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You can locate the famous M31 Andromeda, the spiral galaxy next to our own Milky Way, in the fall night sky, with a small telescope. On a dark night, you look north and find the brightest star in Cassiopeia, Schedar, which points to the Andromeda galaxy. https://www.accuweather.com/en/videos/how-to-find-the-andromeda-galaxy-in-the-night-sky/SJnrxFI0 and https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/2-…Read More

The World Heritage Site of Evora in Portugal contains the Roman-built Temple of Diana, goddess of the Moon. She was also the goddess of the hunt. The ancient temple has a well-manicured garden next to it. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/evora-0015803…Read More

This is the last full week of summer. As the nights lengthen, the bright stars of summer; Vega and Arcturus, stick around in the evening night sky. Venus is low in the evening sky. Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast. The moon grows to a first-quarter on September 13th. By the end of the week, the moon will be almost full. Next to the moon Jupiter and Saturn Sparkle in Capricornus. https://sky…Read More

Here are great locations with the darkest skies for excellent astronomical viewing. https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/5-dark-areas-in-the-us-perfect-for-stargazing/1006099. September has a few unique astronomical events to view. Happy autumn viewing. https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/top-astronomy-events-of-september-2021/1010371.…Read More

The Summer Triangle is directly overhead in the evening sky, now that it is late summer. The bright stars Vega, Altair, and Deneb, make up the Summer Triangle. Also, in the western evening night sky; look for the brilliant planet Venus, while in the east look for Jupiter and Saturn. https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/sky-tour-podcast-september-2021/…Read More

Summer is advancing to its conclusion, and nights continue to lengthen. Roughly thirty minutes after sunset in the west, look for "evening star" Venus above Spica, and Mercury is barely visible. The Autumn Star Fomalhaut is now visible below Jupiter by about 10 PM in the southeast. Look for Vega, which is overhead, and the twinkling Arcturus in the western evening sky. These are the two brightest …Read More

September is a month of change. One change is that the days grow noticeably shorter. This month the full moon is on Sep 20 and is called the Harvest Moon because it is the closest full moon to the equinox. Another important astronomical event transpiring in September is the autumn equinox on Sep 22. The fall equinox denotes the shift from summer to autumn. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/sig…Read More

What is 3D printing, and why is it the future of manufacturing. 3D printing is an real world use for chemistry and physics. The following video is a good explanation of 3D printing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzBRYsiyxjI…Read More

Now that summer is coming to an end; the nights are getting longer. The waning moon is currently only in the morning sky, making the evening sky darker. The last-quarter moon is on Sunday in the constellation of Taurus (look for the bright orange star Aldebaran) with the Pleiades above. When the southeastern sky is dark enough, look for a very bright Jupiter and Saturn in the boat-shaped constella…Read More

In the Karakum desert of Kazakhstan, there is the Darvaza gas crater. The crater was formed when a gas drilling rig collapsed, and the resulting methane leak ignited. Most surprisingly, bacteria were discovered living in the crater. These bacteria metabolize methane gas. Life often finds a way to survive even in extreme conditions. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/gates-of-hell-crater-h…Read More