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I wrote this as a reply comment to a b0st0n community post asking about natural and outdoor places around Boston that can be reached via the MBTA. Unfortunately, it was too long for LJ's comment form, so I'm making it an entry in my own journal. So, here are some nature and outoors destinations near the MBTA, sorted by a casual ranking of how essential ( Read more... )

The MBTA's expenses substantially exceed revenue, with a projected annual deficit of $160 million. In large part, this is due to debt resulting from the $2 billion system expansion ordered by the state to improve regional air quality and get cars off the road. No amount of service cutbacks, government reform, or operational savings can reduce the ( Read more... )

The second attempt to launch the space shuttle is scheduled for tonight at 7:43 pm EDT. The shuttle will be visible from Boston about 7 minutes after liftoff, during the final 90 seconds of the launch, see my previous post for details.

The space shuttle launch on Wednesday evening will be visible from Boston, if there are clear skies in our area. As I've noted before, night launches usually fly up the Atlantic coastline, and it's remarkably easy to see the shuttle launch from the northeast. Since the shuttle program is expected to shut down in 2010, there will only be a few ( Read more... )

I've learned to read news articles with a great deal of skepticism, because when I read about subjects I know personally, there are so many glaring errors. It is reasonable to infer that other subjects are reported just as inaccurately. Case in point:
Scientists estimate that there should be around 3,000 comets in the galaxy, but only 25 have so ( Read more... )

The space shuttle Endeavour has undocked from the space station. From Boston, if you look at the right time, very low in the northern sky, you will be able to see the two spacecraft flying near each other in orbit ( Read more... )

The space shuttle Discovery will be visible from Boston on Sunday evening, flying independently before docking with the space station on Monday. The weather forecast currently calls for mostly clear skies.

At about 10:06 pm, both Discovery and the Space Station will rise in the northwest, passing slightly above the bright star Capella. The two ( Read more... )

Endeavour is scheduled to land this afternoon. If the weather is not favorable, it may stay up an extra day. In that case, it will be visible again tonight. The pass over Boston rises 8:17 WNW, peak 8:20 at 50 degrees high in the SW, enters shadow 8:23 SE. The path will basically hit the bright star Arcturus at 8:19. Shuttle is trailing space ( Read more... )

Tonight's Shuttle/ISS pass over Boston (the last before landing) is not as favorable as last night's pass. The time is 9:30 to 9:32 pm, low in the west to southwest (peak elevation 16 degrees). The pair will rise in the west, and enter the Earth's shadow in the southwest, very close to the moon - about 10 degrees to the upper-right of the moon. ( Read more... )