It’s going to be a month of meteors: The Pegasids, Gamma Draconids, and Delta Aquariids meteor showers are all set to peak in July. The latter two, however, could be obstructed by the full moon on the 29th, so your best bet for spotting meteors will probably be the Pegasids on July 10. Meteors aside, telescope owners may also get a chance to spot Pluto in the next few weeks. Get the deets on July stargazing.
Must Reads
It’s expected to be a very hot Fourth of July weekend for most of the U.S.: Here are tips for keeping kids safe
A once-forgotten Rembrandt painting was recently restored — see before and after pics
Science
“Greatest Cosmic Movie Ever”: Telescope Begins Colossal Survey of the Universe
JAVIER TORRES—AFP /Getty Images
So it begins! In a milestone decades in the making, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile began the Legacy Survey of Space and Time on Tuesday, a mission expected to capture the most sweeping and detailed time-lapse record of the universe. Every night over the next 10 years, the telescope will use the world’s largest digital camera to chart changes in the southern sky, capturing a new image approximately every 40 seconds. In the photo queue are pulsating stars, supernova explosions, and fast-spinning asteroids, as well as more subtle cosmic events and new phenomena we don’t even know about yet. Come 2036, we’ll have “the greatest cosmic movie ever,” according to Brian Stone, who’s currently acting as director of the U.S. National Science Foundation. And in the meantime, the observatory is sure to deliver a trove of dazzling images that will make us ponder our place in the universe (and make for some spectacular screensavers).
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Historian Walks the Underground Railroad for America’s Birthday
Interim Archives/Getty Images
Two days from today, Anthony Cohen is set to complete a poignant journey just in time for America’s 250th birthday. The 62-year-old historian is walking a 750-mile path that was once part of the Underground Railroad, the secret network of passageways and safe houses used by enslaved people fleeing to free states in the North. “Any freedom movement is about putting one foot in front of the other and going for it,” Cohen, who previously retraced portions of the Underground Railroad in 1996, told CBS News. Following that voyage, he established the Menare Foundation, which aims to educate audiences about the Underground Railroad through immersive experiences. This time around, he’s been journeying from Maryland to Toronto over the course of two months on a route he planned using historic maps and historical accounts. Most of his travels have been on foot — and he’s had a lineup of visitors joining him for portions of the trek. Among the guests Cohen invited was Tom DeWolf, whose ancestors were once the largest slave traders in the U.S. DeWolf recalled Cohen telling him, “You can write a new legacy for your family.”
Health
Longevity Secrets Might Be Found in Butterflies, Study Says
Sebastián Mena
Research on longevity can be a whole can of worms, or in this case, caterpillars. Scientists recently sought to understand how Heliconius butterflies live so much longer than most. The tropical butterflies from Central and South America flit and flutter their wings for up to nearly a year, while other species live only a few days or weeks. After ruling out diet as a factor, researchers used a small wooden perch to conduct a grip strength test on the butterflies — long considered a biomarker of aging in humans. They found the older Heliconius butterflies performed just as well as the younger ones and didn’t show clear signs of physical decline as they aged. In contrast, a closely related species with a shorter lifespan showed clear age-related decline. The takeaway: These butterflies may bypass the physical deterioration that tends to go hand in hand with aging in most animals, shedding light on “the mechanisms that underpin longevity,” lead author Jessica Foley said in a statement. “By comparing long-lived Heliconius butterflies with their short-lived relatives, we have a natural evolutionary experiment that can help reveal how lifespan is extended, making them a highly promising new model for research into the biology of aging and longevity.”
In Other News
Traveling this weekend? Get last-minute tips to save money on gas and airport parking (read more)
The most biodiverse U.S. national park could soon get 600 acres bigger, thanks to conservationists (read more)
Orbital operation: Astronauts conducted “surgery” during a spacewalk to replace a broken robot arm (read more)
A generic version of a “miracle drug” is making the medication more accessible for cystic fibrosis patients (read more)
Nova, a baby bison, was born at a Pennsylvania preserve — read the touching story behind the calf’s name (read more)
Something We Love
Aloha Spreads These are the best nut butters of all time, in my opinion. Aloha offers two varieties (peanut butter and almond butter), with each containing just two ingredients: the nut and coconut. The result is a rich, slightly sweet, perfectly drippy nut butter that never lasts long in my household. And I love that they’re made fresh every week!
Gerry Blanck’s martial arts studio was a beloved Southern California institution for 43 years, until it was sadly destroyed in the 2025 Palisades fire. But last month, the dojo celebrated a grand reopening, thanks to a fundraising effort spearheaded by three local teens. “I couldn’t have done it without them,” said Blanck, 71.
Photo of the Day
Mike Klimas/U.S. Department of the Interior
Greetings from Washington state’s Sourdough Mountain Trail! The strenuous trail in North Cascades National Park is finally back open following a 2023 fire — and from the looks of the picture above, it seems to be alive and well with all kinds of flowers.
This July Fourth, Spark Something New With Babbel
Here’s some good news to celebrate this Independence Day: There’s never been an easier time to pick up a new language. And few things feel quite as liberating as striking up a conversation in a language you taught yourself, one 10-minute lesson at a time. Built by over 150 linguists, the Babbel Method focuses on real-world conversations you can actually use. Fire up a quick lesson, dip into a relaxing podcast, or squeeze in some conversation practice between the cookout and the fireworks. You could be speaking out loud in as little as three weeks. For the Fourth of July, get 20% off Babbel Lifetime and give yourself something genuinely worth celebrating.
