Historic AZ landmark just got 2 national accolades. Here's why people love it
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff — the historic research center where Pluto was discovered — has made national headlines lately, earning back-to-back accolades from two major publications.
On Thursday, March 13, TIME named Lowell Observatory one of the World's Greatest Places of 2025, highlighting its open-air planetarium and ongoing contributions to space education.
That came just after the March 6 announcement that Lowell ranked No. 1 in Newsweek's readers choice list of 10 best science museums in the United States. That recognition emphasized Lowell's commitment to research and public engagement, showcasing its ability to make complex astronomical concepts accessible to visitors.
The observatory's blend of history, hands-on exhibits, and modern advancements helped it earn the top spot in this category, according to Newsweek.
TIME's list of the world's great places gave special attention to new and exciting experiences.
Lowell Observatory stood out for its new Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center, whose open-air planetarium offering live sky viewing and commentary with heated seating provides an immersive experience for visitors. TIME also noted the observatory's rich history, including its role in the discovery of Pluto.
'We are honored to be named as one of the world's greatest places,' Lowell Observatory Executive Director Amanda Bosh said in a press release.
'We think of Lowell Observatory as a portal between our world and other places in our solar system, galaxy and universe. Our research brings space closer to us through our understanding of it, and we invite the public to join us in exploring the wonders of our universe as well.'
Lowell Observatory is where researcher Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.
It was Flagstaff's first permanent scientific institution, paving the way for the city to become a hub for astronomical research and education.
Today, Lowell Observatory anchors a thriving scientific community that includes Northern Arizona University, the U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff Science Campus, the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station and Coconino Community College, as well as the Flagstaff Dark Sky Coalition.
When: Noon-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays; closed on Tuesdays.
Where: 1400 W. Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff.
Admission: $35 for ages 18-54; $30 for college students, military members and age 55 and older with ID; $20 for ages 6-17; free for age 5 and younger. There are discounts for local residents and Arizona Native Americans.
Details: 928-774-3358, lowell.edu.
Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.
Support local journalism and subscribe to azcentral.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Newsweek, Time love Lowell Observatory in AZ. Here's why
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Screen time is both a cause and symptom of kids' bad behavior, according to new research
Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. Does your child not listen to you? Do they kick and scream when they get angry? You may need to rethink their screen time, according to an article published Monday in Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American Psychological Association. The more time kids spent looking at a screen, the more likely their actions and feelings didn't meet expectations for their stage of development, according to a meta-analysis of 117 studies of kids younger than 10½ when the research began. These socioemotional problems included anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and aggression. The association was small but significant, especially for girls. The studies were designed in different ways but the overall picture showed that trouble occurred when kids under age 2 had any screen time (other than video chats), when kids ages 2-5 had more than an hour per day of screen time and when older kids had more than 2 hours per day of screen time. Kids who spent a lot of time on games were particularly at risk. And 6-to-10-year-olds were more likely to develop socioemotional problems than children age 5 or younger. What's more, kids who experienced these challenges tended to turn to screens even more to cope, which could exacerbate the problem. This was especially the case for boys. 'High screen use isn't just a cause of problems — sometimes, it's a symptom,' said lead author Roberta Pires Vasconcellos via email , noting one of the most striking findings. 'In many cases, children who are already struggling emotionally turn to screens, especially video games, as a way to cope or escape,' said Vasconcellos , who is a n associate lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. 'While that might offer short-term relief, over time it can trap them in a cycle that reinforces those emotional difficulties.' One of the largest of its kind, the meta-analysis has limitations, however, because it couldn't account for factors such as parenting style or socioeconomic status, Vasconcellos said. And since the studies looked at screen time more broadly, they couldn't pinpoint the effects of social media use on kids' mental health. Nevertheless, this latest data on kids and screen time suggests specific actions parents or guardians can take to have a real, positive impact on their kids' mental health. Adults often give kids screens to help them calm down, especially during work time or in other situations when children need to be quiet, such as at a restaurant. 'While this may offer short-term relief, it can lead to longer-term problems,' Vasconcellos warned. That's because it may prevent kids from learning how to behave appropriately and handle their emotions. 'Instead of developing self-regulation skills, they come to rely on screens for comfort and distraction,' she said. 'This can reinforce a harmful cycle where emotional difficulties are masked rather than addressed, making it even harder for children to cope without a screen over time.' Look for signs that children are reaching for screens when they have a problem. Rather than assuming the problem is the screen itself, look at the bigger picture, Vasconcellos said. ' If you notice your child turning to screens more often when they're upset or withdrawn, it might be time to check in on how they're doing emotionally,' she advised. 'In some cases, they might be seeking the sense of connection or support they're not finding in their face-to-face relationships — at home, at school or in other social settings.' That's when they need parental support and guidance the most — 'to help them feel heard, understood and emotionally safe, both online and offline,' Vasconcellos said. School guidance counselors or therapists are also good sources of support. The amount of time kids spend gaming is also important to note, according to the study. ' Online games, in particular, pose additional risks because they often function like social media platforms,' Vasconcellos said. 'Since these games continue even when a player logs out, children may feel pressure to stay connected for longer periods, which can lead them to neglect important real-life activities like sleep, schoolwork and face-to-face interactions. 'For this reason, gaming may require extra attention and clearer boundaries — especially for older children, who are typically granted more independence in how they use their time.' It's important to set rules for kids' screen time and stick to them. 