- This 333-acre preserve contains one of the best remaining examples of the antelope bitterbrush/Idaho fescue communities that once flourished in eastern Washington. Spring wildflowers on Davis Canyon’s sloping hillsides include blanket-flower, desert yellow-daisy, lupines, mariposa lilies, death camas, yellow bells, shooting star, prairie-smoke and larkspur. This site was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1986 in recognition of its nationwide significance to natural area protection. The Carlton Complex wildfire burned through virtually all of the preserve in 2014, removing most of the shrub cover but leaving an intact native grassland.
- Auriga (constellation) (Wikipedia)
Auriga is a constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is one of the 88 modern constellations; it was among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy. Its name is Latin for ‘(the) charioteer’, associating it with various mythological beings, including Erichthonius and Myrtilus. Auriga is most prominent during winter evenings in the northern Hemisphere, as are five other constellations that have stars in the Winter Hexagon asterism. Because of its northern declination, Auriga is only visible in its entirety as far south as -34°; for observers farther south it lies partially or fully below the horizon. A large constellation, with an area of 657 square degrees, it is half the size of the largest, Hydra.