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Cicada Broods and Beyond: Navigating Scientific Journals for Rare Natural Wonders

Cicada Broods and Beyond: Navigating Scientific Journals for Rare Natural Wonders

, , Library Resources
On April 8, 2024, a large swath of Indiana was treated to a total solar eclipse, a rare event that last happened in 1869. And in May, parts of Indiana are experiencing another rare occurrence in nature – the emergence of two different cicada broods. In the north and southwest counties of Indiana there is the emergence of Brood XIII (17-year brood) and Brood XIX (13-year brood), a happening last took place in 1803. It will be another 221 years before these two broods sync again (Burga). Over a trillion red-eyed cicadas across the Midwest will emerge from underground burrows, where four U.S. cicada species live for 13 years and three U.S. species live for 17 years. They will spend … Continued
To the moon and stars

To the moon and stars

, , , , Library Resources
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross the sky over Richmond, Indiana for four minutes, starting at 3:07 PM.  The IU East campus is in the path of totality, which means that viewers of the eclipse will see the sun completely obscured.  This is a rare event, and the next eclipse of this kind is not expected to occur in this area until 2044.  The library has plenty of resources to assist in understanding the universe.  A good introductory source would be books on basic astronomy.  While the library has access to dictionaries and textbooks on astronomy, it also carries more popular materials as well.  Astrophysicists like Neil DeGrasse Tyson and well-respected scientists such as Stephen Hawking … Continued
Look, Up In the Sky

Look, Up In the Sky

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
This year, eclipses are major news.  On October 14th there will be an annular eclipse (that is, one where the moon is too far away to completely block out the sun, and you can still see the outer ring of it). On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be happening. For about four minutes, the sun will be completely blotted out of the sky, and only the solar corona will be visible. Many events are being planned locally around the eclipses, and special filtered glasses that allow people to look directly at them without damaging their eyes will be available from several organizations in our region, including IU East and the Morrisson-Reeves Public Library. Eclipses are academically important … Continued
Resources for the Skies

Resources for the Skies

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
On Christmas Day in 1758, Halley’s Comet appeared in the sky, sighted by Johann Palizsch.  This time, though, its appearance had been predicted in advance by the man it would come to be named after, Edmond Halley, who realized the comet was subject to Newtonian laws of motion and successfully connected it to historical sightings of particularly impressive comets at roughly seventy-five year intervals. Predicting other celestial phenomenon was well known – eclipses had been predictable for centuries.  Christopher Columbus, for example, had used the technique to intimidate the peoples of Jamaica into cooperation on his fourth trip to the Americas, in 1504; suggesting to them that he had much more power than he actually did.  But many cultures had … Continued
Primary Science

Primary Science

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
The use of primary sources is a staple of academic research – these are sources created by someone involved in the matter being described.  In the humanities, these typically take the form of letters, diaries, or the like – for the historian, a diary is usually valued more than a book written by someone who wasn’t involved.  This isn’t to say that secondary sources have no worth, as those can often take a longer or more nuanced view than that of a person in the thick of things – but the value of a direct witness cannot be understated.  Numerous databases are built around these types of materials, like American Civil War: Letters and Diaries, Gale Primary Sources, or The … Continued