Author: Lisa Mungovan

This week is a great time to set up a telescope. You’ll be able to see all 7 planets, as well as the Leonid meteor shower! Earthsky.org can help you locate them. The best way to see meteors, is to keep phones off to let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Have fun planet hunting!

The largest protected area in the Atlantic Ocean, was just created around Tristan da Cunha, a small chain of islands. The water surrounding the South Atlantic archipelago, is home to tens of millions of birds, sharks, whales, seals, penguins, and kelp forests. They’ll all be safer, now that illegal mining and fishing are banned.

Last week, Pfizer announced a vaccine, to prevent COVID-19. Another company has also had success! Moderna’s COVID vaccine is even more effective, and can be stored in a normal refrigerator. Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be stored at -4 degrees fahrenheit. It will be many months before everyone can be vaccinated, so keep protecting yourselves.

When the Resilience spaceship blasted off Sunday, it was carrying more than astronauts. Baby Yoda, from Star Wars’s Mandalorian series, was also a passenger! The plush toy was their zero-gravity indicator. Once the ship left the pull of Earth’s gravity, Baby Yoda floated around the capsule. He was probably looking for something to eat.

Today is Homemade Bread Day. Find an easy recipe and start baking! While you wait for the dough to rise, you can go for a walk outside, because it’s also Take A Hike Day. If you have any energy left, try making baklava, a flaky pastry filled with nuts and honey, for Baklava Day!

The Grand Canyon in Arizona, was carved out by the Colorado River, over millions of years. It’s 18 miles wide, over a mile deep, and 277 miles long. 10-year-old Bodie Hilleke, just became the youngest person to kayak the entire way through the Grand Canyon. He completed his 280-mile journey with his parents and older siblings.

We know Greenland has lakes hidden under its ice sheets, but scientists believe there may also be a hidden underground river. The Dark River may flow 62 miles below the surface, and stretch 620 miles long. A subglacial river could be carrying melted ice, from the center of Greenland, all the way to Petermann Fjord.

Yesterday, NASA launched 4 astronauts, on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship. The Resilience is headed to the International Space Station, carrying Japan’s Soichi Noguchi, and the US’s Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Victor Glover. For almost 10 years, Americans hitched a ride on Russia’s Soyuz rockets. It’s finally their turn to drive again!

Today is the International Day of Tolerance, first declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1995. Tolerance is the ability to endure something that you don’t always like or agree with. As long as no one’s getting hurt, you can show tolerance with your little brother, your parents’ rules, or spinach!

Today is Button Day! Zippers are quicker and Velcro is easy, but buttons can be beautiful or whimsical, and they’re quiet! It’s also Fast Food Day, so get your meal at a drive-thru restaurant. Then, find your teddy bears, because it’s Have A Party With Your Bear Day! Don’t forget the honey!