Student Columns

Nov
26
2021
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Pleiades

Pleiades

Astrophotography
M45. The Pleiades. Subaru. The Seven Sisters. Since antiquity, this open cluster has been admired from China to Australia to Europe. According to Greek mythology, the Pleiades were the seven daughters of Pleione, a sea-nymph, and Atlas, the titan who holds up the sky. Relentlessly pursued by Orion the Hunter, Zeus took pity on the beautiful sisters and immortalized them in the stars, sparing them from Orion (who still chases them in the night sky as a constellation of his own). In reality, the Pleiades star cluster contains thousands of stars, many of which burn blue and hot due to…
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Nov
12
2021
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M81 and M82 Galaxies

M81 and M82 Galaxies

Astrophotography, Uncategorized
If you thought the Andromeda Galaxy and our Milky Way were the only interacting galaxies in the night sky, then think again! Locked in a gravitational duel, Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy will dance around one another for several billion years until they collide and form one massive body. In their most recent skirmish, the Cigar (pictured right) ignited ferocious star formation in Bode’s grand spiral arms, giving them their blue-purple hue. Similarly, the Cigar has been dubbed a “starburst” galaxy because stars are forming 10 times faster in it than in our own galaxy! By Carl Crum '24
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Oct
22
2021
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Bubble Nebula

Bubble Nebula

Astrophotography, Uncategorized
Bubbles in space? You read that right! In the constellation of Cassiopeia (the Vain Queen) lies a gaseous blob 7,100 light years away and 7 light years in diameter. Looking through an eyepiece and telescope, only the massive star at the center of the bubble is visible. However, when shooting with a camera and hydrogen filter, the rapidly expanding outer shell–ionized by the energetic central star–pops from the starfield. Despite the lack of air in space, this bubble hasn’t popped in over 4 million years! By Carl Crum '24
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May
19
2021
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Social Sciences Says Good-Bye!

Social Sciences Says Good-Bye!

Social Science
William Yen ‘23, image from Unsplash.com Thank you all for supporting the social science column on the Quad, and for supporting me as I navigate my interests and find my passions. I am so grateful for having the unique opportunity to write and publish my own content to a large audience. As a final attachment, I’m linking below this year’s articles in case you missed any. Happy learning! The Psychology Behind Musical NostalgiaThe Bystander EffectA Look At the Electoral College Maps Over the YearsMaine and Nebraska: The Prospect of a Proportional Electoral Voting SystemCongressperson Spotlight: Jackie SpeierCongressperson Spotlight: Anna EshooMercator…
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