Monthly Archives: March 2014

Dwarf planets and the problem of the IAU

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

What is a dwarf planet? Under the definition accepted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a dwarf planet is any object orbiting the Sun that is large enough to become round under its own gravity, but is not large enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Planets, Space | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

2012 VP113: a weird new “dwarf planet”

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

Astronomers Chad Trujillo and Scott Sheppard announced this week the discovery of a new icy world in the outer Solar System, named 2012 VP113. Trujillo is a colleague of Mike Brown, who discovered the dwarf planet Eris, which is larger … Continue reading →

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Math is hard

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

Math is hard. That may sound strange coming from an astrophysicist with a degree in math, but in some ways, it’s very true. Yes, it gets easier with practice, but only up to a point. I can attest from experience … Continue reading →

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On Giordano Bruno

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

The new Cosmos TV series has drawn criticism for its depiction of Giordano Bruno, a Dominican Monk and philosopher who was burned at the stake for heresy in 1600. A lot has been said about this, including criticism of the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Religion, Science | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Television review: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s long awaited sequel to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: A Personal Voyage premiered on Sunday. For those of you who have not seen it, you can watch the full episode on the website. My feelings … Continue reading →

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The new Cosmos series premiers!

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

In 1980, the great astronomer and popular science figure Carl Sagan (top) premiered the acclaimed PBS series, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which introduced millions of people to the wonders of the universe for the first time. It remained the most … Continue reading →

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Another look at names

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Alex R. Howe

A while back, I wrote about the various resources I use to select names for characters. Now, I’d like to add one more: the Baby Name Wizard Blog. This blog is about much more than helping parents name their kids. … Continue reading →

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