For the second time in our existence, the Kiddie Science Lab had the honor of hosting another solar eclipse educational opportunity! Seven years ago we witnessed our first eclipse at approximately 70% totality. This time, NYC was in the path for 90% coverage, which is pretty significant. Once again we gathered on the sidewalk on Rogers Avenue and were amazed by science! In addition to the eclipse, glasses, we viewed the eclipse using pinhole viewers, one of which was very, very big and provided an amazing view. The box used as a pinhole viewer was repurposed from our recent toilet paper delivery, hence the tagline. It made for such a great viewer (and such hysterical pictures) that we tagged the company and they shared our image forward. You can check it out HERE.
Cheers to science and for finding a good laugh amongst the awe! Here it is, the moment you've waited for all winter! It's the annual Kiddie Science Lab Plant Sale Fundraiser! Flowers, herbs, fruits, and more! Order your plants online and pick up on Saturday, May 4th or Sunday, May 5th. Proceeds help us continue to plant the seeds of science!
COLEUS "WIZARD" Compact plants have very colorful, medium-size leaves. This plant lives well indoors. Low-maintenance, uniform, and basal-branching plants are late flowering, extending their landscape value. Especially suited to full sun or partial shade, with outstanding heat and humidity tolerance. SNAPDRAGON This delightful dwarf strain makes a lovely display in annual borders. A good plant to attract pollinators that also works well indoors in a sunny window. COSMOS "SONATA" Bright, colorful daisy-like blooms on tall stems with ferny leaves. Mix includes white, rose, pink, and cherry. Tolerates poor soil, heat and drought. A good plant to attract pollinators. Requires full sun. IMPATIENS (BEACON) Impatiens are a great colorful option for the shade and will grow well indoors. This is a mixed flower pack of red, pink, white, purple, and/or orange. BASIL This popular strain has large, dark green leaves with a pleasant sweet flavor, and is used for flavoring many foods, especially tomatoes and peas. Both leaves and flowers are also used fresh or dried in salads. A great choice for pesto; plants grow to about 2 ft. high and can live indoors in a sunny location. CUCUMBERS "MARKETMORE" Leading slicer in the U.S., this uniformly dark green beauty holds its shape and quality through several picks. Solid reputation as a dependable open-pollinated slicer. Excellent for backyard growing. BUTTERNUT SQUASH Fruit are 8-10' long with thick, cylindrical necks. Its flesh color is richer than others, and the fruit store well, late into winter. Yielding heavily, it shows remarkable uniformity and is virtually free of slim or crooked necks. Its rind is creamy tan and slightly ridged. Excellent for backyard growing. CHERRY TOMATOES This large plant yields an incredible number of the best tasting bite-sized cherry tomatoes! They’re produced in grape-like clusters, bear all season long, and get high praise for their sweetness. Although Brooklyn isn't in the path of a full eclipse, we expect to see about 90% of the sun blocked out by the moon during the upcoming eclipse. Here's what you need to know about the solar eclipse:
What's happening? On April 8th, the moon is going to pass between the sun and the Earth, blocking all or part of the sun for a few hours. Depending on where you live, you may see a full eclipse, where the moon completely covers the disc of the sun. Why does an eclipse happen? Based on the periodic alignment of the round bodies involved (sun, moon, Earth) there are scientifically predictable times when they are lined up perfectly to block part of all of the sun. In the case of a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the sun, creating a partial or full shadow. You can learn more HERE. How can I see the solar eclipse? An eclipse is an exciting time in Earth science, but safety is important. Much like you wouldn't look directly up at the sun on a bright day, it's unsafe to look directly up at the solar eclipse without proper eye wear. Even with solar filters, direct viewing of the solar eclipse is limited to a few minutes at a time. It's important to give your eyes a break when viewing the eclipse and never ever view with regular eyeglasses. You can learn more on viewing the eclipse safely HERE. Happy Leap Year Day!! This year, February has 29 days, making it a leap year. But why??
Normally, the month of February has 28 days. Every four years, however, we add an extra day to the calendar, which is today. To better understand this answer, we need some background information about our calendar. The calendar we use is actually pretty ancient. It was designed to document the Earth's annual trip around the sun through the changing seasons. Over the course of approximately 365 days, the Earth makes one full trip around the sun. The calendar we use today reflects that and is based on observations made by scientists going back to the 11th century in Persia. Ancient astronomers quickly realized that the Earth doesn't take exactly 365 days to make a full trip around the sun. If one wanted to be more precise, there's an extra six hours to make it official. But what do you do with six hours over a long period of time? Scientists applied math to this problem and came up with the leap year. This is why, every four years, when twenty-fours hours have accumulated, we add an extra day in the month of February. |
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