The Really Strange Story Behind Sunday's Blue Moon

By Joe Rao

 

Posted on
 

SPACE.com on November 19, 2010

 

 

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20101119/sc_space/thereallystrangestorybehindsundaysbluemoon

WARNING – The moon is not really the color blue. I checked outside. Honestly it looked like a normal moon to me. I learned in this article that they only call it a “Blue Moon”. When there are four full moons in a season, the third full moon is called a “Blue Moon”. Confusing isn’t it? Usually there are twelve full moons each year. Three full moons in each season. Some years there are thirteen full moons. People used to base their calendars on the full moons so when there were thirteen in a year instead of twelve it messed them up. According to the article, that is why the number thirteen is considered unlucky. What I found interesting about this article is that the moon can change colors. For example, the moon can appear reddish after a solar eclipse or a bluish lavender color after a volcanic eruption or forest fire in those areas.

Corn Starch and Worm Goo

 Corn Starch and Worm Goo Which is Better?

                    In the last couple of science classes we have done two major and fun labs. They have a couple of things in common. They both need water to work. They are both mixtures. There are some things different. They make different substances and have different textures. The corn starch experiment was made of water and corn starch. It made a liquid and a solid substance. The goo experience contained water and worm goo. It made a clear white strip of goo. When squeezed water sometimes comes out. It turns into a plastic like substance when the water evaporates. They two look, smell, and feel different. But they are both mixtures. Like mud or pancake batter. I found the corn starch experiment fun but I enjoyed playing with the little balls of worm goo more fun.

Soap could help Haiti

As Death Toll Rises, Experts Say Soap Can Help In Haiti's Cholera Outbreak

by Eyder Peralta

               NPR (National Public Radio) website posted November 15, 2010

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/11/15/131343028/as-death-toll-rises-experts-say-soap-can-help-haiti-s-cholera-outbreak

Do you ever think about soap?  It’s not one of those things I think about but I use it every day.  What about food?  You probably think about that.  If you had a 100 dinar, would you rather spend your money on food or soap?  People in Haiti face this difficult decision every day.  Their country is currently fighting a cholera outbreak.  About 1,000 people have died since the outbreak began.  Cholera spreads quickly due to dirty water.  Soap could help by allowing people to clean their hands, food and other things that have been contaminated. I bet you are wondering what Cholera is.  It is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. Cholera causes diarrhea and dehydration and can lead to death. People need clean food and soap to live.   Which one would you choose?

OOBLECK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrruNuJSYb8&feature=related

corn starch

I loved the corn starch experiment for several reasons. One reason is how it is both a solid and a liquid. Another reason is that when you press your hands together that makes it fell hard but when you stop pressing it turns into a liquid goo. I also loved playing with the goo at home even through it made a big mess. I liked that you didn't need soap to wash your hands since the powder came right off when you put your hands under water even though I used soap. I observed that the mixture smelled like garbage. I also made an observation that when you put a bunch of goo in your hand and cup it, it feels like you are touching a persons hand but really you are touching the goo. I never knew corn starch and water could make such an interesting substance. Overall, I think this was one the best science experiments this year so far and definately the most fun.

Commercial Space Travel Rules of the Road

Commercial Space Travel Rules of the Road

By Irene Klotz

Posted on Discovery News.com November 5, 2010

http://news.discovery.com/space/commercial-space-travel-traffic.html

By Emma 6a

 Did you know that the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration also known as NASA is retiring the space shuttle program next year?  After next year, only Russia will be able to fly to the International space station.  The United States will have to pay Russia fifty­-one million dollars each to take America’s astronauts up.  NASA believes that in the next couple of years that private companies will be able to send people to space for half the cost Russia is charging. 

Today the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) is responsible for regulating commercial air space.  In the next ten years, their jobs will get even harder than they are now because they will need to regulate space travel too.  In my opinion, their job will not be easy.  They will need to track the launching, orbiting, re-entry, and landing of commercial space craft with regular commercial air traffic.  No doubt they will need more training to take on this big job. 

Baby Dinosaur's Running Footprints Discovered Near Denver

Baby Dinosaur's Running Footprints Discovered Near Denver

By Jeanna Bryner

LiveScience.com

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101102/sc_livescience/babydinosaursrunningfootprintsdiscoveredneardenver

November 2, 2010

Scientists in the United States of America just announced that they discovered baby dinosaur foot prints near the town of Morrison, Colorado. The tracks showed that the baby dinosaur was running. What interested scientists were that the baby dinosaur appeared to be running on just its two back legs. Scientists also found foot prints beside the baby dinosaur tracks. They think these could be the parent of the baby dinosaur. I bet you are wondering what type of dinosaur it is. It is an Apatosaurus dinosaur baby. The foot prints of the baby were so small that you could put a whole coffee mug over it and you would not be able to see the foot print anymore. I think that is small compared to how big the adult Apatosaurus dinosaur gets. When it is full grown, the Apatosaurus is as big as three American school buses and can weight up to as much as eight Asian elephants. The adult Apatosaurus needed to walk on four feet which is why scientists are so excited to learn that the baby could run on just its two back legs.