Lydia's "Stellar" Blog

Post #6 Baked in Space      It was 1965, the first Gemini mission was underway. The Gemini spacecraft was flying through low Earth orbit, and on board were astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young, and also a corned beef sandwich. Young had smuggled the forbidden sandwich on board, and the two proceeded to eat it during flight in microgravity. Quickly, the crumbs spread around the cabin. This one seemingly small trouble was actually a serious concern for NASA. The small crumbs could have gotten into equipment and thus compromised the mission. In the end nothing dire had occurred, but it was too risky for NASA.      Since those days, bread has been banned aboard the International Space Station, and has been replaced with tortillas.  How and what astronauts eat in space has also been more closely examined, most of their food is delivered frozen, refrigerated, or thermostabilized every 90 days.       However, a company called "Bake In Space" is aiming to change t

Post #5         To be honest, I've been struggling to come up with topics to discuss for these weekly blog posts. For as much as I love astronomy and space related things, my brain draws a blank when it comes time to write. I feel overwhelmed sometimes with the amazing nature of the universe and all it has to offer for these blog posts, and yet, I feel there is scarcity in things I actually wish to discuss on a personal level which the reader can relate to. I am torn between being too formal and factual, and being too dull and discussing what my favorite constellation is, for example. Point is, space can be intimidating, both in it's own nature and when it comes to these weekly posts.       I woke up at 3:30 today knowing I would have to write this post, and without an idea already in hand I was stressing. I showed up to work, opened the store, and started jotting down ideas between customer transactions. But nothing seemed to pique my own interest, I was coming up short.

Post #4 The Nerd, The Underdog, and the Psycho.      Astronomy is possibly the oldest science. It has roots that date back to the earliest times of humans and civilizations. It seeks to satisfy human curiosity about the world and universe and where we came from. Astronomy as we know it today is the culmination of discoveries and theories and research of so many people. Little bits and pieces of work and knowledge that slowly come together over time. While our general comprehension of the universe can't be atributed to one or even a few people, there are three people who I consider my favorite astronomers. Some of their contributions and discoveries changed the worlds of their time and possibly life as we know it today.      I'd like to start off talking about Isaac Newton. I'm sure you heard of him. He's the man who was layin' down the laws. The three laws of motion, that is. Newton was a scientist, mathematician, and natural philosopher. He's made sig

Post #3 Total Solar Eclipse       August 21st, 2017 will be a particularly special day. It's the day of a total solar eclipse! In fact, it is the first total solar eclipse the continental U.S. since 1979, a whole 38 years! A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon in its orbit moves between the Earth and sun and completely covers the solar disc. When on "the line of totality" the surroundings of the observer will seem like dusk has suddenly fallen  on the full 360 degrees of their horizon. The line of totality basically cuts across the whole continental US. It is a truly a very unique and special occasion, and I plan on being there.       Here in Michigan, we will only have a coverage of 80% meaning 20% of the sun is still visible during totality, and therefore not a true total solar eclipse. That's not good enough for me. So my sister and I have been planning for a special two week trip in August which revolves around 2 special minutes of totality. 

Post #2 Why I Wouldn't Want Live on Mars      It seems like the past couple of years Mars has been a pretty hot topic. NASA has a manned Mars mission scheduled for the 2030's, Space-x founder, Elon Musk, claims he can start manned missions as soon as 2022, and a company called Mars One will begin training candidates to colonize the red planet this year. All of this had me thinking. Would I ever want to live on Mars if I had the opportunity? I don't think so.      A trip to the red planet takes about 150-300 Earth days. You're going to be floating through space for at least a couple of months. Most likely you'll be stuck in a small spacecraft with several other people. Have you ever heard of space madness? It was something people actually worried about a bit before sending people into space. It's basically a mental breakdown caused my micro-gravity and being stuck in claustrophobic isolated environments, such as a space craft. No one has actually

Post Number One  Why I Chose This Topic      We live in an age where there is a wealth of information at our fingertips. Humans as a species have come a long way, and while there is so much knowledge we have acquired over a vast span of time, there are certain subjects we know a lot about and very little about at the same time. Three that come to mind quickly are the workings of the human brain, the ocean, and space. I suppose you could say these are the final frontiers.       I remember being in Lapeer, Michigan, with my astronomy class the weekend of April 8th, 2016. It was during this weekend I fell in love with astronomy. I had been able to see the bands of Jupiter, the Beehive star cluster, the Orion Nebula and more through a telescope without having to even leave my home state. I was awe-inspired at these sights. I felt so insignificant in comparison. It felt like all the hard work from the past semester had paid off. Even when my astronomy class had ended that semes