We’re heading into the end of the week and I don’t know about you, but I’m usually looking at my to do lists and wondering where the time has gone. (Also? I’m now convinced that meetings exist primarily to spawn more meetings.)
So, fine, maybe I haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to, but it’s not like I haven’t earned a little time for fun.
An extra bit of fun: And if you’ve always wondered how quickly you’d react to a lightsaber in the dark, or a TIE fighter arrowing out from behind a canyon wall, maybe you should try testing your Reaction Time. (That big blue bar at the top? Click that:)
As mentioned, I’m still having fun watching the Fish Doorbell, but I haven’t actually seen any fish. That’s fine, it’s more of a meditation than anything (and we could all use some zen right now, amirite?) but some days the world is grey and you just want to chill out with the ocean.
The Coral City Camera shows endangered corals that are thriving and remarkably resilient in the heart of Miami’s busy port. The live feed has helped scientists gain a new understanding of the value and beauty of something they call “urban corals.”
A thing I learned: “Rip rap are large pieces of rock that armor a shoreline, protecting it from erosion, storm surge and sea level rise.”
This Earth Day, NASA is sharing how — by building on decades of innovation—we use the unique vantage point of space to observe and understand our dynamic planet in ways that we cannot from the ground.
We’re coming up on Easter weekend, which often means sugar-crazed energy spikes, loud family gatherings, and other high-energy experiences. If you happen to be an introvert, or just need a break with a bit of science in it, try going outside at night and doing a little meteor spotting.
“You’re not going to see meteors from downtown Manhattan or Central Park,” Cooke said. “You need to find the darkest sky you can, you need to lay flat on your back and look away from the moon.”
Give yourself 30 to 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, Cooke said — and from there, simply enjoy the show.
And if you’re watching the sky this weekend, you may see the Lyrids overlap with another meteor shower, the Eta Aquariids, which is a thing I just learned about. For more on meteors and their schedules, visit the Meteor Shower Calendar from the American Meteor Society.
So lay back, relax, and wave hello to these visitors from outer space.
Observations by the James Webb space telescope of a planet called K2-18 b appear to reveal the chemical fingerprints of two compounds that, on Earth, are only known to be produced by life.
Is it life? Maybe yes, maybe no, but either way? It’s progress. Very cool progress!
Now that Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on the planet after an unexpectedly long stint at the office (in space! because they’re astronauts!), we’re left with some important questions.
Like, what changes when you’re in space, physically speaking? How challenging is it when you come back to earth? How long does it take to adjust? And what exactly happens in their “comprehensive reconditioning process”?
“I was like, laying in bed. I had to go to the bathroom and I just started pushing off my back thinking, ‘I’m going to float to the bathroom.’ And the light was out and I’m pushing up and I roll out of bed,” he says.
Inquiring minds want to know! (Short answer? Yes!)
There are certain upsides, physical…
The impacts of being in space, especially for long periods of time, on the body are still being studied. During a study conducted on astronaut twins Mark and Scott Kelly, researchers found that while Scott was on the ISS, he temporarily became two inches taller.
March’s full moon, known as the Worm Moon, will pass into Earth’s shadow on the night of March 13, or early on March 14, depending on the time zone, according to NASA. This eclipse will be visible from Earth’s Western Hemisphere.
While the peak of the eclipse will happen in the middle of the night (my time, at least), we should be able to see the event begin as the red(dish) moon rises around 7pm.
Why red? The color can vary based on the Moon’s path and the Earth’s atmosphere. The shade is measured on the Danjon Scale, which is a thing I hadn’t heard of but absolutely needed to know!
Earth’s atmosphere contains varying amounts of water (clouds, mist, precipitation) and solid particles (dust, organic debris, volcanic ash). This material filters and attenuates the sunlight before it’s refracted into the umbra. For instance, large or frequent volcanic eruptions dumping huge quantities of ash into the atmosphere are often followed by very dark, red eclipses for several years. Extensive cloud cover along Earth’s limb also tends to darken the eclipse by blocking sunlight.
Measles infection can result in severe and sometimes permanent complications including pneumonia, lung damage, brain damage, and death.
But unlike some infectious diseases, measles has a safe, effective vaccine that can protect us from infection.
We, the general public, can control measles outbreaks.
… [this bit’s for the grandparental units out there; stay healthy, folks!]
The first live measles virus vaccines—which are more effective—were available in 1969.
So anyone born between 1957–1968 may not have sufficient antibodies to avoid infection. Consult your doctor about immunization.
Many of our parents, grandparents, and other waybacks lived through a lot of difficult things: two world wars, the Great Depression, Spanish Influenza, polio, smallpox, or life before basic standards of health and safety, for example. (Coincidentally, today is also the anniversary of the declaration of the Covid pandemic. Because history may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.)
If you’re fortunate enough to still have relatives who lived through those times, consider asking them what it was like, and who they lost.
Skywatchers will get a cosmic treat this week with a celestial gathering of planets.
A planetary alignment, or a “planet parade,” according to the internet, will grace our night sky just after dusk, according to SkyatNightMagazine. You can expect to see seven planets align Friday when Mercury joins Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus and Saturn.
Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars will be visible to the naked eye, but Saturn will be harder to spot low on the horizon, and you’ll need a telescope for Uranus and Neptune. Still, “every other world in our solar system will be visible among the stars at the same time — if you know where to look.”
“You really only have a few minutes after sunset to catch them before they drop below the horizon. After that, you’ll still be able to see Venus, Jupiter, and Mars clearly for a much longer time,” Dr Bloomer added.
I don’t have a telescope, and we often can’t see this kind of event because of city lights.
J.R. Johnson 
You must be logged in to post a comment.