On this day in history, April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated — ushering in a host of new environmental legislation. The idea for the observation “Earth Day” originated with Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, who had “long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States,” says EarthDay.org. “Inspired by the student anti-war movement, …
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Giant extinct snake discovered in India was 50 feet long, said researchers
New research suggests an enormous snake may have once called India home. Fossilized vertebrae found near a coal mine in western India indicate that the snake was between 36 feet and 50 feet long. This is up to eight feet longer than the largest snake known to man and nearly 17 feet longer than the current largest living snake, the …
Read More »Rare star explosion expected to be 'once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity,' NASA officials say
Another special cosmic event is to occur this year, and it could be a “once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity,” according to NASA. It’s a nova explosion located in a star system 3,000 light years away from Earth and astronomers predict it will be visible to the “unaided eye” sometime in 2024. “Unfortunately, we don’t know the timing of this as well as …
Read More »Cicada invasion: An ‘amazing’ American phenomenon and bonanza for anglers
Billions of cicadas are expected to start swarming in more than a dozen states in the coming weeks, and while the strange occurrence may be a nuisance for many, scientists say the activities of the noisy flying insects are a natural marvel beholden to northern America — and anglers say the bugs create ideal fishing conditions to net some hefty …
Read More »Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee mocked for saying Moon is ‘made up mostly of gases:’ ‘Dumb as dirt’
Conservatives mocked Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, for a Monday speech she gave to students at a solar eclipse event where she claimed the moon is a planet largely made of gases. The former top Democrat on the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee could be seen on video telling Booker T. Washington High School in Houston, “You’ve heard the word …
Read More »Cicada invasion 2024: Are these insects coming for your plants this spring?
A great cicada revival is expected to hit the U.S. this spring and summer. Two cicada broods are making a simultaneous comeback for the first time in 221 years — with trillions of insects expected to emerge across the country. The two groupings of cicadas, brood XIX and XIII, will emerge from the underground in 17 states across the country, …
Read More »Texas man, 105, to witness his 13th total solar eclipse: 'They're so beautiful'
A 105-year-old Texas resident is gearing up to see the total solar eclipse on April 8 — and it’s not his first rodeo. LaVerne Biser of Fort Worth said his interest in astronomy began in high school, back in the 1930s. The umbraphile, a term referring to people who chase eclipses, spent his childhood admiring stars from his parent’s Troy, …
Read More »3 solar eclipse myths and misconceptions — and the truth behind them
As one of the biggest marvels of science, the solar eclipse carries an air of mystery — which can lead to some mistaken assumptions. Ahead of the April 8 eclipse, Prevent Blindness, a Chicago health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight, is encouraging eye safety by dispelling some common misconceptions surrounding the eclipse. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024: …
Read More »Ahead of solar eclipse, NASA seeks public's help in recording strange animal behaviors
NASA is asking for the public’s help in its latest research project. The 2024 solar eclipse, which will occur in North America on April 8, is expected to cause several earthly disturbances, including the behavior of animals. Both physical and auditory animal behaviors will shift during the eclipse, according to NASA. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024: 8 STRANGE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN …
Read More »Earthquake rocks NJ, NY, several more states: What to do if another one hits
An earthquake struck New Jersey and shook buildings in surrounding states this morning – leaving an estimated 42 million people feeling the seismic impacts of the phenomenon,according to the U.S. Geological Survey. “Our region just experienced an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, with an epicenter near Readington in Hunterdon County,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a …
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