The Origin of the Universe
The origin of the Universe is one of my favorite topics at the interface between science and faith. I've spoken on this several times (which I've kept track of on my Talks and Presentations page). The most recent occasion was the first time it was recorded. You can...
The Church’s Role in Science
Last month I spoke at the Vandal Catholic Encounter on the topic of the Church's role in science. Here is a link to the video recording. I apologize for how much you'll have to strain to listen and see. In the future I hope to write an article to revisit the topic in...
Presenting My Research Poster at the DPS Meeting
For the past week, I've been in Provo, Utah, for the 49th meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society. For the occasion, I put together a poster to give attendees a taste of a research project I've been working on: "Using...
Upcoming Events and Site Updates
Although this blog site had a slow and quiet start almost three years ago, my recent eclipse blog series has drawn a surge of attention, and it now has over 1,000 subscribers. Thanks to all who have subscribed and who read my blog! Not only do I want to keep this...
Cassini’s End
This Friday, the Cassini spacecraft, which has orbited Saturn since 2004, will end its mission by crashing into Saturn. It happens to be the Catholic memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. It is indeed a sad day to see Cassini go. This spacecraft has transmitted 635 GB of...
Solar Eclipse in Retrospect
The two minutes and six seconds of totality I experienced were otherworldly. Time had paused and I was submerged into an ethereal reality. I had spent so much time preparing for this, and yet it passed by so quickly. As the Moon's shadow had approached from the...
Solar Eclipse, Part 6 of 6: How I’ll Spend My Two Minutes of Totality
This will be my first total solar eclipse. What I am planning on doing is not necessarily what I would recommend everyone to do. Nevertheless, perhaps these plans can inspire some ideas and spark conversation. I'll be in the path of totality somewhere near the...
Solar Eclipse, Part 5: Temperature Drop
Bring a sweatshirt with you on August 21! During the eclipse, the temperature may change 1/2 or 3/4 as much as it regularly does at night, based on your location and climate. This will likely be 10-15 degrees, but it could be more. When the Moon blocks sunlight from...
Solar Eclipse, Part 4: To Scale and Not To Scale
To scale or not to scale, that is the question; Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of disproportions Or to take a ruler to that sea of troubles And, by measuring, correctly depict them. ... ...
Solar Eclipse, Part 3: Eclipse Glasses
Looking at the Sun is usually a bad idea. Over the weekend I chatted with an optometrist, and he made it clear that permanent damage can be done to your eyes even if you don't feel any pain. Safe ways to observe the solar eclipse include making a pinhole projector or...
Solar Eclipse, Part 2
Will the sky get dark enough during the eclipse for us to see other stars in the sky? During totality, yes! When the eclipse is total, the light that reaches us from the Sun is thousands of times dimmer than a partially eclipsed Sun. (This is why you should wear...
Solar Eclipse, Part 1
Oh wow! This August 21, the Moon's shadow, a mere 60 to 70 miles wide, will flee across the United States in a reverse-Oregon-trail and continue through Charleston, South Carolina. If you are in the path of totality for this solar eclipse, you'll see the Moon blot out...