297: total eclipse of the earth

I n 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That, at least, is what the famous rhyme tells us. Memorising such dates is a common experience of being taught history – a cliché superbly lampooned by the w

In the 17th century, the great maritime nations were vying to solve a puzzle that had confounded philosophers for many centuries: how to determine exact positions on the Earth’s surface. And in Britai

From strange lights in the sky to rocks that spontaneously glide across the ground, the mysteries scientists are trying to finally crack

Shadows Ulrik Skotte The Umbrella Murder The ...

An early-morning dog walk through the woods sees John Lewis-Stempel coming face to face–or skin to spider silk–with the industrious magic of a September dawn

I looked out of the window before bed while on holiday in Orkney in mid-August and was delighted to see my first-ever noctilucent cloud display! The reflections in the still waters of the Bay of Firth