Category: Astronomy/Astrology

Pensacola Para Con 2023

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The Pensacola Para Con is happening September 23-24 at the Pensacola Expo Hall. This annual event salutes sci-fi, paranormal, horror, metaphysical, and pop culture. There will be celebrity meet and greets, discussion panels, and ghost hunts! Yes, ghosts. It’s truly fitting that the celebrity guests are Chris Smith and Mike Concalves of the Tennessee Wraith Chasers, hosts of the Travel Channel’s Haunted Towns. There will also be vendors, artists, metaphysical guests, psychic readers, and a costume contest. 

Visit the Pensacola Para Con website to learn more, buy tickets, or view the detailed schedule. 

Fort Clinch Candlelight Tour

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Amelia Island’s historic Fort Clinch is hosting candlelight tours this August. Fort Clinch has unique architecture that features narrow ‘underground’ passages, spiral staircases, and old bunkhouses. The tour will be led by nothing but candles so you can experience a more accurate, historical atmosphere as you tour the fort with an expert guide. The candlelight tour begins 30mins after sunset; reservations are required. Come early to enjoy a gorgeous sunset on the Atlantic coastline. Learn more or reserve your spot by clicking here. 

Pensacola Stargazing

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The Escambia Amateur Astronomer Association is hosting a Night Under the Stars this coming Saturday (July 8th). Members invite guests to join them in viewing constellations, the moon, and planets from binoculars and/or telescopes set up by the association. Participants must enter the Big Lagoon State Park before the gates close at sunset. The event is free with paid park entry. Learn more by visiting the event website HERE. 

Sun Day

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Yesterday was Sun Day! Sun Day was proposed by Denis Hayes, an American environmental advocate, and established in 1978 by then-president Jimmy Carter. Celebrated every May 3rd, this annual celebration of the sun was established to help promote solar energy as a viable, environmentally sound energy source. Solar energy is one of the safest ecological energy sources as it does not pollute the environment nor have long-term side effects like fossil fuels. It is comparatively cheaper (especially in the long run) and can give an equal amount of energy to power stations around the globe. But the sun isn’t just a source of power for energy, it also has a positive impact on humans!

  • Support better sleep
  • Uplift your mood*
  • Increase energy
  • Improve symptoms of mental health conditions
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower risk of metabolic syndrome
  • Heal inflammation
  • Prevent cancer
  • Stronger bones
  • Extend life expectancy
  • Sunlight kills bacteria*

March Full Moon

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March’s full moon was for the history books. This month’s moon was a super moon, a term coined by astrologer Richard Nolle. It describes either a new or full moon that is close to Earth; this usually increases the visibility, brightness, and perceived size of the moon by those on the planet’s surface. March’s full moon goes by many names and is recognized by many cultures across the world. 

Northern Native American tribes refer to the March moon as the Full Crow Moon. Some groups call it the Crust Moon, the Sap Moon, or the Sugar Moon. In Sri Lanka, it’s known as Madin Poya or Medin. The moon holds cultural importance for many cultures. In the Hebrew calendar, the full moon is linked to the observance of Passover. March’s full moon also corresponds with Holi, a Hindu celebration of the conquest of good over evil.

It is widely known as the Worm Moon thanks to the Native Americans who named it “worm” in reference to a type of beetle larvae that emerges from the thawing bark of trees. In some areas of the world, it’s known as the Worm Moon because of its association with the warming of the ground, the emergence of worms, and the return of spring. 

 

Astronomy at Florida Caverns State Park

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Florida Caverns State Park is excited to announce a special Astronomy Night! Thanks to the participation of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society, there will be an evening opportunity for interested individuals to come out to the State Park to learn more about stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies. 

The Astronomy Night will be held on Saturday, March 18th from 5-8pm CST. While the event is free, park entrance is $5.00 per vehicle and is required to access the event site. In the event of poor viewing conditions, cancellation
information will be available at the Ranger Station by 4pm on Saturday. For more information contact Florida Caverns State Park at 850-482-1228.

Earth’s Rotation Day

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It is a well-known fact that the Earth rotates once every 24 hours. However, it wasn’t always common knowledge. It is thanks to the practical demonstration of Leon Foucault that we know about the Earth’s rotation. In 1851, the French physicist Foucault demonstrated how the planet rotates using his now-famous pendulum, the Foucault Pendulum.

A simple yet brilliant creation, the pendulum uses a suspended lead ball to indicate the rotation of the Earth over the course of a day. The pendulum is surrounded by small pins arranged in a circle, which the pendulum knocks down one by one, eventually completing a full rotation. Foucault first conducted his experiment in the Paris Observatory. It was then replicated in the Panthéon, where it remains an impressive centerpiece for visitors to view to this day. 

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Most discovery centers, planetariums, and museums have a version of Foucault’s Pendulum on display. However, you can also replicate this experiment at home with the kids using household items! For detailed instructions, visit this Resalvaged article to learn more. 

Happy New Year’s Eve!

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Janus, Roman god

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! Do you know why January 1st is the beginning of a new calendar year? The answer can be traced back to ancient Rome around the eighth century B.C. In those ancient times, the calendar was only 10 months long with the beginning of the year falling on the vernal equinox. However, the calendar fell out of sync with the sun over many centuries.

So in 46 B.C., Julius Caesar gathered prominent astronomers and mathematicians to solve the problem. From their efforts came the Julian calendar, a precursor to the modern Gregorian calendar most of the world uses today. The Julian calendar established January 1st as the first day of the year. This choice was made to honor the month’s namesake Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, who had two faces that allowed him to look towards the past and future simultaneously. While there were likely many reasons for choosing January 1st, this is the only reason that can be supported with historical references: 

On This Day in History

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On July 29th in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Act (NASA) was established. The establishment of NASA was largely a response to the launch of Sputnik and the beginning of the ‘space race.’(1) In the 1960s, NASA had the budget, the political will, and the momentum provided by the Cold War to create a moon program that lead to Americans landing on the moon in the small span of eight years. Nowadays, there are a few motivations driving the interest in American space travel: national prestige, geopolitical power, economic opportunity, and scientific knowledge.

Unfortunately, the private sector of space travel (think Jeff Bezos and Elon musk) is receiving more funding than the public sector aka NASA. This is largely due to an increasing sense of ambivalence towards space travel amongst the majority of America; space travel is subjected to the whims of politics and there are more immediate concerns planetside for citizens to worry about. However, NASA does have a number of exciting research programs and missions in place. Additionally, there is a current moon effort named Artemis. NASA recently announced that they are aiming to send a crew to orbit the moon in May 2024, and land astronauts on the surface in 2025. American astronauts haven’t been on the moon since 1972, and Artemis is designed to allow them to plant another flag, build habitats, and apply new knowledge of the lunar surface to use for future missions to Mars. 

Spring Equinox Celebrations

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Today is the Spring Equinox, an annual date celebrating the arrival of spring. The dawning of spring brings warm, windy days, blooming flowers, and more light. It has been praised for eons around the world in various ways. For instance, in ancient Egypt, the Festival of Isis was held to celebrate the arrival of spring and rebirth via the worship of the goddess Isis. In Iran, the celebration of the coming of spring is called No Ruz which means ‘new day.’ It is a day dedicated to cleaning the house, repairing old items, and bringing in fresh flowers. Ostara is another beautiful spring celebration, often marked by nature worship, rituals, and fulfilling food.