Abstract This paper describes in depth test results and discoveries on black holes and whether or not they do exist. Special emphasis is placed on a discussion of Cygnus X-1.
From the Paper "The only ways that we can detect black holes are to see the bending of light, or to examine the waves that they put off. The first thing discovered was a X-ray source in the constellation of Cygnus. This was then called Cygnus X-1 for its first X-ray source. No one knew for sure where this was coming from because X-ray telescopes cannot give that precise of a location. Later, in the spring of 1972 a new unexplained radio source was found in the same general area as Cygnus X-1. They identified this as an optical star known only by its classification number HDE226868. While we were finding this, the X-ray source for Cygnus X-1 showed up once again. They examined the data between these two objects, and made the conclusion that they were related. Most likely as a binary pair, with the star, and the unknown object, Cygnus X-1, orbiting around each other (DeGennaro). A binary pair is a pair of stars that orbit around each other, in this case one is a black hole, and the star orbits around it. As it orbits the immense gravity from the black hole strips gas from the normal star. As it falls it is moving at such a speed that the friction causes it to heat up to several million degrees, and this heat then causes the x-rays (McClintock)."
Abstract This paper discusses The Red Planet, Mars. The author examines the conditions, life, and gives detailed information about the planet's atmosphere and its two moons. The paper also looks at the possibility of life surviving on Mars' desert-like environment.
From the Paper "Mars, it is the fourth planet from the sun. It is closet planet to the planet that we live on. Mars is the planet with more solar exploration than any other planet in our universe. Mars is the one planet that has an atmosphere similar to ours. Mercury, Venus, and Pluto have had all of their atmospheres burned off and Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all have atmospheres that are hundreds of time more violent than the calm atmospheres of Earth and Mars. Mars is also the only planet in which we have identified that there was once water on the surface of the planet. We have discovered huge canyons that resemble the ones on Earth. This is also the reason why we believe that the Red Planet might have once had or still does have life on it."
Abstract This paper describes the life of Galileo Galilea--his childhood, youth and how this affected his chosen path in life. It analyzes his theories as well as the harsh and life threatening criticism he faced from the Church.
From the Paper Galileo's father was a musician who eventually challenged Aristotelian beliefs about music theory and who proved some of it wrong, so Galileo grew up in a forward-thinking house where beliefs that had been long-held by educated people were being questioned. His father was part of a small group of musicians who revolutionized the way music was written. These changes led to the birth of opera. He saw his father's musical experiments, which contradicted the most basic assumptions regarding music theory. These older beliefs were also tied to church theology. It was believed at the time that the rules of harmony paralleled the motion of the heavenly body. This concept was known as the ?music of the spheres.?
Abstract This paper explores comets; the astronomical bodies made up of frozen gases and dust particles, which orbit the solar system. The author discusses how comets develop, their structure, their volatility, and the important role that comets play in the revolution of astronomy and cosmology. The paper also contains a detailed description of Halley's Comet.
From the Paper "Comet structures are diverse and very dynamic, but they all develop a surrounding cloud of diffuse material, called a coma, that usually grows in size and brightness as the comet approaches the Sun. Usually a small, bright nucleus (less than 10 km in diameter) is visible in the middle of the coma. The coma and the nucleus together constitute the head of the comet."
Abstract The paper defines the term 'aurora' and explains what causes these luminous arcs and swirls of light to appear at different times during the year. It explains the difference between the auroras of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and the effect that the sun, in the form of solar wind, has on auroras.
From the Paper "One of the reasons that the auroras seem so mysterious to us is that they are a product of magnetism, which is a force that most of us are at least generally familiar with but one that is also, of course, invisible. Because both magnetism and the plasma field around the earth (which is simply a cluster or layer of charged particles) are invisible, we cannot see the physical underpinnings of the auroras, making them seem highly mysterious to us."
Abstract This paper looks at literary and scientific documentation to assess whether the possibility exists that there is both life and an existing civilization in Mars and whether Mars is able to support human (or at least similar to the elements needed to support human living) life.
Outline
Introduction
Graham Hancock's "The Mars Mystery"
Summary of Scientific Speculations
List of Similarities between Mars and Earth
Evidence Supporting Life on Mars
Physical Structure and Composition of Mars
Chemical, Biological and Atmospheric Composition of Mars
Life is Possible on Mars
Civilization Existed on Mars
Space Missions and Probes
Space Mission/Programs Funded by Various Nations
Disqualification of Claims of Civilization on Mars
Conclusion
From the Paper "These space probes and explorations about Mars brought about numerous information and even pictures of the planet's surface. However, it is difficult to obtain quality shots of the planet's surface because of its distance from the Earth, and accuracy and precision was sacrificed when information brought by these probes came into existence and knowledge of scientists and astronomers. One speculation that resulted from these studies and explorations is that aside from the possibility that Mars is capable of cultivating human life, there has been evidence supporting some scientists? claim that there existed a form of civilization in Mars."
Tags: civilization, human, beings, astronomy, solar, system, sun
Abstract The paper describes the geology of the moon as determined by samples brought back from the moon and gravitational and magnetic studies carried out by the Apollo and Lunar Prospector missions. It describes the types of minerals found on the moon, and how the various geologic features were formed.
This paper attempts to explain the evolution of human understanding of the universe, from the initial rationales concerning the earth and its origin until advanced conceptions of the "big bang" and discovery of a black hole.
