- CONSTELLATIONS
- Navajo: Ursa Major
- Lakota: Constellation of the Hand
- Hindu: Rishis
- Greek: Scorpius
- Greek: Draco
- Greek: Heracles
- The Nemean Lion
- The Lernaean Hydra
- Greek: Cancer
- Greek: Orion
- Greek: Taurus
- Greek: Aquila
- Greek: Andromeda
- Greek: Cassiopeia
- Greek: Cepheus
- Greek: Pegasus
- Greek: Perseus
- The Big Dipper and Bootes
- Greek: Cygnus
Current Events
- Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read morexAtmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming. - Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read morexMassive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report. - Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read morexKansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.
Myths about Constellations
Constellations are formed of bright stars which appear close to each other on the sky, but are really far apart in space. The shapes you see all depend on your point of view. Many societies saw patterns among the stars with gods and goddesses or stories from their culture. Most of the constellations with which we are familiar come from ancient Greece. But other civilizations created their own patterns in the sky based on stories and people that were important to them. The stories below provide an overview of myths associated with the constellations identified by early civilizations around the world.
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Explore Myths about Constellations
Navajo: Ursa Major
In Navajo myth, Ursa Major, the Great Bear, originated from the story of the Changing Bear ...Read more
Lakota: Constellation of the Hand
According to the Lakota, the Constellation of the Hand, namely the bottom half of Orion, represents ...Read more
Hindu: Rishis
According to the epic Mahabharata, composed after the Rig Veda in about 500 B.C., the stars ...Read more
Scorpius the Scorpion
To the ancient Greeks, the constellation Scorpius was the image of a scorpion. The constellation ...Read more
Draco the Dragon
Draco the dragon is famous throughout mythology. This great beast was especially present in ...Read more
Greek: Heracles
According to the Greek mythology, a particular group of stars represents the figure of the ...Read more
Greek: The Nemean Lion
More than two thousand years ago, Greeks believed the god Zeus placed the figure of a gigantic ...Read more
Greek: The Lernaean Hydra
A long time ago, Greek people believed that a long strip of Zeus was really an image of a gigantic ...Read more
Greek: Cancer
According to an ancient Greek legend, the figure of a gigantic crab was placed in the nighttime ...Read more
Greek: Orion
The ancient Greeks saw the figure of the Greek myth, Orion, in the nighttime sky. There are ...Read moreMore about Myths about Constellations
- Greek: Europa and the Constellation Taurus
- Greek: Ganymede and the Constellation Aquila
- Greek: Andromeda
- Greek: Cassiopeia
- Greek: Cepheus
- Greek: Pegasus
- Greek: Perseus
- Greek: The Big Dipper and Bootes
- Greek: Leda and the Constellation Cygnus
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Historical Events
5/30 7.5 magnitude quake hits Quetta, Pakistan in 1935
5/31 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru in 1970
6/8 Giovanni Cassini, an Italian-French astronomer, was born on this date in 1625 Details
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Did you know that the Vernal Equinox is coming? Find out more about the seasons here.Do you know who discovered Uranus?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Riparian
xRiparian : The bank of a river or other body of water; may include the floodplains
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
Unprecedented Warming in East Africa's Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika, the second-oldest and second-deepest lake in the world, could be in for some rough waters. Geologists have determined that the East African rift lake has experienced unprecedented warming...Read more
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