A night scene in the Arizona desert near Lowell Observatory shows a long-eared dog leaping toward two glowing planets in the sky. Uranus appears larger and turquoise-blue, while Pluto is smaller and pale. Stars form a dog-bone constellation above the observatory dome, with desert rocks and cacti surrounding the scene.

Pluto, Uranus and a Dog in the Arizona Desert

Some dates produce connections almost automatically.13 March is one of those. Three astronomical milestones line up neatly on the same day. 1781 โ€” William Herschel discovers Uranus in Bath. 1855 โ€” Birth of Percival Lowell. 1930 โ€” Discovery of Pluto is announced from Lowell Observatory in Arizona. Astronomers deliberately chose 13 March for the announcement […]

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Two Davids. One birthday. ๐ŸŽจ Michelangelo, born 6 March 1475, created the legendary David. ๐ŸŽธ David Gilmour, born 6 March 1946, shaped the sound of The Dark Side of the Moon. A Renaissance statue. A progressive rock guitarist. Two Davids linked by art, light, and the same moon.

Two Davids

Two Davids under the same moon On 6 March 1475, the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo was born. More than any other sculptor, he defined the heroic language of the Renaissance. Among his works, one stands above all others: David, the towering marble figure that has come to symbolise the artistic confidence of Florence. Four and […]

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27 February: Fire, Ice and Holding the Temperature

Reichstag On this date in 1933, the Reichstag in Berlin burned. Even stating that fact can feel like an invitation to Godwinโ€™s Law โ€” the tendency for conversations to drift toward the most extreme comparisons in modern history. The Reichstag fire is a flashpoint: literal flames, political heat, and a turning point that accelerated catastrophe. […]

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