Beyond Bones

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, and HMNS is proud to have raised awareness about autism amongst staff within the past year! HMNS recertified as a Certified Autism Center in 2021, and HMNS at Sugar Land and The George Observatory received the same distinction for the first time. What this means is that staff […]

In my early 30’s, I first learned about proper care and maintenance for pruning tools. Not to sound dramatic, but it has changed my life. I had no idea the power that basic household white vinegar holds over a pile of derelict tools. We all have that pair of crunchy old clippers, or that socket […]

The blog about the stray woodpecker in a cemetery was such a smash hit, that the clever folks in our PR dept. proposed taking it to the next level. My mind raced with possible sites to visit that would fall under the general theme of ‘Cool birds in strange places’, but invariably the best group […]

Guest blog by Cathy Hou Editor’s note: Cathy interned with Dr. Dan Brooks, HMNS Curator of Vertebrate Zoology. Her hard work culminated with publication of this article on Mute Swans in our beloved Lone Star state: https://www.hmns.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/SwanEprint.pdf A Mute Swan swims in the lake, white feathers glistening, recognized by its distinctive S-shaped neck. You may […]

Venus remains in the morning sky this month.  Venus outshines everything except the Sun and the Moon, so you can try to find it low in the southeast at dawn.  Venus remains a ‘morning star’ for most of 2022. Mars is low the morning sky this month.  Look low in the southeast at dawn, to […]

Praying mantises are true masters of disguise. Like many insects (and other animals), mantises will use their cryptic appearance to blend into the environment. For praying mantises, camouflaging has two-fold benefits. For one, mantises are preyed on by many animals- including birds, lizards, frogs, small mammals and even larger mantises. Staying hidden from these predators […]

Editor’s Note: This article, by our Wildlife curator Dan Brooks, PhD., was co-authored by HMNS Accessibility Programs Manager Matti Wallin and Marcia Moore, OD, FCOVD, ABO Diplomate of Bellaire Family Eye Care. Nearly everyone enjoys wildlife, but sometimes it can be challenging to get good views when you’re out in nature!  As February is Low […]

Jupiter remains in the west southwest as night falls.  However, Jupiter gets slightly lower each evening at sunset, until by mid-month it is getting lost in the Sun’s glare.  Once it’s gone, we’ll have no evening planets until August. Venus has entered the morning sky this month.  Venus outshines everything except the Sun and the […]

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is full of history, science and culture, as one might expect, but are you aware of the many opportunities to step behind the scenes and discover your very own fossils or travel the world alongside educators? I recently stumbled into a real fossil preparation event featuring none other than […]

Astronomers worldwide got a special Christmas gift this past year with the liftoff of the James Webb Space Telescope. It has just arrived (as of January 24) at its destination. By summer, it will begin 10 years (or more) of probing the deepest regions of the universe.  The James Webb Space Telescope is a collaboration […]