View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Aquila, the Eagle, is a mid-sized constellation that lies right along the summer Milky Way just south of the zenith on September evenings in the...
2023, 09 September
Packrat Treasures
Bushy-tailed woodrat. Photo © Melani Wright|Dreamstime.com. So often when people hear the word “rat,” they shudder and think of the big black rats in the city that run in alleyways or gutters. But...
Focus Illustrated and Favorite Focus, September 2023
Lighting for Lightning
Lightning flickered in the west. Invisible waves of wind rocked the treetops. Would it rain? The dry ground could use it.“If there is a storm tonight, I might leave when it is over and go to Salt...
Camp & Cabin Cookin’, September 2023
Anatomy of a Thunderstorm
End of the Trail, September 2023: Lightning
Learn how this photo of lightning over the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, was taken in the September Study Guide, "The Photo Focus." Photo © Adrian Shank.
Alphabet Trees Word Search
Caption This Penguin
King Penguin. Photo © Ben Goode|Dreamstime.com. We invite you to submit your caption for this photograph of a King Penguin. The photograph will be used on the back of the January issue, along with...
Learn About Straight-line Light
When I was a boy, I enjoyed making tents. I liked to use covers to make cozy tents with rooms and doorways. So if you enjoy making tents too, you will enjoy this activity. I will give you an...
Measuring the Universe—How Astronomers Try
Stellar parallax diagram. The claims that modern-day astronomers make about the size of the universe seem almost unbelievable. To better understand the tremendous distances they’re describing, we...
In Our Skies, September 2023: Annular Solar Eclipse
You’ve probably noticed that the Moon appears larger when it lies just above the horizon. This is just an optical illusion. However, the Moon actually does vary in its distance from Earth because...
Covers, September 2023
Superbly Created
Male Superb Fairywren. Photo © Andrew Allen|CC-BY-4.0. In the brush, a male Superb Fairywren sat fluffing his feathers, occasionally pausing to chatter his sweet, rollicking song. His actions were...
