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Viewing the eclipse outisde
Chevy Chase library. |
It's been an exciting time for astronomy lovers. There was the solar eclipse last month. Residents throughout the county came together at several MCPL branches to watch this dramatic event. The next solar eclipse visible from America won't occur until 2024, when my 1st grader is 13!
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| Astronaut Peggy Whiston |
Earlier this month, American astronaut Peggy Whitson returned to Earth after spending 288 days in space, the longest single spaceflight by a female astronaut. That's not her only record. Having been on been on several spaceflights, Whitman's cumulative 665 days in space sets the record for most time in space by any American astronaut. She's also the only female astronaut to command the International Space Station twice and has accumulated more spacewalking time, 53 hours 22 minutes, than any other female astronaut. Finally, at 57, she is the world's oldest spacewoman. Want to learn more? MCPL has many books and some DVDs about astronauts and women in science for children and adults.
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| The Cassini space probe orbiting Saturn |
Finally, just last week, on Friday, September 15, the NASA spacecraft Cassini made its final approach to Saturn and plunged into the planet's atmosphere. Cassini was launched into space almost 20 years ago, in October 1997. It spent 13 years orbiting Saturn, adding immensely to our understanding of Saturn, its rings, and its moons. Cassini continued to function beyond its anticipated lifespan, enabling NASA to extend its study of Saturn for years. After 19 years of exploration, Cassini was almost out of fuel. Concerned that Cassini might crash into one of Saturn's moons and contaminate it with terrestrial microbes, NASA decided to fly the probe into the atmosphere of Saturn, where it would burn up and disintegrate. Faithful til the end, Cassini transmitted unprecedented data about Saturn's atmosphere in the moments before it was destroyed.
For more information about Saturn and our solar system's other planets, check out our many books and DVD's for adults and children. We also have several online science databases including Science in Context and Science Reference Center that are filled with magazine, journal, and specialized encyclopedia articles that have information about NASA's space probes, interplanetary missions, and much more.
Mark S
Labels: Books, Databases, STEM
