Rebecca Boyle's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

Rebecca Boyle

rebeccaboyle.com

2023
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Long Seen as Omens, Comets Do Tell Us Something About Ourselves

For thousands of years, comets have fascinated us, filled us with dread, and, in some ways, made us who we are.

November 20, 2024

Our 'Mini-Moon' 2024 PT5 Is Mini—But It's Not a Moon

The space rock taking a surprise swing around our planet is just visiting from Earth's asteroid belt.

September 25, 2024

Moon Time Is a Thing Now—Here's Why It Matters

Physicists recently created Coordinated Lunar Time, a time zone for our Moon.

August 28, 2024

What Color Is Night?

What you see overhead is a combination of where you are, how our vision evolved, and that flimsy layer of atmosphere that keeps us all alive.

northern lights

Why Is the Sun So Active Right Now?

Northern lights in the American South, clusters of huge geomagnetic storms—the Sun is throwing a tantrum right on schedule.

Colorado's Pikes Peak Is an Eclipse Hot Spot (for 2045)

The Mountain West helped put American science on the map during the 1878 total solar eclipse, and it's the place to be for the next big American eclipse.

Coronium, One of the Most Enduring Mysteries (and Mistakes) in Eclipse Science

During the 1869 total solar eclipse, astronomers thought they had discovered a new element. They were wrong, and the truth was much weirder.

human sacrifice

In Mesopotamia, Being 'King for a Day' Could be Deadly

Total solar eclipses were an omen of death for rulers of the Assyrian Empire. The fix? Install a fake king and then kill him.

How One of Science's Biggest Errors Persisted for 1,500 Years

Ptolemy's compendium, later known as the Almagest, dominated Western astronomy for 15 centuries. It was also wrong, and it took the fall of an empire to fix it.

February 28, 2024

How to See Where Lunar X Marks the Spot on a First Quarter Moon

Many of us see a face or a rabbit in the Moon—examples of pareidolia that, when conditions are right, also include the letters X and V.

February 15, 2024

Imbolc, Groundhog Day, and Brigantia All Celebrate the Coming Spring

Whatever you call it, early February's cross-quarter day reconnects us with ancient astronomical timekeeping traditions.

January 30, 2024

Scotland's Ancient Stone Circles Mark Our Deep Connection to the Moon

Unlike Sun-focused Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments, Tomnaverie and similar stone circles hint at the Moon's importance to ancient people.

January 17, 2024

Where Did the 12 Days of Christmas Come From?

The answer is the Moon.

December 13, 2023

A Holiday Gift Guide for Winter Stargazing and More

From telescopes to fun and functional hats, we've got ideas for every astro-enthusiast in your life this giving season.

November 29, 2023

In October, Our Night Sky Is Full of Scary Stories

Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere can find the demon star Algol, a murdered monster, and victims of vengeful gods.

October 25, 2023

During an Annular Eclipse, Look to the Shadows

While some people in the Western Hemisphere will witness a "ring of fire" during the eclipse, many more will experience the phenomenon of crescent sunlight.

October 11, 2023

The Milky Way's Heart Is Disappearing—For Now

For most of us, the next few weeks are our last chance to glimpse our galaxy's center, before the sun gets in the way.

September 27, 2023

Mercury Retrograde Is Ending, and It’s Up to You How to Feel About It

The first planet from the Sun doesn't influence your love life or your luck, but it can help foster a cosmic connection.

September 13, 2023

Is It a Super Blue Moon or a Blue Supermoon?

Whatever you call it, this week's full moon is particularly rare—we won't see one again until 2037.

August 28, 2023

Saturn at Opposition Is an Unforgettable Stargazing Experience

The ringed planet will be at its closest point to Earth, and opposite the sun, this weekend.

August 23, 2023

A Cosmos of Contemplation Awaits the Mindful Stargazer

The night sky offers a path to both scientific understanding and being present in the universe.

August 16, 2023

The Perseid Meteor Shower Is Summer's Best Show

Here's what you need to know about witnessing the annual August event, when Earth passes through a comet's castoffs.

Stargazing in a Multi-Sensory Universe

Sight is only one of the senses we can use to explore space. Welcome to multi-messenger astronomy.

Stargazing With Kids Is Fun, Free, and Full of Possibility

Stay up way past bedtime with us to explore new worlds of wonder with a child's-eye view.