moon
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What is a Lunar Eclipse?
March 2024: This post has been updated and republished from Sept 2017. Show of hands — who’s heard about the lunar eclipse coming up on March 14? As I always do for eclipses, both solar and lunar, I’ve spruced up…
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What is an Annular Eclipse?
Sept 2024: This post has been updated and republished from Sept 2017. First of all, my apologies for missing the last few weeks of posts. I’ve been completely bogged down with physics homework! (Ironic that I’m missing physics-related posts in…
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How to Safely View a Total Solar Eclipse
The total solar eclipse is an incredible phenomenon, one that I hope to see myself someday. But what happens during a solar eclipse? What can you expect to see, and how can you protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging rays?
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What is a Solar Eclipse?
March 2024: This post has been updated and republished from Sept 2017. A solar eclipse is the most amazing astronomical sight you’ll ever see. Not only is it the only time you’ll ever be able to clearly see the “new…
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What Causes the Lunar Phases?
We see it almost every night of our lives. For thousands of years, the greatest philosophers and astronomers alike have watched its face change and wondered why. Step outside and observe the moon every day for a month and you…
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Einstein: General Relativity
Albert Einstein may have been the genius among physicists, but like all others before his time, he stood on the shoulders of giants. Einstein did not propose that the sun was the center of the solar system; that idea was…
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Moving with the Tides
Have you ever been to the beach? If you’re from California like me, then I’m betting you have. If you’re from a place that’s not near an ocean and you’ve never been near the water all your life, then I’ll…
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How Orbits Work
Since Aristotle’s time over 2000 years ago, we have accepted that the moon orbits the Earth. We didn’t always know why, and we didn’t always accept this for the right reasons. We used to assume that it happened just because…
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Newton and Gravity
So, the moon stays in orbit around the Earth, right? Yeah, I thought so. But why? The moon’s orbit is not a straight line, which means it’s accelerated motion (using the physics definition, which is absolutely any change in speed or…
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Galileo and the Telescope
When you hear the name “Galileo Galilei,” what immediately comes to mind? If you thought, “inventor of the telescope,” you’re not alone. I also wouldn’t be surprised if you thought “condemned by the Inquisition for believing the Earth orbited the…
