April 22, 2025

Early morning skies are putting on a pretty show with Mercury and Saturn, very low to the horizon, visible below a gleaming Venus. On March 25, at 5:45 am, the planetary trio topped by Venus teams up with a waxing crescent moon until sunrise.

Fifty-five years ago today the inaugural Earth Day celebration took place, April 22, 1970. It began in protest of an oil spill off the coast of California and a river that caught on fire in Ohio due to toxic waste. Pre-internet, word spread through news outlets, telephone calls, letters and word of mouth. For the first time, people carried bags of metal cans and glass bottles to collection centers. Millions participated in clean up events that first Earth Day.

Before then, toxic waste was routinely and legally dumped into water systems that led to drinking water. Without regulatory mechanisms, contaminants knocked fragile and finite ecosystems into dead zones. Public pressure from more than twenty million people in cities and communities across the United States brought about the establishment of the Environmental Protections Agency. Twelve other vital environmental legislations passed to protect the health of people and the planet. The 1970’s became known as the “environmental decade,” due to the grass roots movement of concerned citizens. Today, more than one billion people around the globe take part in Earth Day events.

Are you as fascinated by the night sky as we are?

Join us for SkyWatch: Carnegie Science Center’s monthly opportunity to catch a glimpse of the stars with professional telescopes. Get a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline as you stargaze with other space enthusiasts. Plus, watch a feature show at the Buhl Planetarium and participate in fun, astronomy-themed activities.