Science writer, editor, and presenter
There are 8 planets in our Solar System (sorry Pluto). Â Most of these planets have companions that follow them around, like obedient pets and criminal records. Â The total count of these moons is 181. Â We are all quite familiar with the big shiny one that orbits Earth (that may or may not be made of …
Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife. These words, written by Johannes Kepler in 1611, are profound.  At the time, Galileo had just discovered the Galilean moons (including Europa) in Florence but was being persecuted for his belief that the Earth orbits the sun. Kepler, a staunch supporter of heliocentrism, …
If you look up in the night’s sky and point even a simple pair of binoculars at Jupiter, like Galileo did with a rudimentary telescope 405 years ago, you will see what he did: a reddish-pink planet with swirling masses of clouds. These clouds are beautiful in their own right, but there is one particular …
Say goodbye to foil floating hearts on Valentines, shimmering floating shamrocks on St. Patty's, and the prospect of tying thousands of balloons to your house and abducting a neighbourhood boy scout.  The world's Helium reserve is going to run out, and sooner than you might think. Helium is the universe's second most abundant element and we've never …
Jon Farrow 