SCIENCE CENTERED BLOG

Learning something new is always worth the read!

In a world of constant information overload, we strive to be your reliable source for clear and accessible science. Explore the blog posts below to learn about the science that affects our everyday lives.

Check Out Our Featured Series on Measles

For over two decades, measles was a long-forgotten disease in the United States thanks to widespread vaccination and elimination of the virus from circulation.

Stargazing: Winter Solstice

Celebrate the return of the light! The Winter Solstice is on Sun., Dec. 21, at 10:03 EST, the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky.

Stargazing: Geminid Meteor Shower, Dec. 13th-14th

Geminids are coming! Dec. 13–14, catch 75+ meteors/hr under dark skies. One of the year’s most dazzling meteor showers—don’t miss it!

Stargazing: Astrobotic Griffin Mission One

The Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic is aiming to land Pittsburgh on the Moon with Astrobotic Griffin Mission One.

Astronomical Calendar & Star Chart Winter 2025–26

Top skygazing picks, winter planet visibilities, meteor showers, excitement, and space news.

Stargazing: Mariner Mission Project

There was an understated elegance to the Mariner Mission project, which was a set of ten JPL/NASA spacecraft-probes beginning in 1962.

Stargazing: Leonids and Uranus at Opposition

This year, the Leonid meteor shower will reach its peak pre-dawn, Nov. 17. There will be only a sliver of a waning moon that night, and dark skies give greater opportunities to observe gleaming streaks blaze across the sky.

Stargazing: Full Moon and Partial Lunar Eclipse Pittsburgh

One of the easier astronomical events to observe is a lunar eclipse.

The Sun coming over the horizon of Earth as seen from outer space.

Astronomical Calendar & Star Chart Spring 2026

Top skygazing picks, spring planet visibilities, meteor showers, excitement, and space news.

Stargazing: John Glenn anniversary and The Overview Effect

It’s been 64 years since John Glenn’s historic flight in the Mercury program’s Friendship 7.

Stargazing: Mercury’s highest altitude and planet line up

Venus, Mercury, and Saturn visible in the Pittsburgh sky facing West at sunset.

Stargazing: Mystery of Pluto’s Heart

The dipped basin region, a result of an ancient collision, is currently thought to be the heartbeat of Pluto’s climate.

Stargazing: Orion and Messier 50, the Heart Shaped Cluster

Located in the faint stars of nearby Monoceros constellation, this distinctive heart-shaped cluster can be observed with the un-aided eye.

Ring Nebula, Veil Nebula, and Andromeda’s spiral arm

Stargazing: Hale Telescope at Mount Palomar First Light

For nearly 30 years, the Hale Telescope was the largest telescope in the world.

Stargazing: Pleiades

Tonight, the waxing gibbous Moon will cozy up to the stellar sisters, pairing the luminous Moon with the sparkling blue-white brilliance of the Pleiades.

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