Eclipse!

Eclipses, such as the partial (annular) solar eclipse that was seen in the western U.S. yesterday, are one of my favorite opportunities for participatory science. It’s commonly said that to watch a solar eclipse, you need to look at the image of the sun through...

(Old Post) History Channel

A film crew for the History Channel program, “The Universe,” came up to Santa Cruz to interview me for an episode that will appear next fall. It turned out to be quite an adventure, because it was extremely windy! The wind blew their reflector (a piece of...

(Old Post) Moon and a Mocha III

Tonight I presented “Moon and a Mocha III” at the Capitola Book Cafe. Once again the Santa Cruz Astronomy Club provided telescopes. Some clueless customer at the drug store next door saw one of the telescope stands with a wire coming out of it, thought it...

(Old Post) Moon and a Mocha II

The Capitola Book Cafe hosted my second “Moon and a Mocha” event on the night of the lunar eclipse. (Last total lunar eclipse until 2010!) I told some of the lore and science of eclipses, while in the sky behind me the Earth’s shadow blocked out the...