X-stuff and Planet Nine
Astronomers use the letter X followed by a constellation name to represent objects emitting X-rays — a rarity in the cosmos.
Nature
Waghkonk Notes: A hawkish glare
As the cold penetrates our bones and makes its hoary way into bark and under ground, the eternal natural cycle of life and death, hunter and hunted, predator and prey comes into clear and sharp focus.
Hunting stories
Hunting season is upon us. Though this sport has lost favor in the last few years, I still await clothed hunters who now with bright day-glow orange are easily recognized at convenience stores and gas stations. Most sport their tags on the backs of their jackets.
Best Moon of 2019
Moonlight is at its brightest. Let’s celebrate that by giving it some attention during this lunation. Copernicus, a magnificent, isolated crater with terraced walls, is regarded by many as the Moon’s most handsome feature. It’s now at its best.
New column: Ask a Professor — Why is the recent discovery of an ancient trove of massive galaxies significant?
Vassar professor Debra Elmegreen is president-elect of the International Astronomical Union – the largest organization of professional astronomers in the world – and will begin her three-year term as president in 2021. Like Maria Mitchell more than 150 years ago, Elmegreen was recently elected into membership of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
At New Paltz’s Millbrook Preserve, beavers thrive close to civilization
This land, to be kept forever wild by the volunteer not-for-profit group Mill Brook Preserve, Inc., is like a magical world within the heart of town. There are pine groves and streams, multiple ponds and beaver dams and lodges as well as wild mushrooms and old-growth trees split in half by lightning that somehow came back to life.
Cary Institute to host “Sustainability: What We Need to Succeed” talk by Dr. Bruce Lourie
Friday, Nov. 22: Can the Earth heal itself as quickly if we stop polluting it, or are we already irrevocably past the tipping point? If you’re losing sleep worrying about that existential question and could use a dose of hope, you might want to catch Dr. Lourie’s talk He is known for having initiated the largest climate action in North America: phasing out coal in Ontario.
Ask a naturalist: Deer antlers, squirrel nuts, shrew sustenance & bobcat comeback
When and why do deer lose their antlers? How do squirrels organize their nut hoards? What do shrews eat? Are bobcats making a comeback in the mid-Hudson Valley?
Ask a naturalist: When and why do deer lose their antlers?
Unlike horns, antlers grow anew each year. But why?
Catskill Animal Sanctuary hosts Gobble & Groove Barn Bash
Saturday, Nov. 2: Are you a vegan or vegetarian who feels a little left out of the fun this time of year? Is your favorite part of Thanksgiving the presidential pardon for a couple of turkeys? The Catskill Animal Sanctuary is planning some festivities this weekend that will help get you into the holiday mood.
