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A Rare Astronomical Event

Grab the kids, your telescope and some popcorn and head out on the deck, or out to the desert, or a country pasture, or perhaps even a planetarium. An infrequent astronomical sight — tiny Mercury inching across the surface of the sun – is set to place tomorrow afternoon in North America. The only catch–you’ll need the right kind of telescope to see it. Astronomers say since Mercury is so tiny (1/194th the size of the sun) and looking directly at the sun is so dangerous to the eyes that viewing must be done with a properly outfitted telescope or … Continue reading →

When Was the Last Time You Enjoyed a Shower Together?

I’m not talking about the kind of shower you take in your bathroom, but, rather, a meteor shower. The Perseids The question of when was the last time you enjoyed a shower together came to me because earlier this morning was supposedly the peak time for best viewing of the Perseids meteor shower. However, the shower activity period spans from July 17 through August 24. Depending on where you live, tonight might also be a prime viewing night, but even until August 24 there’s still a chance you can spot a “shooting star” or two. (In doing research for this … Continue reading →

Stamping Into History

It’s a set of super-spy stamps that is sure to sell out soon. Bond… James Bond… is now part of Britain’s Royal Mail. Earlier this week the queen’s postal service issued a set of stamps commemorating the fictional spy and his creator, Ian Fleming. Actress Samantha Bond, who played secretary Miss Moneypenny in Pierce Brosnan’s four Bond films, unveiled the new stamps while posing for the media next to the secret agent’s favorite car—-an Aston Martin DB6. The six stamps feature the original cover artwork of Bond classics including “Dr. No,””Goldfinger,””Diamonds Are Forever” and “From Russia With Love” and are … Continue reading →

A Vacation To Eclipse All Others

The summer following my freshman year in college I flew home to Hawaii to witness one of the world’s most spectacular astronomical events-—a total solar eclipse. On July 11, 1991 residents and visitors in Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America stood in awe as the moon passed over the sun and left the regions in complete darkness for seven whole minutes. (A duration that will not be exceeded until the year 2132.) The experience of totality is one I will never forget. The most memorable part was standing in an eerie twilight as the moon’s shadow swept across the landscape at … Continue reading →

Biking Down A Volcano

If you are looking for an amazing Hawaiian adventure feast your eyes on Maui’s Haleakala volcano and the thousands of bicycles that stand at its summit. Then, image yourself hopping on board one of them and taking off on the 10,000-foot-winding road, which leads to the base of the mountain. It’s a thrill ride that captures the fancy of thousands of visitors to the Valley Isle, but the chance to feel the tropical wind flow through your hair on two wheels may now be in jeopardy. Recent biking accidents and deaths on the road that leads down Haleakala could lead … Continue reading →

Weekend Wanderings: Honey I Shrunk the Solar System

I’m back to bring you another Weekend Wandering that I took my daughter on, it’s a week late, but this time last week I was at the hospital for surgery and I wasn’t quite up to my usual par for typing. But as I detailed in my first weekend wandering, my daughter and I are now trying to spend our weekends on adventuring through our local area and discovering the hidden treasures that are hosted by our city. Honey I Shrunk the Solar System For this particular weekend wandering, we took a drive out to the University of Texas at … Continue reading →

Go Lunar In Chicago… Or In Your Own Backyard

If you’re looking for something fun and educational to do with your family Saturday evening—-simply turn your eyes to the sky. For the first time in more than two years, a total lunar eclipse will be visible in clear skies for nearly the entire continental United States, Europe and Africa. A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. Viewers tend to see the moon’s appearance darken (basically, the eclipse makes the moon appear to be reddish or grayish). Unfortunately for those of you who live on the East Coast of the U.S. the moon will … Continue reading →