A different way to think through what you need.
Astronomy: Week of 4/30/17 (Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower)
Seems like only yesterday I was talking about Jupiter coming back into the evening sky, and now it's shining high and bright early every evening. Never fails to impress, even through a small telescope. Mars is almost gone, vanishing below the horizon soon after sunset. Venus is back and shining bright again, but only if…Read more Astronomy: Week of 4/30/17 (Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower)
Music of the Night
I've had a forced hiatus this week. I had one night out in a tent (number 5 this year), a rainy, thunderstorm-filled night where the sound of rain on the tent fly created a strangely comforting feeling. Not unlike a tin-roofed cabin. Then, the school Robotics team I've previously mentioned got invited, so we went,…Read more Music of the Night
Astronomy Weekly : Solar Eclipse Planning
It's time to start planning where to be when the shadow hits!
Every Day is Earth Day
Tomorrow is Earth Day, April 22 - a day founded in the '70s, in the US, to draw attention to human excesses and neglect for the environment. It was a well-intentioned, generally appreciated idea, and is celebrated all over the world today. But as good as it is that we are reminded to take pause…Read more Every Day is Earth Day
The Lyrids Are Coming! (How Do We Know?)
Happy Easter, everyone! As you know, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox. So we couldn't know when to celebrate it without watching the stars. Before we get to meteor showers, a couple interesting conjunctions this week: The waning gibbous Moon passes by Saturn on Sunday the…Read more The Lyrids Are Coming! (How Do We Know?)
National Parks Free!
Just a reminder - National Parks are free to enter this weekend and next, bookending National Parks Week. If that's enough encouragement, the next two hopefully beautiful spring weekends should be great times to visit your local park! Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates in 2017: January 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Day February…Read more National Parks Free!
Astrophotography, or Just Obsession?
Warning: I'm getting a little over the edge here, and unwittingly going beyond "fun" casual stargazing into some serious effort to find the comets I've been talking about. In short, I'm geeking out into some junior-varsity stuff - particularly since I didn't start out with Astronomy being a main topic for this blog, it's a…Read more Astrophotography, or Just Obsession?
Playing With Fire
Nothing beats a nice campfire. It provides warmth, light, hypnotic entertainment, and is the centerpiece of camaraderie and conversation. Relaxing by the campfire is a days-end goal that we all look forward to. Building a fire is an outdoor skill that we spend a lot of time developing, and practicing. It's ALSO a job that most…Read more Playing With Fire
Astronomy: Week of 4/9/17 (Jupiter, and ANOTHER Comet!)
As I mentioned last week, Jupiter was at opposition on Friday, April 7 - this means it's opposite the sun, from our perspective, making it at its most "full" (though, as I've pointed out before, the outer planets are always very close to full from our vantage point). It's also on the same side of…Read more Astronomy: Week of 4/9/17 (Jupiter, and ANOTHER Comet!)
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 