The universe is full of plasma and magnetic fields actively swirling, spiraling, and colliding. These mighty magnetic mysteries can cause gigantic explosions of energy such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms which often enhance the Earth’s auroras. Space weather is influenced by these highly charged events which can then cause havoc with …
Several types of evidence from past Mars missions lead us to believe that Mars used to be much different from the dry, cold place we find today. Ancient gullies and canyons look as if they were carved by flowing water, minerals that can only be made in standing water have been found, and ancient volcanoes …
There is no way around it- we live in the sun’s extended atmosphere. The dynamic activity of the sun and its changing behavior impacts us all. Why this might concern the citizens of Earth is that solar storms, however beautiful, can be a threat to our planet- specifically our electrical grid and technologies such as …
With the recent finale of the revamped Cosmos television series where Neil deGrasse Tyson drove the spaceship of the imagination, you might be wondering where you can get your next planetary science fix. Look no further, the Library of Congress NASA Goddard lecture series can help. On Thursday, June 26th Dr. Carrie Anderson, Associate Chief at NASA …
Much of the universe that we’d like to study is far away and faint. To ‘magnify the universe’ scientists use a variety of techniques. In an illustrated talk at the Library of Congress on April 22 , Dr. Jane Rigby, an astrophysicist and deputy project scientist for operations of the James Webb Telescope, will discuss …
The following is a guest blog post by science reference librarian and eggs-pert Margaret Clifton who has been collecting egg art since she was nine years old. Margaret has written for Inside Adams before on the topics of astronomy, Carl Sagan, time and Antarctica. How do we know when Spring is here? Officially, which is …
In celebration of Women’s History Month the American Library Association’s Feminist Task Force invited submissions to highlight valued women in libraries. Library of Congress Science Reference Section Head Constance Carter has contributed this article about her mentor and inspiration Ruth S. Freitag. Ruth S. Freitag is a librarian who should be celebrated during Women’s History Month. Admired by grateful …
The following is a guest post from Trevor Owens, Special Curator for the Library of Congress Science Literacy Initiative. To most Americans Carl Sagan is a TV persona. To David Grinspoon, who knew him since he was a child, he is much more. Among other things, Sagan was a personal mentor. I am thrilled to be …
The following is a guest post from Trevor Owens, Special Curator for the Library of Congress Science Literacy Initiative and Digital Archivist in the Office of Strategic Initiatives. Most Americans know Carl Sagan best as a public figure and science communicator. Alongside those roles, he taught college courses for more than thirty years, first at …
