SUNRISE, SUNSET, TWILIGHT January 1, 2010
Posted by thenaturalist in Astronomy, Basic Facts.add a comment
Sunrise and sunset conventionally refer to the times when the upper edge of the disk of the Sun is on the horizon. Civil twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening when the center of the Sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon. This is the limit at which twilight illumination is sufficient, under good weather conditions, for terrestrial objects to be clearly distinguished. (U.S. Naval Observatory)
FASTEST HUMAN December 5, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Human Beings, Records.add a comment
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt secured his claim as the world’s fastest human in August when he ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, reaching a top speed of nearly 28 miles per hour. (Laura Bell, “Breaking the Speed Limit,” Science News, December 5, 2009)
COYOTES IN VERMONT November 29, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Dates, Natural World, Vermont.add a comment
The first coyote was shot in Vermont in 1948. ( Lawrence Pyne, “Northeast’s ‘coywolves’ a product of evolution,” BFP, 11/29/09)
DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS November 28, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in History, Weather.2 comments
There are lots of theories about why we dream of a white Christmas. One credits Charles Dickens, author of “A Christmas Carol,” which was hugely influential in establishing various Christmas rituals. Dickens was born in 1812, and as a child experienced a run of very cold, snowy winters during Europe’s “Little Ice Age.” His romanticized memory of those winters went into the book. (Nicholas K. Geranios, “Why we dream of a white Christmas.” AP, 11/28/09)
PROBABILITIES OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS November 28, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Weather.add a comment
Here are a few cities’ chances of having a white Christmas:
- 100 percent Fairbanks, Alaska
- 50 percent Denver, Des Moines, and Detroit
- 13 percent Washington, D.C.
- 10 percent New York City
- 1 percent Phoenix and Charlotte, N.C.
For more information, check out the National Climatic Weather Center Web site.
DUBAI IN DEBT November 28, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Dubai, Money.1 comment so far
Dubai’s debt crisis rattled world financial markets Friday, November 27, 2009. The possible spillover effects centered on fears that international banks could suffer big losses if Dubai’s investment arm defaults on its debt. In recent years, Dubai has expanded with ambitious projects like palm-shaped islands and the world’s tallest skyscraper in hopes of becoming a tourist-friendly Middle Eastern metropolis. In the process, though, the state-backed networks named Dubai Inc. have racked up $80 billion in red ink. The emirate may now need another bailout from its oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. (Stevenson Jacobs, “Dubai crisis shakes up global stock markets,” AP, 11/28/09)
BRISTLECONE PINES November 17, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Climate Change, Indicators, Natural World.add a comment
Ancient bristlecone pines living in the upper limits of their range have experienced a growth spurt since about 1950, according to a study in the 11/17/09 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. According to the width of the growth rings, bristlecone pines in California and Nevada grew faster during the last half of the 20th century than at anytime in the last 3,700 years, the study states. (“Trees thousands of years old grow as range warms,” BFP, 11/17/09)
FRIDAY THE 13TH November 13, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Interesting.add a comment
November 13, 2009 marks the third time this year that the 13th has fallen on a Friday — the most times it can happen in one year. A person with a phobia about Friday the 13th is known as a paraskavedekatriaphobe, and Henry Ford was one of them. He refused to do business on Friday the 13th. FDR feared the number 13, whatever day it fell on, which made him a triskaidekaphobe — a person who fears the number 13. He refused to depart on a train trip on the 13th, sometimes ordering the train to leave the station before midnight on the 12th or after midnight on the 14th.
BIRD THAT PREDICTS EARTHQUAKES November 1, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Birds, Natural World.add a comment
An official on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra says that an endangered bird in the quake-prone region has the ability to predict major earthquakes up to two days before they actually strike. A type of pheasant known as a Kuwau can be heard for more than a half-mile as it “sings” before the shaking from a quake arrives. “The bird will be acting rather unusual and sings very often, which is a sign that a major earthquake is coming,” says Ade Edwar, Coordinator of the West Sumatra relief aid coordinating agency. He pointed to reports from residents in one community who said the Kuwau was sounding an alarm before the devastating Sumatra quake on September 30, 2009. (Steve Newman “Earthweek: Diary of the planet,” BFP, 11/01/09)
FIRST E-MAIL October 19, 2009
Posted by thenaturalist in Computers.add a comment
The first e-mail was sent in 1971. E-mail went mainstream in the mid-1990s. (Lev Grosman, “Wave New World,” Time, October 19, 2009)
