Maggie Ciskanik, M.S.
David Levy: Amateur Comet Hunter Extraordinaire
David H. Levy’s bio on the Vatican Observatory website declares that he is “one of the most successful comet discoverers in history.”
Intellectual Humility in a World of Extremes
We are living in a world of extremes. The cure? Intellectual humility, or “the ability to admit that one might be wrong or at least lack full knowledge.”
Men on Mars? Updates from the Red Planet
Mars, visible just before sunrise from October to December, has been in the news regularly. In fact, there are 8 spacecrafts studying the red planet!
3 Famous, Self-Educated Scientists: Croll, Davy, and Faraday
We may assume that all scientists are products of formal education; though James Croll, Humphrey Davy, and Michael Faraday prove this isn't always the case.
Mountains on Mole Hills and Volcanoes in Strange Lands
Did you know only one mountain on earth (not Everest!) makes the top 10 list of our solar system’s highest mountains? Also there are volcanoes in space!
On the Warping and the Wonders of the Milky Way
Recent discoveries on the Milky Way show us that it is warped. Here's how to find the Milky Way in the night sky and a slideshow of Milky Way images.
Technologies Old and New: Harnessing the Power of the Sun and More
Did you know there are “widespread ruins of an abandoned solar-power technology” revealing that humans have harnessed the power of the sun for centuries?
Dr. Vera Rubin and Why Dark Matter Matters
Because of Dr. Vera Rubin, dark matter became a household term in the 1980’s, but we still aren’t sure what it is or even if it really exists.
An Update on the Solar Parker Probe
From solstices, sunspots, and solar wind, the Sun continues to fascinate us. Here's an update on the Solar Parker probe which launched to the sun in 2018.
Physics, Philosophy, and Free Will
Is the unshakeable belief in the power of science justified? Yes, but with a catch that includes the use of philosophy and free will.
Habitable Worlds and the Origin of Water
At the Thomistic Institute's symposium, Novelty in Nature, Dr. Karin Oberg, PhD, delivered a fascinating presentation on the origin of water.
Apollo 11’s 50th Anniversary: Celebrating the 'Third Astronaut'
There was a third astronaut who played an almost hidden but key role in the historic moon mission: command module pilot, Michael Collins.