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.

A one-day symposium at Lehigh gathered decision-makers from Pennsylvania's big-name universities, talking strategy for recruiting students cross-border and overseas, and touting economic and cultural benefits.

The city is working to establish an application process for microgrants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, according to Allentown’s new sustainability coordinator.

The Lehigh Valley is under a slight risk of excessive rainfall, with the Weather Prediction Center warning of localized and isolated areas of flash flooding Thursday into Friday.

Hosted by the Northampton County Conservation District, the Envirothon is scheduled for April 18 at Louise W. Moore County Park. Teams will be tested in a handful of different topics, including wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology and a current environmental issue.

The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured.

The Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission will recognize the Allentown State Hospital — which was demolished at the end of 2020 — as a significant part of the Commonwealth’s history by awarding it an Official State Historical Marker.

The results of Lehigh Gap Nature Center's 27th annual Lehigh Gap Area Feeder Watch are in. Find out what birds were spotted.

An extended view of the total solar eclipse that was promised in the Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon never materialized due to thick cloud cover, disappointing many of the approximately 1,000 at The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

It's solar eclipse day. Here are a few final things to know as we count down to the cosmic spectacle that has been dominating the public consciousness.

Despite the cold weather, dozens of anglers showed out to the Little Lehigh Creek in Allentown to mark the first day of trout season in Pennsylvania. The Fish and Boat Commission has been hard at work populating local waters with trout since February.

An earthquake rattled the Lehigh Valley and the greater Mid-Atlantic on Friday, with social media instantly blowing up. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered in Hunterdon County, New Jersey — about 35 miles from Bethlehem.

A 4.8 magnitude Earthquake in New Jersey was felt throughout the Lehigh Valley Friday morning, but why is that? Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci helps explain how the ancient crust of the east coast played a part in the quake.