Magazine Posts

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What's that on the horizon? When circling the Earth on the International Space Station early last month, astronaut Matthew Dominick saw an unusual type of lightning just beyond the Earth's edge: a gigantic jet. The powerful jet appears on the left of the featured image in red and blue. Giant jet lightning has only been known about for the past 23 years. The atmospheric jets are associated with thunderstorms and extend upwards towards Earth's ionosphere. The lower part of the frame shows the Earth at night, with Earth's thin atmosphere tinted green from airglow. City lights are visible, sometimes resolved, but usually creating diffuse white glows in intervening clouds. The top of the frame reveals distant stars in the dark night sky. The nature of gigantic jets and their possible association with other types of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) such as blue jets and red sprites remains an active topic of research. Growing Gallery: Perseid Meteor Shower 2024 and Aurorae

In the early days of my writing,
I chose to write verse,
or in my case, rhyming poetry.
I didn't know, for it was terse.

Schools in Ohio, like other schools across the country, are struggling to reduce chronic absenteeism, which spiked during the pandemic. But Ohio may have a head start on dealing with the problem, thanks to a 2018 state law encouraging a positive approach to discipline. More at The Conversation ➜

When I think of all the tomorrows,
which I will never see,
I'll recall all of the memories,
of places we used to be.

The most important changes
which I can think to say,
don't leave without a goodbye,
it's not good for you or me.

When we write of things,
which memory supplies,
may we assume we know,
before the memories dies?

One light to the North,
on the brightest day.
I thought it was blue,
now I cannot say.

When love moves away,
from where we live,
should we acknowledge,
should we forgive?

An old sentiment,
is still here today,
as I think of you,
when you went away.

You were my light,
my shining star,
as I miss you so,
from now afar.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

What's happening in the sky above Stonehenge? A meteor shower: specifically, the Perseid meteor shower. A few nights ago, after the sky darkened, many images of meteors from this year's Perseids were captured separately and merged into a single frame. Although the meteors all traveled on straight paths, these paths appear slightly curved by the wide-angle lens of the capturing camera. The meteor streaks can all be traced back to a single point on the sky called the radiant, here just off the top of the frame in the constellation of Perseus. The same camera took a deep image of the background sky that brought up the central band of our Milky Way galaxy running nearly vertical through the image center. The featured image was taken from Wiltshire, England, being careful to include, at the bottom, the famous astronomical monument of Stonehenge. Although the Perseids peaked last night, some Perseid meteors should still be visible for a few more nights.

Photo by Josh Dury

"You probably have been hearing phrases like “climate crisis,” “climate emergency” or “climate justice” more often lately as people try to get across the urgent risks and consequences of climate change. The danger is real, but is using this language actually persuasive? ....It turns out that Americans are more familiar with – and more concerned about – climate change and global warming than they are about climate crisis, climate emergency or climate justice, according to a recent survey we conducted with a nationally representative sample of 5,137 Americans: More at The Conversation ➜

Whispered breath, rustles the air,
while the warmth of her body,
makes me aware,
of the love I have lost,
who is no more.

No more to be with me,
when I need her advice,
no more to talk with,
telling her she's nice.

Oh what a loss,
after, all of these years,
to end in a sadness
and the shedding of tears.