5 Noteworthy Astronomical Feats of 2016
As 2016 draws to a close, Manfred Olson Planetarium at UW-Milwaukee director and Lake Effect contributor Jean Creighton highlights the important astronomy stories of the past year: Highlights of 2016:...
View ArticleGetting Involved with Citizen Science
Many are familiar with the concept of citizen science: opportunities for amateurs to play a role in helping researchers gather or process scientific data. That could involve a backyard bird count, or...
View ArticleHow to Make Astronomical Units Less Daunting
If you had an astronomer next to you, what would you ask them? When astronomy contributor Jean Creighton isn't in the Lake Effect studio, she is very much still in the public eye, leading the Manfred...
View ArticleDiscovery of Earthlike Exoplanets Has Scientific Community Buzzing
It’s been almost 30 years since scientists first discovered their first exoplanet - a planet orbiting a star other than our own sun. But the scientific community is especially excited now with the...
View ArticleIlluminating the Science of Black Holes
Every month, contributor Jean Creighton joins Lake Effect to talk about things astronomical. This month, the topic was prompted by two people asking her the same question within twelve hours. "People...
View ArticleThe Discovery of Life Beyond Earth May Be Closer Than We Think
The question cinema has tried to answer time and time again, with the most recent attempt by the movie Arrival , may finally have an answer as astronomer Jean Creighton provides promising new hope for...
View ArticleViewing The Eclipse In Milwaukee: Not Total, But Still Amazing
On Monday, part of the United States will experience a total solar eclipse, where the moon completely covers the sun. Milwaukee won’t get totality, but we will still experience a partial eclipse. "In...
View ArticleAutumn Equinox Brings Longer Nights and Cooler Days
The days have been getting shorter since mid-June - the Summer Solstice, but now things start to get serious. As we near the Autumn Equinox, the point at which night is a larger part of our lives than...
View ArticleGlobal Initiative Documents Neutron Stars Collision
It’s been a big couple of years for gravity and the people who study it. Astronomy contributor Jean Creighton joins Lake Effect each month to talk about space - near, far, and in between each month....
View ArticleThe Colors of the Cosmos
Every month Jean Creighton comes down to the studio from her usual haunt in the Manfred Olson Planetarium to tell us stories about the cosmos. Today we talk about color, or lack of it, in the universe:...
View Article'This Was a Huge Year': Astronomical Events of 2017
As we just get started with 2018 we still take the time to look back on the not-so-distant 2017 and all of its “best of” lists. From best trends, to best foods, movies, events, and more – we often try...
View ArticleWhat is a Shooting Star?
A meteor shower is always a good excuse to get outside and look into the night sky. But it’s not the only time when you can see a streak of light overhead. Astronomy contributor and Manfred Olson...
View ArticleThe Hubble Space Telescope: 28 Years of Scientific Contributions
One of the key pieces of technology that has enabled space exploration is the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomy contributor Jean Creighton, who also leads UW-Milwaukee's Manfred Olson Planetarium,...
View ArticleExoplanents: The First Photograph
Last month our Astro Chat with contributor Dr. Jean Creighton began a short series on the impact NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has had on our understanding of the universe. Previously, we talked about...
View ArticleThe Hubble Space Telescope Gave Us the First Look at Black Holes
Black holes have a bad reputation. The line is that they’re so dense, not even light can escape, and many of us imagine being pulled inexorably toward an enormous vacuum cleaner or a drain with no hope...
View ArticleHow Wisconsin's Native Tribes Viewed the Night Sky
There have been astronomers in Wisconsin for a long time. There’s the Yerkes Observatory near Lake Geneva. There are astronomy programs at places like UWM and UW-Madison. And even a private observatory...
View ArticleThe Potential Impact of Astroids, Comets & Other Near-Earth Objects
These days, the word 'asteroid' usually only comes up when we're talking about the extinction of the dinosaurs. But astronomy contributor Jean Creighton notes that a near-Earth object,or NEO, is either...
View ArticleLook Up, The Planets Are Aligned
When we talk about proper alignment, we’re often talking about our spines, or our priorities, or perhaps our metaphysical place in the universe. Contributor Jean Creighton is all for those kinds of...
View ArticleHere Comes The Sun, But What Holds It Together?
If, as the They Might Be Giants song goes, the sun a mass of incandescent gas, how does it all stay together? That's the question astronomer and Lake Effect contributor Jean Creighton answers for us...
View Article'Not A Solved Problem': Overcoming Gravity & Escape Velocity
Last month, director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at UW-Milwaukee and our regular astronomy contributor, Jean Creighton explained how the sun stays together, even though it is made of gasses and...
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