After a long absence, Venus has returned as the brilliant Evening Star. It spent some time this winter toughing it out in the frigid predawn sky in its other guise […]
Science
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Star That Points the Way North, For Now
Why Polaris appears to hold still in the night sky
Last month, I encouraged you to venture outside just before sunrise to see the planet Mercury. By way of apology for such an outrageous suggestion about how to spend your […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
A Good Look at the Smallest, Fastest Planet
There is no better place on Earth than the Outer Cape for watching Mercury
Right now is a good time for seeing the planet Mercury, especially if you’re on the Outer Cape, with its wonderful unobstructed views to east on the ocean side. Astronomy […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
How the Moon Pulls Us Into the Tidal Bulge
The Sun adds its weight to spring and neap tides, too
The tide comes in and out twice a day, sometimes a little higher, sometimes a little lower. It’s so much a part of our daily lives that it’s easy to […]
SQUID’S EYE VIEW
New Verse for the Ballad of the Color-Blind Squid
Astrophysicists offer insights to teuthologists
It seems fitting at the end of this year to find oneself humming “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” “Don’t let the past remind us of what we are not now….” Stephen […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
It’s a Marvelous Month for a Moondance
Keep an eye on the near side for maria, terrae, craters, and ray systems
Beginning around mid-month, Earth’s one and only natural satellite will appear in the evening sky. Then, as the days run down to the end of the year, the Moon will […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
What Is the Moon?
Part one of a brief history of the Earth’s constant companion
The Moon is always with us. Even when we can’t see it, it’s there, gently tugging on our oceans and causing our tides. It hasn’t always been with us; the […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Mars Attacks? Not Anytime Soon
But while it’s close by, take a close look at the red planet
In the very first issue of the Independent, I wrote about Jupiter and Saturn, which were prominently in view at the time. After making their way across the sky and […]
WILDLIFE
Kerry Reid’s World of Birds
In-depth knowledge is what makes wild animal rehabilitation work
EASTHAM — Three years ago, several Eastham residents began noticing a small flock of blue jays making the rounds about town. These birds weren’t just poking around yards and bird […]
SHARK WATCH
Is Awareness Just a Sometime Thing?
New technologies are adopted, but they still have a long way to go
WELLFLEET — A familiar foe still lurks in the summer waters, but the unfamiliar foe floating in the air may be distracting from it. With Covid-19 keeping beachgoers vigilant about […]
Right Whales Are Now ‘Red Listed’
Scientists fear the worst as whales are designated ‘critically endangered’ by IUCN
Population trajectory is very simple, so simple a fourth-grader could calculate the formula, according to Center for Coastal Studies scientist Stormy Mayo. Take the number of animals born and subtract […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
How to Watch the Earth Spin Through This Summer’s Stardust
Averted vision can bring a fading comet into view
A few nights ago, I stood on a deck in Truro that looked east over the National Seashore. In the distance, I could hear the Atlantic surf; from the opposite […]
SCIENCE AT RISK: PART 3
Shaping Local Knowledge and Activism
Collaboration is the key to conducting and applying research in the Seashore
This is the third and final article in a series on the Cape Cod National Seashore’s science program. It explores why science matters at the Seashore and why it’s at […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Beauty and the Beast
Look up at the wonders of Cygnus; just don’t fall in a black hole
The stars of summer have returned! Step outside after dark and look east, about halfway up the sky. You’ll see three bright stars that form a triangle. If you’re not […]
SCIENCE AT RISK: PART 2
Education Is ‘on Pause’ at Seashore
With budgets squeezed, retiring scientists and educators are not being replaced
This is the second in a series of articles on the Cape Cod National Seashore’s science program. It explores why science matters at the Seashore and why it’s at risk. […]
