been different. I have been able to set my routine in a very effective manner. Online learning does not provide the students with these opportunities, because they tend to be relaxed since they do not have to confront teacher’s remarks and class fellows’ comments’ if they do not meet a deadline or are not dressed up neatly, and etcetera. Hence, campus learning teaches discipline in a much better way. I have learnt how to dress up neatly, how to convey my ideas face-to-face, and how to behave in groups and teams. I could never have learnt

Strengths and weaknesses of direct legislation Essay

Strengths and weaknesses of direct legislation - Essay Example Direct legislation is a political process in which the people can vote to effect changes in the socio-economic and political policies without governments say (Little and David 43). It entails referendum, Plebiscite and initiative. One of its strengths is that it helps in establishing policies that represents the desire of the majority. While political representatives can be influenced to sacrifice the people for vested interest, direct legislature ensure that limited external forces distract the electorate from participating in their course. One of the greatest weaknesses of this system is that it is costly and time consuming as civil education needs to be done. It is also vulnerable to indirect political influence as the voters may be induced to take misinformed decision. A comparative analysis of this legislature and professional legislature shows significant differences in terms of cost, staff size and level of commitment. In professional legislature, a member takes the work as fu ll time job. It differs from civilian legislature in which members serve on part time basis while holding other assignments (Little and David 67). Professional legislature investigates critical issues affecting the society and put them within the political debate process. It is comparative cheaper than direct legislature as it requires little time and faster decision making. Although some States in United States use either direct legislature or professional, hybrid is the best in which is a blend of the two are variably used.

Utility Programs and Macros Essay Example for Free

Utility Programs and Macros Essay Definition: A utility program is a program that performs a common task, such as copying and listing files on a list. Utility programs are generally provided alongside the operating system, but are sometimes bought separately. Many utility commands change with the operating system. Eg. In windows, the copy command is Ctrl + C, but in Mac OSx this changes to Command +C. The major tasks carried out by utility programs are: 1) Disk Formatting (Preparing either laser or hard discs for use) 2) Listing files in directories or folders. 3) Copying files, either from application to application, or within the same application. (Web browsers, word processors) 4) Copying discs 5) Renaming files 6) Backing up files, and also creating OS backups. (Time machine (Mac OSx), Windows Backup) 7) Running a file search in large files or directories Some other major tasks which operating systems often, but not always provide are: 1) File and Disc repair [Check disk, Defragmenter, Disk utility (Mac OSx)] 2) Anti-Virus tools, or malware checkers. (Windows Defender, Mac Cleaner) 3) Web Browser, to surf the internet. This could be standard, purchased, or freeware. (Safari, Internet Explorer) 4) File Compression, to compress files, and make the file size smaller. (Windows File Compression, Mac file Compression) Note: Often, these tools are not given by the Operating System, or are not advanced enough to be completely reliable. In this event, one may need to purchase the software. Eg. Norton Antivirus, Mcafee Antivirus, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Rockmelt, Winzip, 7-Zip, etc. MACROS: Definition: Macros allow you to automatically record a series of keystrokes, so that the key combination can record those keystrokes when required to do so. They are incredibly useful if you want to automate tasks which take too long to do, time and again, by hand. MACROS are available in most word processing applications, and are easy to use. They can save various things, such as fonts, font sizes, addresses, and even formats. One could create a MACRO that allows one to insert a document header, and footer, in a particular font, by just using two keystrokes. Creating a MACRO in MS Word is incredibly simple. This is how it is done: 1) Click on record MACRO at the bottom of the screen. 2) Give the MACRO a name. 3) Everything you do between turning the recorder on, and off, is recorded. 4) For example, you can insert a header and footer, type out an address, change the font to a particular size, etc. 5) In the status bar, click on stop recording. 6) In newer versions of Word, one must turn on the MACRO recorder in the developer tab, and then do what one wants.

Free Essays on Terrorism: Independence Day Has New Meaning :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Independence Day Has New Meaning    This week we will celebrate the Independence of our great nation, gained through the blood and sacrifice of our ancestors. This is the day we were meant to honor our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy. Disregarding the true meaning of the holiday, I am afraid that many of us, myself included, had forgotten the sacrifice our independence demanded. July 4th became little more than a day off work, punctuated by an excuse for family and friends to gather with the added attraction of fireworks. As in years past, there will be picnics and barbecues and fireworks. Some things will not change.       This year, for me, the significance will be different. We are not free in the same way as we were last year on this day. The events of September 11, changed that. It forced us to come face to face with what our way of life represents. Those tragic events woke this nation from centuries of complacence and reminded us what our freedom is worth. The veiled promises of terrorist acts to come may change the way we celebrate this year, but we will celebrate with rekindled determination.       This year our celebration of freedom has a restored sense of reality. I hope that each of us will see in our minds, the faces that flashed across our television screens of those who will be with us in spirit only this year. Those whose lives were stolen away in a foolish terrorist attempt to weaken our nation. Forever imprinted in our memories, are the gruesome images before, during and after the dreadful events of 9/11. Behind the surface gaiety, there are now absolute memories of lives sacrificed for our people and their freedom. I take solace in the knowledge that the intent of terrorists to weaken this nation and its people has had the opposite effect.

