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.

The weather pattern not only remains active – with another flood watch on Friday – it includes a chance of yet another coastal system impacting the mid-Atlantic region early next week.

Another soaking rainfall and flood watch are expected for the Lehigh Valley on Friday, forecasters said, with widespread impacts somewhat similar to Tuesday’s storm. Then, we take a wintry turn next week.

Ignoring repeated warnings, some Lehigh Valley motorists find themselves stranded after driving through deep roadway water.

Over two inches of rain fell at Lehigh Valley International Airport, setting another daily record on Tuesday, but winds were less than feared.

Another powerful winter storm is set to hit the region, bringing concerns of widespread flooding and high winds Tuesday into Wednesday.

A severe rainstorm is expected to cause flooding that may impact roadways throughout the Lehigh Valley.

A Muhlenberg College professor has launched a campaign this month to inform residents about the health risks of radon, as well as improve access to testing and mitigation. The Lehigh Valley is home to the highest radon levels ever recorded in Pennsylvania.

Sunday evening will see a ‘close approach’ between Saturn and the Moon. Though the two appear close in the night sky just after sunset on Jan. 14. However, in space, Saturn is almost a billion miles away, about 4,000 times more distant than the moon.

The Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas are under a flood watch from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

With some parts of the Lehigh Valley under as much as 9 inches of snow, the National Weather Service says the storm’s not quite done yet.

Olivia Louise McMahon traveled to Dubai last month as part of Penn State University's delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Officials from around the world discussed how to limit the effects of climate change already present and prepare for further impacts.

The funding for four projects came from the Growing Greener and Act 167 grant programs, both through the state Department of Environmental Protection.