Greenhouse Summer Summary: Pest Control

Welcome to the final GROW blog post written by me, Christopher. It’s been an awesome summer being a Youth Exploring Science teen working with the GROW team, and I’ve learned so much throughout this whole experience. But before the final goodbye, there’s a lot to recap about what happened this summer with the greenhouse. It… Continue reading

Astronomy Fact of the Day: September 7, 2021

September 7, 2021 Today in 1914, James A. Van Allen was born. An American astrophysicist, his experiment carried aboard the first American satellite established the existence of radiation belts that encircle the Earth. A full biography of James Van Allen may be found here. This early schematic of the Van Allen Belts’ structure was created… Continue reading

Astronomy Fact of the Day: September 6, 2021

September 6, 2021 New Moon occurs today. The new lunar cycle is lunation 1221. This is the last new moon of Summer 2021. Details in the Milky Way Galaxy and other faint objects are best seen on dark moonless nights. Night sky image from the ESO – VLT credit: ESO, Yuri Beletsky

Astronomy Fact of the Day: September 5, 2021

September 5, 2021 Today in 1977, Voyager 1 launched carrying the Golden Record from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. After visiting Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 1 would become the first human-made object to venture into interstellar space. Voyager 1 was the first spacecraft to cross the heliosphere, the boundary where the influences… Continue reading

Night Sky Update: September 3 – September 11, 2021

This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, September 3, 2021. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time, which is Central Daylight Time (CDT). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If relying on times… Continue reading

Astronomy Fact of the Day: September 4, 2021

September 4, 2021 Those traveling to dark locations can be on the lookout for Zodiacal Light. As we approach the Autumnal Equinox, about one hour before sunrise you may find a bright wedge of light appearing along the zodiac constellations in the east. This phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off dust in our solar… Continue reading

Astronomy Fact of the Day: September 3, 2021

September 3, 2021 Today in 1976, NASA’s Viking 2 lander successfully landed on the surface of Mars. From its high-inclination orbit, the Viking 2 orbiter was able to closely observe complex Martian polar regions. The Viking 2 mission was launched via a Titan-Centaur rocket in September 1975, and the orbiter was used until July 1978… Continue reading

Artifact of the Week: Pineapple Coral

This pineapple coral is a species of stony coral native to the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean. The coral forms large colonies of rounded domes that can get up to 16 inches around. While typically found on reefs at a depth of 90 feet or less, they can be found up to 230 feet… Continue reading

Astronomy Fact of the Day: September 1, 2021

September 1, 2021 Today in 2006, NASA selected Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor to design, develop, and build Orion, America’s spacecraft for a new generation of explorers. The Orion capsule is planned to launch on its maiden voyage later this year aboard the Artemis I mission. Learn more about Artemis here.

Greenhouse Update: Life on a Leaf

When we think of animals and ecosystems, we often think of vast savannas, rushing rivers or lush jungles. For many people, the ecosystem is a giant place where multitudes of plants, animals and other organisms live. But sometimes, an ecosystem can be very small, with much of the action taking place on just a few… Continue reading