What’s so special about this rabbit? With longer back legs that have more fur and larger toes than other types of rabbit, the snowshoe hare is uniquely equipped to walk on snow. In fact, these adaptations are what give the rabbit its name. Another interesting adaptation is their color-changing fur which helps them blend in… Continue reading
February 23, 2022 When Galileo first observed Saturn through a rudimentary telescope in 1610, he noted that the planet “has ears”. Forty-five years later, Dutch astronomer Christian Huygens looked at Saturn through a more sophisticated telescope. He proposed that what Galileo had termed “ears” was actually a thin ring around the planet. Galileo sketched the… Continue reading
February 22, 2022 The axis of the Earth extends from the north pole and points almost directly at the North Star. This causes all the other stars in the night sky to appear to spin around the north star. However, if we were to travel to the southern hemisphere, there is no equivalent “South Star”.… Continue reading
February 21, 2022 On this date in 1964, American astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly were born. Mark and Scott are twins who were a part of a NASA experiment to test the long-term effects of spaceflight on the human body. Scott was chosen to spend a year in space on the ISS, while Mark remained… Continue reading
February 20, 2022 The moon is rising tonight at 10:15 pm and exhibits a waning gibbous phase. The best place to observe the moon is along the terminator – the line that marks day from night on the moon, as craters are thrown into high relief. A good target for binocular viewing tonight is the… Continue reading
February 19, 2022 On this date in 1970, Nikolai Kamanin, head of the Soviet Cosmonaut Corps, writes in his diary that he had another run in with Valentina Tereshkova. Tereshkova was the first woman in space, and Kamanin writes that she corners him after every cosmonaut meeting to ask when another female flight will be… Continue reading
This is the Saint Louis Science Center’s NIGHT SKY UPDATE for the week of Friday, February 18, 2022. Information updated weekly or as needed. Times given as local St. Louis time which is Central Standard Time (CST). For definitions of terminology used in the night sky update, click the highlighted text. If relying on times… Continue reading
February 18, 2022 On this date in 1930, Clyde Tombaugh, a young astronomer from Kansas, discovered Pluto. Although Tombaugh had no formal education, he was hired by Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona to photograph the sky and hunt for the ninth planet. Less than 1 year into his search he succeeded in discovering Pluto. When… Continue reading
February 17, 2022 On this date in 2005, the spacecraft Cassini performed its first successful flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Enceladus has an icy crust and is believed to have a liquid water ocean beneath that. There are large, relatively warm cracks in the crust, which create large geysers. These geysers spray new material onto… Continue reading
“Electricity is Life” by Midland Manufacturing was one of the best-selling, coin-operated electric shock machines in the early 20th century. Produced from 1899 to 1909, it was advertised as both a strength tester and electrical therapy device. For only a penny, patrons would receive a “healthy” electrical shock to treat a variety of potential ailments.… Continue reading
