articles and course materials

Article 1. Mystery solved: Bright areas on Ceres come from salty water below. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-mystery-bright-areas-ceres-salty.html

Connection Point #1: Solar System, Part 4: Other Objects. Lesson 14. Chapter 12.3 Summary Slides (16-24)

In the eighth paragraph, the Ceres’s bright mystery is addressed as other objects in the galaxy. Data from Dawn was used to make conclusions that bright patches on Ceres reduced their luminosity as micrometeorites pelt the dwarf planet’s surface. In relation to classwork, meteorites are meteoroids that survive and reach the planet’s surface as solid chunks of stone or metal. Over time, the debris/solid chunks cover the surface of the planet Ceres, including the bright patches, as observed by NASA’s scientists.

Connection Point #2: Astrobiology, part 2: Life beyond Earth? Lesson 23. Chapter 15.3 Summary Slides (#28-33)

In the last paragraph of the article, McCartney writes that the Dawn was not able to come back to Earth and that it is the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial destinations. The third last paragraph entails evidence of water and an assortment of conical icy mountains. These relate to chapter 15 lessons on challenges encountered in SETI, and the utilization of water as the key compound in search for extraterrestrial life.

Connection Point #3: The solar systems part 4: Other objects. Chapter 14.6 Dwarf Planets. Summary slides #45

McCartney makes it clear that Ceres is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Also, it has physical features such as mountains, creators, and reservoirs. Therefore, despite the small size of Ceres, it is a planet. The definition of a planet, as given in chapter 14 of the course reading, is an object that has gained enough mass to dominate an orbit and clear other objects. In that perspective, Ceres qualifies as a planet, though its size is small to regard it as a dwarf.

Article 2. Hubble finds that Betelgeuse’s mysterious dimming is due to a traumatic outburst. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-hubble-betelgeuse-mysterious-dimming-due.html

Connection Point#1 Lesson 17: Stars, part 3: The lives of stars. Chapter 8: Death of stars. Summary slides (#15-25)

The article introduces an incident of a star dimming. According to the author, Betelgeuse went through a series of radiating energy and later dimming. The author hypothesizes that the start might be going into a supernova, which connects with chapter 8 of the course reading: the death of stars. Relating to the course reading, Betelgeuse must have turned into a red giant after exhausting hydrogen, and it will gradually lose luminosity.

Connection Point #2 Lesson 17: Stars, part 3: The lives of stars. Chapter 8: Death of stars. Summary slides (#15-25)

In the second paragraph, the author says that a heated material, brighter than the star itself, was observed moving outward its atmosphere. The star must have been undergoing the red-giant-branch phase of the stellar evolution, where the star increases luminosity towards the end of this stage. Usually, this is a result of the nuclear reactions (fusion) of materials that had remained at the core.

Connection Point #3: Lesson 15: Stars, Part1: The sun as a typical star. Chapter 7: structure and formation of stars. Summary slides (#9-17)

In the third paragraph, the author quotes that all stars are losing some materials into the stellar medium. At the same time, they do not understand how this has been explained in the course materials, as stars undergo nuclear reactions. For instance, the sun undergoes nuclear fusion, where four hydrogen nuclei form one helium nucleus and energy.

Article 3: New collection of stars, not born in our galaxy, discovered in Milky Way  https://phys.org/news/2020-07-stars-born-galaxy-milky.html

Connection point #1. Lesson 19: Galaxies, part 2: Galaxies and Hubbes’s Law. Chapter 10. Summary slide #28

In the tenth paragraph, the author reports that galaxies form by swallowing others. while this is a claim or a hypothesis yet to be nullified, it connects to the course materials in chapter ten, that galaxies can collide with each other, sometimes to cause significant effects such as tidal forces. For instance, the Milky Way is currently colliding with the Andromeda.

Connection Point #2: Astrobiology, part 2: Life beyond Earth? Lesson 23. Chapter 15.3 Summary Slides (#28-33)

Necib, one of the Gaia space observatory scientists, says that calculations and plotting done by astronomers concerning the universe are challenging. The best solution would to do simulations and use machines for exploration. This is mentioned in the course materials regarding space explorations as done by SETI, using spacecraft that sends back data to laboratories on Earth.

Connection Point #3: Lesson 19: Galaxies, part 2: Galaxies and Hubbes’s Law. Chapter 10. Summary slide (#4-14)

In the section “First Sighting: Nyx,” Galaxies are identified based on their physical appearances, such as the number of stars and rotations. For instance, Nyx is identified for its 250 stars and rotation, which is similar to the Milky Way rotation. Nevertheless, galaxies differ in such features. This is in connection with chapter 10 od the course reading, which outlines that rotation, luminosity, and diameters are some properties of a galaxy.