Boötes tills the skies

Greetings, stargazers. The very bright star near zenith at dusk is Arcturus. It is the fourth brightest star in the night sky, and a very tiny bit brighter than Vega, which can be seen risin...

Drinking from the Big Dipper

Greetings, stargazers. The Big Dipper is one of the most recognizable asterisms in the night sky. However, it is only a part of the constellation Ursa Major, which is one of the largest. As ...

Sunspots and Prominences

Greetings, stargazers. The total eclipse happened. I was lucky enough to be able to get to it and avoid the clouds, but stupid enough to spend much of the time during totality snapping photo...

Morley Nelson, birds of prey, and Snake River Canyon

I can think of no better legacy than to protect a landscape in perpetuity for wild species, but the politics of preservation are never easy. Near Boise, Idaho, Morlan “Morley” Nelson sought ...

Another layer of cleaning out

I’m trying to clean out a bit. My house feels cluttered and it’s a good winter project. As I age, it feels good to not leave all this for my kids to deal with when I die. My house is small, ...

Getting your seeds started

Editor’s note: Get Growing, written by the La Plata County Extension Office’s Master Gardener Program, appears during the growing season. It features timely tips and suggestions for your...

A fond farewell after 17 years

I never dreamed of being a horticulturist and I’m not sure I knew what Extension was until graduate school. But somehow those two worlds collided and I found myself sitting in a back desk at...

Spreading outdoor education throughout the Four Corners

As we zoom into February, San Juan Mountains Association’s education team has donned winter gear and snowshoes to continue our programs among the snowy landscape. Some highlights for our edu...

Playlist for the planets

Greetings stargazers. I have an astronomy music playlist, and know I am not the only one who has one. I was recently reminded of it because I sing with the Durango Choral Society and the th...

Sirius lights up the night

Catadioptric telescopes for Christmas

Greetings, stargazers. I hope you are enjoying the change in weather. My December column has occasionally been used to list some things you might want to put on your astronomical observing w...

Watermelon hot air balloon has close scrape with Animas Valley cliffside

Pilot lands safely, but suffers cut to hand