According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), sinkholes are pits in the ground that occur in areas where water collects without external drainage. Essentially, a sinkhole is any hole in the ground formed by erosion and the drainage of water. It can be just a few meters across or large enough to swallow a …
A thunderstorm is basically a storm characterized by lightning and thunder. Also known as electrical storms, lightning storms, or thundershowers, thunderstorms are caused by an updraft that occurs when warm, moist air rises up into the atmosphere. Then, the updraft forms a cumulus cloud, which eventually becomes the thunderstorm cloud. Thunderstorms are normally accompanied by …
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon gets in between the Sun and the Earth. Some solar eclipses may be termed partial solar eclipse or full solar eclipse depending on whether the Moon partially or completely blocks the Sun. Syzygy is the term used when the Sun and a new moon are in conjunction as …
The Kuiper Belt, or the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt is a disc (circumstellar) found at the outer most regions of our solar system. This extends from Neptune’s orbit at approximately thirty (30) AU to about fifty (50) AU from our sun. The Kuiper belt is somewhat similar to the asteroid belt in terms of composition but as …
Simply stated, a black hole is a place where the pull of gravity is so immense that not even light can escape. This includes all types of particles and even all forms of electromagnetic radiation. In Einstein’s general theory of relativity, he states that black holes compresses all types of mass into a tiny space. …
Since childhood, we have been studying the solar system and making models of it. But there is still a lot of interesting facts about the solar system that we have never known. With new technologies springing up every minute we turn out heads, we get to study the solar system with more accuracy, clarity, and …
Green energy has been a big topic in recent years, as electricity from burning fossil fuels generates more greenhouse gases (GHG) than any other human activity. Governments are now funding renewable energy production including wind farming, solar energy and tidal power. Setting up incentives such as Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) or the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive …
The Sun controls all aspects of our lives: Our food, our climates, and our bodies. We literally live inside the Sun’s atmosphere. We, as well as other planets, satellites, and other objects in the solar system, are greatly influenced by the Sun. The Sun is growing more powerful every day and scientists project that in …
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, third-largest in terms of size after Jupiter and Saturn, fourth massive planet and second (2nd) least dense planet in our Solar system. Uranus is tipped over on its side and has an axial tilt of 98 degrees. It is often referred to as an “ice giant” planet. With …
Of all the problems homeowners worry about, one of the most common is pest infestation; specifically termites. Any homeowner who’s had the unfortunate experience of enduring a termite infestation understands how devastating it can be. To first address the issue, it’s important to understand the problem. Termites have evolved for one purpose: depreciating the value …
The natural world has used the sun’s energy since the beginning of time, and while there has been lots of discussion about this, the truth is that the sun is both a problem and a solution. Solar energy is an unchanging constant – a staple in Earth’s very existence. The sun may not have changed, …
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. This makes it the most distant planet in the solar system. It was first discovered in 1846 and is the fourth largest planet in the solar system. It is so big that about 60 Earths could fit inside it. Neptune is smaller than all the other gas giants in …
Pluto was discovered in 1930 and is the second closest dwarf planet to the Sun. Pluto’s diameter is close to 2,370 km (1473 miles) and orbits in a region called the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is one of the coldest places in the solar system as it is far way from the Sun. It hasn’t even completed one …
A gas giant is a gargantuan planet composed mainly of gases that include helium and hydrogen with a comparatively small rocky core. Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter are the gas giants of our solar system. These four planets are also called the Jovian Planets after Jupiter because they reside in the outer part of our …
Hurricanes are some of the most destructive kinds of natural disasters today. They cause destruction to property and loss of life every year. According to the National Hurricane Center, the biggest hurricane in the world known as the Great Galveston Hurricane occurred in the United States in the 1900’s. The deadly hurricane resulted in about …