The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, are finally home! A trip to the ISS, beginning on June 5th, that was supposed to be for about a week turned out lasting nine months! There were concerns about the safety of the space craft so they had to wait, wait and wait for a vehicle to bring them back to Earth. Now home, on March 18th, the two astronauts will be spending a bit of time in the hospital to check out their health after such a long time in space. Long periods without gravity can do harm to bones and muscles.During their time at the ISS, both Wilmore and Williams assisted in maintenance at the ISS, did a spacewalk and worked on experiments. Interestingly, when the space capsule splashed into the ocean, a pod of dolphin came to greet their return! What would you miss the most being away for such a long time?

Photograph from Pixabay

An unusual museum has opened in Williams,Arizona. Called the Poozeum, you probably can guess what is on display. Poop. Although the museum has examples of crocodiles, sharks, and other types of animals(and insects) droppings, the really amazing displays are of very, very old poop belonging to dinosaurs.Such specimens can be million and millions of years old and are called coprolites. George Frandsen, owner of the museum has been collecting coprolites since he was a teenager. He has lots of samples, more than 8,000! A prize coprolite is over two feet in length and 6 inches thick, weighing 20 pounds. Frandsen thinks it was from a Tyrannosaurus rex and it holds the Guinness World Record (largest meat-eating coprolite).You don't have to worry about an odor if you visit the Poozeum because the coprolites, are fossilized ,having turned to stone!

A rare display will take place in the sky on February 28th. SEVEN planets will line up in a row, something which won't happen again until 2040. Since there are now eight planets in our solar system with Pluto being demoted, the only planet that will not line up in what is being called a "planetary parade" will be Jupiter! Astronomers say that even the sun will be part of this arrangement. If there aren’t any clouds, go outside, look toward the horizon looking a bit west, in an area without lots of lights. You may be able to catch a glimpse of some of the parade, even without a telescope. In addition to Jupiter, you won't see planet Earth, as you are living on it!

Illustration from Livescience.

Photograph from egypt-museum

Photograph from MauiNews

In Antarctica, the fossil of an ancient duck-like bird has been discovered. Called Vegavis iaai, a nearly complete skull, thought to be about 69 millions years, old was found. It is thought that this duck like bird , the size of a mallard duck, may be a distance relative of today's geese and ducks. Scientists are calling the Vegas iaai, the world's oldest known modern bird. Actually found in 2011, the skull is currently been studied.

Illustration from LiveScience

The second highest mountain in New Zealand, Taranaki Mounga, will be given PERSON status. The law making body in New Zealand, the parliament, passed a bill giving personhood to the mountain. The mountain, sacred to the aboriginal people, Maori, will have rights just like all adult humans of New Zealand. Actually, this isn't the first geographic area in New Zealand to earn this consideration. The Te Urewera Park and the Whanganui River also have person status!

Photograph from Terra, Encyclopedia of NZ

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About Gail:

I retired from teaching after 33 1/2 years in the classroom. Of that time, I taught Grade 6 Social Studies teacher for 31 1/2 years.I earned my BA in early secondary education with a concentration in social studies from SUNY Oneonta, New York, and my MST in social studies education from Binghamton University in New York. In 1988, I was awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Additionally, in 1988, I was also awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award by the National Council for the Social Studies. I am the author of 8 books for teachers and over 35 books for children(Purple Turtle Series by Aadarsh Publishing and Odd History Series by Red Chair Press).

My work has appeared in most children's publications including:
Highlights for Children,News-O-Matic,Appleseed,,Scholastic's Super Science,,Scholastic's Science World,Jack and Jill,National Geographic World, Ranger Rick, Cobblestone, Faces, Muse Magazine,Contact Kids, US Kids,Action Magazine(Scholastic),Girls' Life,Boys' Life,American Girl, Instructor,Creative Classroom,Middle Years,Time for Kids,Scholastic News,Scholastic News Zone, Time for Kids , Ask Magazine, Dig,Calliope, Cobblestone, FACES, Studies Weekly, Glo Adventurer, and more.






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Gail Hennessey

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