Environment & Science

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched on Christmas 2021, orbits the Sun about a million miles outside Earth’s orbit. It is the most powerful, largest, and most complex telescope ever made.

This New Year’s Day, tens of thousands of people across the country, including dozens in the Valley, will take a guided hike through a state park to mark the beginning of 2024.

December 2023 is now the wettest December on record in the Lehigh Valley, with a total of 8.17 inches of rainfall recorded as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. The high water mark was set during a day of record rain for Dec. 27.

The ski slopes just southeast of Lehigh County announced it would shut down at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, awaiting colder weather to make snow

With a forecast projecting 1 to 1.5 inches of rain possible this week, the Lehigh Valley will move closer to its wettest December ever.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Look for the full moon on Wednesday, Dec. 27

Take a look at stories that ran throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

On Dec. 21 at approximately 10:27 p.m. EST, we’ll begin the winter solstice north of the equator. Will the change of season finally bring snow?

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Giana Jarrah wins StartUP Lehigh Valley's grand prize with her women's health brand With Meraki Co.

A report by the research and advocacy group PennEnvironment analyzed samples from 50 of Pennsylvania's cleanest waterways, only to find different kinds of microplastic residue in all of them.

An event featured speakers from the Lehigh County Conservation District, Penn State Extension, and Lehigh County Water Authority to show homeowners how they can best mitigate excessive runoff on their property.

As contracts between some municipalities and service providers in the Lehigh Valley expire near the end of the year, the new agreements that replace them could amount to major price hikes.

The Sept. 11th National Memorial Trail which runs through Palmer Township could see trail improvements through state grant

The school district is expected to get two electric vehicle school buses as part of a pilot program.

Bethlehem residents may soon be able to get permits to keep backyard chickens. Two committees agreed the concept is a good one, but some officials still worry about the spread of avian disease and other issues.

A high school in Allentown was designated a K-12 Tree Campus and hoisted a new flag in celebration.

Amid a changing weather pattern, the Lehigh Valley is under a freeze warning Tuesday into Wednesday. Is this wintry feel a sign of things to come?

A bear was seen in a backyard in Palmer Township Saturday.

Lehigh Valley's 'Spooktacular' Hot Air Balloon festival is on Friday through Sunday and there's a lot more going on than just balloons

Monkeypox is getting a name change in parts of the country, but the change has not made its way to the Lehigh Valley yet. New York City’s health department recently announced it now will refer to the infectious viral disease as MPV.