Nature Net News
May 2007
Blue Moon
“Through
the parted curtains of the window
I see the moon like a clipped piece of silver.
Like gilded bees the stars cluster round her.
The sky is a hard hollow sapphire.
Let us go out into the night."
Oscar Wilde
Dear Reader, “Once in a blue moon…” When I was growing up,
I took this phrase to mean something so unlikely as to never happen.
Boy, was I surprised to find out later that there is such a thing as
a “blue moon” and that we’ll be able to see one this month. Enjoy! Kathe & Betsy |
This May 31st, we (in the Midwest) will experience a Blue Moon, the second of two full moons in a month? Since a full moon occurs every 29.5 days, "once in a Blue Moon" actually happens 41 times in one hundred years - or once every two and-a-half years.
What to Do This Month:
Create a Moon Calendar and keep track of the phases of the moon.
Take a peek at the moon using a pair of binoculars. See if you can find or recognize any lunar landmarks.
Visit the Madison Children's Museum Science Symposium on May 14th.
Check out the Nature Net Calendar of Events for fun family programs.
Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Morphing Moon?
Why is the moon sometimes so large on the horizon and
yet small when its overhead? Does it actually change sizes? Here’s an
experiment to help you find out:
1. When the Moon is low, just above the horizon, hold a crescent wrench
at arms length and adjust it so that it ‘holds’ the Moon. Do not change
this setting.
2. Try looking at the Moon again a few hours later when the Moon is
higher in the sky. Hold up the crescent wrench and compare the size.
Does the Moon still fit inside the wrench or is it bigger or smaller
than before?
(If you do not have a crescent wrench, use a piece of cardboard at arms’
length and mark or cut out a notch at the outer edges of the Moon.)
Instant Outdoor Expert:
Many Moons
It seems a misinterpretation of the 1947 Farmer's Almanac is responsible
for the current day definition of a Blue Moon: the second full moon in
one month. Prior to that, the general populous accepted a Blue
Moon as the third of four full moons in a season (three months). Traditionally,
each full moon was given a name. You might recognize September's
"Harvest Moon" but there are others - see the
Farmer's Almanac for a full list. These names were given to
the first, second, and last full moon of a season, so the third moon (of
a season with four) was deemed "blue".
Is the moon actually blue? No, but moonlight can appear blue if
just the right size particles (0.7 microns) fill the air and scatter red
light before it reaches our eyes. Since white light (such as that
reflected off the moon's surface) is made of all colors of the rainbow,
when red light is scattered, mainly blue is left, causing the moon to
appear blue. The most famous incident of this phenomena took place
following the volcanic eruption of
Krakatau in 1883.
By the way, if you're reading this from anywhere east of London, your blue moon will occur in June, not May - check out the 2007 Moon Calendar to find out why. You may also want to discover other Blue Moon Meanings.
Want to find out more about our lunar obiter?
Have a look at
Space.com's Top 10 Cool Moon Facts or, learn more about the
moon's cycle from Windows to the Universe.
Eco-Exercise:
Do the “Moonwalk”!
Though walking on the moon without
gravity would look quite different from the famed 1980's break-dance,
the "Moonwalk", it's still fun to bust a move. Try this with your socks
on, on a smooth, polished floor. Be careful!
1. Stand with both feet close to each other, left foot slightly ahead of
the right (so the toes of your right foot are in line with the arch of
your left).
2. Raise your right heel so your weight is on the ball of your foot (as
if you are taking a step).
3. Now, as you lower your right heel, slide your left foot backwards on
the whole foot sole - until your left toes are in line with your right
heel. As you drag your foot back, do not push down or it will not glide.
4. Repeat, alternating feet. Keep practicing until it looks like you are
floating backwards across the floor. It’s the Moonwalk! Click here for
animated
instructions.
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Upham Woods
Upham Woods
Outdoor Learning Center is the result of the amazingly far-sighted vision of two sisters from the Upham
family. In 1941, when the United States was growing rapidly at the expense
of its natural resources, Elizabeth and Caroline Upham decided to save their
beloved childhood summer home from the hands of developers forever. These
sisters laid the philosophical groundwork for Upham Woods with their
stipulations of the land's use.
Today, if you visit Upham Woods you will find a model residential environmental education
center, operated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension. The center sits
on a prime location on the Wisconsin River, two miles north of the Wisconsin
Dells, offering an excellent "river classroom" to study both the natural and
cultural history of Wisconsin. The center rests on 310 total acres of
forested land, including a 210-acre island called "Blackhawk Island." This
island has been designated a state natural area and offers a beautiful
example of a mature mixed forest featuring flora not commonly found in the
area. The island also has tremendous sand stone caves formed during the ice
age. It's definitely a "different view" when you climb through them!
Upham Woods is open to 4-H and other organized groups or conferences. Call
today to book your group visit:
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
N194 County Road N, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Phone: (608) 254-6461
Moon Cookies
After studying the moon for a month (or taking a quick
study of a lunar calendar), you can get crafty with these cookies and
create a design for each phase of the moon.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour
and 2/3 cup cake flour, (not self-rising), 1/2 teaspoon baking powder,
and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 large eggs
and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup milk, and then 6
tablespoons melted butter with 1/2 teaspoon each of vanilla and lemon
extracts. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a smooth dough. Cover, and
chill for 1 hour.
2. Using a 2-ounce scoop, drop cookies onto baking pan. Bake until edges
are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a small bowl, combine 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons
hot water, and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, until smooth. Using a
small offset spatula, ice half or crescents of each cookie. Return
cookies to rack to drip, if necessary.
4. Melt 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate and add it to remaining
icing. Stir until smooth. Add additional corn syrup to thin to desired
consistency, if necessary. Spread chocolate icing over un-iced portion
of each cookie. Allow cookies to set, about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Suggested Reading:
"Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me" by Eric Carle (age baby-6)
"Kitten's First Full Moon" by Kevin Henkes (age baby-6)
"Moon Plane" by Peter McCarty (age 4-6)
"Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen (age 4-8)
"The Moon Seems to Change" by Franklyn M. Branley (age 4-8)
"Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings" by Douglas Florian (ages 6-9)
"Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon" by Catherine Thimmesh (age 10 and up)
