Showing posts with label March. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March. Show all posts
Friday, 18 March 2011
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Looking at the stars....for 24 Feb- 3 March
We often brave the cold night air and take out our telescope, travelling in our warm car out to the best spots for viewing the planets and stars. Luckily we live in a part of the world where the stars are truely magnificant and bright and we are all interested in amature astronomy.
We saw the Total Lunar eclipse last year on the winter solstice and we also saw some shooting stars. I painted a picture after making a sketch of it.
We also took some photos and my dad got the best photo of it
Here is a link to a webpage that gives info on what to look for in the night skies over the next month
http://www.facebook.com/notes/magis-center-of-reason-and-faith/keep-looking-up-february-24-march-3/185504291487700
EXTRACT:
Vernal Equinox - 7:30 pm EST on the night of March 20th.
- Tthe Sun passes the celestial equator - travelling north & marks the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere’s spring.
We saw the Total Lunar eclipse last year on the winter solstice and we also saw some shooting stars. I painted a picture after making a sketch of it.
We also took some photos and my dad got the best photo of it
Here is a link to a webpage that gives info on what to look for in the night skies over the next month
http://www.facebook.com/notes/magis-center-of-reason-and-faith/keep-looking-up-february-24-march-3/185504291487700
EXTRACT:
Keep Looking Up- February 24-March 3
- Tthe Sun passes the celestial equator - travelling north & marks the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere’s spring.
Highlights for the Month:
Jupiter is dominates the western evening sky but after the first week is joined by the planet closest to the Sun that being Mercury. Mercury’s appearance begins around March 8 and by mid month it passes within 2 degrees of Jupiter. Jupiter however will continue to set a little earlier each day while Mercury will continue it climb until on Sunday March 22nd it lies 19 degrees above the horizon. Mercury will become the brightest object in the western sky. This is a great chance to see the innermost planet so be sure not to miss it.
Now here is the cool part. On the night of March 17th while you are viewing Mercury, NASA’s probe known as Messenger will be entering orbit around the nearest planet. The name of the probe is called Messenger and will orbit Mercury for over a year. I will monitor its progress but for those that would like to hear more about this probe, please go to www.nasa.gov and search for “Messenger”.
Pushing on past Jupiter we come to Saturn. In March it begins its climb just after sunset, rising in the eastern sky. Saturn will be accompanied by two stars, Spica and Arcturus which are two very prominent stars in the northern hemisphere. Spica is 10 degrees below the planet while Arcturus is 30 degrees to the planet’s left. More about these stars later this next month.
Two more planets appear jus before dawn. One of course is Venus which we can never miss but late in March it will be accompanied by Neptune which rests just above it.
You will definitely need a telescope or steady binoculars to view Neptune’s bluish grey color.
Don’t forget to train your telescope this month at the constellation Orion. It is well placed for observing and you should spend some time observing the nebula which is always visible. Remember that the light that shows off the gas that you see is generated by the new stars resting inside the area known as the “Trapezium” . That region is in the center of the cloud and is definitive by its brightness. Remember that the light left the nebula almost 1,300 years ago, so as usual you are seeing the object as it looked 1,300 years ago.
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
Goodbye Winter and hello Spring, let’s all Keep Looking Up!
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Jupiter is dominates the western evening sky but after the first week is joined by the planet closest to the Sun that being Mercury. Mercury’s appearance begins around March 8 and by mid month it passes within 2 degrees of Jupiter. Jupiter however will continue to set a little earlier each day while Mercury will continue it climb until on Sunday March 22nd it lies 19 degrees above the horizon. Mercury will become the brightest object in the western sky. This is a great chance to see the innermost planet so be sure not to miss it.
Now here is the cool part. On the night of March 17th while you are viewing Mercury, NASA’s probe known as Messenger will be entering orbit around the nearest planet. The name of the probe is called Messenger and will orbit Mercury for over a year. I will monitor its progress but for those that would like to hear more about this probe, please go to www.nasa.gov and search for “Messenger”.
Pushing on past Jupiter we come to Saturn. In March it begins its climb just after sunset, rising in the eastern sky. Saturn will be accompanied by two stars, Spica and Arcturus which are two very prominent stars in the northern hemisphere. Spica is 10 degrees below the planet while Arcturus is 30 degrees to the planet’s left. More about these stars later this next month.
Two more planets appear jus before dawn. One of course is Venus which we can never miss but late in March it will be accompanied by Neptune which rests just above it.
You will definitely need a telescope or steady binoculars to view Neptune’s bluish grey color.
Don’t forget to train your telescope this month at the constellation Orion. It is well placed for observing and you should spend some time observing the nebula which is always visible. Remember that the light that shows off the gas that you see is generated by the new stars resting inside the area known as the “Trapezium” . That region is in the center of the cloud and is definitive by its brightness. Remember that the light left the nebula almost 1,300 years ago, so as usual you are seeing the object as it looked 1,300 years ago.
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
Goodbye Winter and hello Spring, let’s all Keep Looking Up!
