One great resource I'd like to share is Heavens-Above, a free, web-based tool for skywatchers, science educators, and anyone curious about satellites and space phenomena. This site provides a wealth of real-time and predictive information about what’s happening above us - from satellite flyovers to deep-space missions – all tailored to your location. Users can set their observing location (by city or coordinates) for personalized sky data and even create an optional login to save their preferences. It’s completely free to use (though donations are appreciated to help cover costs). In short, Heavens-Above is a one-stop shop to learn what’s up in the sky at any given moment.

Heavens-Above’s homepage is organized into six main sections:

• Configuration: Set or change your observing location and access Login (optional) features to save settings. By default, the site starts at 0°N, 0°E, so one of the first things you’ll want to do is set your location for accurate data. 
• Satellites: Track and predict satellite passes and orbits. This section includes a live sky view, 10-day forecasts for satellites of special interest (ISS, Tiangong, Hubble Space Telescope), daily predictions for brighter satellites, an interactive 3D visualization for the ISS, a dynamic 3D orbit display of Starlink satellites, and more.
• Deep Space Missions: Follow probes and missions leaving Earth’s vicinity. See the status of Spacecraft escaping the Solar System or watch an animation of the trajectory of SpaceX’s Tesla Roadster from Earth to its own orbit around the Sun.
• Astronomy: Explore classical astronomy data, including an interactive sky chart, positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, asteroids, constellations, and a dedicated page to learn about upcoming Solar Eclipses (Annular–where the Moon covers the Sun’s center, leaving a ring-like appearance, Partial, Total, and Hybrid).
• Miscellaneous: Find extras like the Heavens-Above forum on Reddit, time tools (“What time is it?”), a calendar, FAQ, and links to other space and astronomy sites of interest.
• Statistics: Dive into fun stats about the site’s usage (daily page counts, visits by country, OS, language, etc.). A reminder of the global community of sky enthusiasts using this tool.

​This clear layout makes it easy to jump to whatever interests you. Whether you’re checking tonight’s satellite visibility or planning for a future eclipse.

Heavens-Above specializes in satellite tracking–arguably its biggest draw. Once you’ve configured your location, the site can show you a listing of upcoming passes for visible satellites. It features a searchable database of satellites (past and present) and daily predictions for brighter satellites. You get 10-day forecasts for popular objects like the International Space Station (ISS), the Hubble Space Telescope, and SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. This means you’ll know exactly when and where to look to spot the ISS flying overhead or a chain of newly launched Starlink satellites. Heavens-Above also provides interactive visualizations, including a Live Sky View, Starlink - Dynamic 3D Orbit Display, and ISS Interactive 3D Visualization. These show satellite positions and orbits around Earth in real time. It’s thrilling to watch the ISS circling the globe and realize that it’s right above a specific point on Earth at that particular moment. For each satellite pass prediction, you can click to get a detailed sky chart showing the path of the satellite against the stars for your location and time. In short, Heavens-Above makes satellite spotting easy and fun.

Heavens-Above’s Spacecraft escaping the Solar System page offers a unique perspective on humanity’s farthest journeys. There are top-down and side views of the Solar System with plots of the current positions of our first interstellar probes (Pioneers 10 & 11, Voyagers 1 & 2, and New Horizons). The page displays their distances, speeds, and even which constellations they’re headed toward. It’s a powerful reminder of the size of the universe and the great distances between stars. On the diagram’s scale the nearest star would be about 100 meters away and Voyager 1 would take ~70,000 years to reach it. Space is vast and our first emissaries to the stars have just begun their journey into this cosmic ocean. This feature can be awe-inspiring in the classroom or during outreach, helping convey just how far (and how not-far) our probes have gone. 

Another highlight of Heavens-Above is its comprehensive Solar Eclipses page. If you’re excited about an upcoming eclipse, this tool is a must-see. The site provides details for every solar eclipse from 1900 to 2100, complete with interactive maps and animations showing the eclipse path and where it will be visible. For any given eclipse (past or future), you can view a world map with the swath of the Moon’s shadow, clearly marking regions of totality, annularity, or partial eclipse visibility. Beyond eclipses, the Astronomy section offers a rich set of observing tools: An interactive sky chart that shows the stars and planets overhead at any time and location, tables for the Sun and Moon (rise/set times, phases), planetary positions, and data on visible comets and asteroids. Information is presented in clear, data-driven charts and maps. Whether you’re identifying two bright “stars” at dusk (perhaps planets!) or checking when astronomical twilight begins, Heavens-Above’s astronomy tools have you covered.

