9 night sky events to see in December, from a supermoon to a once-in-a-lifetime interstellar comet

If November’s widespread aurora sightings left you buzzing, December is poised to keep the momentum going. This month’s nightscapes are packed with celestial standouts: early planet sightings, a bright supermoon, and what many astronomers consider 2025’s best meteor shower. Later in the month, an exceptionally vivid Jupiter will cap offContinue Reading

Who was Empress Matilda? The forgotten woman who nearly became England’s first queen

When the sinking of the White Ship decimated England’s line of succession and threw the kingdom into chaos in 1120, one teenage girl was the only heir to the British throne left standing.  Even with the—at first reluctant—endorsement of her father King Henry I, 25-year-old Matilda couldn’t achieve that historical first: ruling asContinue Reading