Outdoors
Groundhog Day arrives Thursday, February 2. If the sleepy woodchuck sees his shadow, so the story goes, he’ll hole up for another six weeks of winter cold. None of this means much in San Diego, …
Acacias, festooned with myriads of fluffy yellow blossoms, are brightening streetsides, freeway embankments, and backyard gardens throughout the San Diego area this month. Although many acacias are native to subtropical regions, nearly all we see …
Poinsettias, a favorite of backyard gardeners, are now exhibiting their scarlet, petal-like bracts, just in time for the holidays. The onset of 14-hour-long nights triggers their behavior: In San Diego this condition is met just …
Jupiter, the “king” of the planets, appears high in the southern sky after sunset. Note its creamy yellow-white color and unblinking brightness. Aim a small telescope at Jupiter anytime during the next few weeks to …
Liquidambar Trees, or sweet gums, the colorfully deciduous trees gracing front yards, parks, and campuses throughout the San Diego area, have been putting on a good show for the past month. The maplelike leaves of …
Low-Lying Temperature Inversions commonly occur in San Diego as winter approaches. During the night and morning hours, a meteorological condition often occurs in which the “normal” higher-you-go-the colder-it-gets trend is reversed. At such times cold …
Adjoining the Grand Canyon on the south side of the Colorado River is a tributary canyon called Havasu, which, in the language of the Havasupai people who live there, means “blue-green water.” Havasu Canyon is …
Conjunction between Venus and Saturn — Spot the beautiful sight of Venus and Saturn's close encounter on Saturday, October 29, as they pass within less than three degrees of each other after sunset in an …
The Orionid meteor shower is active in the month of October and is expected to reach its peak in the early morning tomorrow, Friday, October 21. Unfortunately, a brightly illuminated moon will glare out much …
Chinese Flame Trees all over the San Diego region are displaying colorful dusters of orange, reddish, or salmon-pink seed pods. Good specimens line the south end of Balboa Drive in Balboa Park, and Lake Murray …
Dense Ground Fogs are a trademark of the onset of autumn along San Diego's coastal strip. Fog materializes during the night and early morning hours when moist marine air that has settled in valleys and …