What’s going on in the night sky? This week (Wed.,12/7 in U.S. time zones) the full moon “backslid” across bright Mars, so an “occultation” was visible in much of the country (where the sky was clear enough). As the earth rotates west-to-east on its axis, the sky appears to turn east-to-west — but the moon’s • Read More »
something’s happening today that is likely unprecedented in our lives: the time of sunset hereabouts, today, is almost exactly the same as the actual moment of solstice!
Ground Hog Day
is my favorite “holiday” of the year.
Astrophysicist Martin Gaskell discusses—at virtually the same time as its publication to the word—what has been called the “greatest astronomical discovery of all time.” The conversation ranges from science to intriguing notes on spirituality. Dr. Gaskell is a professor of astronomy at the University of California Santa Cruz. Dr. Gaskell shares fascinating insights about Black • Read More »
The story goes that, as Noah’s flood was ending, a rainbow appeared in the heavens as a sign from the creator that such an apocalypse would never befall the world again. As many in our region now endure destruction and sorrow, we all hope for relief from the skies, coming as a return to the cool, • Read More »
Chris McKay, NASA Mars Researcher, and Friederike Otto, University of Oxford climate modeller Science is the focus of this week’s Planet Watch. Senior NASA scientist Chris McKay, in the Planetary Systems Branch of NASA Ames, is an expert on the evolution of the solar system and the origins of life. Chris is also involved in • Read More »
An interview with NASA scientist Carol Stoker, an expert on Mars, the Red Planet. Carol Stoker is a staff planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. Her most recent work is focused on developing instruments and robotic systems for space exploration and testing them in terrestrial analog environments. She has led field experiments in the Antarctic, • Read More »