Astronomy Archives - Kayelle Allen

Fun Facts Solar Eclipse 2017 #solareclipse #eclipse2017

Kayelle Allen 08/18/2017 Research for Sci Fi Writers

While researching the solar eclipse happening in 2017, I discovered some fun facts. Here they are, in no particular order.

The last total solar eclipse in the continental United States was 38 years ago on Feb 26, 1979. The one prior to that was all the way back in 1442.
Totality is the time when the sun’s light is completely blocked by the moon.
This time totality only happens in the US.
Everyone in the continental US can see at least a partial eclipse. So will most of Canada and Mexico.
State capitols in the path of totality include Salem (OR), Jefferson City (MO), Nashville (TN), and Columbia (SC).
Telescopes aren’t necessary. You can see the effects of the solar eclipse with the naked eye.
Which brings me to the next point. Don’t LOOK at directly at the sun! Use proper eye protection. Here’s a link to solid info you can trust. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety
The eclipse will plunge 14 different states into the dark.
You can see stars during the day during the eclipse.
A lunar eclipse occurs about two weeks before or after a solar eclipse.

Types of Solar Eclipse

Partial eclipses occur when the moon doesn’t line up completely. It only blocks part of the light.
Annular eclipses occur when the moon and sun line up directly but the moon is too far away from the Earth or we are closer to the sun. This makes a ring of light show around the moon.
Hybrid eclipses shift between a total and annular eclipse depending on where you view it from on Earth.
Total solar eclipses when the moon is the right distance to completely block the light.
Each year there are between 2-5 solar eclipses. They rarely cross the US, so we don’t see them.

Solar Eclipse Videos

This video is from an app guide. Be sure to check out the website too. The link is below.

<title>Tour the Great American Elcipse App Guide</title>

Watch this entertaining video about the solar eclipse, presented by Wired Magazine.

Are you planning to watch the eclipse? Will you be in the path of totality? I’d love to hear your story! Please share it in the comments.

Photon: more than just torpedoes #astronomy #wotd #scifi

Kayelle Allen 11/25/2016 Kayelle Allen

“Photon torpedoes! Fire!” If you thought that was a line right out of Star Trek, congratulations. You were right. The show has been on television, in movies, books, and other media for fifty years now. The imaginative people who created and wrote it have amassed a galaxy-sized universe in which they can release stories. There are entire wikis devoted to the Star Trek series.

Writing good Science Fiction is more than the product of a good imagination, however. Along with writing and editing skills, marketing, networking, and willingness to work hard, a scifi storyteller also needs science fact on which to base that fiction.

When I’m researching a story, I start at the bottom and work my way up. I subscribe to Astronomy Magazine and read it both digitally and in print, skipping few words in either edition. Because I’m no science expert, I depend on material created by those who are. When I don’t understand a concept, one way to grasp the basics to start with a book or website geared toward young readers. A good one is Ducksters which has a science section called Physics for Kids. It contains simple information in an interesting way and suggests other places to continue research. According to them, a photon is not made of smaller units, which means it’s an elementary particle. It has no electric charge or mass, and it’s stable. There is a list of other qualities. To read more, visit http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/photons.php

There are numerous other resources a writer can use to research and learn. In the Astronomy Word of the Day series, I’ll be sharing material I’ve gleaned over the years, as well as resources where I’ve found them. While I won’t share a word every day, there will be one at least once a week. Be sure to bookmark this page and follow the blog for more.

Photon: Astronomy word of the Day

A photon is one of the basic units of light. It has properties of both a particle and a wave, which allows light to be diffused and refracted. A photon has no mass and does not carry a charge. They form the most visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The word comes from Greek (phos or phot) meaning light. Combined with electron (an English word), the word photon means “particle representing the smallest distinct and separate amount of light.”

In the Star Trek universe, there are multiple types of photon torpedoes and were fired in a tube-shaped case. The warhead itself contained a detonation chamber filled with antimatter. When detonated it created a a matter-antimatter explosion and ion radiation (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).

So are there really photon torpedoes? Would they work? Not according to theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. He says a photon torpedo would have as much power as a flashlight. I can see the battles now… Captain Kirk (or another Star Trek captain – take your pick) orders the photon torpedoes to fire, and the entire crew of the ship whips out flashlights and shines them on the enemy. That would, in truth, be as effective as a “real” photon torpedo.

So while “photon torpedo” sounds good in scifi usage, the actual definition of photon means torpedoes won’t be in our future. At least, not like the ones in Star Trek.

Like this type of post? Want to see more? What other words would you like to see? Please leave a comment and let me know.