2,971 words (approx. 11.9 pages), 35 sources, 1998, $ 87.95
From the Paper "Throughout time, man has looked to the skies and wondered what was beyond the clouds. For the most part, primitive man solved the quandary of universal creation through myths, legends and stories. The Egyptians provided the earliest and primitive conjectures of the universe. In early Greece, Ptolemy made observations and transcribed the positions of stars, eventually documenting his findings in his book, Almagest. During the Renaissance and Enlightenment, scientists and astronomers began to study the solar system and universe. Beginning with Earth's solar system and slowly expanding to the milky way galaxy, mankind's understanding of the universe slowly expanded and advanced. Galileo's invention of the telescope was the monumentous innovation of the 17th century. It allowed for the examination and probing of the universe without traveling throughout it. Modern discoveries in science and astronomy conflicted with religion in dealing with the creation of the universe. As time passed, the comprehension of the universe evolved. "
Abstract This paper discusses the topic of space tourism and the pros and cons of developing a space tourism industry. The author researches the reality of space tourism and the major changes that will come from this new industry, as well as ideas and solutions to problems that might arise from this industry.
From the Paper "One of the most basic traits of human beings is to discover new frontiers. From early cave men, to Columbus, to modern day space explorers, humans have enjoyed traveling. Traveling and tourism is a major factor in today's global economy. Space tourism is a very new idea that was once thought of as no more than science fiction, just like visiting the moon once was also and has been left untouched, due to certain restrictions. The idea has been around for many years, even before the first rocket went into space. Today's ever-changing technology is allowing space travel to become less expensive and safer; two of the major factors that have limited tourism in space. Safer and cheaper ways of traveling to space are making the idea of space tourism become more realistic. Space tourism must now be looked upon as a viable reality that will change the way the world operates and should be implemented past the conceptual stage and developed into reality for the tourist of tomorrow."
Abstract This paper details of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and how and why it was a show of power and superiority. The author looks many different aspects of the space race including, its purpose, how it was used to show the other country its weaknesses, how it enabled both countries to explore the uncharted vastness of space and find for it new military and how they attempted to use the moon as the ultimate propaganda tool.
From the Paper "Even though Sputnik had no direct military impact, it showed the progress of the USSR in science and military and prompted the US government to pay more attention to its own missile operation (McGhee 331). The media played a major role in spurring the government to take action. Sputnik was front-page news on all the papers and it had all of America wondering how something like that could happen without anyone knowing (Schefter 23). At first the US government was not impressed by the Soviet's accomplishments. President Eisenhower felt that the U.S. people had acted like children and that no response to Soviet actions was necessary (Burrows 200). He felt that the US needed to toughen up for a long war they may have in the future and did not see the US as being in any competition with the Soviets (Burrows 200). He even went so far as to congratulate the Soviets on their accomplishments (McGhee 330)."
Abstract The paper details the similarities between Earth and Mars explaining that Mars once had its own water cycle. The paper explains what an asteroid is and asserts that asteroids probably destroyed Mars. It speculates whether an asteroid can destroy Earth and discusses ways to prevent this from happening.
From the Paper "A billion or so years ago, a frozen lake covered the plains that were alive. Most of the other volcanoes had stopped spewing gases, the temperature and atmospheric pressure on Mars were so low that ice from the lake surface sublimated. These formed into vapor without melting as water. The water vapor formed clouds that dropped snow onto the volcano's slopes. The volcano's magma chamber warmed the slopes enough to melt the bottom layers of the deep snow pack."
From the Paper "The Mars Global Surveyor is an American spacecraft which went into orbit around Mars on September 12, 1997 to conduct a detailed photographic survey of the planet beginning in March 1998. The spacecraft used a formerly untried technique called aerobraking to turn its initially highly elongated orbit into a circular orbit by dipping into the outer atmosphere of the planet. This was a $273 million project that began sending important data about the planet's surface at a quarter of the cost of the Mars Observer mission, which had failed in 1993 (Lawler, 2000).
Mars has long been a particular goal for space exploration. The planet has excited the human imagination, perhaps because of the many literary and dramatic works that suggested civilizations on Mars, and certainly because of the long-ago.."
From the Paper " One of the foremost theoretical physicists, of our time, is Stephen W. Hawking. He states, in the acknowledgments of his book, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, that the purpose of this book is to describe the "basic ideas about the origin and the fate of the universe . . . in a form that people without a scientific education can understand" (vi). Stephen Hawking does not give a clear thesis statement for this book. An implied thesis of this book would be that humans have always sought to understand how the universe was created and works; with continued development of the Grand Unified Theory (GUT), complete understanding begins to be possible. He poses the age old questions of: "Where did the universe come from, and where is it going? Did the universe have a beginning . . . what happened before then?" (1). Breakthroughs in physics and.."
From the Paper "INTRODUCTION
People tend to believe all sorts of non-scientific and paranormal concepts and to accept this belief without proof. A prevalent belief is that aliens from some other cosmic body have visited the earth, though there is no direct proof of such an event. Many see this belief as deriving from the prevalence of science fiction in literature, films, and television and from anxiety brought about during the Cold War era, but in fact some belief in alien beings can be found throughout history, though identifying these interlopers as aliens from another planet is more common today than to see them as demons or emissaries from heaven or hell (even though many people believe in visitations from both these realms as well). Psychologists have considered the source of irrational beliefs of all sorts, including a belief ..."
Abstract This paper explains the composition of comets and clarifies what happens that gives them their shimmering appearance. It explains the various types of comets and elucidates the close link between the orbit of comets and the orbit of meteor showers. It lists the commonly seen features when a comet is near the sun and concludes by looking at factors resulting in a change in the behavior of a comet.
From the Paper "In outer space there are many things that man is still trying to fathom, and he has been intrigued by many things high up in the sky, but yet has not been able to figure out what they are or what they may mean. The field of astrology is one that began thousands of years ago with the Egyptians being the first known astronomers. They were the ones who created the first map of the North Star that is used till today to trace the movements of our planet and the heavenly bodies around it."
