GeekMom

The Solar Eclipse Marathon … and Other Ways to Make Running More Interesting

July 16, 2012Patricia Vollmer

What better way to endure a grueling 26.2 mile race than with the excitement of a total solar eclipse in the sky above? That’s what the city of Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia is planning with the first-ever Solar Eclipse Marathon. The next total solar eclipse will occur on 13-14 November 2012, with the event crossing the International Date Line such that those in Australia will see it on very early on the 14th, while those in Chile will see a partial eclipse near sunset on the 13th. There is a very narrow strip on the planet that will be under a total eclipse. Of that very narrow strip, only a very small percentage will be on land, including Port Douglas.

Don’t Miss Your Last Chance Ever to See a Venus Transit!

June 5, 2012Helene McLaughlin

Tonight is the last time that any of us will be able to view the transit of Venus across the solar plane. The planets won’t be in such perfect alignment for another 105 years, so head outside and carefully watch the celestial bodies dance before your eyes.

Try to Catch the Lyrids Tonight!

April 21, 2012Helene McLaughlin

If you see a shooting star, do you stop and make a wish? No? You should, it’s fun! OK, OK … so a shooting star isn’t really a “star,” nor is it “shooting.” It is a meteorite burning up upon re-entry into the Earth atmosphere. (I suppose that’s not as romantic a description as a shooting […]

Let It Rip!: How Beyblades Are Teaching My Sons Science

July 21, 2011Patricia Vollmer11

It all started with a birthday party. My 8- and 6-year-old sons were invited to a pair of brothers’ combined birthday party. The party would be a Beyblade tournament, so the guests were invited to bring their “best” Beyblades and “Let It Rip!”. It took a bit of research to learn that what my kids […]

Imiloa Astronomy Center

April 6, 2011Kris Bordessa2

The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center on the Big Island of Hawai’i blends past and present with a focus on the night sky. Part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the center is a kid-friendly, hands-on sort of place where families can roam through various exhibit areas or enjoy a show in the planetarium. My husband […]

My First Steps in Astrophotography

March 18, 2011Sophie Brown1

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by photographs of outer space. Whether it is the glowing moon hanging in the night sky, the banded clouds of Jupiter or multicolored nebulae light years from Earth, these kinds of pictures have a consistent ability to thrill me. Recently I began experimenting with […]

Pandora’s Juicebox: The Making of a Geek

February 22, 2011GeekMom9

When I was a little girl, a box of Tang changed my life. I didn’t want to try it at first – because like many things marketed to children in the 1980’s, it looked and smelled like toxic waste – but the clerk told me that astronauts drank it. And then he explained what astronauts […]

Your 2011 Meteor Shower Schedule

January 3, 2011Ruth Suehle1

I love meteor showers, and yet, they always sneak up on me. Other than the Perseids in August and Leonids in November (both near family members’ birthdays), I can never seem to remember when they happen. Case in point: Today, “Bad Astronomer” Phil Plait tweeted about the Quadrantids peaking tonight. Of course, I had forgotten […]

How to Watch Tonight’s Lunar Eclipse

December 20, 2010Ruth Suehle1

Not only is tonight’s total lunar eclipse the only one of 2010, it’s the first one any of us on this planet have seen in almost three years, and it won’t happen again until 2014. This one’s also a little extra special by being the first one to happen during a winter solstice in half […]

GeekMom Secret Origins: Jenn Hansen

October 18, 2010December 15, 2017GeekMom

Beneath the tree called Grandfather, standing tall in a small copse of trees amid the sweet grass of the eastern plains of Colorado, I listened to leafy tales. Hiding in a lilac hedge along the fence-line in my backyard, I made my home with faeries and many insects, closely observing the natural world. More often […]