Outdoors
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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Binoculars are a birdwatcher's best friend. They allow you to get close-up views of distant objects without having to actually get close. Some birders use spotting scopes and others use cameras with telephoto lenses, but you may be hard-pressed to find a serious birder without a pair of binoculars at the
by M. Brett Smith · Posted
Starting Monday, May 6, B&H will begin our week-long coverage of everyday carry (EDC) gear. More than just the contents of your pack or purse, EDC items are the essential tools that get you through your day. Whether it’s the noise-canceling headphones that help you survive your subway commute or the do-everything smartphone that assists you in more ways you can count, if it’s something you carry with you all the time, we’re gonna discuss it (and maybe throw in a couple of recommendations along the way). We’ll also be checking out EDC kits
by Christopher Witt · Posted
With the upcoming total lunar eclipse poised to be the “Big Thing” for 2019 (visible throughout North America), we here at B&H’s Space Headquarters were planning on putting together a tour of the moon as a primer for those readers who may not know that much about our closest neighbor in the solar system… but then we realized that NASA is pretty awesome at stuff like that and had already put together a fantastic video!
Click and enjoy the best five minutes you’ll spend today with this
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Hey, Earthlings! There will be a total lunar eclipse coming our way, beginning on Sunday, January 20 2019, and lasting into the 21st! Here are some facts you need to know.
Who is involved?
You! Your friends and family! The Sun, Moon, and Earth!
What is it?
An awesome, total lunar eclipse.
The darkest shaded areas of the globe are where the entire eclipse is visible from start to finish. Moving outward from that region,
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
I am certain that I am not the only Earthling who is in love with the moon, but it was my grandmother who called it "Todd's Moon" after one of the first words I ever spoke was, simply, "moon." Ever since those early days, I have spent a lot of time looking at the moon, thinking about the moon, reading about the moon, and photographing the moon.
To learn about the moon in the olden days, a lunar enthusiast would have to go to their local
by Christopher Witt · Posted
Remnants left over from the earliest formation of our solar system, comets are thought to originate from the theoretical Oort Cloud. Located far out beyond even the farthest planet, it is thought to contain as many as 2 trillion objects, each of which has the potential to become a long-period comet. These objects are often referred to as “dirty snowballs” because they are mostly made of rock and ice until gravity from a large passing celestial body, like a star, pulls a piece out of the Oort belt and starts it on its journey toward the sun.
by Christopher Witt · Posted
When I started hearing the buzz in the astronomy community about how Comet 46P/Wirtanen was coming in hot through our Solar System, my ears proverbially perked up. A quick Google search revealed that this is a truly historic apparition and one that justly deserves the buzz. (The term “apparition,” in astronomy, refers to the appearance or time when a comet, especially a periodic one, is visible.)
The comet was discovered, in 1948, by Carl Wirtanen (hence its name) at the Lick Observatory,
by Christopher Witt · Posted
Now that the March of the Planets is winding down, I’d bet you’re wondering what astronomical wonders await us in the back half of the year. Well, wonder no more! The Perseid Meteor Shower is coming, and it’s the biggest shower of the year, hitting its peak on the night of August 12-13, 2018.
Before we get too far, let’s take a step back and talk about what a meteor shower is. Showers occur when the earth passes
by Christopher Witt · Posted
The astronomical phenomena of a planet moving into opposition isn’t unique—but what is unique is when three planets are in opposition in quick succession. This spring, the three bright outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars—will be at opposition during a span of just 79 days.
Images courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/Cornell
Jupiter’s opposition occurred first, on May 8, in the constellation Libra. Next was Saturn’s opposition, which occurred on June 27, just above the Teapot stars of Sagittarius. Finally, the opposition of
by Christopher Witt · Posted
The scientific community in general, and astronomy in particular, is all abuzz these days as the hype builds for the upcoming North American Eclipse, happening on August 21. Between my position here at B&H and my personal interest in astronomy, I’ve been talking about this event for almost a year to my friends and colleagues, and I’ve found that people have a lot of questions about solar eclipses. Sure, we’ve all heard about solar eclipses, but how many of us have actually done research on them? I’m thinking that the answer is “not many.”
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
Fresh air scented with pine needles, evenings around a campfire, and a night sky full of stars: for a great many people, camping is the ultimate getaway. More than 22 million Americans enjoyed some kind of camping in 2014, reports the Outdoor Industry Association. Some like it active and adventurous, others lazy and restful, but all find it restorative for body and spirit. As George Washington Sears wrote under the pen name Nessmuk, in 1891, “We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it.”
A camping trip is
by Ryan Zanoni · Posted
Nature calls to certain people. For some, the sea and rivers call the loudest, beckoning them to aquatic exploration and experiences, and they answer fervently. In rare cases, this passion leads to amazing things. Julieta “Jules” Gismondi and LouAnne Harris, river guides and paddling instructors at Manhattan Kayak + SUP [Stand Up Paddling], in New York, NY, are two such people. Together, the friends are known as the Atlantic SUPergirls, and as their story proves, the name is apt.
LouAnne Harris (left) and Jules Gismondi (right)
Just over a
by Morgan Lyle · Posted
Hopefully, you’ll only sleep outdoors because you want to, not because you have to. But having some kind of emergency shelter at the ready can make a big difference in your comfort and well-being, should circumstances force you to spend some time living outside.
The best and most obvious option for an emergency shelter is a tent, whether a lightweight backpacking model or the family car-camping kind. Tents are compact and lightweight enough to store in
by Ryan Zanoni · Posted
Danger is all around us. We don’t generally like to think about it, but the world is full of life-threatening forces—and one day, we may come face to face with them in the wild, far from the comforts of home. How we fare will depend largely on our level of preparedness. Throughout centuries of experience and technological advancements, humanity has developed survival kits, combining the essentials for making it out of dire predicaments alive. Over time, these
by Christopher Witt · Posted
We’re spoiled these days—there’s no denying it. With so many of us outfitted with dedicated driving GPS units in our cars and smartphones in our pockets, getting lost is a fleeting occurrence that is, at worst, a minor annoyance. The trouble with relying on all that technology is that in the event of an emergency or natural disaster, cell towers may not work and you might not be able to recharge the electronics that you’re using to navigate. It’s for this reason that having basic land-navigation knowledge and reliable tools such as maps and a