Science & Nature guides
Skywatching dates and how-tos (eclipses, meteor showers, full moons, solstices and the northern lights), beginner telescopes and binoculars, and hands-on science for kids. Sky dates come from NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Naval Observatory.
- STEM Kits by Age: How to Read the Box Before You Buy
A practical guide to choosing kids' STEM and science kits by age: what the age label means, which safety marks and warnings to look for, and which kit types fit…
- Kids' Science Kits Buying Guide: Chemistry Sets, Crystal Kits and Microscopes
How to choose a kids' chemistry set, crystal kit or first microscope: what the specs mean, why magnification numbers can mislead, and what to check on the label.
- Giant Bubble Science: The Research-Backed Recipe and Why It Works
What makes giant soap bubbles stretch without popping, the published research recipe from Emory University physicists, and the wand and weather details that matter.
- Coding Robots and Circuit Kits for Kids: A Stage-by-Stage Buying Guide
How to choose a coding robot or circuit kit by stage, from screen-free sequencing toys to block coding and text code, with what each skill means and what to check…
- Choosing a First Telescope: Aperture, Magnification Claims and Mounts Explained
Why aperture matters more than magnification, how refractors, reflectors and compound scopes differ, and the one safety rule every telescope owner needs.
- Home Weather Station Kits for Kids and Families: What Each Sensor Measures
Rain gauges, thermometers, barometers and anemometers explained, with tips on where to place each sensor and how to turn readings into a science project.
- Rock and Mineral Kits for Kids: The Mohs Scale, Streak Tests and Collecting Rules
How to test minerals at home with hardness and streak tests, what to look for in a rock kit or geode set, and where collecting is and isn't allowed.
- Stargazing With Binoculars: What 7x50 and 10x50 Mean and What You Can See
Binoculars are an easy first astronomy tool. Here's how to read binocular specs, how to keep them steady, and a beginner's list of night-sky targets.
- How to Watch the 2026 Geminid Meteor Shower (Peak Dec. 13–14)
When the 2026 Geminids peak, why this year's Moon helps, how many meteors to expect, and NASA's tips for watching, including with kids.
- How to See the Northern Lights: The Kp Index and NOAA's G Scale, Explained
How to read NOAA's aurora forecasts: what the Kp index and G1–G5 storm levels mean for how far south the aurora reaches, plus the best times, places and seasons…
- Leonid Meteor Shower 2026: Peak Night Nov. 16–17, and the Moon Sets Early
When to watch the 2026 Leonids, what rates to realistically expect, why moonset before midnight helps this year, where to look, and what makes the Leonids famous…
- Winter Solstice 2026: Dec. 21 at 3:50 p.m. EST, and Why the Earliest Sunset Comes First
The exact time of the December 2026 solstice from the U.S. Naval Observatory, New York City sunrise and sunset data showing the earliest sunset in early December…
- Daylight Saving Time Ends November 1, 2026: What Changes and Which Clocks to Check
Clocks fall back at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026, per NIST. Which states and territories don't change, why phones and computers update…
- How to See the International Space Station from Your Backyard
Use NASA's official Spot the Station app to find when the ISS passes over you, how to read a sighting (time, max height, appears, disappears), what it looks like…
- Full Moon Dates, November 2026 to April 2027 (Eastern Time), Plus What a Supermoon Is
Exact full moon times from the U.S. Naval Observatory for November 2026 through April 2027, converted to Eastern Time, New York moonrise times on full moon…
- Quadrantid Meteor Shower 2027: Peak Night January 3–4, Moon Conditions and How to Watch
When to watch the 2027 Quadrantids according to NASA (active Dec. 28, 2026 to Jan. 12, 2027, peak night Jan. 3–4), why the peak lasts only hours, the thin…
- Total Solar Eclipse of August 2, 2027: Path, Times and the 6-Minute-23-Second Maximum
NASA's predictions for the August 2, 2027 total solar eclipse: totality across southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and…
- Annular 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse of February 6, 2027: Chile, Argentina, the South Atlantic and West Africa
NASA's predictions for the February 6, 2027 annular solar eclipse: the ring-of-fire path across Chile and Argentina, the South Atlantic and the coast of West…
- How to Watch a Solar Eclipse Safely: Eclipse Glasses, Pinhole Projectors and the Totality Rule
NASA's eclipse safety rules in plain language: why sunglasses never work, what ISO 12312-2 means, how to check eclipse glasses, why you must never use binoculars…
- Equinoxes and Solstices 2027: Exact Dates and Times, Plus Perihelion and Aphelion
The U.S. Naval Observatory's 2027 dates: spring equinox March 20 (4:25 p.m. EDT), summer solstice June 21 (10:11 a.m. EDT), fall equinox September 23 (2:02 a.m.…
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