​Perhaps the best part about Heavens-Above is how broadly it can be used. It’s accessible and useful to both beginners and experienced observers. For educators, Heavens-Above offers engaging ways to bring astronomy alive. Teachers can generate sky charts to enhance lessons or have students track the ISS and calculate its orbital period. Information on Solar Eclipses can be used in science classes or public library programs to illustrate why an eclipse might only be partial in one location and total in another. For librarians, astronomers, and program coordinators, this site is a goldmine for planning community events. Imagine hosting an ISS viewing party. Heavens-Above can tell you the exact time the Station will pass overhead and where to look. Planning a Mars opposition observation night or a workshop on satellites? Print out Heavens-Above star charts or satellite pass schedules for your location. Even casual sky observers and curious individuals will find value. You can identify that mysterious bright light you saw moving last night, or simply get a heads-up that SpaceX’s Starlink train will be visible at 6 AM tomorrow. Because the site tailors predictions to your set location, it takes the guesswork out. No more wondering if an online timetable is in UTC or meant for another city. Heavens-Above empowers everyone to engage with the sky in an informed way, turning a casual glance upward into a chance for discovery.

The next time you plan a night under the stars, hear about a satellite launch, or get excited for an eclipse, give Heavens-Above a try. Its robust and user-friendly tools will enrich your understanding of what’s happening in the sky above. Whether you’re an astronomer, a teacher, a librarian, or just someone curious with eyes on the sky, this resource will quickly become an indispensable companion in your cosmic explorations.

Over the past year, I’ve found myself observing and participating in the online discourse around generative AI. It’s a fascinating mix of optimism, caution, and—often—overcorrection. One recent pattern I’ve noticed among the more anti-AI voices is a tendency to declare that certain quirks of writing automatically “reveal” that a piece was written by AI.

Top of the list? The em dash.

​Apparently, if you use em dashes in your writing, there’s a decent chance someone online will accuse you of being a bot—or worse, of using ChatGPT.

​Earlier this week I read ‘Revenge of the Librarians’ by Tom Gauld, a fun and nerdy book that includes a comic about ‘Apostrophe Man’. Apostrophe Man is a literary superhero whose superpower is punctuation. He is both absurd and strangely relatable (maybe not so strange to those of us who like (or feel the need) to correct grammar). The combination of that comic and the em dash paranoia online sparked an idea: What if there was a superhero like Apostrophe Man, but for the em dash instead?

​Thus, Em Dash Man was born.

​I played around with ChatGPT to create both images and comics based on this idea. Below are two images of Em Dash Man. One in a retro comic book style and another in a dramatic fantasy realism style. 

​I kept playing around and iterating, eventually cooking up the two comic panels below. I'm not claiming they’re masterpieces, but the process was fun and enjoyable. I always try to take the opportunity to experiment with ChatGPT. It’s a great way to learn, and I encourage others to do the same. 

​There’s something cathartic about channeling these online arguments into something silly and symbolic. Sometimes satire says more than a thread ever could. 

​It's true that generative AI models can show stylistic patterns in their outputs (em dashes, choice of quotation marks, a certain rhythm of prose, even emoji use). However, those “tells” are not universal and are often the result of vague prompting.

Generative AI is highly responsive to direction. You can ask an AI model to:

• Write without em dashes.
• Use only commas or short sentences.
• Format answers as bullet points.
• Use MLA or APA formatting.
• Mimic any tone, author, or style.
• Format like a technical manual or a short story.
• Write like Carl Sagan, a 2007 MySpace page, a casual Reddit post, or a 1950s advertisement. 

​In other words: AI output is responsive and deterministic. If it’s outputting dashes, it’s likely because the prompt (or the training data it learned from) included them. 

​Generative AI is a deterministic tool based on math, but different prompts and additional training can change responses. This is similar to how human language evolves over time through usage, exposure, and cultural shifts. The more people engage with different writing styles, the more they absorb, adapt to, and emulate those patterns in their own expression—whether through comments on social media, reading chapter books, or now, through exposure to generative AI outputs.

​Em Dash Man isn’t here to save AI or destroy it.

He’s just here to say:
          “Maybe we should judge ideas, not dashes.”