Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium's Blog | Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium

Wildflower Wander

Posted: May 18, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Learning, What's Happening

We’re watching for new blooms every day. Early spring flowers bask in our New England sunshine and brighten fields, forests, and wetlands with splashes of color. We’ve been recording first bloom dates at the Fairbanks Museum since 1904, and we’re not about to stop now — we’re simply moving our… Read More

Our Virtual Doors Are Open!

Posted: March 30, 2020| Category: Fairbanks Museum

You can help build a new dimension in science learning. The Fairbanks Museum just received a $20,000 challenge — every gift will be doubled during this appeal. Make your gift online today. We need your help to make the transition to a vital, virtual science education resource. Your gift… Read More

May Astronomy

Posted: May 1, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Mark Breen, Planetarium News, Skywatch Almanac Astronomy

As May welcomes the return of some of the brighter summer stars, including Vega in the northeast, and Antares in the southeast, we watch the rapid descent of Venus, well-placed in the west during the first week, but fading in the Sun’s glare by Memorial Day. On its way, it… Read More

May Weather

Posted: May 1, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Mark Breen, Skywatch Almanac Weather, Weather, What's Happening

May is nearly as busy as April in the variety of weather gyrations to be expected. Most Mays record at least a few snowflakes, and about every 5 to 10 years some accumulating snow. Likewise, temperatures approaching 90 occur once or twice in a decade. Most of the time… Read More

FourScienceVT

Posted: April 30, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, What's Happening

Four Vermont Science Centers Team Up to Provide Critical Support for the Science Education Needs of Vermonters. FourScienceVT, a museum consortium led by ECHO, Fairbanks, Montshire, and VINS, band together to address the disparity of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education of Vermont’s communities during the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic… Read More

NVU and Our Community

Posted: April 19, 2020| Category: Fairbanks Museum

The Museum’s Board Chair Ed Vilandrie and Executive Director Adam Kane sent this letter to Governor Phil Scott regarding the proposed closure of Northern Vermont University: The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium urgently asks you to intercede against the Vermont State Colleges System’s plan to close Northern Vermont University (NVU). Read More

Wildflower Walk

Posted: April 15, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Observing

Have you seen them? Small, bright yellow blooms pushing through dried leaves and twigs along roadsides? Coltsfoot is one of the earliest flowers to mark spring in New England. This common plant is considered invasive in some states. Coltsfoot was introduced to America, most likely by early settlers from Europe. Read More

Take A Walk

Posted: April 1, 2020| Category: Learning

Want to deepen your nature knowledge? When you step outside with science educator Bobby Farlice-Rubio, every object has meaning. He’ll reveal secrets in the natural world to help you recognize familiar signs and spot hidden clues. Join Bobby in his tree house, and let him introduce you to trees… Read More

Come on in!

Posted: March 30, 2020| Category: Fairbanks Museum

Just because we’re keeping a healthy distance doesn’t mean the doors are shut. In fact, there’s a lot going on, and you’re invited to take a virtual tour and step into parts of the Fairbanks Museum that are not usually visited. This is a great time to ask some of… Read More

April Weather

Posted: March 30, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Mark Breen, Skywatch Almanac Weather, Weather

No other month has contributed so richly to New England’s reputation for changeable weather as has April. With the strength of the sunshine now equaling that of August, and the lingering cold refrigerated by the ice and snow near Hudson Bay, just about anything is possible. This balancing act almost… Read More

April Astronomy

Posted: March 30, 2020| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Mark Breen, Planetarium News, Skywatch Almanac Astronomy

April starts with Orion and his companions the Big Dog and Taurus, the Bull, standing on the western horizon to start, sinking lower through the month. The Big Dipper is placed high in the northeast, Leo, the Lion champions the southern skies, and Gemini’s Twins settle into the west. The… Read More

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