<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>seasons &#8211; Alison Pearce Stevens</title>
	<atom:link href="https://apstevens.com/tag/seasons/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://apstevens.com</link>
	<description>Adventures in nature and science</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 14:24:52 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://i0.wp.com/apstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cropped-site-icon.png?fit=32%2C32&#038;ssl=1</url>
	<title>seasons &#8211; Alison Pearce Stevens</title>
	<link>https://apstevens.com</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
<site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">79253410</site>	<item>
		<title>Death Valley in full bloom</title>
		<link>https://apstevens.com/death-valley-in-full-bloom/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alison]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:41:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[color]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seasons]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apstevens.com/?p=652</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Death Valley is one of the hottest places on the planet, and most of the time, it&#8217;s sandy and barren. But when rain falls, all that changes. Seeds that lay hidden in the soil (sometimes for years) burst open and]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Death Valley is one of the hottest places on the planet, and most of the time, it&#8217;s sandy and barren. But when rain falls, all that changes. Seeds that lay hidden in the soil (sometimes for years) burst open and the desert blooms. This year, that bloom is exceptional. Twenty different kinds of flowering plants currently paint Death Valley dunes a kaleidoscope of color.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s called a &#8220;superbloom&#8221; and you can check it out here:</p>
<p>&nbsp;<br />
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LJbcWFTBn08" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">652</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Spring equinox supermoon solar eclipse</title>
		<link>https://apstevens.com/spring-equinox-supermoon-solar-eclipse/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alison]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eclipse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seasons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[space]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apstevens.com/?p=371</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Spring is almost here! Tomorrow marks the vernal equinox: 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark as those of us in the northern hemisphere transition out of winter and into spring. But what makes this equinox exceptional? The]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>Spring is almost here!</h3>
<p>Tomorrow marks the vernal equinox: 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark as those of us in the northern hemisphere transition out of winter and into spring. But what makes this equinox exceptional? The supermoon solar eclipse, of course!</p>
<figure id="attachment_373" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-373" style="width: 143px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-373" src="https://i0.wp.com/apstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/supermoon.jpg?resize=143%2C145" alt="supermoon" width="143" height="145" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-373" class="wp-caption-text">by Ranglio Gujarati</figcaption></figure>
<p>Usually a <em>supermoon</em> is a full moon. We notice it then because it looks so much bigger than it usually does&#8211;and that&#8217;s because it is closer to Earth. How does it come closer? The moon doesn&#8217;t orbit our planet in a circle, but rather in an elongated shape called an ellipse. That path puts the moon closer to our planet during some points in its orbit and farther away during others. And just like a car driving by, it appears smaller from a distance and really big close up.</p>
<p>Today, the moon is close (making it a supermoon), but it&#8217;s a <em>new</em> moon. That means the moon is between Earth and the sun. The sun&#8217;s light doesn&#8217;t shine on the side we can see, so it seems as though there&#8217;s no moon at all.</p>
<figure id="attachment_376" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-376" style="width: 145px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-376" src="https://i0.wp.com/apstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/solareclipse.jpg?resize=145%2C145" alt="solar eclipse" width="145" height="145" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-376" class="wp-caption-text">from NASA</figcaption></figure>
<p>Most of the time, the new moon isn&#8217;t directly between the sun and the Earth. But sometimes its orbit takes it right across the face of the sun, blocking out the sun&#8217;s light. We call that a <em>solar eclipse</em>.</p>
<p>Those of us in North America won&#8217;t be able to witness this special event, since it will happen during the night. Folks in Europe will see a partial eclipse (the moon will cover some, but not all, of the sun). But if you happen to find yourself in a boat east of Iceland, you can bathe in the moon&#8217;s shadow as you celebrate spring.</p>
<p><strong style="color: #0b3b2e;">Did you know? During a supermoon, the moon is 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles) closer to Earth than it is when it reaches the most distant point in its orbit.</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">371</post-id>	</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
