The Geeky Advent Calendar Tradition Continues in 2020

Long-time Slashdot reader destinyland writes: Advent of Code isn’t the only geeky tradition that’s continuing in 2020. “This is going to be the first full year with Raku being called Raku,” notes the site raku-advent.blog. “However, it’s going to be the 12th year (after this first article) in a row with a Perl 6 or Raku calendar, previously published in the…

Tips on choosing telescopes and binoculars for beginners

Tips for beginners: how to choose binoculars or your first telescope. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/how-to-choose-1st-telescope-binoculars…

Less air pollution during Covid-19 restrictions, says study

NASA researchers have found that since February, pandemic restrictions have reduced global nitrogen dioxide concentrations by nearly 20%. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/how-much-covid19-related-pollution-levels-deviated-from-norm-2020…

The ‘Advent of Code 2020’ Event Begins

“Need a vacation from 2020? Why not go on an adventure and learn programming at the same time?” asks developer Eric Wastl on Twitter, announcing this year’s edition of the Advent of Code. From the site: Advent of Code is an Advent calendar of small programming puzzles for a variety of skill sets and skill levels that can be solved in…

China’s Chang’e 5 mission is orbiting the moon!

China’s robotic Chang’e 5 will be the 1st sample-return from the moon since the 1970s. It launched successfully last week atop a Chinese Long March 5 rocket. Now it’s reported to have entered orbit around the moon. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/china-moon-mission-change-5-sample-return…

Full moon, faint eclipse, November 29-30

Full moon falls on the night of May 29-30 for North America, at 3:43 a.m. CST on November 30. That means that – for North America – we have the chance to witness a faint penumbral eclipse of the moon. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/full-moon-faint-eclipse-november-29-30…

See Earth’s shadow after sunset

These next few days – November 27 and 28, 2020 – look for Earth’s shadow and the Belt of Venus below the bright waxing gibbous moon. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/see-earths-shadow-after-sunset…

November’s young moon and December’s Jupiter-Saturn conjunction

As darkness falls on November 18-21, 2020, use the moon to locate Jupiter and Saturn. Their conjunction will be December 21. Watch into December as these 2 giant worlds draw close! Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-jupiter-saturn-after-sunset…

What is the moon’s terminator line?

The moon’s terminator is the dividing line between day and night on the moon. As we see it from Earth, it marks the line of lunar sunsets or sunrises. Earth and other worlds in our solar system have terminator lines, too. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-moon-planet-terminator-line-twilight-zone…

Diwali 2020 shines in this ashram, despite Covid-19

Images of Diwali 2020 from an ashram in India. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/diwali-moon-nov-2020-photos-swami-krishnananda…