The solar eclipse that took place this morning, June 10, 2021, was an annular eclipse in some parts of the world - notably Greenland and parts of northeastern Canada. There, the Sun was blocked by a Moon slightly farther away from us than average, such that it appeared just too small to cover the entire…Read more Partial Solar Eclipse, MD
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Gettysburg Dawn
After dense fog and rain for most of the trip, our final morning at Gettysburg dawned clear, cold, and beautiful. Get Out There http://www.flying-squirrel.org
All Things Being Equal (Astronomy: Week of 9/16/18)
Saturday, September 22, it's all over (actually early morning, 1:54AM UTC on the 23rd, but that's late Sat in North America...). Summer is gone, and fall or autumn (whichever you prefer) is upon us. This transition is marked by the Autumnal Equinox, which comes from latin - aequi (equal), and nox (night). "Equal Night", so yeah, this is the…Read more All Things Being Equal (Astronomy: Week of 9/16/18)
Happy Aphelion! (Astronomy: Week of 7/1/18)
Happy Aphelion Day, everybody! July 6, 2018, marks the point on Earth's orbit where we are the farthest from the Sun. Orbits are elliptical, not circular, and ours is no exception. The degree to which an orbit deviates from circular is called its eccentricity, and that ranges from the very low, almost circular (like ours), to…Read more Happy Aphelion! (Astronomy: Week of 7/1/18)
Liquid
"Liquid" - I was tempted to reference the week-plus of non-stop rain we're having, but sky, river and the Sun melting between the two is a nicer reflection of the theme. This is in response to the Daily Post's Weekly Photo Challenge - "Liquid".
Visit the Chesapeake
On any given day I have mixed feelings about where I live - but the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are a beautiful part of the world. Getting out to, or on, the water can cure the soul. This was posted in response to the Daily Post's Weekly Photo Challenge - "Tour Guide". See other…Read more Visit the Chesapeake
Winter Solstice (Astronomy: Week of 12/17/17)
Stars rule the night. They are more than just windows into an infinite cosmos, or keys to the history of our own world. In a more tangible sense, the stars provide humanity with a roadmap, establishing time and place. Long before artificial lights poisoned our view of the night sky, and before human industry occupied…Read more Winter Solstice (Astronomy: Week of 12/17/17)
The Moon! The Sun! The Meteors! (Astronomy: Week of 12/3/17)
Welcome to December, everybody! It's hard to believe it's already December, and that 2017 is almost over... but here we are. I'm posting my weekly backyard astronomy thoughts a day early this week, because I don't want you to miss the gloriously big, last (and only) Supermoon of the year, tonight, Dec 2. Now, the…Read more The Moon! The Sun! The Meteors! (Astronomy: Week of 12/3/17)
Not Just A Pedestrian
I've posted this shot before, but prompted by the word "Pedestrian", I had to share it again. Taken from back in the days when I used an enormous external frame pack, this is a single-frame ode to walking, and encapsulates some of my fondest memories. Backpacking is a sublime combination of personal challenge, solitude and…Read more Not Just A Pedestrian
Sunspot, Baby!
For months, it was "Eclipse! Eclipse!" Then, that abruptly ended. Well, the sun is apparently jealous of the sudden lack of attention, as this week it reached out and smacked the Earth with a large coronal mass ejection (CME) as if to say, "Hey! Still here!" So let's pay attention - fortunately, all those eclipse-viewing…Read more Sunspot, Baby!
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 