Thomas Gaertner

Astronomy Journal

Week 1:

Date of article posting: Monday, January 8th, 2018

Name of Article: Space Causes Astronauts to Run Hot

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/01/space-causes-

astronauts-to-run-hot

Summary of the article: This article talks about how astronauts in space have been found to have higher
body temperatures than normal. This is one of the many difficult aspects to deal with that is associated
with space travel and exploration for astronauts. Normal body temperatures are around 98.6°F in
comparison to temperatures around 100.4°F commonly found in astronauts in space. The rise in body
temps are largely due to the body’s inability to easily produce sweat and eliminate heat in zero gravity
conditions.

My opinion on the article: My opinion about this article is that it’s another added risk of being an
astronaut. Several aspects of space travel is physically and mentally exhausting on a human so there
needs to be not only a lot of preparation and testing prior to going to space, but also the technological
equipment to support it. Without it, we would be unable to figure out that issues such as rising body
temperatures were even a thing, yet alone figure out a way to combat it.

Week 2:

Date of article posting: January 11th, 2018

Name of Article: Monster Black Hole Unleashes Messy Double “Burp”

Website link or source for article: https://www.space.com/39361-monster-black-hole-messy-double-

burp.html

Summary of the article: For the first time ever, astronomers observed a black hole “burping” twice.
When a black hole “burps” it is essentially an outburst of high energy particles it has consumed from
nearby gases. While black holes have been known to “burp” in the past, astronomers and scientists alike
have never caught a black hole doing so twice which makes this find extraordinary.

My opinion on the article: Prior to reading this particular article, my knowledge on black holes was
rather limited. I had no idea that black holes “burped” once, yet alone twice. I find it rather interesting
that this was observed as black holes can be a topic of mystery in the astronomy community. If we were
able to observe this, who knows what we can discover in the future? That’s the interesting thing about
space, we still have so much to discover and learn.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 3:

Date of article posting: January 29, 2018

Name of Article: Total Lunar Eclipse to Coincide with Blue Moon, Super Moon

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/magazine/press-

releases/2018/01/the-moons-disappearing-act

Summary of the article: On January 31st, there will be a total lunar eclipse which will coincide with a
super moon. The last time a total eclipse occurred was in 2015, so this event has caused a lot of
excitement for those in North America who will be able to witness it. It will last 76 minutes and will take
place from around 3AM-7AM MST so anyone who wants to watch it will have to be up early, or stay up
late, whichever they prefer.

My opinion on the article: Last time a lunar eclipse took place I didn’t get to witness it so even though
this one will be in the middle of the night, I plan on waking up to watch some of it. Now that I have a
better understanding of how an eclipse works and what is actually happening, I think I will be able to
appreciate the significance of this event more. I probably wont watch all 76 minutes of it, but I will
definitely step out and catch a few minutes of it.

Week 4:

Date of article posting: February 2nd, 2018

Name of Article: One of the Oldest Stars in the Milky Way Discovered

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/02/oldest-star-in-mw

Summary of the article: Astronomers have recently located what they believe to be one of the oldest
stars in our Milky Way Galaxy. This star is located 7500 miles away in the Halo of the galaxy and was
formed around 300 million years ago. The name of this star is J0815+4729 and astronomers have also
found that it is only 70% the mass of the sun. They have also done some testing to identify that
J0815+4729 also has about a million times less calcium and iron than the sun.

My opinion on the article: It’s mind-boggling to know that there are planets or stars in our solar system
that are 300 million years older, with the potential for even older than that too. Since we know our own
observable universe is only 14.5 billion years ago, it’s not crazy to suggest or think that there could be
things older that we have just not yet been able to discover due to the speed of light.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 5:

Date of article posting: Tuesday, February 6th, 2018

Name of Article: SpaceX Successfully Launches the Falcon Heavy Rocket

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/02/spacex-livestream-of-

falcon-heavy-launch

Summary of the article: Elon Musk and his team at SpaceX were able to successfully launch their Falcon
Heavy Rocket. What’s particularly interesting about this story is that the rocket was carrying a Elon
Musk’s Tesla Roadster. Some people thought this was in poor taste to launch a car into space but others
thought it was a great idea. Whatever people think, it’s incredibly exciting that Musk and his team were
successful.

My opinion on the article: Elon Musk is a genius. I think that what he has done and continues to do is
something that people don’t often appreciate enough. Because of him and his teams research, we as a
society have gained so much knowledge and information that we can apply in the future. I personally
don’t think that launching a car into space is anything exciting, but the fact that they had success in the
rockets launching and also landing is definitely something to be excited about.

Week 6:

Date of article posting: February 14th, 2018

Name of Article: Just How Big is the Andromeda Galaxy?

