Month: September 2015

The First “Glowing” Sea Turtle Found

National Geographic Explorer David Gruber discovers a biofluorescent sea turtle near the Solomon Islands.

The critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle in the video above is the first reptile scientists have seen exhibiting biofluorescence. Bioflourescence is the ability to reflect blue light hitting a surface and re-emit it as a different color. According to National Geogrpahic the most common colors are green, red, and orange.

Bionflourescence should not be confused with bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is when animals either produce their own light through a series of chemical reactions, or host certain bacteria that give off light.

Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing at UNC Asheville

A total lunar eclipse will take place on September 27, 2015. It is the latter of two total lunar eclipses in 2015, and the final in a tetrad (four total lunar eclipses in a series). Other eclipses in the tetrad are those of April 15, 2014, October 8, 2014, and April 4, 2015.
This Sunday, September 27th, 8:30 p.m. – midnight, UNC Asheville will host a viewing of the upcoming total lunar eclipse, and you’re all invited! Unlike our public stargazes, registration is not required to attend.

The viewing will take place in lot P8 on the UNC Asheville campus beginning at 8:30 p.m. The eclipse begins at 9:07 p.m., with totality beginning at 10:11 p.m., and the event will end at midnight. We will be turning off the lights in P8 to provide for a better viewing experience.

Please park in the Reuter Center lot, lot P10, and walk across the road to lot P8. Those with special needs may be dropped off in P8.

A determination about the weather and possible cancellation will be made prior to the event and will be posted to lookoutobservatory.unca.edu.

This is the last total lunar eclipse viewable in Asheville until 2019, so even if you don’t join us, be sure to look up that night to catch a glimpse of it.

Read more about what else makes this eclipse special on Lookout Observatory’s Special Events webpage.

#FirstDayofFall

Image Source: Pixabay.com

September 23, 2015 marks the first day of Autumn for this year! What is Autumn exactly? Yes, it’s the season that falls between Summer and Winter but there is more science involved than that. Autumn or Fall is brought by the September Equinox. 

Because Earth doesn’t orbit upright, but is instead tilted on its axis by 23-and-a-half degrees, Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres trade places throughout the year in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly. We have an equinox twice a year – spring and fall – when the tilt of the Earth’s axis and Earth’s orbit around the sun combine in such a way that the axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the sun. Earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays about equally around equinox-time.

What are some of your favorite Fall activities? Perhaps jumping into freshly raked leaf piles? Wandering through a windy maze made from corn husks? Maybe sipping on some hot apple cider or something pumpkin spice flavored? Whatever your favorite Fall activity, this season is sure to bring beautiful colors and lots of fun!

Hidden Superchain of Volcanoes Discovered in Australia

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Scientists have just found the world’s longest chain of volcanoes on a continent, hiding in plain sight.

Geologists have long known of small, separate chains of volcanic activity on the continent of Australia. However, new research reveals a hidden hotspot  with no signs of surface volcanism, connecting these separate strings of volcanoes into one megachain.

“The track is nearly three times the length of the famous Yellowstone supervolcano on the North American continent,” Rhodri Davies, an earth scientist at Australian National University, said in a statement.

For the full article: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/hidden-superchain-volcanoes-discovered-australia-185543924.html

Classroom Management Resources

 

Classroom management and management of student conduct are skills that teachers acquire and hone over time. Fortunately, there are tons of resources on the Internet that can help teachers develop their classroom management skills!

Here is a link to some great classroom management techniques that might help you hone those skills! https://www.teachervision.com/back-to-school/classroom-management/53366.html?utm_source=TV_Great_Stuff_2015-09-08&utm_medium=e-newsletter&utm_campaign=TV_Great_Stuff

If you are a teacher, what is your best classroom management technique? Please make sure to comment below!