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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 🐇.

A painting of a man and a woman in a study

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.

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A painting of a large telescope with people in Victorian dress standing around it

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

A photo of a field of purple flowers with mountains in the background

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

A photo of men hammering in a quarry of red rock

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

A photo of three small planes flying above a river

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?

A picture of a rabbit sitting on some dirt

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.

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