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On the northeastern Tibetan plateau, enormous fossil rhinos have been unearthed by paleontologists in China. The ancient animal, Paraceratherium linxiaense, was up to 20 feet tall and weighed 20 tons. This extinct animal is now the largest land mammal ever found. One notable difference from the much more petite modern rhinos is that the Paraceratherium linxiaense had no horn. https://www.nbcne…Read More

It is now officially summer, and here in Lodi, it is undoubtedly hot. Overhead in the evening sky, Arcturus twinkles brightly, as does Vega in the east. At the same time, the star Spica of the constellation of Virgo shines below the moon in the southwest. On Wednesday, Mars is in the M44, the Beehive, and below Mars is the bright evening "star" Venus. The full moon is on Thursday. https://skyandte…Read More

After a successful landing, China's new Mars rover, called Zhurong, takes some great pictures of the Martian surface and of the spacecraft themselves. The images are of excellent quality, and this triumphant landing makes China only the second nation to have a successful rover landing on our red neighbor. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-blogs/chinas-zhurong-rover-snaps-selfie-on-mars/…Read More

After, some much need relief from more comfortable temperatures. The western USA is now in for more record-breaking heat. We may hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday. The record heatwave will extend through most of the western United States. Many places should set record highs before the temperatures return to normal after the first day of summer. townshttps://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-fore…Read More

Venus and a crescent moon hang together in the evening sky after sunset. Also nearby, look for Mars and Gemini. As it turns, the constellation of Ursa Major dominates the northern summer heavens. Look for the north star Polaris nearby. The first-quarter moon is on Thursday glowing in Virgo, with the star Spica below it. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-june-11-…Read More

It has been unseasonably hot and dry here in Lodi, California. Now it is going to be unseasonably cold. We may see high temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Typically, this time of year is in the 80s and low 90s. It is still dry, as it does not rain here in the summer. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/temperatures-plummet-across-bone-dry-west/958413…Read More

The ancient Irish goddess Aine is the complex goddess of love, sovereignty, summer, the moon, agriculture. Overall, Aine is the goddess of nature, and she was celebrated on August 1st. She is the wife of the sea god Manannan Mac Lir (god of warriors). Aine is part of the trinity goddess with sisters Fenne and Grisnne. Today, her worship is starting to return to Ireland. https://www.ancient-origins…Read More

These are the shortest nights of the year, but a new moon on Wednesday will make for darker heavens for stargazing. Later in the week, a thin crescent moon will be in Gemini as it sinks into late spring twilight; it is accompanied by Mars up by Pollux’s head and Venus at Castor’s feet. From certain latitudes, you can see Alpha Centauri, which is the closest star and solar system to our solar s…Read More

In the ancient Egyptian and Mayan cultures, they both viewed dogs as guides to the soul in the afterlife. The Egyptian dog was called Anubis and the Mayan Xolotl. In Egyptian mythology, Anubis would preside over the dead and was present with Osiris at the weighing of the heart ceremony. These gods were represented in the sky by Orion, as Osiris, and Sirius, Isis/Anubis. Sirius is a binary star sys…Read More

Summer is finally here! June astronomical events include: For Europe, the northeastern USA, and Canada, there will be a partial solar eclipse on June 10. The summer solstice on June 20 and the last super moon of 2021 on June 24 And 25th. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year with the shortest night. Astrologically the sun will transit from the house of Gemini on June 20 to the house o…Read More