The month of July will go into the record books as a warm one nationally, with mean temperatures across a large swath of the Lower 48 well above long-term averages. […]
Science
WEATHER
Radiational Cooling Brings a Chill
Cool, Canadian high pressure built into the region early in the week, yielding a couple of days of very nice midsummer weather. Temperatures held in the 70s with plenty of […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Celestial Sights for Summer Nights
Glittering stars, exploding fireballs, and a sea breeze
Summer is a great time of year for stargazing. On even the hottest days, the temperature drops after sunset, and often a cooling breeze picks up near the bay and […]
WEATHER
The Humidity Heads Out to Sea
After cooling down late last week and remaining on the cooler side of things through the weekend, temperatures have climbed back to well above average this week. And those warm […]
WEATHER
Long-Term Data Confirm: It’s Getting Muggier
If you watch the news or follow the weather at all, chances are you’ve heard of the Bermuda high. Meteorologically, the Bermuda high is really an extension of the Azores […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Getting to Know the Moon
Watching Earth’s satellite reminds us of all the movement in the night sky
Meteor showers, eclipses, and other unusual celestial events get a lot of press. Sometimes this is deserved. The total solar eclipse of 2024 was stunning; in 2020, Comet NEOWISE was […]
WEATHER
Cape Cod Summer Starts at the Solstice
Welcome to summer. At 10:42 p.m. on June 20, the earth’s tilt toward the Sun will reach its maximum point in the Northern Hemisphere, with the sun passing directly over […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Another Year, Another 15,285,312,000 Miles in Space
The ground might feel solid beneath our feet, but everything is in motion
Everything changes in the night sky; nothing remains the same. But the pace of change varies widely, depending on which celestial objects you’re watching. The Moon orbits Earth once every […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
In Jupiter’s Moons, a Chance to Wonder What We’d Defend
Science denial is nothing new. Just ask Galileo Galilei.
I step outside after dark with my dogs for an evening walk. It’s a clear night. I look up, as I always do. Where’s the moon? What phase? What else […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
In Jupiter’s Moons, a Chance to Wonder What We’d Defend
Science denial is nothing new. Just ask Galileo Galilei.
I step outside after dark with my dogs for an evening walk. It’s a clear night. I look up, as I always do. Where’s the moon? What phase? What else […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Elements of Better Worlds
In supernovas and celestial beginnings, imagining places to look up to
Cartoon villains run the country, and the world is turned upside down. Right is wrong, wrong is right, and America slips backward down the hard-fought mountain of social progress. So […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Following the ‘Wandering Stars’
Venus, Jupiter, and Mars lead the way around the zodiac
The colorful nightly parade of planets that began in January continues this month and next, with Venus, Jupiter, and Mars all visible after dark — clouds permitting. These planets can […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
The Gems of January
All things bright and beautiful in this month’s night sky
Celestial events often care little for our convenience. Meteor showers are best seen in the hour or two before dawn. (Did you catch the Geminids back in December at 4 […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
With Winter Comes the Hunter
Look to the constellation Orion for bright stars and newly formed ones, too
If there is one constellation that most people can identify, it’s Orion — the hunter. He strides boldly across the night sky, a club in one hand, a shield in […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
With Winter Comes the Hunter
Look to the constellation Orion for bright stars and newly formed ones, too
If there is one constellation that most people can identify, it’s Orion — the hunter. He strides boldly across the night sky, a club in one hand, a shield in […]