Influence Different Stakeholders Exert in One Organisation Essay

D1- Evaluate the influence different stakeholders exert in one organisation. I am going to evaluate how important it is for stakeholders to exert on an organisation. This is stakeholders such as employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, owners and the government. I will also state if the influences have positive/negative effects on the long term success of the organisation. Woodbridge- The two types of stakeholder I am going to explain are students and the local community. Students can exert an influence through their individual attitude, behaviour and effort. The more students in the school the more they will need to expand. This could be because of the population in the local community and the education provided by the school. This also allows the school to increase the chance of having different courses which could suit more or less everyone. If students want to achieve and gain good qualifications they will need to allow teachers to plan fun and enjoyable lessons. This includes a variety of different learning and teaching styles. Some students may prefer to listen, group talks, and others might want to engage in activities. This also gives the teacher to learn more about the students and see how they will learn best. If the examination performance is good and has improved from last year, it increases the reputation of the school. This is also good because it allows the school to compete locally with other schools. However, there are also negative affects which come into this such as the curriculum lowers and students do not come into school and learn. This will then lead to lessons being missed out on and not getting work done in on time which will also lead for the student to not understand the work properly. The school will be concerned about the students education as the examination (outcome) might turn out disappointingly bad. The government gives out money for the community and what they have to do is divide the money between schools, services and others. They fund the school by giving them a budget of how much they think the school should/would spend in a year. This includes wages of teachers, utility bills and education resources. At the top of the second paragraph I mentioned that if the school was to expand as Woodbridge is in 2015. They will need to provide the school with more money as there are more students to educate and teachers to pay. The negative side to it is that they are given a budget which they will have to stick to. If they go over the budget they will need proof of what bought and the money spent on. If they agree with it then they are given more money to the school. It will be difficult for them to get more money as recession goes on and economy down. This is because the government will have to cut everything so that the country runs also. Coca-cola: Employees are internal stakeholders and can exert influence by positive attitude, responsibility and productivity. Employers of coca-cola need to hire employees to do a specific job. Employees are very important as any other stakeholder as they have first contact with customers. If the customers have any enquiries or want to ask questions they will go to the employers of the business/organisation. If the employers have a bad attitude and lack of communication towards customers will lead to poor reputation for the company with an increase in complaints by people. The organisation will need to focus on trying to recruit the best people which will benefit the business by having them there working. The employers should have good and positive attitudes to what they are doing and their job as employers will be satisfied with the work and keeps the business going. If the employees are doing what they are told to do the employer is happy. The better the staff, the better outcome of the business. Customers are external stakeholders to any business/organisation. Customers take part in profit levels and turnover by buying the products or services that the business provides. Although there are non-profitable organisations run by the government. Organisations and businesses survive through having regular customers which is customer loyalty. Most customers want cheaper products, for example coca cola is a worldwide company who sell their products everywhere for example large stores such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Coca-cola also sells its products to much larger stores such as Costco. This is where small shop owners can purchase big bulks of drinks for cheaper. Then they take them to the shops and sell individually to make profit for themselves. However, customers may not always be there which will mean no money coming into the business.

The Bearing of Race and Ethnicity in the Criminal Justice...

