Science

Mars continues to fade a little bit each night now that Earth has overtaken it and is pulling away. However, it fades out gradually; Mars remains brighter than the stars around it in February 2021. And Mars is high in the southwest–well placed fo…

Whether you optimistically jumped into the new year or took small baby steps, we can all agree that last year was one for the books. Not only did 2020 became synonymous with adversity, disappointment, and frustration, but we were inundated by dismal ne…

Most of the museum’s Egyptian collections are on display in the Hall of Ancient Egypt,  supplemented by loans from other institutions. What is kept in our object storage is generally material that’s not so exciting, well preserved, or important. F…

When I am on my own, I can be easily crumbled. When I am folded, I can fly. If you use me correctly, I can build a structure as high as the sky. What am I? If you guessed paper, you got it right! Paper is an extremely versatile resource that we use to …

Now through the end of May 2021, the Houston Museum of Natural Science has partnered up with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to become a pop-up blood donation destination. Although not all of us may feel comfortable with donating our bodies to sci…

Mercury makes a rare appearance in the southwest at dusk.  Pick a site with a clear southwestern horizon, and look right above the point of sunset. You can watch Mercury pass Saturn (on the 9th) and Jupiter (on the 10th and 11th) as it enters the eveni…

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is always a magical place during the holiday season, and we’re not just saying that because, you know, we work here. There’s pretty lights all over, fragrant Christmas trees in the Grand Hall, and Trains Over Texas…

Jupiter and  Saturn are in the southwest at dusk this month.  Look south-southwest in the early evening for the two planets which will be just over 2 degrees apart.  You’ll see Jupiter noticeably closer to Saturn each week…

Dear Santa, Hey big guy, it’s your boy Charro at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Cockrell Butterfly Center. I’m the green iguana that gets all the media attention. They use me to promote everything, from memberships to shopping. They call me gr…

138. That’s how many Merit Badges the Boy Scouts of America program offers. Benjamin Coveler has achieved the incredible accomplishment of earning them all, which is something very few scouts can say. Out of the millions of scouts that have participate…