Nebulous space image of Messier 78
Back to Blog

All Posts

  • The Sandhill Crane Migration is On!

    Published04/09/2020 , By Anna Kottkamp

    Sandhill cranes have been spotted beginning their spring migration through Minnesota, giving us a chance to watch and learn about these extraordinary animals once on the brink of being endangered. 

  • Curious About: Cassiopeia

    Published , By Kaitlin Ehret, planetarium outreach educator

    If you go outside on a clear night and look up, you’ll likely recognize a few shapes. The big dipper (Ursa Major) is a popular one here in Minnesota. Not too far away from it is a constellation with a distinctive shape—Cassiopeia.

  • Spring into Citizen Science (In Your Backyard)

    Published04/06/2020 , By Holly Menninger

    April is Citizen Science Month! Holly Menninger, director of public engagement and science learning at the Bell, shares her thoughts and tips for how to get involved in citizen science this month. 

  • Minnesota Skies: April 2020

    Published03/31/2020 , By Deane Morrison, Thaddeus LaCoursiere & Sarah Komperud

    April opens with spectacular views of planets in both the morning and evening skies. Early risers who look to the southeast will see Jupiter, brilliant in the predawn darkness. Off to the east of Jupiter, red Mars hangs right below golden Saturn.

  • Exploring Plants and Their Chemicals

    Published

    Ya Yang, our curator of plants, is leading a $1.4 million collaborative project with Sam Brockington at Cambridge University, Hiroshi Maeda at University of Wisconsin, and Stephen Smith at University of Michigan. Support for Yang’s team here at the University is $480,000. We sat down to get some details on…

  • Something Fishy at the Bell

    Published03/27/2020

    Keiffer Williams, Alex Franzen, and Claire Rude are UMN students using the Bell’s fish collections for research.

  • Meet Ficus umbrae

    Published

    George Weiblen, our science director and curator of plants, along with student Zacky Ezedin described a new species—Ficus umbrae—in 2019.

  • The Bell Gives Back

    Published

    Staff from the Bell Museum give what they can to University researchers and healthcare providers working to stop COVID-19.

  • A Bird’s-Eye View of Climate Change

    Published02/24/2020 , By Gretchen Zampogna

    Donald Thomas, the Bell Museum’s second resident artist of 2019-20, created an eagle affirmation mirror reflecting the relationship between the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers and climate change, with the eagle representing nature’s view of climate change.

  • Minnesota Skies: March 2020

    Published02/20/2020 , By Deane Morrison, Thaddeus LaCoursiere & Sarah Komperud

    In March, the action in the predawn sky really picks up. The month opens with Mars, Jupiter and Saturn forming a straight line, in that order from right to left, above the southeastern horizon. On the 4th, the three planets are spaced almost evenly apart.