Book Sharing Monday 20 July

The Planet Gods--Myths and Facts about the Solar System (2008), written by Jacqueline Mitton and illustrated by Christina Balit, is one of several books by this duo that have to do with astronomy, which is not surprising considering that the author is a Cambridge-educated astronomer. The pair's other books on the topic are Zoo in the Sky, Once upon a Starry Night, and Zodiac--Celestial Circle of the Sun.

The illustrator has also written and illustrated a few books on her own, including the highly enjoyable Atlantis (2000) and Escape from Pompeii (2003).

Book Sharing Monday is hosted at Serendipity.

Good finds of the week

1. Stellarium: an incredible, free software program for a variety of operating systems, that turns your computer screen into a planetarium.  We've had lots of fun playing with it this week, especially since cloudy skies have kept us from stargazing.  

2. Clay Center Observatory: in Brookline, MA on the campus of Dexter/Southfield schools (where JFK went to school).  This Saturday from three until ten p.m. the center is celebrating Astronomy Day, and every Tuesday night in the spring and fall (weather-permitting) the observatory has free public telescope viewings.  The center has an LED-lit constellation court, plus a moon court and a sun court to check out.  Pictures from the center's website here.  Short video from our field trip below.

3. Inside Birding: a series of web videos to help hone your birdwatching skills, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All about Birds website.  So far, four episodes are online.