Astronomy
What is the Oort Cloud?
At the edge of the Solar System, there exists a large cloud of icy material and rock, which is where…
The 2015 Perseids: Weather Prospects, Prognostications and More
The venerable ‘old faithful of meteor showers’ is on tap for this week, as the August Perseids gear up for their…
See Venus at Her Most Ravishing
Venus is HUGE right now but oh-so-skinny as it approaches inferior conjunction on August 15. Like crescents? You'll never see a…
The Dwarf Planet Sedna
There has been quite a bit of buzz about dwarf planets lately. Ever since the discovery of Eris in 2005,…
Kick Back, Look Up, We’re In For a GREAT Perseid Meteor Shower
Every year in mid-August, Earth plows headlong into the debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Slamming into our atmosphere at 130,000…
Stealing Sedna
Turns out, our seemly placid star had a criminal youth of cosmic proportions. A recent study out from Leiden Observatory…
The Dog Days and Sothic Cycles of August
The month of August is upon us once again, bringing with it humid days and sultry nights for North American…
Will SETI’s Unprecedented New Program Finally Find E.T.?
Stephen Hawking, Frank Drake and dozens of journalists gathered at the Royal Society in London last week to hear astronomers…
Kirk, Spock and Sulu Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before — Charon!
A big smile. That was my reaction to seeing the names of Uhura, Spock, Kirk and Sulu on the latest…
The Resplendent Inflexibility of the Rainbow
Children often ask simple questions that make you wonder if you really understand your subject. An young acquaintance of mine…