Recently, I was invited to present a little bit about astronomy for young children at Louisburgh National School. I decided to concentrate on what they might see with their eyes during the summer holidays. Not every household has binoculars or a telescope available. Plus, just using their eyes to try to spot day or night occurrences makes it a level playing field for all.
Looking at the sky with eyeballs
Also, using your eyes alone builds up observing abilities. Not taking things for granted and paying attention to details are definitely life skills. As it was so close to their summer break, it was logical to draw their attention to atmospheric phenomena that, if present, are easy to see on the West Coast. We looked at images of sun pillars, crepuscular rays, and noctilucient clouds. Looking out for these beautiful manifestations in our atmosphere helps create an appreciation of the beauty of our planet as we make our way through space by day and by night. We also looked at some of my lunar drawings and images of my DOB telescope. Some of the boys and girls had looked at the moon in my telescope a few years ago, as they were members of the local scouts.
The Perseids
Included in the mix was, of course, the Perseid meteor shower. It is one of the most comfortable summer sky events to view. Using pencils and paper, each child followed along to draw the constellation Perseus. Their own little maps with some basic information included. Their neat writing and enthusiasm for such a mixed-age group was admirable. They were encouraged to put their maps on their bedroom walls so they would remember to watch out for them. The smiley face included in the drawing above shows the delight involved in drawing up their own personal maps.
In the session I tasked the children to figure out where the northeast was before August. To finish on a tactile edge, I let them hold some tiny pieces of the Chelyabinsk meteorites that fell to Earth in 2013. The after-school teacher said they were buzzing with excitement, rejoining her group. I won’t know till September if they saw any Perseids. And yes, I told them the difference between a meteor and a meteorite.
I was very pleased with the group’s interaction, but I was tired afterwards. I am currently recovering from knee replacement surgery. It has been a long time since I did anything like that. However, in truth, it was a much-needed tonic of enjoyment. Hopefully I will get to show this group a few wonders in the night sky later in the year.
Previous blogs about drawing the Perseids – Get ready the Perseids are coming
And – Drawing the Perseids