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Monday, 29 November 2010
Science Festival: 1- 4 March 2011 - Moray
Who is going to the Science Festival? http://www.moray.ac.uk/moray-college/about/science-festivals.php
Where is Moray? http://www.thisismoray.com/moray-road-travel-c55.html
What is on at the Moray Science Festival?
WORKSHOPS
All Creatures Great and Small (Tues & Wed)
Come and meet Monty the Python; Rosie the Tarantula and lots of other beasties.
Taste Bud Challenge ( Tues & Wed)
Do you know that you taste with your eyes and nose as well as your mouth? Take this challenge and see if you can guess the flavour with only your eyes and then your nose! Also come and find out about acids and see how they affect what you taste.
Build a Beast (Falconer Museum ) (Wed & Thurs)
Explore the adaptations of real animal specimens from the museum collection. Imagine climate change has raised sea levels and design adaptations to your animal to suit the new conditions.
Renewable Energy (Tues, Wed & Thurs)
What does the term renewable energy mean? Play lots of interactive games to find out the use of renewable energy resources.
Cosmic Dome (Thurs & Friday)
Identify the stars you can see in the sky at night. Where is Orion’s belt – is it holding up his trousers?
K’NEX
Windmill challenge - use K’NEX to make the best wind power models.
Scotland Landscape
Discover the geology of Scotland, touch and feel and look through the magnifying glasses to find out how the rocks are formed.
Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Deserts and Mountains:
This is Scotland + Why do earthquakes happen? What is happening under your feet? Find out what is happening in the world e.g. eruptions, floods and earthquakes guaranteed!
Busy Bees
Will you be the scout locating the honey or will you follow the crowd but only when you’ve done the waggle daggle dance to discover where the honey is will you be happy.
Beat the chill
Its cold out there what would happen if an Ice age occurred. Discover what the environmental effects might be. See your own Ice age before your very eyes!
The Life and death of Susie the Salmon
Discover how Susie Salmon changes as she gets older. Become a living part of her lifecycle and see how she adapts.
Hide n Seek
Look out for the camel, find out why animals live in different habitats? Can you be the fastest to put them in the correct Biome?
Baisse travels the world
Follow the adventures of Baisse the raindrop as it goes through the water cycle and the changes he goes through around the world. Become the raindrop and act out the water cycle.
Flaming Fire
- Could you put out a forest fire? Make your own forest and set it alight then discover how to put it out by making your own extinguisher.
Bacteria your own little world
-How clean are your hands? Come and see what lurks on them underneath a UV light. Finish by making your own special bacteria.
Asteroid Acne
Why do surfers like the Moon? Discover how the moon affects the tide and what causes the moons acne.
Where is Moray? http://www.thisismoray.com/moray-road-travel-c55.html
What is on at the Moray Science Festival?
WORKSHOPS
All Creatures Great and Small (Tues & Wed)
Come and meet Monty the Python; Rosie the Tarantula and lots of other beasties.
Taste Bud Challenge ( Tues & Wed)
Do you know that you taste with your eyes and nose as well as your mouth? Take this challenge and see if you can guess the flavour with only your eyes and then your nose! Also come and find out about acids and see how they affect what you taste.
Build a Beast (Falconer Museum ) (Wed & Thurs)
Explore the adaptations of real animal specimens from the museum collection. Imagine climate change has raised sea levels and design adaptations to your animal to suit the new conditions.
Renewable Energy (Tues, Wed & Thurs)
What does the term renewable energy mean? Play lots of interactive games to find out the use of renewable energy resources.
Cosmic Dome (Thurs & Friday)
Identify the stars you can see in the sky at night. Where is Orion’s belt – is it holding up his trousers?
K’NEX
Windmill challenge - use K’NEX to make the best wind power models.
Scotland Landscape
Discover the geology of Scotland, touch and feel and look through the magnifying glasses to find out how the rocks are formed.
Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Deserts and Mountains:
This is Scotland + Why do earthquakes happen? What is happening under your feet? Find out what is happening in the world e.g. eruptions, floods and earthquakes guaranteed!
Busy Bees
Will you be the scout locating the honey or will you follow the crowd but only when you’ve done the waggle daggle dance to discover where the honey is will you be happy.
Beat the chill
Its cold out there what would happen if an Ice age occurred. Discover what the environmental effects might be. See your own Ice age before your very eyes!
The Life and death of Susie the Salmon
Discover how Susie Salmon changes as she gets older. Become a living part of her lifecycle and see how she adapts.
Hide n Seek
Look out for the camel, find out why animals live in different habitats? Can you be the fastest to put them in the correct Biome?
Baisse travels the world
Follow the adventures of Baisse the raindrop as it goes through the water cycle and the changes he goes through around the world. Become the raindrop and act out the water cycle.
Flaming Fire
- Could you put out a forest fire? Make your own forest and set it alight then discover how to put it out by making your own extinguisher.
Bacteria your own little world
-How clean are your hands? Come and see what lurks on them underneath a UV light. Finish by making your own special bacteria.
Asteroid Acne
Why do surfers like the Moon? Discover how the moon affects the tide and what causes the moons acne.
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