July 8, 2022 On this date in 1992, comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 made its closest approach to Jupiter – 74,364 mi (119,677 km) from the surface. The comet wasn’t discovered until 1993, but calculations show that as it passed by in July of 1992, Jupiter’s tidal forces had pulled the comet apart. The fragments of Shoemaker-Levy… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: July 7, 2022
July 7, 2022 Tonight at 10 pm, the Moon can be found in the southwest sky near the bright star Spica. The Moon is currently exhibiting the first quarter phase. Although half of the near side is illuminated, we call it a quarter moon because the Moon is one quarter of the way through the… Continue reading
Greenhouse updates–To Peat or not to Peat
Hello again everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Chris, and I’m a new part-time facilitator at GROW this summer. Some of you might remember me from last year’s greenhouse blog posts, where I talked about everything from aphids, to fish, to commercial lettuce. Being a YES Teen with the… Continue reading
Bear Fetish
Bear Fetish, Southwest US, date unknown The indigenous peoples of North America have a close relationship to nature and the animals around them. Those animals are sometimes represented by hand carved fetish animals that are imbued with spiritual forces. For example, the bear, represented here, is the guardian of the west, and has protective and… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: July 6, 2022
July 6, 2022 On this date in 1687, Isaac Newton published his work Principia, which is thought to have formed the foundation for modern physics. In this piece, Newton writes about the laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. It was this work that helped to confirm Kepler’s laws of planetary motion. A… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: July 5, 2022
July 5, 2022 Tomorrow morning at 4:45 am, the planet Venus will be visible above the Eastern horizon. Venus can be found in the constellation of Taurus the Bull, approximately 10° from the bright red star Aldebaran. To measure 10° in the sky, hold your fist up to the sky at full arm’s length. The… Continue reading
With the Regent’s Scholarship, YES Graduate Adrianna Toran Is Ready for What Comes Next
Support science for our future. Make a gift to the Science Center’s YES Program to help support the Science Center’s education programs. Adrianna Toran, who recently graduated from the Science Center’s Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program, is headed off to college with a distinguished accolade: Adrianna is a recipient of Harris-Stowe State University’s Regent’s Scholarship,… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: July 4, 2022
July 4, 2022 Today, Earth is 94,509,598 mi (152,098,455 km) from the Sun. This is Earth’s furthest point from the Sun, which is called aphelion. Despite being far from the Sun, the northern hemisphere is now experiencing summer. This is because the seasons are not caused by the Earth’s proximity to the Sun, but by… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: July 3, 2022
July 3, 2022 On this date in 1935, Harrison “Jack” Schmitt was born in Santa Rita, New Mexico. Schmitt flew as one of the astronauts on the last crewed mission to the Moon, Apollo 17. As a geologist, Schmitt became the first trained scientist to step on the surface of our nearest neighbor in space.… Continue reading
Astronomy Fact of the Day: July 2, 2022
July 2, 2022 Tonight the Moon exhibits a waxing crescent phase and will be visible just after sunset. The moon can be found in the western sky near the “sickle” of the constellation Leo the Lion. This image shows the sky as it will look tonight at 9:30 pm with the crescent moon in the… Continue reading