What’s a Blue Moon, and when is the next one?

We have a Blue Moon coming up on October 31, 2020. It’ll be called a Blue Moon because it’ll be the 2nd of 2 full moons in a single calendar month. And it’ll be near a bright red object in the sky, Mars! Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/when-is-the-next-blue-moon…

Microsoft is Letting Some Employees Work From Home Permanently

Microsoft is allowing some of its employees to work from home permanently. From a report: While the vast majority of Microsoft employees are still working from home during the ongoing pandemic, the software maker has unveiled “hybrid workplace” guidance internally to allow for far greater flexibility once US offices eventually reopen. The Verge has received Microsoft’s internal guidance, and it outlines…

A Year After an HR Crisis, Microsoft Backs Away From Releasing a Transparency Report

An anonymous reader shares a report: On March 20, 2019, a Microsoft employee who had been at the company for three years sent an email to a collection of listservs for women at the company, asking how to move up in the organization. She had worked for years without a promotion, and said that her career had been limited because she…

How much oxygen comes from the ocean?

At least half of Earth’s oxygen comes from the ocean. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/how-much-oxygen-comes-from-ocean…

Hummingbirds see colors we can only imagine

“Our experiments enabled us to get a sneak peek into what the world looks like to a hummingbird,” one scientist said. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/wild-hummingbirds-see-colors-humans-can-only-imagine…

Longing for the sea? Check out these photos

Thanks to all in the EarthSky community who honored World Oceans Day by contributing these awesome photos. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/your-best-ocean-photos…

Spica is your guide star to Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri is the largest and finest star cluster visible to the eye alone from the Northern Hemisphere. Binoculars or a telescope show even more. A dark sky is best! Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/spica-guide-to-omega-centauri…

What is a globular cluster?

Globular clusters are spherical collections of up to perhaps a million stars, orbiting mostly in the star halo of spiral galaxies, containing some of a galaxy’s oldest stars. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/definition-what-is-a-globular-cluster…

Come to know the Pleiades, or 7 Sisters

At this time of year, for all of us around the globe, the Pleiades star cluster culminates – reaches its highest point in the sky – around midnight. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/november-is-the-month-of-the-pleiades…

Pleiades star cluster, aka Seven Sisters

The Pleiades star cluster – aka the Seven Sisters or M45 – is visible from virtually every part of the globe. It looks like a tiny misty dipper of stars. Source: https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/pleiades-star-cluster-enjoys-worldwide-renown…