Fire In The Sky! How to Watch Spectacular Meteor Showers In Central Florida

The Perseids Meteor Shower.
NASA/Preston Dyches
The Perseids Meteor Shower.
NASA/Preston Dyches

One of the most vivid meteor showers of the year is just peaking, and there’s plenty of time left to see it. The Perseids are one of the most popular meteor showers, known for their bright meteors and high visibility. They peak annually around mid-August and are a favorite for stargazers, especially in regions with clear skies and minimal light pollution. So what is the best place to see them?

The 2024 Florida Python Challenge Has Begun!

The 2024 Florida Python Challenge Has Begun!

Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay participated in the 2017 Challenge for his cooking series, "The F Word", capturing three pythons.  Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay participated in the 2017 Challenge for his cooking series, “The F Word”, capturing three pythons. Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

The Florida Python Challenge is an annual event aimed at removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades ecosystem. The event, sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, began in 2013, making it an ongoing effort for over 11 years.

Florida Woman Discovers WWII-Era Message in a Bottle

Suzanne Flament-Smith displays a letter dated 1945 that she found in a bottle last week washed up in Safety Harbor Florida . Image: Facebook/10 Tampa Bay

What began as a cleanup of storm debris turned into a historical discovery for one Safety Harbor, Florida woman, Suzanne Flament-Smith, who stumbled upon a World War II-era message in a bottle while clearing debris left behind by Hurricane Debby.

Crew 9 Launch Postponed; Starliner Saga Continues

Crew 9 Launch Postponed; Starliner Saga Continues

NASA's next ISS rotational crew, Crew- 9 Photo: NASA
NASA’s next ISS rotational crew, Crew- 9 Photo: NASA

NASA announced today that they have postponed the launch of the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to no earlier than Tuesday, September 24, 2024. According to NASA this decision allows additional time for mission managers to finalize the return plans for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, which is currently docked at the ISS.

Axiom Space Names AX-4 Crew

AX 4 CRew Photo[LEFT] Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary [RIGHT]. Photo: Axiom/X
AX 4 Crew Photo [LEFT] Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary [RIGHT]. Photo: Axiom/X

Axiom Space to Include Astronauts from US, India, Poland, and Hungary in Ax-4 Mission to ISS

Axiom Space has officially announced the international crew for it’s next mission to the ISS. AX-4 will include astronauts from the US, India, Poland, and Hungary. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission. Whitson, who is now Axiom’s chief astronaut, holds the record among American astronauts and among women for spending the most time in space, 675 days. Whitson was the first female commander of the International Space Station and the only woman to serve as ISS Commander twice. She also became the first woman to command a private space mission on Ax-2 in 2023.

Florida Highway Patrol Wins Best Looking Cruiser Competition for Second Consecutive Year

Florida Highway Patrol Wins Best Looking Cruiser Competition for Second Consecutive Year

This year's winning entry shows a Florida Highway Patrol Cruiser with ULA's Delta IV Heavy (April 18) launching in the background. Photo: FHP
This year’s winning entry shows a Florida Highway Patrol Cruiser with ULA’s Delta IV Heavy (April 18) launching in the background. Photo: FHP

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has once again clinched the title in the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) 2024 Best Looking Cruiser Competition, marking their second consecutive win. The announcement came Monday afternoon, and with it, FHP’s cruiser will grace the cover of the AAST 2025 calendar.

Big Changes Coming To Crew Dragon Splashdowns

Big Changes Coming To Crew Dragon Splashdowns

Workers secure  Space X Crew Dragon capsule after Crew 7 astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico last March. Image: NASA
Workers secure Space X Crew Dragon capsule after Crew 7 astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico last March. Image: NASA

NASA’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will be making its final splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean next year . The upcoming Crew-9 mission, set to launch no earlier than August 18, 2024, could be the last to conclude with a landing off the U.S. East Coast.

SpaceX Requests FAA to Resume Falcon 9 Launches Amid Ongoing Investigation

SpaceX Requests FAA to Resume Falcon 9 Launches Amid Ongoing Investigation

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a load of Starlink satellites to orbit earlier this year. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a load of Starlink satellites to orbit earlier this year. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN

SpaceX has petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to permit the resumption of its Falcon 9 rocket flights, despite an ongoing investigation into a recent mission anomaly. The request comes just days after a malfunction during a Starlink mission led to the grounding of the reusable launch vehicles.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Experiences In-Flight Failure, 20 Starlink Satellites In Jeopardy

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Experiences In-Flight Failure, 20 Starlink Satellites In Jeopardy

Booster 1063 safely lands on a SpaceX Droneship. Image: SpaceX
Booster 1063 safely lands on a SpaceX Droneship. Image: SpaceX

SpaceX encountered its first in-flight failure of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2015 Thursday night, resulting in 20 Starlink satellites being deployed into a lower-than-intended orbit. The incident occurred during SpaceX’s 70th orbital launch of the year. The mission, designated Starlink 9-3, initially appeared to proceed without issue after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday night at 7:35 p.m. PDT .

Utopia of the Seas Arrives at Port Canaveral

Utopia of the Seas Arrives at Port Canaveral

Utopia of the Seas arrived at her new home port of Port Canaveral, Florida on July 11, 2024. Photo: Royal Carribean
Utopia of the Seas arrived at her new home port of Port Canaveral, Florida on July 11, 2024. Photo: Royal Carribean

This morning, the arrival of the world’s second-largest cruise ship and Royal Caribbean International’s newest vessel, Utopia of the Seas, was celebrated with fanfare and excitement as it docked at Port Canaveral. Observers say the ship could redefine luxury and innovation in the cruising industry, bringing with it a host of technology, features, and amenities that elevate the cruising experience to new heights.

Florida Nuclear Power Expansion Reexamined; Some Environmental Groups Not Happy

Florida's Crystal River plant no longer uses its reactor due to issues with the containment building. Photo: Greenpeace
Florida’s Crystal River plant no longer uses its reactor due to issues with the containment building. Photo: Greenpeace

Florida is considering the addition of new nuclear power plants for the first time in decades, following the inclusion of a nuclear power study in a broad energy bill signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The legislative push in Florida comes despite historical concerns stemming from incidents like the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania. Now, state regulators are set to assess the feasibility of new, advanced nuclear technologies, reflecting both state and federal pushes toward a cleaner energy future. Despite the common goal of a cleaner environment, the new legislation is angering some environmental groups.