Eros Millions of asteroids orbit the sun between Mars and Jupiter, a band known as the asteroid belt. Most of these bodies circle our star peacefully, chugging around the solar system year after year, without incident. Not all asteroids reside in the belt, however. Some of these rocks hurtle around the sun in orbits that …
Ceres [Editor’s Note: This article is the second in a series exploring real locations featured in a novel and television series, called The Expanse. In this sci-fi epic set in the 2300s, Earth and Mars have become independent “nations,” while millions of humans inhabit the asteroid belt, where they mine lucrative resources for the Inner …
The Belt [Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a series exploring real locations featured in a novel and television series, called The Expanse. In this sci-fi epic set in the 2300s, Earth and Mars have become independent “nations,” while millions of humans inhabit the asteroid belt, where they mine lucrative resources for the …
Animal Foley Many of our favorite movies are filled with highly unrealistic aspects. For example, nearly every explosion or medical scene is exaggerated or flat-out impossible. Confoundingly, one aspect of filmmaking that is inherently artificial goes a long way toward the brain’s ability to suspend disbelief. One element has kept our eyes and ears in …
Petrichor Today’s topic sits at the center of the Venn diagram comprised of “fascinating science,” “fun vocabulary,” and “fantastic aromas.” This trio might rest near the top of the rankings for possible The Mountains Are Calling Venn diagrams. Some scents occupy unique positions in our experiences and memories. We all have things we enjoy smelling, but most …
Yoda Cave The otherworldly landscapes of Iceland provide fantastic backdrops for films and television series. The gorgeous island seems to appear to the human eye as something simultaneously gorgeous, yet unrecognizable. Just in the past two decades, blockbuster movies such as Batman Begins, Die Another Day, and Interstellar have employed the beauty of Iceland. Perhaps most famously, large portions …
Space Arrows Sagittarius is the archer of the firmaments. A sky pattern identified by the ancients, Sagittarius was one of second-century astronomer Ptomelmy’s 48 constellations. The Latin word for “archer,” the grouping is still one of the 88 significant constellations by modern standards. We often represent Sagittarius as a centaur – half human, half horse …
Freya, the Boat-Sinking Giant The title of today’s article might lead you to believe we’re in for a tale of mythological proportions. A boat-sinking giant would not be out of place in the spheres of ancient gods. Fans of Norse mythology will recognize the name Freya, as one of the prominent goddesses in that world. …
The Hole Story Seventy-one percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with oceans. Eighty percent of those tempestuous seas is completely unexplored. We like to think of outer space as the final frontier, but that’s a large swath of our home about which we know very little. And with all those murky regions, unmapped and …
Kilimanjaro “No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.” –Ernest Hemingway, The Snows of Kilimanjaro Africa’s tallest mountain – Kilimanjaro – looms like an icy sentinel over the surrounding savannas of northern Tanzania, just south of the border with Kenya. Kilimanjaro towers over the grasslands of Tana – photo by Volodymyr Burdiak …