Sharon Kizer News Today

Monarch butterflies are now listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. But there are ways you can help. Read how to make a difference, here.

January 28, 2021 The 2020 annual count of monarch butterflies in the western United States found shockingly few, confirming fears that the insect is on the brink of extinction. A monarch butterfly rests on a coneflower. Image via Erin Minuskin. On January 17, 2021, the Xerces Society – an international conservation group – announced the results of its 24th annual winter butterfly count, and the news isn’t good for butterfly lovers. The group reported that the population of monarchs that w...

January 8, 2021 How do skywatchers measure distances in the night sky? Here’s how to understand it when they speak of objects as being several degrees (or several arc minutes or arc seconds) apart. Use this “handy” guide to measure degrees on the dome of the sky. Image via Fort Worth Astronomical Society. The handiest measuring stick for the sky’s dome is the one on the end of your arm. You can use the width of your pinky, fist and more to gauge the distance between sky objects. That c...