The Houston Museum of Natural Science is always a magical place during the holiday season, and we’re not just saying that because, you know, we work here. There’s pretty lights all over, fragrant Christmas trees in the Grand Hall, and Trains Over Texas buzzing nearby. If we’re lucky it’s usually hoodie weather and the museum […]
On December 21, 2020, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn appear only one tenth of one degree apart in our sky. They have not appeared that close since July 10, 1623. Of course, Jupiter is not really next to Saturn. Saturn is in fact about 4.3 astronomical units (AU)–about 400 million miles–behind Jupiter. (One AU […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest at dusk this month. Look south-southwest in the early evening for the two planets which will be just over 2 degrees apart. You’ll see Jupiter noticeably closer to Saturn each week. By December 21, the two planets will be only six arcminutes (one tenth of one degree) apart in the sky. […]
Dear Santa, Hey big guy, it’s your boy Charro at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Cockrell Butterfly Center. I’m the green iguana that gets all the media attention. They use me to promote everything, from memberships to shopping. They call me green even though I am mostly orange. I don’t make the rules. Anyhow, […]
137 + 1. That’s how many Merit Badges Benjamin Coveler has earned from the Boy Scouts of America. Currently offering 137, Benjamin earned the Computers Merit Badge which was discontinued in 2014. It was later replaced with the Digital Technology Merit Badge, which he also earned. Earning them all is an incredible accomplishment, which is […]
Did you know that much of the seafood we eat is part of the family called MOLLUSKS? If you have eaten Oysters, Mussels, Clams, Scallops and even Calamari you have eaten mollusks. The mollusk family is one of the most varied groups of animals on earth. So you are probably familiar with the ones already […]
Jupiter and Saturn are in the southwest at dusk this month. Look south-southwest in the early evening for the two planets which will be about 5 degrees apart. You’ll see Jupiter noticeably closer to Saturn each week; they are just over 2 degrees apart by November 30. (Saturn is moving too, but even more slowly than Jupiter). By […]
The force of nature known as Nicole Temple is responsible for so many of the experiences that make the Houston Museum of Natural Science a wonderland of weird and wonderful. A member of the HMNS family since 1997, she has worked or volunteered continuously since then to make the museum a thought-provoking and engaging destination. As […]
Museums are places of historical, scientific, artistic and cultural education that can be delivered to the masses through various means, but many might have preconceived notions about these sacred halls. Some could find them eerie and perhaps even frightening. Dark, cold rooms sitting in silence. Artifacts of old, holding mysteries untold. I suppose that would […]
You’ve likely stumbled upon a myriad of articles with titles similar to this “Big meanies use science to debunk the Loch Ness Monster myth”, or “Loch Ness Monster Hoax” and so on. Unfortunately, this blog here today is not going to help convince you of the existence of any such monster, but it may help […]
