One Strange Rock is a ten-episode docuseries hosted by actor Will Smith that tells the stories of the planet Earth. It has beautiful imagery that entices the viewer, and interviews with astronauts about their time in space. Some of the most interesting episodes to me were the ones about the moon, the sun, and the […]
Mars’ latest lander, InSight, launched in May 2018 and landed in November 2018. At approximately 5 feet long and 20 feet wide, it features two solar panels, two cameras, and three scientific instruments with a robotic arm to place the instruments on the surface. 1 This is space exploration’s first attempt to study the interior […]
“The common theme of calendar making is the desire to organize units of time to satisfy the needs and preoccupations of society. In addition to serving practical purposes, the process of organization provides a sense, however illusory, of understanding and controlling time itself. Thus calendars serve as a link between mankind and the cosmos.” 1 […]
Have you ever found yourself gazing up at a beautiful night sky and asking yourself if there is any other life out there? Or maybe you ask yourself what makes our planet Earth so special. I find myself asking very similar questions, especially 7000 feet up in the San Bernardino Mountains where the stars are […]
In the recent Hollywood blockbuster, The Martian, director Ridley Scott focuses his view on potential living conditions for humans on Mars. The movie follows the Ares III astronaut crew as they explore Mars and take samples for analysis from the red planet. A sudden storm forces evacuation, but one astronaut doesn’t make it to the […]
Have you ever watched the moon rise over a silhouette of Ponderosa and Jeffrey pines, mountain ridges looming in the background? Ever wondered how that beautiful moon affects us down here on earth? Here at High Trails, we get to wonder that very thing each week during our astronomy class. We encourage students to think […]
A long time ago, in a galaxy very very close, man looked up and wondered: What’s out there? Are we alone? What are those things in the sky? Do those things affect what is happening here? Although their technology was primitive, their minds and creativity were not, and so Astrology was born. Artology Astrology has […]
Here’s a question: how can you use 3 cars to explain why stars are different colors? If you look up at the sky on a clear night, when the light from the moon or the light from the city isn’t washing out the sky, you might be overwhelmed by how many stars you can see. […]
“Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.” Rick Riordan – The Mark of Athena The Percy Jackson books have been adapted into movies and have become very popular with young readers and adult readers like myself. I started reading the Heroes […]
Looking up into the night sky it is often hard to conceptualize just how vast of a space you’re looking at. Sirius is one of the brightest stars in the night sky and yet it is 8.6 light years away. Moving a little closer to earth, one of the most prominent features of the night […]
Like many other children, when I was about 8 years old, all I wanted to do when I grew up was to be an astronaut, which helps explain why all of my favorite movies have to do with aliens and outer space. My favorite class I get to teach to my High Trails’ students is […]
As instructors at High Trails we are constantly trying to relate the material that we teach back to the student’s daily lives. Sometimes this is difficult, because not all students understand why topics like astronomy and space travel are relevant to their lives. One tactic I have used during Astronomy is to explain the relationship […]
It used to be that My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. Alas, pizza is no longer for dinner. It was 2006 when Pluto was demoted from our solar system’s 9th planet and renamed a dwarf planet (or more accurately a “pluton”) by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The mnemonic we all memorized […]
While teaching astronomy it is inevitable that some student will ask me if there is life some where else in our universe, and I have to answer “I don’t know”. What we do know is that there is a part of the science community dedicated to looking for other planets outside our solar system and […]
I’m not afraid to admit that I am a big science nerd; especially when it comes to astronomy! I have been at High Trails for more than a season now, and I have to say that my favorite class that I am privileged to teach is definitely Astronomy. Astronomy classes are spread out over a […]
