The Canadian Space Agency is doing the Tomatosphere project again this year. There are two uploaded documents for teachers to look at regarding the project.  Any schools that are interested in participating in the tomatosphere project can contact the CSA - their contact info is on the flyer.

We have just started star trooper training and the new troopers are getting smarter and smarter every time we look at the night sky. Last week we were lucky enough to have clear skies and get some great views of the stripes of Jupiter. Our equipment to train the troopers are 3 - 10 inch dobsonian telescopes, multiple high powered binoculars 6 sky scouts, and our large 11 inch Shmidt Cassegrain telescope in the Galileo Observatory.

On Wednesday 29, 2010, if you missed it, there was an amazing sight directionally right in front of the sun. Sunspot 1109 was so big it was too hard to miss. The international space station passed right over 1109. A sunspot is when there is a sudden cooling of air on 1 part of the sun, makes a spot that is visible from a solar friendly telescope.

Breaking news

A new planet was just discovered in a solar system that parallels our own. The new world could be habitable— or even inhabited!  A new member of a system of planets circling a red dwarf star 20 light-years away has just been found. It’s called Gliese 581g, and the ‘g’ may very well stand for goldilocks. Gliese 581 is the first world that is the right size and location for life. Just by the research, I would say that the chances for life on this planet are 100 percent. But current studies won’t allow scientists to study the planets atmosphere for chemical signs of life.

Mercury’s tail is soon to be called a comet planet. Scientists are debating on whether or not mercury is going to be categorized as a comet planet. They have just discovered a faint comet like tail. Unlike a comet, which is a releasing balls of dusty ices, Mercury is bone dry. This tail is created by a gusher of solar radiation releasing sodium atoms off Mercury's surface. They absorb enough energy to escape the planet's gravitational pull and zoom off into space. The pressure of the solar wind sweeps back the expanding cloud into a windsock-like tail.

That’s it for this from Shane Wray, Head of Research for the Miramichi Rural Observatory.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/space/

Just to let everyone know, there is 4 lessons in the documents section that you can acess for do a French Fort Cove in conjunction with the MOVE project. 

Grade 3 - Investigating Soils

Grade 7 - Ecosystems

Grade 8 - Water Sampling

Grade 10 - Sustainability of Ecosystems.

All lessons involve inquiry-based science lessons with quality physical education.

Science & Children - March: STEM:Science, Teacher, Engineering, and Math

• Insect Keepers
• Potato Problem Solving
• Elementary Design Challenges

Science & Children - April/May: Weather

• Blogging About The Weather
• Look! It Is Going To Rain
• DIY Versus Profesional

Science Scope - March: Community-Based Science

• Waterways in Focus
• Local Food Webs
• Civic Action for Students

Science Scope - April/May: Air and Gases

• Wildflowers and Ozone
• Habitat Humidity
• Science of Smell

The Science Teacher - March: Science For All

• Vocabulary strategies for ELL's
• 3-D Teaching Models
• 2009 Outstanding Science Trade Books

The Science Teacher - April/May: Community Collaborations

• National Lab Day
• Sustainable Energy Projects
• Investigating Invasive Plants