'Keeping rules consistent helps children know what to expect and makes limits easier to follow,' Vasconcellos said. Parental controls on phones and apps are also useful. 'Most devices offer built-in tools to help you manage screen time and filter content,' she said. 'Use these settings to set reasonable daily limits and ensure your child is only accessing age-appropriate material.' To help prevent kids from depending too much on devices, Vasconcellos suggests removing apps such as video streaming platforms that are particularly tempting. Instead, give kids content that is educational or that serves a good purpose. The results of this study didn't surprise me. In my research, therapists and teachers often complain that parents or guardians aren't willing to set limits and say no when their kids ask for screens. When I say no to my own kids, their reactions aren't always pleasant. I have to remind myself that, as their mom, it's my job to know what's best for them and to make decisions that will keep them healthy in the long run — even if it leads to short-term distress for us all. Limiting kids' phone use is also wise. A newly published consensus statement I coauthored with experts around the globe offers evidence that heavy use of social media and smartphones by young people is linked to problems with sleep, attention, addiction and body dissatisfaction. When I speak to parents about how to handle their kids' social media use, they often tell me they feel they need to give their younger kids a phone at the same age their older siblings got one. That's not true. Tell younger kids who make this argument that you are more experienced now and have more data showing how screen time can be harmful. Also consider attractive alternatives to a phone. One mom told me she offered her daughter $1,600 to wait until she was 16 to get a phone. Her daughter took the cash. While many people don't have that kind of disposable income, you can still be creative and propose other things that kids would like. Sleepovers with friends, or a family camping adventure are just some examples. No matter what you offer, it's important to rethink the way you let your kids use technology. Since screen time may be both a cause and a symptom of behavioral and emotional problems in children, get comfortable saying no. It may provoke kicking and screaming in the moment, but it will likely lead to better mental health in the long run. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nepal 'cloudburst' video is AI generated
"Live video footage of cloudburst in Nepal," reads the Hindi-language caption of a video posted on X on May 25, 2025. It appears to show torrents of water emptying out of a cloud onto already flooded fields. It was shared as monsoon rains in eastern Nepal caused at least one death, according to the Kathmandu Post, as well as widespread flooding and disruptions to transport (archived link). Meteorologists in Nepal said the monsoon clouds had entered the country two weeks ahead of schedule, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority predicting that around two million could be affected by monsoon-related disasters (archived link). The video was also shared among Hindi-speaking users on Facebook and Instagram. "What a terrifying scene... it seems like water gushing out of a dam," reads a comment on one of the posts. Another comment reads: "A very scary scene... May God protect everyone." But Nepalese authorities told AFP that no such weather phenomena had occurred in the country. "Monsoon (season) has begun in Nepal so many areas are receiving rain. But there has been no incident of any cloudburst recently," Dinkar Kayastha, an information officer with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, said on June 5. A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same footage posted in a YouTube short on May 19 (archived link). The video's Thai-language caption includes the hashtag "AI", and the user who posted the video also posted others with the same hashtag that appear to have been AI generated (archived link). The director of Purdue University's Machine Learning and Media Forensics Lab, Shu Hu, also told AFP that there are visual inconsistencies in the video which confirm the clip was generated using AI (archived link). "The red roof was absent at the beginning of the video but appeared later," he said on June 3. AFP has debunked other false claims that utilised AI-generated footage here.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
June's Strawberry Moon ushers in best time of year to view the Moon
Known as the Strawberry Moon, the last full Moon of spring rises early Wednesday, beginning the best time of year to enjoy our celestial neighbor. Dr. Tyler Richey-Yowell, a postdoctoral fellow at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, said this is the first Moon to appear this low on the horizon in about a year. June's full Moon is the last of astronomical spring, even though if you ask a meteorologist, summer is already in full swing. "The Moon going across the night sky is always going to be a little lower because, in the summertime into the summer, the Sun goes higher and higher in the sky just because of our orbit. And so the Moon, being completely opposite of that, gets lower and lower," she said. Moon Shot: 7 Tips On How To Photograph The Moon The Strawberry Moon gets its name from the time when the berry is ready for picking, but it also corresponds with the slight hue as the Moon is lower in the sky. "When it spends more of that time in that lower portion of the sky, you're looking through more of Earth's atmosphere, which makes these moons generally look redder and more golden. And also, they appear bigger," Richey-Yowell said. "The atmosphere actually bends some of the light. And so while there's not really any astronomical significance to moons in the summer, we do actually get cooler, bigger, prettier moons in the summer." For some in the northern tier and Southeast, the Strawberry Moon may be especially colorful this year. Saharan dust arriving to Florida and crawling up the Southeast coast can also scatter light in a way that creates vibrant sunrises and sunsets, as well as a tint to the Moon. In the North, wildfire smoke from Canada has reduced air quality but also had the same effect on the sky color. Richey-Yowell said the best time to enjoy the Moon throughout the summer is right after sunset, when the Moon is peeking up over the horizon. During this time, the Moon can appear to have a reddish tint. For the Strawberry Moon on Wednesday, it will be at its biggest and brightest after midnight (Pacific time) and after 3 a.m. (Eastern time). How To Photograph The Moon With Your Phone "If you're a night person, that would be the time to go up and see it," she said. With an earlier time of day to see the Moon in late spring and this summer, it's a good chance to practice photographing our only satellite. If you plan to use a smartphone or camera, Richey-Yowell recommends finding something to stabilize your device. "Turning down the saturation on your phone is typically what I do. The Moon's actually just really good for holding up to a telescope as well," she said. "They also make some really nice like phone holders that you can attach to your own personal telescope." The Strawberry Moon will make good practice for next month. The full Buck Moon appears at its fullest just after 4 p.m. ET on July 11, which will make for a spectacular sunset and article source: June's Strawberry Moon ushers in best time of year to view the Moon
