No need to break a sweat or severely damage your vision this afternoon, members of The Exploratorium are hosting a live webcast of Venus’ transit across the Sun from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory. The webcast has a live telescope feed to the tune of audio commentary every 30 minutes and…
Tomorrow afternoon, Venus will be visible from Earth for several hours as it transits the Sun. Venus’ orbit differs from Earth’s a mere 3.4 degrees, which is enough to usually keep the planet out of sight. The event is a once-in-a-lifetime event — as the next transits are slated for…
In celebration of long-gone Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who created modern system of plants and animal names and classifications, The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and a committee of scientists from around the world announced its top 10 new species discovered in 2011. Brace yourself:…
Just in time for the forecasts to hit triple digits and for us all to stock up on deodorant and tank tops, scientists say they’ve discovered and are now analyzing the Lasioglossum gotham, casually called the “sweat bee.” Yes, instead of flowers or melty popsicles, the sweat bee is attracted…
Mercury’s not in retrograde and all seems normal on the astronomical charts, but through the lenses of highly specialized cameras, astronomers caught something slightly unusual on the Sun’s surface over the weekend. Described by NASA as “a beautiful prominence eruption producing a coronal mass ejection (CME),” a chunk of matter shot…
As spring makes a quick appearance in Arizona, the days for camping and hiking are perfect (and numbered). Luckily, there are tons of places in the Valley where you can take advantage of the natural beauty, gorgeous weather, and off-the-beaten path hikes. Here are just 10 of our favorites: 10…
Another Spring Break, another round of warnings from the State Department, your mom, and your agoraphobic friends: Don’t go to Mexico. Lo que sea. You’re going anyway (blame our flowchart). And that’s awesome.Whether this is your first time to Rocky Point or you remember what it was like to camp…
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of what lies beneath. Last year, “underground” was the theme of our Best of Phoenix issue — we even created an interactive map of Phoenix that includes photos and interviews with local archaeologists and creatives from underground scenes. If you’re as interested in Phoenix’s…
A new sign being planned for Camelback Mountain will likely memorialize falling victim Clint McHale with a picture, but don’t call it a memorial, says one Phoenix official.”It’ll be more like an educational or information sign,” says Kathi Reichert, deputy director for Phoenix’s Parks and Recreation department. “It talks about…
All gyms are not created equal. If the high-tech treadmills and state-of-the-art weight training equipment haven’t brought expected results, CrossFit could be the answer.Military special operations and police academies have turned to CrossFit gyms since 2005, and mainstream versions of the workout routine have multiplied to the thousands since 2010. The…
One of the options being considered by the City of Phoenix to ease traffic jams in the parking lot near Camelback Mountain’s Echo Canyon trailhead is to eliminate parking there entirely. If that happened, a new parking lot with 232 spaces could be created where 44th Street curves east to…
Hairspray, meet the supersoldier ant.This week, scientists at McGill University in Canada announced that they’ve successfully re-created an ant genus that evolved (and became more likely to be killed by household products and squashed by a small shoe) 35 to 60 million years ago. …
The Quadrantids meteor shower will be shinning bright (for anyone willing to roll out of bed) with a maximum rate of about 100 meteor per hour, according to NASA. While most of last year’s showers were hard to see because of full moons, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning’s shower will have little to…
Yes, friends, this week scientists announced the discovery of the newest, scariest addition to the already dream-haunting 4,000 species of the sewer bug — and this one jumps. The leaproach, scientific name saltoblattella montistabularis, is noted as an “evolution” of the cockroach with “extreme” bulging eyes to pinpoint landing spots, more aerodynamic antenna sockets…
If you can drag yourself out of bed tomorrow morning, you’ll want to look up to get a glimpse of a total lunar eclipse — the last one until 2014. The moon passes through the southern part of the Earth’s shadow, which gives the “eclipse” effect, (fortunately not of the vampire…
Strap in and buckle up: NASA representatives announced this afternoon that the space agency is looking for its next class of astronauts to continue its space program. “For 50 years, American astronauts have led the exploration of our solar system,” NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in webcasted national press conference. “Today…
Few things are as humbling to an athletic adult as failing to reach the top of a tough wall at the rock-climbing gym — then watching a 12-year-old do it without breaking a sweat.And for the 12-year-old, that’s just cool.This happens all the time at one of our favorite haunts,…
The man who hiked Camelback Mountain fully naked last Saturday wasn’t on drugs, but his jaunt was preceded by four sleepless nights and mental problems, says his friend.Nicholas Pirsein, 19, was at the scene on Saturday and appears in a YouTube video made by the woman who urged other hikers…
Why go to the gym when there’s a stationery bike at the bar? Ever try burning calories while drinking? This Thursday, you’ll have the chance to test out your boozing/biking skills as AZfixed.com hosts a fundraiser for the ASU Cycling club at Tempe Tavern. While the event’s hosted by cycling…
Saturday morning began like any other on Camelback; then normal stopped. Just past the longest handrail section on Camelback Mountain’s Echo Trail, I saw a full-grown, stark naked man (no shoes, either) having a conversation with himself on his way to the summit. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” he said (switching voices from child to…
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong came, saw, and conquered the Four Peaks Brewery Urban Dirt Triathlon in Tempe on Sunday. He blew the competition out of the Town Lake water by more than four minutes.Armstrong announced his participation in the race on his Twitter feed a few days ago, but other…
If you believe in myths and superstitions, this Friday, September 23, might be a good day to try and balance an egg on its end, avoid drinking water, or celebrate Persephone’s return to the Underworld. All those myths are associated with the September Equinox, which takes place at 9:04 a.m…
