September 2011
15 posts
Kathryn Reese-Taylor on the Mayans and 2012
Doomsday and 2012. You’ve probably heard rumblings, if not more, about a supposed connection. Many people point to an ancient Mayan calendar – made 1,200 years ago – as the source of the rumors. EarthSky spoke with Kathryn Reese-Taylor, professor of Mayan archaeology at Canada’s University of Calgary about what archaeology says about 2012 and doomsday prophecies.
What are the important facts...
Why do tree leaves turn red in fall?
In the fall, the leaves of some trees turn yellow, orange or red. The bright colors are wonderful to behold. But do they have some hidden purpose.
Bill Hoch is a plant physiologist at the University of Wisconsin. He’s especially interested in red leaves. He said:
Nature is very efficient, and doesn’t just do something for no reason. So we figured there had to be some purpose for the...
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Good news. The Draconid meteor shower could deliver 1,000 meteors per hour on October 8, 2011. Bad news. The moon will be in the way.
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Use Big Dipper to find Polaris, the North Star →
You can find the North Star, Polaris, using the two outermost stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper. On September evenings, look for the Big Dipper in the northwestern sky. Notice that a line from the two outermost stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper point to the North Star. The Big Dipper circles the North Star much like an hour hand circling the center of a clock.
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