Everyone ready to go watch the Perseid meteor shower? According to EarthSky, the best times for viewing are predicted to be the mornings of August 12 and 13.
Tips:
1. Try to find a place that is dark for best viewing. Porch and street lights can fade out the meteors.
2. Remind your children there may be several minutes between sightings. In the wee hours of the morning it can be hard to be patient.
3. Blankets and lawn chairs that allow for viewing in a prone position help prevent neck strain.
Here’s an informative video about last year’s shower:
This week our activity is inspired by the middle-grade book Candy Bomber:Â The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocolate Pilot” by Michael O. Tunnell. For a full review of the book, visit Wrapped In Foil.
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In Candy Bomber, pilot Gail Halvorsen releases small parachutes over the city of West Berlin after the end of World War II. The parachutes are carrying bundles of candy for the children whose lives have been disrupted by the aftermath of the war. Eventually the candy drops are turned into an official U.S. Air Force operation and more pilots join in. It is a heartwarming tale.
The challenge of building and testing parachutes would be a fun science activity to pair with this book.
A parachute consists of some sort of light material to form the canopy and suspension lines to attach the load.
Variables to test:
parachute materials, such as cloth, plastic bags, paper, etc. Handkerchiefs were used in the Candy Bomber.
canopy shape, such as square versus round
canopy size
length and/or number of suspension lines
different shapes and types of candy
Some potential factors to measure:
Time of descent (slower is better)
Accuracy of parachute flight to a target
Safety of load delivery (Does the candy land unharmed?)
Distance traveled (if testing outside under windy conditions)
You will need a launch site. We drop ours over the balcony from the second story of our house to the first floor. You might try playground equipment at a park or school that has a stable, raised platform. Keep safety in mind.
Gather:
materials to make canopies
materials to make suspension lines, such as string or yarn
measuring tape
stopwatch
assorted candy, individual pieces of hard candy with holes in the center would be the easiest.
pencil and paper to record results
scissors
heavy-duty tape to attach suspension lines (optional, but may speed assembly) and to attach load
The simplest parachute to make is a square of material with strings tied to the four corners. Start with lines about 1 foot long. Tie the strings on the corners and bring the strings together at the bottom. Tie on a candy. A single hard candy with a hole in the center might be a good starting point, as long as your children are old enough.
Drop your parachute and measure one of the suggested factors. This is a great project to do with groups.
Here’s a somewhat long video that shows you more details of how to make toy parachutes.
Isn’t it exciting about the splash of Northern Lights due to the solar flare this week? Seems like we might be having sightings again tonight (August 5), with the show potentially moving to viewers even farther south in the Northern Hemisphere.
Northern Lights, also known as Auroras, occur when ions in the form of solar wind from the sun strike the gases in the upper atmosphere of the earth, causing them to glow. The glow typically occurs around the Arctic Circle, but large flares can cause a glow that can be seen throughout Canada and into the northern United States. Here is a photograph taken in Wisconsin.
Photo from NASA Images
Links to sites with more information and photographs (As usual, please check the links for suitability before showing to your children, as the content may have changed):
Spaceweather.com has the newest predictions and archives of photographs.
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