Martin, McDonald, Porter join stars in telethon for Ukraine
A roster of film, TV and theater all-stars โ including Steve Martin, Annette Bening, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Chenoweth, David Hyde Pierce and Rosie Perez โ have signed up for a 10-hour telethon to raise money for the victims of the war in Ukraine.
Tech Time in Space: Metal barreling toward moon, a cosmic mystery, more
This past week has been a busy one in the space world: Weโre talking about a telescopeโs final destination one million miles from Earth, four tons of metal barreling toward the moon and a mystery in the cosmos that is baffling scientists.
You can now enjoy free U-M planetarium shows from your living room
ANN ARBOR โ Its perhaps one of the silver linings of so much isolation -- fun events streaming straight into your home. The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History is now offering free virtual planetarium programs for the whole family. Starting on Thursday, go to the edge of the solar system, learn about planets and constellations with this fun, educational event. To register, click here. Virtual planetarium show schedule (Thursdays at 4 p.m.):Feb. 25March 4March 11March 18March 25More dates may be added in the future.
Rare โChristmas Starโ to be visible for first time in 800 years on Dec. 21
With this yearโs winter solstice comes more than just confirmation of our already-cold weather and ever-fleeting daylight: The rare โChristmas Starโ will be visible for the first time in 800 years. Each year, Earthโs northern hemisphere enters the winter solstice on Dec. 21 -- the shortest day of the year -- officially marking the start of winter. This year, bright planets Jupiter and Saturn will align perfectly on Dec. 21 to create what is commonly called the Christmas Star or the โStar of Bethlehem.โAccording to NASA, Jupiter and Saturn align with one another every 20 years or so, but not nearly as close together as they will be in 2020. Experts say the Christmas Star can be seen by the unaided eye just after sunset on Dec. 21, 2020. You can see Saturn and Jupiter nearly align on Dec. 21, forming what appears to be a Christmas star.
Stamkos scores, leaves, Lightning beat Stars 5-2 in Game 3
EDMONTON, AB โ As soon as Steven Stamkos scored on his first shot since February, his Tampa Bay Lightning celebrated on the ice and the bench with 211 days of pent up excitement. The Lightning were just fine with Stamkos offering moral support sitting in the middle of the bench. The game was everything that has made Tampa Bay one of the best teams in hockey for more than half of the last decade. While Tampa Bay got a significant talent back, Dallas was without a key veteran role player. ... To make room for Stamkos, Tampa Bay scratched Carter Verhaeghe.
Chances to see Comet NEOWISE are fading fast!
If you havent seen Comet NEOWISE yet, time is running out. As comets get closer to the sun, some of the ice melts and gases in the comet sublimate. Its name is Rosetta, and it flew to Comet 67P, orbited it, and then deployed a lander, named Philae, onto the surface! Here are a couple of photos of Comet 67P -- one from Rosetta in orbit, and another from Philae on the surface! Comet 67P (NASA)
Heres how you can see Comet NEOWISE
Heres a nice shot of Comet NEOWISE, shot this past weekend by Mike Thompson in White Lake, Mich. Keep in mind that this is a fifteen second exposure -- its not what youd see with the naked eye:Comet NEOWISE (Mike Thompson)Comet NEOWISE is not what we scientists call a Great Comet. In other words, its not so bright that it can be seen prominently in the sky with the naked eye. Until now, to see Comet NEOWISE you had to get up at 5 a.m. And I know a LOT of people who will never get up at 5 a.m. Not even for a comet. However, I have good news: Over the next week, NEOWISE will transition to an evening object! And if you miss Comet NEOWISE this time, dont worry -- itll be back in 8,000 to 9,000 years. Comet 67P (NASA)
New streaming platform delivers all the stars quickly
Binge-watching we all love to do it but sometimes we donโt have hours and hours to sit through our favorite shows. Thatโs where Quibi comes in. Itโs a new streaming platform that brings you entertainment in under 10 minutes,Quibiโs founder, Jeffrey Katzenberg, joined Jason Carr via Skype to talk all about it. He is best known for starting the studio Dreamworks and he was chairman for Walt Disney Studios during the companyโs 1990s renaissance. For Quibi, Katzenberg tapped into all of his Hollywood connections and got some big names on the new platform.