Galileo Galilei Astronomy - An Overview

August 28th, 2009

Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy in the late 1500’s. He eventually became a mathematics teacher despite having no degree, and it was here that his famous future was first hinted. Galileo the math teacher made his first step into Galileo Galilei astronomy when he demonstrated to his students that Aristotle was wrong about object of different weights falling at different speeds. He wasn’t invited back to teach, and so moved to a position at the University of Padua. Galileo contributions to astronomy would come to fruition there.

In Padua, Galileo invented the compass and began studying physics. He discovered the law of falling bodies and the parabolic path of projectiles. These became very important in later Galileo Galilei astronomy. But at the time Galileo claimed to have no interest in the subject other than that he believed the work of Copernicus rather than that of Aristotle and Ptolemy. Copernicus had proposed that the solar system is heliocentric, that is that the planets rotate around the sun. Aristotle and Ptolemy held that the solar system was centered around the Earth, and even the sun rotated around our home. The model Copernicus proposed for the order of planets around the sun has been proven. And today we know Copernicus was completely correct.

Galileo was the first to look at the night sky through a spyglass, thus using the first telescope.  With a magnification of 20, this telescope helped Galileo discover mountains and craters on the moon.  Galileo also determined that individual stars made up what was called the Milky Way.  Next he found the four largest moons of Jupiter.  After publishing this information, he was named the royal mathematician in the court at Florence.  No longer having to earn a living teaching, he could spend more time exploring.  It took him only 9 months to discover Saturn’s phases.  This was another nail in the coffin for Ptolemy’s and Aristotle’s ideas about the solar system.

Galileo had a long standing feud with Aristotle’s beliefs and teachings.  Many scientists agreed with Galileo, and so published his findings.  But because Aristotle’s work elevated man to key position in all the universe, the church supported his work. In 1614 a priest in Florence denounced Galileo Galilei Astronomy. Galileo responded by writing a letter proclaiming the bible irrelevant to science.  In 1616 the church censored Galileo’s books, and a cardinal instructed him to stop teaching that the Earth moves.  Galileo continued with other studies but in regard to the solar system, obeyed the order.  Galileo signed a document proclaiming his agreement with the Earth centered solar system, one in which the Earth doesn’t move.  But he had one more thing to say on the subject.  “I would say here something that was heard from an ecclesiastic of the most eminent degree; “And yet … it moves.”

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Liquid Found on Saturn’s Moon

July 1st, 2009

The liquid found on Saturn’s moon, Titan represents one of the most thrilling and challenging discoveries in a hundred years, since besides Earth, this is the only other solar body with open lakes on the surface in the system. The lake-like formations contain liquid hydrocarbons, most probably ethane according to NASA press release. In the many close flybys around Saturn and its moons, Cassini probe took a large number of pictures of these planetary system. According to theories there could be large oceans of methane, ethane and various other hydrocarbons; the speculation of crude oil components was confirmed by the dark color of the substance revealed on Titan. Nevertheless, the liquid form was not 100% sure until a probe reached the surface of Titan in January 2005.

The depth of these pools or lakes of liquid found on Saturn’s satellite could be a few or hundreds of feet deep. Infrared scanning by Cassini spacecraft allowed an approximation of the features. However, the main issue remains as whether this planet can support life or not. Liquid found on Saturn’s other moon, Enceladus, seems to be water springing from high pressure geysers fueled by reservoirs just below the cold planet surface. Could such scientific evidence begin a new era in the planetary exploration programs? Though life is difficult to imagine in the unfavorable weather of this cold world, just a few feet under the soil of Enceladus, all the discoveries indicate that life is more than possible.

This is the reason why the liquid found on Saturn’s Enceladus set the course for new investigations for life in the solar system. Plus, the other prerequisite for life existence on Enceladus, organic materials, is also met: there is methane, ethane, carbon dioxide and several others. Finally, in the hot areas closer to core, deep down in Saturn’s center, the temperature could also create a favorable environment for the evolution of life forms.

The liquid found on Saturn’s moons makes the most exciting discovery in the last twenty five years, since volcanic activity was identified on one of Jupiter’s satellites. Though the source of the water geysers could not be spotted by the camera of the spacecraft the water and ice sprays were very visible in the sunlight, in the polar region of Enceladus. An identical alternation of hot and icy patterns specific to commets is present in this Enceladus combination of hot water and icy particles. Then, there must be liquid water under the surface!

