A Moment of Science
This is partly due to pollution, but even in the cleanest air the sky is lighter near the horizon due to the effect of earth's atmosphere on sunlight.
Contrary to what fairy tales tell us, there is nothing holding the moon up in the sky. So why doesn't it fall down? Find out on this Moment of Science.
Ever wonder why you follow someone's gaze whey they're looking into the sky? Find out on today's Moment of Science.
People have been predicting weather since long before we had Doppler radar, and many of these prediction strategies have survived as popular folk sayings.
If you look at the sky on a cloudy day, you will find more clouds near the horizon than directly overhead. Why? Learn more on this Moment of Science.
A skydiver's body is in a delicate balance. Gravity tugs her downward with a constant, relentless force, while air resistance pushes her upward.
You’re out on a clear, starry night with your best friend, looking for shooting stars. Look, there’s one, your friend shouts, but by the time you look, it’s gone. There’s another, she cries. Too late, you missed it. Then one comes along that seems to just amble across the sky, nice and slow. Why is it that some shooting stars are so fast and others are much slower? Learn more on this Moment of Science.
How fast does light travel? What could you do to find out? One natural thing to try is to have someone send some light your way and see how long it takes to reach you. How about if you got a friend to shine a flashlight at you from a distant hill, exactly at midnight? With your stopwatch you start counting the seconds until you see the light. Learn more on this Moment of Science.
We’ve been imagining that we’re sitting in a geostationary satellite. That’s a satellite that orbits the equator at the same speed and direction as the earth turns. That means it’s always over the same spot of land, as if it were floating in the sky 22,500 miles up. We let down a rope to pull up some supplies. Will this work? Learn more on this Moment of Science.
For a long time people have been fascinated by comets passing by the earth. How close are they? Learn more on this Moment of Science.
Copyright © 2013, The Trustees of Indiana University | Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
