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 more

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    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 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 more

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    Massive 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 more

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    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 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.

Mythology of North American Indians

Visit the links to learn about Mythology of North American Indians related to objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their world.

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The Full Moon in January is called the Wolf Moon. It is named after the hungry packs of wolves that howled at night. The Algonquian tribes of Native Americans had <a href="/earth/moon/full_moon_names.html">many different names</a> for the Full Moon through the year, reflecting their connection with nature and the <a href="/the_universe/uts/seasons1.html">seasons</a>, hunting, fishing, and farming.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe</em></small></p>

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Explore Mythology of North American Indians

Algonquian: Full Moon Names

Sometimes, in the fall, you may hear people call a Full Moon the "Harvest Moon". That's because ...Read more

Pawnee: Tirawa

According to the Pawnee, the world was created by the god Tirawa, who sent the stars to support ...Read more

Navajo: Changing Bear Maiden

In Navajo myth, Ursa Major, the Great Bear, originated from the story of the Changing Bear ...Read more

Navajo: Tonenili

Tonenili, who is also known as the Water Sprinkler, is the Navaho God of Water.  He is responsible ...Read more

Navajo: Estsanatlehi

According to the Navajo Native Americans, Estsanatlehi, whose name means "Changing Woman", ...Read more

Navajo: Ahsonnutli

Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief god for the Navajo. He created heaven, Earth, and the ...Read more

Navajo: Tsohanoai

For the Navajo Indians of North America, Tsohanoai is the Sun god. Everyday, he crosses the ...Read more

Navajo: Flintboys

The Flint Boys is the name given to the Pleiades by the Navajo. According to Navajo myth, after ...Read more

Navajo: Coyote

According to Navajo mythology, the Milky Way was created by the mischievous behavior of the ...Read more

Lakota: The constellation of the Hand

According to the Lakota, the Constellation of the Hand, namely the bottom half of the constellation ...Read more

Historical Events

5/21 Williamina Fleming, a Scottish-American astronomer, died on this date in 1911 Details
5/22 ~7.9 magnitude earthquake hits near Xining, Tsinghai, China in 1927
5/24 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, died on this date in 1543 Details

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Lower Solar Activity Linked to Changes in Sun's Conveyor Belt

The sun goes through cycles that last approximately 11 years. These solar cycle include phases with more magnetic activity, sunspots, and solar flares. They also include phases with less activity. The...Read more

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