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Choosing the Right Microscope for Children

June 27th, 2009

Microscopes have different purposes and are no longer only for use in the science laboratory at the local senior high school. The world of the microscope nowadays offers folks the option to look at objects, such as fossils encased in rocks that are over six hundred million years old. The scopes of today are not like those of the past. Picking out the right types of microscopes for an individual can be a problem unless you know what they need and what they should definitely keep away from when looking at purchasing a magnifying instrument.

Microscopes for those who are hobbyists are the simple light microscope of their highschool days. These are relatively inexpensive, and the majority have a simple light source built into the device. You can look at simple items that are mainly transparent, including cells and bacterium, with this sort of microscope. However, if you want to see solid objects, like a coin, then this is not the right scope for you. On the other hand, if you buy pre-loaded microscope slides, then a light microscope is the ideal device for looking at them.

Two other types of magnifying instruments available are the transmission electron microscope and the laser confocal microscope. You will not find either type in a school laboratory or somebody’s home though, since they are both made solely for use by scientists and researchers. The electron scopes utilize a vacuum to view the microscope images, and they can be very expensive to operate. Used principally in the scientific and industrial world, a confocal microscope makes use of lasers in order to see incredible fluorescence images that can be displayed on a computer. These are also very expensive, but they provide a scientist with the option to view items that have not been seen for millions of years. Additional types of scopes include the atomic force microscope, the compound microscope and the inverted microscope.

The world of microscopes has come a long way since the start. People have progressed from making use of thick pieces of glass to magnify items, to integrating lasers to help them to see into worlds that have for millions of years been nonexistent. These devices can be used to help you focus on becoming more involved in the world around you while also having the potential to help a youngster to become the next Pasteur. Irrespective of what type of scope you decide to invest in, the main thing to remember is that science is the key to unlocking some of the secrets of the world and that can only provide knowledge in a world that is sometimes too chaotic.

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Save 40% on The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

May 25th, 2009

Whether you are a homeschooler, or simply looking for ideas to help enrich your child’s education, check out The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and save 40% on a one year subscription. You’ll find this glossy, full-color magazine packed with interesting, useful information and articles. But hurry, this special 2 day “Take 10″ subscription offer is only good on May 25 and May 26.

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How to Choose the Right Type of Science Fair Project

May 24th, 2009

Science fair projects can be the most memorable part of your science class, giving you an opportunity to show your abilities and creativity. Many students find that getting started is one of the hardest parts of the project. Before you can plan your project, and even before you pick a topic, you must first understand the different types of science fair projects. Take the time to choose the right type of science fair project, so that your time and effort are not wasted doing the wrong things.

There are three basic types of science fair projects: models, demonstrations, or investigations. When picking among them, there are two things to consider. First, it’s important to check with your teacher to find out what type of project is required. Second, if you get to choose which type of project to do, pick the kind you find most interesting.

The Model Building Method

The model building method is the kind of project which, as the name implies, enables you to construct a model, to scale whenever possible, to illustrate a specific scientific principle. This can often be a real working machine, such as a simple crystal radio set, or a straightforward model, such as one of the solar system. A common model is that of an erupting volcano, where vinegar and baking soda react to create ‘lava’ flowing down the sides of a ‘mountain’. Even though models can be fun, and even exciting, they are usually appropriate only for elementary school, because they do not involve any experimentation or scientific exploration. Some students do create unusual or dramatic models, which can be used demonstrate new ideas.

The Demonstration

The demonstration or descriptive method of research is again fairly self-explanatory. Here, you might display a collection of objects or interesting artifacts (for example, your rock collection) connected with a topic (geology) and describe them in detail on your display board, or in your report or speech. As an alternative, you could use a visual project display board to describe the research you performed. These kinds of projects are simply an illustration or explanation of known scientific principles.

The Scientific Experiment (Investigation)

It is with the third of the possible methods that you can provide what most science fairs for older students are looking for - proper scientific experiments using scientific methods to construct and test a hypothesis and draw conclusions from it. If you are interested in a science career, or would like to move on the regional or national science fair, then you should be looking into this area. And the choice of science fair project topics is limitless. Biology, chemistry and physics projects are common, but if your interest lies elsewhere, consider geology, environment, meteorology, or even sports science. Develop a hypothesis around your interest, and then find a method of testing it. There are many different books and web sites from which you can obtain ideas, but remember, the more individual and unique your project, the better your chances of winning.

Remember, it is important to keep your teacher informed about your progress, and confirm that you know the rules and requirements for your science fair. Then, no matter which type of project you choose to do, you can enjoy the experience, confident that you have chosen well!

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