Learning with granny Science for Cyberkids

Learning with Granny!

Venus and the Winter Solstice.

After the Venus Transit on the 8th of June, everyone continued to get up early to watch the sunrise. Sipho and Vinny documented the sun's position on the horizon as well and its rising time as it moved north until it reached its 'winter stopping place' on June the 21st.

This sunrise position marks the longest night and the shortest day for the Southern hemisphere and is called the Winter Solstice. It is midsummer in the Northern hemisphere and the Summer Solstice brings a very long day and a short summer night.

The two boys made a careful note of the sun's position at sunrise on the 21st of June. "From where we stand, the telecommunication tower makes a very good marker for the winter solstice" said Granny. She continued as she pointed to the tower "from tomorrow the sun will start its journey back in a southerly direction towards its summer stopping place south of East. The midsummer sunrise or solstice which occurs on or around the 21st of December," she paused and swept her arm pointing across the horizon, then continued....

"Before then, we will observe the sunrise between those two points and that is termed 'The Equinox' when all around the world night and day are of equal length."

"Oh... now I understand what Alex meant in his story when he said the parents would wait for the sun to leave its 'winter path and be well on its way to its summer stopping place,' before moving from their home" said Terry, fascinated to realize that the early ancestors might have been observing the day skies as well as the night skies.

(See Part 3 of Alex Story)

"Can you understand that Margie?" Terry asked.

"Not really," replied her little sister.

Ann, however, could picture it clearly in her mind (enter the image on the right to see the whole picture) but it didn't come out as well in her rough drawing in the sand but Margie and the others understood.

On the 7th of July Granny woke up to find Ann at her bedside. Looking at her watch she said, "Ann, it's far too early to monitor the sunrise, why don't you go back to bed."

"No Granny... please get up." Ann replied excitedly as she handed Granny her dressing gown and put her slippers in place beside the bed. "You must come and see, it's Orion, it's coming up from the East and it's beautiful !"

Ann knew her constellations and continued as Granny threw an extra rug over both of them and opened the door on the cold pre-dawn air. "Just look at Aldabaran in Taurus how brightly it's shining - even brighter than Sirius in Canis Major," she pointed.

Anne, that's not Aldabaran, it must be the planet Venus in occultation with Aldabaran in the constellation of Taurus - we are lucky to see this. I am so glad you woke me up," said Granny remembering she had read about how a star or a planet can appear to completely cover another star. (The book was called "The Starlit Sky '72" written by the well known Astronomer Patrick Moore after his visit to South Africa. If it's available .the ISBN is 0-86972-025-2. It might be in the library as it was printed in South Africa )

By the time the others got up, the light from the approaching sunrise had turned the sky a beautiful pale blue and only Venus could be seen - much higher now - a tiny twinkling star ready to lead the sun on its short winter path to the west. A yellow pastel ribbon with a soft pink glow below announced the sun's arrival along the horizon.

Everyone put on their 'eclipse glasses' and watched as the sun pushed its glowing tip over the horizon, noting how its position had advanced slightly in a southerly direction (or to the right).
"I'm definitely going to get up early tomorrow to see if I can see Venus" said Vinny. "So am I," added Sipho.

Although no one else saw the occultation, they all enjoyed watching the pre-dawn skies at different times over the next month and shared their own thoughts. They watched a tiny moon disappear to return some days later as the second full moon at the end of the month. (Enter the image on the right to see the whole picture)

"It doesn't really look blue at all, " commented Margie somewhat disappointed. "No, but it does make the dark sky appear blue," said Ann recalling the pitch black sky when she first spotted Orion rising.

Alex listened in delight to the stories as various cultures surfaced while everyone observed the sky with different thoughts.

"If you join the 'dots' you can see a pyramid," Vinny commented, revealing his interest in Egypt and recalling some of the stories and colourful art he'd enjoyed. "See there in the middle is the king's throne."

"Yes, I can see that" said Ann, drawing a triangle in the sky with her finger. Aldabaran on the left, Rigel at the top and Sirius on the right.