There has been an ongoing debate as to whether or not race and ethnicity have a bearing on an individual’s treatment in the criminal justice system for many years. I will be arguing that race and ethnicity do in fact, have a bearing on one’s treatment in the criminal justice system. I will be backing up my position on this topic by providing evidence from five scholarly articles. My first source is African Americans and the Criminal Justice system by Phyllis Gray-Ray, Melvin C. Ray, Sandra Rutland, and Sharon Turner. The authors’ hypothesis is that during the course of America’s history, there has been a lot of discrimination occurring in the criminal justice system when the race of an individual is taken into account. The method these authors used was looking at and comparing a few studies. These studies include French 1979, Flowers 1988, Petersilia 1985, Crew 1991:11, and Zatz 1987. The authors also conducted a study of their own for this article. They also looked at the statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Sourcebook of Criminal Statistics. In this article, it is stated that the primary goal of the US criminal justice system is to provide equality without discrimination. However, during the study the authors conducted, they found that one’s appearance and environment are a factor when it comes to arrest. It is also noted that whites are far more likely to have their sentences and charges reduced than blacks. The authors’ state that blacks are typicallyShow MoreRelatedJury Nullification1252 Words   |  6 PagesEthnicity and the Courts Tina Martin-Fleming CJA/344 August 28, 2014 Thomas Bullock Jury Nullification is the process that allows members of the juror to acquit a defendant for crimes they do not feel is grounds for punishment. Although, many jurors may not know this is an option to many cases, it is still an option. If citizens use this option in many of the courtroom proceedings, there will be fewer people who are serving time in prison. On the other hand, this does interfere with the decision-Read MoreCja344 Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice2141 Words   |  9 Pagesin Criminal Justice Paper YOUR NAME HERE University of Phoenix Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice CJA344 Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Paper â€Å"Delinquency is defined as the total prevalence of delinquent acts during the past12 months. The delinquency scale was adopted from the delinquency scale currently utilized in the Monitoring the Future Study of United States students that has been ongoing since1975† (Benschop, Harrison, Korf, amp; Erickson, 2006, p. 67). Race andRead MoreJuvenile Crimes And Juvenile Crime1620 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile Crimes Juvenile crime occurs when a person violates the criminal law under the age of majority (in most states it’s 18). The juvenile system is way different than the adult system. When a juvenile commits a crime there are legal consequences for their actions depending on what he/she did. Sometimes the system can put them in rehabilitation or a detention center. If the offense is minor, the juvenile could be released to the custody of a parent or legal guardian. In the United StatesRead MoreJuvenile Crime And The Criminal Law Under The Age Of Eighteen1540 Words   |  7 Pages Juvenile crime occurs when a teen or a child violates the criminal law under the age of eighteen (in most states it’s 12-18). The juvenile system is way different than the adult system. When a juvenile commits a crime there are legal consequences for their actions depending on what he/she did. Sometimes the system can put them in rehabilitation or a detention center. If the offense is minor , the child could be released to the custody of a parent or legal guardian. In the United States if theRead MorePsychology And Sociology And Psychology1612 Words   |  7 Pagesbecause they are academic fields that posses the same main idea, which is the study of the behavior. Although these two sciences have enormous differences, for those whom never had read anything about this topics it would seem the same. Despite bearing some superficial similarities, the differences between sociology and psychology are pronounced. Actually the main contrast between them is from who are they studying the behavior, but to be more specific the differences that are going to be exposedRead MoreThe Disciplinary Policies Of Salt Lake City School Districts1767 Words   |  8 Pageshigh schools since the mid 1990’s, incidents among high school students have been increasingly treated as criminal acts, sending students into the criminal justice system instead of the principal’s office. This is a growing crisis known as the â€Å"school-to-prison pipeline,† where even growth of out-of-school suspensions can result in higher drop-out rates and thus a higher likelihood of criminal behavior. Research has shown that both poverty status and minority status are predictors of school suspensionsRead More Hate Crimes and The Mitchell v. Wisconsin Decision Essay example5764 Words   |  24 Pagesi t can be demonstrated that the offense was a hate crime differently from the way it would be treated under ordinary criminal law. Since the 1980s, the problem of hate crimes has attracted increasing research attention, especially from criminologists and law enforcement personnel who have focused primarily on documenting the prevalence of the problem and formulation criminal justice responses to it. Lawmakers have passed legislation to encourage data collection and attach enhanced penalties to hateRead MoreApplied Criminal Justice Ethics3146 Words   |  13 Pages Applied Criminal Justice Ethics This has to be one of my favorite assignments since becoming a student at Kaplan. I have been interested in the Criminal Justice since I was a small child. I come from a long line of military, however, my passion has always been Criminal Law. I remember even as a young girl in the 2nd grand, I had dreams and aspirations of becoming a lawyer. Now that I have an ex husband, and two children of my own and find the justice system a little â€Å"Leewayish†Read MoreTeen Pregnancy And The United States2027 Words   |  9 PagesUnited States. Define and Analyze the Problem affected individuals. Teen mothers, their babies, the father, parents of the teen mother and father, and everyone in the United States to be exact are affected every year by teen pregnancies. Age, race, ethnicity and sex all come into play when talking about who is being affected by teen pregnancy. Ages fifteen to nineteen are the rage for teen girls being affected by teen pregnancy and both male and females are affected by the outcome of teen pregnancyRead MoreAmerica s Violent History : The United States3321 Words   |  14 Pagesbroad range of disciplines, writing about the past as well as the present, have demonstrated that rates of violence have been consistently higher in the South† Adler. That violence has, at various times, been blamed on the Southern â€Å"code of honor†, race relations, legal institutions, rural environments, social darwinism, and the political and economic upheaval of the time, among others. Explanations for Southern violence have never b een lackingAyers and while most of these explanations contain a small