Astronomy
Type II-P Supernovae as a New Standard Candle
[/caption] Much of astronomical knowledge is built on the cosmic distance ladder. This ladder is built to determine distances to…
The Thick Disk: Galactic Construction Project or Galactic Rejects?
[/caption] The disk of spiral galaxies is comprised of two main components: The thin disk holds the majority of stars…
Do Stars Really Form in Clusters?
The long standing view on the formation of stars is that they form in clusters. This theory is supported by…
The Other End of the Planetary Scale
[/caption] The definition of a "planet" is one that has seen a great deal of contention. The ad-hoc redefinition has…
Extrasolar Volcanoes May Soon be Detectable
[/caption] We’ve all seen pictures of erupting terrestrial volcanoes from space, and even eruptions on Jupiter’s moon Io in the…
Aesthetics of Astronomy
[/caption] When I tell people I majored in astronomy, the general reaction is one of shock and awe. Although people…
Win ‘Star Walk’ and ‘Solar Walk’ Astronomy Apps
I've had a couple of people excitedly show me the Star Walk astronomy app on their iPhones and ipads, and…
Hubble Spies an Amazing Cosmic Spiral
[/caption] The Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys has captured a remarkable image of a spiral in space. No,…
Herschel Finds Water Around a Carbon Star
[/caption] There’s something strange going on around the red giant star CW Leonis (a.k.a. IRC+10216). Deep within the star’s carbon-rich…
The Black Hole/Globular Cluster Correlation
[/caption] Often in astronomy, one observable property traces another property which may be more difficult to observe directly; X-ray activity…