Website link or source for article: http://astronomy.com/news/magazine/2018/02/adromeda-is-the-

same-size-as-the-milky-way

Summary of the article: Up until this last Valentines Day, it was generally believed that the Andromeda
Galaxy was about three times larger than the Milky Way Galaxy. A rather astonishing discovery has
disproved that belief and shows us that the Andromeda Galaxy is actually about the same size as the
Milky Way. The team that found this discovery used a technique that calculated speed to be able to
more accurately determine the size.

My opinion on the article: This was probably one of my favorite articles I’ve come across in astronomy.
It was honestly mind-blowing to me reading that the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies are actually
the same size. I feel like we know so little about space so coming across some discoveries like these
really excite me and also make me wonder what else we have been assuming to be correct about space,
that is actually false. Only time will tell I suppose.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 7:

Date of article posting: February 20th, 2018

Name of Article: Astronomers Spot Most Distant Supernova Yet: DES16C2nm

Website link or source for article: http://www.sci-news.com/astronomy/most-distant-supernova-

des16c2nm-05744.html

Summary of the article: It seems that astronomers have been able to pinpoint a supernova which
occurred around 10.5 billion years ago. At this time, the universe was less than quarter of its current
age. This supernova, DES16C2nm is very bright, very far away, and also considered to be very rare. One
of the primary reasons that this discovery is exciting for science and astronomy alike, is because it gives
us a better understanding of how to locate such events going forward. Essentially, we now know what to
look for.

My opinion on the article: Astronomy is such an exciting topic because we are constantly finding new
discoveries such as this. Although we have learned a lot about space and astronomy already, we still
know so little about it so being able to make new discoveries is always exciting. Now that scientists
know what caused this, and what to be looking for going forward, it’s exciting to me and I’m sure the
astronomy community also to see what we will find in the future.

Week 8:

Date of article posting: February 20th, 2018

Name of Article: A New Study Shows Mankind’s Reaction to Alien Life would be Quite Positive

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/02/a-new-study-shows-

mankinds-reaction-to-alien-life-would-be-quite-positive

Summary of the article: Michael Varnum, an assistant professor of Psychology at Arizona State
University conducted 3 different experiments to try to get a better understanding of how mankind
would react to the discovery of aliens. Based on his results, Varnum concluded that if this event actually
were to take place, there would be more positive than negative reactions. Although each test was
unique and different in its own way, they all measured what human reactions and emotions would be if
aliens were discovered, as well as what they think the rest of society would think. The tests were
conducted on a relatively large sample size (about 1500 people) so it certainly gives some perspective on
this hypothetical (for now…?) question.

My opinion on the article: While I personally don’t believe we will encounter any alien life forms (at
least for the foreseeable future) I also feel that if this encounter did take place, human kind would react
more positively than negatively. I think we would have this reaction because of the potential
information we could obtain and learn through the aliens. If they do exist, chances are they have a lot of
information about space or even other aspects that we may not completely understand. I really liked
this article because it caused me to think on a potential situation which is actually very unlikely to occur.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 9

Date of article posting: 2/28/2018

Name of Article: First Light Which Ever Shone in Universe Picked Up by Astronomers in Revolutionary
Breakthrough

Website link or source for article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/02/28/first-light-ever-

shone-universe-picked-astronomers-revolutionary/

Summary of the article: Astronomers have been able to locate the very first light which ever shone in
our universe. This find is considered to be a remarkable achievement in the astronomy field. This shows
that the first stars showed up around 180 million years after the Big Bang, which took place 13.7 billion
years ago. According to Dr. Peter Kurczynski, the director at the National Science Foundation, this
discovery “opens a new chapter in our understanding of how the world we see came into being.

My opinion on the article: Just going off of what Dr. Peter Kurczynski mentioned (above) it’s very
exciting to know that we now have a better understanding of how the world came to be. Certain
mysteries can potentially be figured out with this new understanding. One thing that I thought was
really interesting about this discovery was that it was first located in 2016 but took until now to be able
to have confirmation.

Week 10

Date of article posting: March 6th, 2018

Name of Article: No, Those Aren’t Animal Tracks on Mars

Website link or source for article: https://www.space.com/39894-mars-rock-features-not-animal-

tracks.html

Summary of the article: A researcher based out of the United Kingdom claimed he found evidence of
ancient animal tracks located on Mars. Of course, with such a bold proclamation, lots of attention
surrounded this claim and many other researchers turned their attention to test this theory or claim.
NASA conducted their own research and concluded by stating that rather than being animal tracks, the
spots in question are crystal shapes formed by water years ago.

