Author: Lisa Mungovan

Aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, are colorful light displays in the sky that usually occur over northern polar regions. Due to a huge solar storm on the Sun on Friday, the aurora could be visible much further south tonight. Your phone’s camera, can capture even more colors. Look north around after midnight.

Did you know, some sunscreens are harmful to coral reefs? It’s World Reef Awareness Day, and these important ecosystems are in trouble. Plastic pollution in the ocean, harmful chemicals from tourists’ sunblocks, or rising water temperatures of only 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit, can cause coral reefs to eventually die. Let’s all work to save the reefs!

Can’t find your shoes? Who cares! It’s Go Barefoot Day! Feel some lush grass, warm sand, or fuzzy carpet between your toes. It’s also Nail Polish Day, so paint your toenails. You could make them green, in honor of Oscar The Grouch Day. The loveable grump from Sesame Street turns 56 today!

Remember your New Year’s resolutions? It’s New Year’s Resolution Recommitment Day, to let you try again to keep them. It’s also Dare Day, so I dare you to wear a dress, flip a coin, eat an olive, and drink some milk, to celebrate World Milk, Olive, Wear A Dress, and Flip A Coin Day.

You’re such a nice person! I like that shirt you’re wearing. Today is Say Something Nice Day. Complimenting someone can really brighten their day. Try it and see! It’s also Pen Pal Day. Texting and e-mail are easy ways to write to people, but sending a hand-written letter in the mail is something special.

Today is World Parrot Day. Parrots are very intelligent birds, who can develop large vocabularies. One African gray, knows more than 1000 words. Parrots sometimes use plants, as their own pharmacy. There are more than 350 different parrot species, many of them endangered. Some types of parrots, can live to be 100 years old.

If you know someone who’s trying to quit smoking, tell them to sniff pleasant odors! Researchers found that deliberately inhaling a nice aroma, can reduce the urge to light up. It’ll sure smell better than cigarettes, and will help them celebrate World No Tobacco Day. Maybe people who chew tobacco, can eat violets instead.

Do you wear headphones or earbuds when you’re watching videos? Maybe you listen to loud music. Today, on Save Your Hearing Day, try to give your ears a rest. Go outside and listen to the birds instead, or reed a book and let your imagination furnish the sounds. Your ears will thank you!

Today is Speak In Complete Sentences Day. Your parents will be so surprised when they ask how your day was, and you don’t just answer, “Fine.” It’s also Smile Day. When you give someone a smile, they’ll usually give you one in return. Collect a bunch of smiles, and spread some happiness around!

Paleontologists have discovered a new dinosaur species, in China. They were excited to find a nearly complete fossilized skull, which is rare because skulls are so fragile. The eusauropd is named Jinchuanloong niedu, and lived 165,000,000 years ago, during the Jurassic period. The gigantic creature had a long neck, and ate plants.