I made a post not too long ago about a folk legend in which you can predict the severity of winter by splitting persimmon seeds. In that, I mentioned one of the other common (though not really any more accurate) methods, that being observation of a "mast year" for nut trees. It appears that my…Read more Walnut Mast
Science
Comet Lemmon – Not Great, But…
I've had a real problem finding Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6). It's been relatively clear, but I've had other challenges. 1) It's pretty low, so I've had challenges nailing the window between "not dark enough" and "it's below the horizon". 2) For me, the NNW direction is toward Washington, D.C. Even on the darkest nights, that…Read more Comet Lemmon – Not Great, But…
Two Comets and a Shower!
Hey All, I need to interrupt my ongoing discussion of campervan adventures in Washington state to talk about some upcoming backyard astronomy opportunities. We've got TWO marginal comets in the sky right now - one getting dimmer, and one getting brighter (but potentially lower). Neither is easy or straightforward, but worth the effort to seek.…Read more Two Comets and a Shower!
Weather Prediction via Persimmon Trees (?)
There's lots of folklore out there around how to use natural phenomena to predict the severity of the upcoming winter. For example, mast seasons for oak and other nut-bearing trees are often described as indicators of harsh winters to come - this is good news for squirrels who have a bumper crop of acorns to…Read more Weather Prediction via Persimmon Trees (?)
Happy Pythagoras Day!
I'm late in the day here, apologies - it snuck up on me. But... Happy Pythagoras Day! If you're not tracking, let me remind you quickly of your high-school math classes. The Pythagorean Theorem says that given a right triangle - a triangle where one angle is 90-degrees, a "square" angle - if you square…Read more Happy Pythagoras Day!
Sounding Rocket Launch, TOMEX+ Experiment from NASA’s Wallops Island, VA Facility
Last Wednesday night, on Aug 27, NASA successfully launched The TOMEX+ (Turbulent Oxygen Mixing Experiment Plus) mission from the Wallops Island launch complex on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and I got to watch it from home! Building on the success of the original TOMEX mission launched in 2000, TOMEX+ used a trio of sounding…Read more Sounding Rocket Launch, TOMEX+ Experiment from NASA’s Wallops Island, VA Facility
Black Bears Are Back: Southern Maryland Sightings Signal Expanding Territory
When Leon Smith stepped outside his St. Mary's County home in mid-July and found his bird feeder knocked over, he probably wasn't expecting to come face-to-face with a black bear. The rural Maryland county along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay is not an established part of the black bear's range, and the animals…Read more Black Bears Are Back: Southern Maryland Sightings Signal Expanding Territory
Noctilucent Clouds – Ethereal Indicators of a Changing Atmosphere
If you're in high latitudes, step outside on a clear summer night around twilight and look up. If you're lucky – and increasingly, you might be – you'll witness one of nature's most ethereal displays: noctilucent clouds. These delicate, ghostly streaks of silver and blue seem to shimmer against the darkening sky, appearing almost otherworldly…Read more Noctilucent Clouds – Ethereal Indicators of a Changing Atmosphere
Another Visitor From Outer Space!
This week, astronomers confirmed the discovery of a new interstellar object zipping through our solar system from points unknown! It's only the third such object we've ever discovered, but it seems these types of encounters are turning out to be far more common than we thought. The object is designated 3I/ATLAS (That's 3-"eye", not the…Read more Another Visitor From Outer Space!
Are Genetically Modified Wolves a License to Let Species Die?
Recent claims of dire wolf de-extinction are being used as an excuse to reduce protections on endangered species. Can we let animals go extinct, based on the expectation we can just bring them back when we want?
Carnivorous Caterpillars, Living Lightning Rods, and Bluebirds
Some recent natural science stories that I find interesting: Caterpillars Scientists in Hawaii have discovered a very unique caterpillar with a very dangerous lifestyle. First of all, it's carnivorous - a trait that only 0.13% of all known butterfly/moth species share. Second, it gets its meals by living in spider webs, and scavenging the bits…Read more Carnivorous Caterpillars, Living Lightning Rods, and Bluebirds
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot: A Shrinking Mystery
What is the most visually striking feature of the planet Jupiter? In my estimation, there are two likely answers to this question. One - the four Galilean moons (Europa, Callisto, Ganymede and Io) are easily visible, dynamic, and were mankind's first direct evidence that bodies in our solar system orbited something other than Earth, shattering…Read more Jupiter’s Great Red Spot: A Shrinking Mystery
BepiColombo: Why Is It So Hard To Get To Mercury?
Back in October, 2018, the BepiColombo mission launched. It intrigued me then, and I made a note to learn more and write about it at the time. What piqued my interest most was the journey BepiColombo would have to take, a journey of over seven years to reach a planet that's only an average 48…Read more BepiColombo: Why Is It So Hard To Get To Mercury?
Observing Mars Retrograde: A Beginner’s Guide
Mars is in retrograde, and with some prominent stars and easy constellations in the background, now (and over the next few weeks) is a perfect time to see it! When the ancients were trying to figure out the nature of the heavenly spheres, motion of planets caused a lot of confusion. This is particularly true…Read more Observing Mars Retrograde: A Beginner’s Guide
Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betel….
There's something amiss in the night sky these days. The evening is going well - I'm sitting by a crackling fire that I just used to clean a Dutch oven from our last trip out. (Something I actually neglected for about a week, just because I kept forgetting about it. I've learned that burnt molasses…Read more Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betel….
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 