My opinion on the article: I would imagine that being a researcher in any field would draw a lot of
attention over any bold claims such as the one mentioned above. It’s kind of easy to understand why the
original person who found those spots thought they were something different than they really are
seeing as how we know very little about Mars and space in general. It would be very interesting to come
to find out that there were in fact animal life-forms in Mars or any other planet aside from Earth for that
matter.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 11

Date of article posting: Wednesday, March 28th, 2018

Name of Article: TRAPPIST-1 System May Have Too Much Water to Support Life

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/03/trappist-1-system-

may-have-too-much-water-to-support-life

Summary of the article: While the possibility of potential life on another planet was very exciting,
scientists have discovered that the planetary system of TRAPPIST-1 contains a lot more water by mass
than originally expected. They have been able to identify that TRAPPIST-1 contains around 15-50% water
by mass. In comparison, Earth is only 0.02% water by mass. Obviously water is the primary ingredient
needed to support life, but with too much of it, the possibility of life may very well be ruled out.

My opinion on the article: It’s honestly crazy to know that there is this much water by mass. Seeing as
how it seems we have so much on Earth, it’s difficult to comprehend exactly how much water TRAPPIST-
1 actually contains. I think that finds such as these are super interesting. Although it almost certainly
rules out potential for life here, it’s always exciting to know we have a better understanding of what
occurs in space and other planets.

Week 12

Date of article posting: Monday, April 2nd, 2018

Name of Article: Hubble Spots Furthest Star Ever Seeb

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/04/hubble-images-

farthest-star-ever-seen

Summary of the article: Very recently, a team of international astronomers announced the discovery of
the most distant star ever observed. This blistering blue star existed 10 billion years ago. It was located
due to a chance alignment which also allowed it to be magnified at a scale of at least 2000. One scientist
has said that this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next closest individual star.

My opinion on the article: We are finding new stuff every single day. I think the fact that this was
discovered by a chance alignment of a telescope is mind blowing. Maybe now that they were able to
locate this and know that there are stars and galaxies so far away, they have a better idea of
understanding of what to do to locate others.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 13

Date of article posting: Thursday, April 5th, 2018

Name of Article: Giant Solar Tornadoes Put Researchers in a Spin

Website link or source for article:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180405223410.htm

Summary of the article: Up until now, scientists were under the impression that solar tornadoes were
spinning or rotating in a similar manner to those tornadoes on Earth due to their appearance. According
to one team of scientists who further analyzed this, they say these solar tornadoes are not spinning after
all. In the past, these tornadoes were only observed through 2-dimensional photos which was the
primary cause for the previous theory.

My opinion on the article: It’s honestly not hard at all to see why previous scientists and astronomers
believed that these tornadoes were spinning. For one thing, all they had to go off of were 2-D photos
which weren’t exactly a perfect reflection of what was actually happening. Secondly, the only tornadoes
we have fully been able to observe are those on Earth so it’s easy to assume that would have the same
action or motion on another planet or the sun. One method they used to be able to further analyze
these tornadoes was the doppler effect which added a previously unknown dimension in their search.

Week 14

Date of article posting: Wednesday, April 11th, 2018

Name of Article: Could Alien Life Be Hiding in the Cloud of Venus?

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/04/could-life-be-hiding-in-

the-clouds-of-venus

Summary of the article: Although it is not confirmed, there is a new study which suggests that a
microbial life may in fact be able to live and survive in and also adapt and change if necessary in the
atmosphere of Venus. Venus has a thick and acidic atmosphere which scientists believe may be a safe
haven for microbial life. This study also suggests that airborne life on Venus would help explain the
fluctuating appearance of the planet’s clouds.

My opinion on the article: This was a super cool article to read through. It’s interesting to know that
there is potential for life on Venus, especially considering that many of our searches for life outside of
Earth typically begin with Mars or moos around Jupiter or Saturn so to see something about Venus was
super cool. It would be difficult to find any sort of life form other than microbial life seeing as how the
surface if Venus has temperatures about 90 times greater than Earth at around 860 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thomas Gaertner
Astronomy Journal

Week 15

Date of article posting: Thursday, April 12th, 2018

Name of Article: The Columbia Space Shuttle First Launched 37 Years Ago

Website link or source for article: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2018/04/the-columbia-space-

shuttle-first-launched-37-years-ago

Summary of the article: One of the most well known spacecrafts in American history was the Columbia
space shuttle. It has now been 37 years since it launched for the very first time. In it’s career, which
lasted 22 years and carried out over 28 missions and is said to have forever shaped our approach in
space travel for the future. What was really cool about this spacecraft was that at it’s time of operation,
it was the first reusable spacecraft to orbit Earth. One of the more unfortunate results from a Columbia
mission was that it ended in tragedy in a 2003 mission.

My opinion on the article: It’s cool to see how one spacecraft paved the way for so many others. This
spacecraft was instrumental in being able to build newer and more sophisticated ships which were
capable of higher speeds and lasting greater amounts of time in space and the harsh environments it
offers. I think the coolest statistic surrounding the Columbia shuttle was that it flew a total of
125,204,911 miles in its career and was in space for 300.74 days.