A class of fifth-graders from Green Acres Elementary in Lebanon, Ore., asked us to find out how pencil lead is made. That quest took us all the way back to the dawn of the universe and then all the ...

For simplicity, I tend to use a #2 graphite pencil for most of my deep-sky drawings. After all, a pencil and paper are all that’s really needed to record an observation. Is a minimalist approach the ...

A batch of graphite has just been delivered to this pencil factory in Germany. Once it’s been thoroughly mixed with clay, it’s ready to go into production, with around 550 pounds of the stuff making ...