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Posts Tagged ‘science’

Accomplish This

Posted in Other, Science!, tagged , , , , , , , on May 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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.

You too? Then consider taking a few minutes off to read about why The Phony Physics of Star Wars Are a Blast.

You can also read more about the Science Behind Science Fiction: The Physics of Star Wars from the Connecticut Science Center.

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:)

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Photo by Nicholas Fuentes on Unsplash

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Earth Day that Was

Posted in Holidays, Science!, tagged , , , , on April 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I know, I know, I’m a little late to be celebrating Earth Day. Which was yesterday. But deserves to be celebrated every day!

In the spirit of “yay, Earth,” I’d like to share this from NASA:

Celebrating Earth as Only NASA Can

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.

And just for fun, you can spell out Your Name in Landsat 🛰️

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NASA’s Landsat

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Visitors from Outer Space

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , on April 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

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.

The Lyrid meteor shower is expected to dazzle the night sky beginning this week

“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.

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Photo by Philipp Düsel on Unsplash

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Very Cool Progress

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , on April 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Just going to post this here because cool!

Scientists hail ‘strongest evidence’ so far for life beyond our solar system

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!

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Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

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Red Moon Rising

Posted in Other, Science!, tagged , , , , , , on March 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Tonight, a little astronomy-related drama!

North America will have a blood worm moon this week. Here’s how you can see it

Late Thursday night or Friday early morning, North Americans with clear skies can look up to see a full moon with a beautiful reddish hue. 

What to know about March’s full “Blood Worm Moon,” a total lunar eclipse

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!

Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness

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. 

And for fun: Capri Sun Releases a Glow-in-the-Dark Moon Punch

Not fun but interesting: This week’s ‘blood moon’ eclipse mirrors one Christopher Columbus used to scare indigenous people in 1504

Enjoy. I’m hoping for an L3 on the Danjon scale!

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Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash

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The Planet Parade Rides Again

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , on February 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

You may remember in 2023 when I mentioned a five-planet parade in the skies, or in 2024 when six planets aligned. 

Fun sky news: this week we are in line for a parade of all seven planets!

When and how to view February planet alignment

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. 

Still cool!

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Photo by Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash

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And We’re Broadcasting Live

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , on February 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Here’s a question: what if we flipped the whole “search for alien life” on its head and asked How Far Away Could We Detect… Ourselves?

A fledgling space-travelling civilization similar to ours may be out there somewhere in the Milky Way. Maybe they have their own fledgling SETI program, complete with radiotelescope arrays scanning the sky for the telltale signs of another technological civilization.

If there is, and if they do, from how far away could they detect our technosignatures? New research is asking that question.

Answer? Very far away!

Better check my work for typos again, because you never know who might see this! 😉

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Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

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Pluto Day

Posted in Holidays, Science!, tagged , , , , , , , on February 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Today is Pluto Day!

Lowell Observatory holds I Heart Pluto Festival

On Feb. 18, 1930, the young astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto, considered for decades a planet and “demoted” to dwarf planet status in 2008.

A few weeks later, an 11-year old girl named Venetia Burney suggested the name Pluto because of its connection to the god of the cold dark underworld.

This in-depth discussion of Pluto covers all sorts of interesting facts, including details of its discovery, how the New Horizons spacecraft gave us a much more detailed picture, and more. (Did you know that Pluto is half the size of the Moon but has five moons of its own? And someone who weighs 180 pounds on Earth would weigh 11 pounds on Pluto.)

What Makes Pluto So Intriguing | TIME

It takes Pluto slightly over 248 Earth years to orbit the sun, which means that on March 23, 2178, one Plutonian year will have elapsed since the dwarf planet was first spotted, on Feb. 18, 1930.

Here’s a cool animation showing our increasingly detailed understanding of Pluto:

Pluto Through the Years – NASA Science

And here’s an interactive image of Pluto 3D Model – NASA Solar System Exploration.

You’ll always be a planet to me, Pluto!

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NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

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A Brief Technical Update From the Future

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on February 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Some days you realize that yes, we really are living in the future. Point in case:

Oxford Scientists Say They’ve Achieved Quantum Teleportation

Researchers at the University of Oxford say they’ve achieved quantum teleportation — stitching together separate quantum computers to run an algorithm collaboratively, across a distance, in a “breakthrough” they say could lead to powerful quantum supercomputers.

Still lots to do on the road to practicality, of course, but how cool is that?

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Photo by Dynamic Wang on Unsplash

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How They Shine

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , on February 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

What do Saturn, Venus, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars all have in common? They’re all currently in alignment, at least from our Earthly perspective.

6 planets aligning in night sky will get even better in February

Venus, Saturn and Neptune will be bunched together low in the southwestern sky, while Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will glow higher in the southern sky.

One trick for finding the planets is to look for how they shine. Stars appear to twinkle while planets do not, making it easier to pick out planets in a star-studded sky.

Weather and light pollution permitting, four of these planets will be visible to the naked eye. Pretty cool!

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Photo by Zelch Csaba on Pexels.com

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