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 […]
Science
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 […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Scoping Out Holiday Gifts
Heavenly ideas for the astronomical enthusiast in your life
My first telescope was a surprise Christmas gift. I’ll never forget my delight and also my frustration with early attempts to use it. It took time to acquire the knowledge […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Our Second Moon, for a Little While
An asteroid falls into step with Earth
This article was updated on Oct. 24, 2024. Maybe you’ve heard: Earth recently gained a second moon. On Sept. 29, a small asteroid with the prosaic name 2024 PT5 wandered […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
In Space, We See What Was
Where distance is time, the light from Sagittarius and Saturn spans ages
Distances in space are enormous. Look up on any night and pick a star, any one you like. Then consider this: the sparkling light you see began its journey tens, […]
ELECTROMAGNETIC
Studies Look at Turbine Cables and Lobsters
Experiments in Long Island Sound found few effects
WELLFLEET — Two years after its first public announcement in August 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to hold public auctions for eight offshore wind energy leasing […]
