The brother and sister who changed astronomy

He even discovered a planet. Plus, why California may soon experience a superbloom.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

A SUPERBLOOM? IT'S POSSIBLE. VIEW ONLINE

A SUPERBLOOM? IT'S POSSIBLE.

THEIR ‘PLAN B’ CHANGED OUR VIEW OF THE HEAVENS Thursday, January 19, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we meet two musicians who found stardom in astronomy, prepare for an epic sea of flowers, explore a wilder side of Venice, build homes to withstand oppressive heat ... and test your wildlife skills 🐇.

ALBUM/WELLCOME IMAGES Grandpa was a gardener. Father played oboe. Two of his children, fleeing their native land, moved from music to change the face of astronomy. William Herschel discovered the seventh planet from the sun. Caroline became the first woman to discover a comet. Their compilation of 2,500 new sky objects became the backbone for a catalogue of the stars that is integral today. How did they do it? Read the full story here. Please consider getting our digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

ALAMY/ACI Rising stars: Both siblings (painted at top) were eventually given annual stipends by the British monarchy for their accomplishments. With an additional some £4,000 from the crown, the Herschels were able to build a 40-foot telescope of their own design (above). Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN BENTTINEN

California may experience a rare ‘superbloom’ this year (A field of Phacelia wildflowers in Carrizo Plain National Monument) Explore the wilder side of Venice—with the help of its fishermen Japan confronts a stark reality: how does a nation function as it ages? Sea otters are making a dramatic comeback. Why isn’t everyone happy?

This ancient Himalayan kingdom has been isolated from the world—until now She disguised herself as a man to win her freedom New laws are tackling the exotic pet and fur industries in the U.S. Cancer vaccines are showing promise. Here's how they work

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY MOISES SAMAN Clear as mud: Ask anyone in Burkina Faso. It’s hot. Temperatures rarely dip below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and if you live inside a newly built concrete house, it can feel like an oven. Local architects are pushing for a return to traditional mud building techniques that excel at keeping spaces cool—but it may be too late. (Above, workers hammer out laterite stone bricks from a quarry.) MUD MAY BE THE ANSWER

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY @ACACIA.JOHNSON You'll need a pilot: Alaska has more land than Texas, California, and Montana combined. However, only 20 percent of the U.S.’s largest state is accessible by road. Ever since Alaska’s first mail-delivery plane took off in 1924, it has become highly dependent on aviation and many pilots (like the three in formation above) consider flying a way of life. Related: Small, battery-powered planes are on the way HOW GREEN & HOW SOON?

WHAT ANIMAL IS THIS?

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALL CANADA PHOTOS, ALAMY What is this animal? Sunday marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit according to the Lunar New Year calendar. But can you tell a rabbit from a hare? The two are different species—about as similar as a goat to a sheep. So what animal is pictured above? Here’s a hint: Rabbits burrow while hares do not. Click here for the answer. Also: How Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world WHAT ANIMAL IS IT?

Today’s soundtrack: Soukora, Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder This newsletter was curated and edited by David Beard, Sydney Combs, and Jen Tse. If you'd like our daily newsletter, sign up here.

SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL

READ OUR LATEST STORIES

SHOP

DONATE

SUBSCRIBE

TRAVEL

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: mitch.dobbs.pics@blogger.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 Stop all types of future commercial email from National Geographic regarding its products, services, or experiences. Manage all email preferences with the Walt Disney Family of Companies. © 2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.