Astronomical
Adventures: Exploring the Skies with Your Child
By Jacqueline Rupp
Hey Diddle, Diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon…
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
How I wonder what you are…
Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon…
Children have always been
fascinated at the world above their heads, as these
classic children's verses demonstrate. The magic of space plays
to
childhood imagination with unexplainable mysteries and worlds
waiting to be
discovered. And what better time to introduce kids to astronomy?
With the
recent success of the Mars Rovers, images of a distant landscape
are as
close as your computer screen.
April 19 marks
the beginning of Astronomy Week, an annual event begun by The
Astronomical League, the world's largest amateur astronomer's
group.
Culminating with Astronomy Day on April 24, planetariums and
astronomy
groups worldwide will hold regional events to introduce the public
to local
resources and astronomy information. Richard Tomlinson, member
of The
Astronomical League and spokesman for Astronomy Day explains, "I
think
children (and adults, too!) already have an interest in astronomy.
It seems
natural, so we don't really need to encourage it. We just have
to satisfy
that interest. That can start by taking children to local Astronomy
Day
events."
During the event, local
astronomy leagues will be hosting sky-gazing festivals. For
instance, in New York at the Hudson River Museum,
the
Chromatics, a group of singing rocket scientists, will perform
their"
scientific" songs, along with activities like "cooking
comets" and"
postcards from stars." To find events in your area, go to
www.astroleague.org/al/astroday/adactiv04.htm.
So when should you begin to teach your
kids about astronomy? "When
they
start looking and asking about the stars, moon, or sun in the
sky, or sooner
if there is a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event occurring.
Even if they
are too young to remember it, parents can remind children over
the course
of their childhood that they saw that particular event. That
type of
observation can be very important to them (even if they don't
remember much
about it as adults)," Tomlinson suggests.
And this June, one such
once-in-a-lifetime event will occur. Read on for
more info on this event. Tomlinson says some good places to start
are at
local planetariums, museums, and regional astronomy clubs (which
can be
found at www.astroleague.org/index.html.
Click on "Our
Member
Societies"). Even some nature centers offer nighttime star-gazing
events.
One of the beautiful qualities
about astronomy is that it is a free and
convenient activity, and is constantly offering new things to
see. All you
have to do is step outside on a clear night. Binoculars help
and basic
telescopes can be purchased for under $50. A Sky Calendar is
helpful,
especially if you are in an urban area with lots of light, since
it shows
stars that can be seen easily without a telescope. You can download
a copy
at www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyCalendar. "Observing the sun
(safely), the
moon, planets, and bright stars are a wonderful way to start
in astronomy," adds Tomlinson. For more
information on how to safely observe the sun, go
to: http://solar-center.stanford.edu/ and click on "Activities." You'll
find
info on observing the sun as well as instructions for building
your own
spectroscope and sundial.
Constellations are legends
of the stars, steeped in mythology; many have
fascinating stories behind them. They can add another layer of
interest to
astronomy. Good books on this topic include:
The Constellations:
Stars & Stories by Chris Sasaki, Sterling
Publishing
Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations:
A Field Guide for Young Stargazers by C.E.
E. Thompson, Grosset and Dunlap
A Walk through the Heavens: A Guide to Stars & Constellations & Their
Legends by Milton D. Heifetz and Wil Tirion, Cambridge Univ.
Press
Kids can also make their own
constellations by connecting stars, a stellar
dot-to-dot game if you will. Or make a constellation mobile,
using heavy
stock paper for stars, taped with thin gauge wire. Using a picture
of a
constellation for reference, make sure you have the correct number
of
stars and curve the wire to form the right shape.
A backyard astronomy campout
can be a fun family activity or sleepover
party. Set everyone up with a Sky Calendar and compass and compete
in a star
scavenger hunt to see who can find the most stars the quickest.
Serve
Southern "Moon Pies" (for a recipe, go to www.pierecipe.com and type "Moon
Pie" in the search space) and star fruit slices (often called
star anise,
this yellow fruit can be found in the produce department of most
supermarkets). A cheese ball (like the moon was said to be made
of) and
even "sun" flower seeds. On cooler nights, add some
chicken soup with star-
shaped pasta (called pastina).
And finally, saving the
best for last, the once-in-a-lifetime event, which
will occur on June 8, is the Transit of Venus. This event will
mark the
first time in 121 years that Venus, the second planet from the
sun, will be
observed moving over the disk of the sun. Usually while orbiting,
Venus is a
little bit high or low in relation to the sun and goes undetected
as it
moves by the sun. On the East Coast of the US, this will occur
a little
before 7:30 a.m. It is very important not to view this event
directly. In
other words, don't stare directly at the sun! Use solar filters
on
telescopes or indirect viewing techniques. Unfortunately, the
West Coast of
the US will miss out on the sight. However, on the night of June
7, you can
watch webcasts of the event while it is happening in the Eastern
Hemisphere.
Go to www.transitofvenus.org for more info. And, if you miss
it this year,
just wait until 2012, since this transit follows a pattern of
coming in
pairs eight years apart.
Further reading:
There's No Place like Space!: All about Our Solar System by Tish
Rabe and
Dr. Seuss, Random House
I Wonder Why Stars Twinkle and Other Questions about
Space by
Carole Stott,
Houghton Mifflin
Get A Grip on Astronomy by Robin Kerrod, Barnes and Noble
Astronomy
on the Web:
NASA Kids -- www.kids.msfc.nasa.gov -- The Official NASA site for kids.
At Home Astronomy -- www.cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/ -- Full of
hands-on experiments for kids, such as building a lunar settlement
or making
an astrolabe.
Life Beyond Earth -- www.pbs.org/lifebeyondearth/index.html -- Look at
unidentified flying objects and search for clues of life on
other planets.
Your Age On Other Worlds -- www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/age/
Your Weight on Other Worlds -- www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/
Why is the Sky Blue -- www.why-is-the-sky-blue.org/ --
Find out the answer to this question and why other astronomical
colors are
the color they
are.
Native American Star Knowledge --
www.kstrom.net/isk/stars/starmenu.html
Jacqueline Rupp is a freelance
writer from Philadelphia, PA, who specializes
in parenting, crafts, and regional topics.
