June 22-26 Weeks finds
"Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like the curious children before the great mystery into which we were born." -Albert Einstein SCIENCE Destination Moon : On Friday, the moon reaches its first quarter phase, allowing you to see the distinctly dark gray regions that are called maria, or seas. These are smooth plains of solidified lava formed when giant asteroids struck the moon billions of years ago. Can you spot the Sea of Tranquility, where Apollo 11 touched down ? Use binoculars and telescopes to sweep down the shadow line that divides the light and dark portions of the lunar disk. It’s along this line where the sun shines low on the rugged lunar terrain. Sweep down to the more southern part of the moon and take a peek at two giant craters lying side-by-side, just southwest of the Sea of Tranquility. The larger one, 93 miles wide, is Hipparchus, while the other is 81-mile-wide Albategnius. — Andrew Fazekas Beavers http