Ann's eyes turned further South and she gasped in excitement and grabbed Vinny's shoulder. Look ! there's your Argo - remember you couldn't find it in the sky when we were little and wouldn't be in our concert until you were able to 'join the dots' and pick it out." (Enter the image on the right to see the whole picture).

"Oh yes," he grinned, remembering how he had tried to imagine the great ship of the Greek Heroes. "That's amazing - look everyone - Canopus - the Keel is on the top. It's upside-down now and the 'sails' - or crosses of Vela and Carina as well as Puppis (the poop of the ship) are down below," he went on in delight. "Now I can understand the movement of the sky much better. I know it's the Earth's movement - but to understand it one has to take in what we see first," He carried on searching the southern sky. "Where is the Southern Cross Gran?"

"It's too far south for us to see at the moment . The sun will be up soon, so you will have to look for it in it's night position this evening"

Chef had a grin from ear to ear as he an Frikkie had just been discussing the dry weather recently. "We won't have to worry now, we will have all the rain we need soon." He pointed at the Pleiades "so we better start getting the field ready for planting." He moved across to where Vinny was observing Argo Navis.

"Some people say we will be very lucky when we see the Horn star The Chinese called it Laou Jin or The Old Man " he pointed to the bright star Canopus - "but all those little stars below predict that we will have many ants laying eggs to worry us," he teased. (Enter the image on the right to see the whole picture)

"That's cool," said Lee. "I wish Shilling was here now, he told me an African star story about the man who was a hunter. He left his family of seven (the Pleiades) to go and shoot Zebras (in Orion's belt) He never came home as he lost his arrow and was frightened by a lion (Betelgeuse) who kept watch and wouldn't let him pass".

"I don't see a hunter or a throne "said Margie - who had been listening to all the stories. "I see a little stick man running in the Olympic Games. He's passed the statue of Venus and he's near the finishing line so he throws both his arms in the air and puts his foot firmly forward and wins the race."

"Did you notice if he was a South African Margie?' said Frikkie with a twinkle in his eye. "No," she laughed, "but his two arms were held high like the colours on the flag."

"Oh yes, I can see him too," said Terry. "Rigel, the brightest of the Orion stars, is his head, the Red Giant Betelgeuse is the foot in front - it's right out of the triangle."

Alex, Frikkie, Vinny and Lee had been chatting about the plans for the trip. "I can't wait to go up Africa and look at the stars from a different angle" said Vinny. "Yes, it's amazing to see how the early morning skies differ from the ones we are used to seeing at night" replied Frikkie in agreement.

"I am interested to find out what other African people have inherited in their cultures - like the Dogon and Mali for instance" commented Alex.

"I am also interested to know more about all the ancient people in the world - like the Maya of South America and the Aborigines from Australia, The Chinese and the Indians..." said Lee

"I am interested in the Egyptians," Vinny began. "We know," smiled Frikkie, "we'll probably go there first after we learn more about the rest of Africa".

Any further discussion was interrupted by Margie and Tion came rushing up to Alex - "Are you going to tell us a story about Orion and the triangle Alex?" asked Margie.

"Not this time" he replied, but on seeing their faces drop continued. "I thought we'd ask Frikkie if we could 'surf the Internet' and find out more about how some of the wonderful ideas we heard this morning originated." Explaining why, he said, "we will leave our little ancient ancestor family watching the movement of the sun and wondering where the familiar little cross has disappeared to."
Read the story to date:

See here for part one.
See here for part two
See here for part three

Let's visit Science in Africa August 2001 and read about the SAAO - South African Astronomical Observatory poster called 'Friends of the Universe' . Learn something about The Dogon Tribe in North Africa at http://www.crystalinks.com/dogon.html

We'll leave Vinny and Lee doing their own search for information on Egyptian and Mayan Astronomy and Astrology.

Remembering that although the early inhabitants of Earth may not have had the modern technology we have today to confirm or research their observations and assumptions, that it was their rapidly developing minds and their daily observations of nature, their creative interpretations of its interaction with their daily lives that helped form the basis for science today.

Through the ages science has researched their findings and learned from all the knowledge of the past. It continues probing the universe for answers to deeper and more complex questions.