Friday, March 22, 2013

Bluebonnet Swamp Field trip

On Friday, March 22nd, we had a field trip to the Bluebonnet Swamp. This was one of our largest turn outs. We had 140 something people (adults and children) on this day.

This picture was taken by a member of our group who is a photographer and had a wide angle lens.  photo IMG_0080_zps5e216c9d.jpg
First, we started off the trip with an introduction to some of the animals that they have on display and got to pet several of them.
 photo 4x6-0313343_zps01efb973.jpg photo 4x6-0313351_zpse0e4b38b.jpg photo 4x6-0313353_zps749b05e3.jpg photo 4x6-03131418_zpse8055e37.jpg  photo 4x6-0313345_zpsad63ef92.jpg photo 4x6-0313349_zpsa731d4bb.jpg  photo 4x6-03131422_zps4c09a2b1.jpg photo 4x6-03131427_zps88553736.jpg  photo 4x6-0313354_zps1821edf6.jpg photo 4x6-0313358_zps22bca31e.jpg photo 4x6-0313359_zps4e9b00d8.jpg photo 4x6-0313361_zpsc3df9dbf.jpg photo 4x6-0313362_zpscbdbed82.jpg  photo 4x6-0313350_zpsde4cb7fb.jpg photo 4x6-03131428_zpsb0c3d10b.jpg  photo 4x6-0313365_zps84da3fb7.jpg photo 4x6-0313366_zps3db88fb0.jpg photo 4x6-0313369_zps425de28e.jpg photo 4x6-0313370_zps800cf7bc.jpg photo 4x6-0313370_zps800cf7bc.jpg  photo 4x6-0313371_zps9e7ff36b.jpg photo 4x6-0313372_zpsb5145098.jpg photo 4x6-0313373_zpsbbc9b3bd.jpg photo 4x6-0313379_zps4af6863a.jpg photo 4x6-0313380_zpsa9792a1f.jpg  photo 4x6-0313376_zps1f465d88.jpg photo 4x6-0313377_zps4219cce5.jpg
Then we were able to walk around and look at the different animals and display cases that they had.
 photo 4x6-03131437_zps8c731789.jpg photo 4x6-03131439_zps3e2d5754.jpg photo 4x6-03131440_zpseb07e3bc.jpg  photo 4x6-0313382_zps6a30a370.jpg photo 4x6-0313385_zpsb6f29659.jpg photo 4x6-0313389_zps0c0bae05.jpg photo 4x6-03131488_zpsa49baff8.jpg  photo 4x6-0313391_zps7e615b87.jpg photo 4x6-0313393_zps26a8be03.jpg
Next we walked on the walking paths through the swamp, but we didn't get to see much because the kids were just interested in getting through it at fast as they could!
 photo 4x6-03131480_zps40f7aba8.jpg photo 4x6-03131481_zps11543d61.jpg photo 4x6-03131483_zps7daaf2ac.jpg photo 4x6-0313405_zpse98aef0a.jpg  photo 4x6-0313404_zps16d9c395.jpg photo 4x6-0313406_zpse4396ca0.jpg  photo 4x6-0313401_zps08da4f74.jpg photo 4x6-0313408_zps8af93673.jpg
Finally, we went back to the building and got to witness feeding time!
 photo 4x6-0313430_zps2c203f29.jpg  photo 4x6-0313423_zps23a2f45b.jpg photo 4x6-0313431_zpsb1024c76.jpg

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Highland Road BREC Park Observatory Fieldtrip

We had two fieldtrips back in February at the Highland Road BREC Park Observatory to accommodate our group.
_2210002

 _2210007 _2210009
First we started off with a powerpoint presentation about the sun and the moon including solar flares and sunspots, lunar craters and maria.
 photo 4x6-0313056_zps45c9cc2a.jpg photo 4x6-0313057_zps08f8564f.jpg  photo 4x6-0313058_zps504196e1.jpg photo 4x6-0313059_zpsae2a2a8c.jpg photo 4x6-0313060_zpsbf94cf3e.jpg

_2210023 _2210032

After the presentation, we broke into 2 groups. One group toured the observatory and looked the telescope outside to see a solar viewing while the other group made a planisphere (star map).

Our group making the planisphere.
 photo 4x6-0313061_zps402dabfe.jpg photo 4x6-0313064_zpsa3b3b7b9.jpg  photo 4x6-0313063_zps704dc4ab.jpg photo 4x6-0313065_zps55f366ab.jpg photo 4x6-0313066_zpsd30cd664.jpg photo 4x6-0313067_zps99c8cf9f.jpg
Our group with the completed planispheres
 photo 4x6-0313069_zps9ff4ae4b.jpg

_2210058 _2210070

_2210059 _2210060


The other group working on theirs.
 photo 4x6-0313073_zps862887ad.jpg _2210078
Touring the telescope room
 photo 4x6-0313072_zpse108db71.jpg photo 4x6-0313079_zps963bd349.jpg

_2210052 _2210053 _2210054
The dome runs on a track so that they can point the telescope in whatever direction they need too without opening the whole roof.
 photo 4x6-0313075_zps33b4d158.jpg photo 4x6-0313078_zps2ac21b02.jpg  photo 4x6-0313080_zps59f02e19.jpg
Looking through the telescope at the sun...We were able to see sun spots. It basically looked like a circle with 3 black dots. At first, I couldn't see anything but then realized that was all it was. The worker kept having to adjust the telescope because the earth kept moving!
 photo 4x6-0313081_zps19e3be53.jpg photo 4x6-0313083_zps077f0710.jpg photo 4x6-0313084_zpsdf9ddbd9.jpg photo 4x6-0313085_zps47b53f10.jpg photo 4x6-0313087_zpsc544510f.jpg photo 4x6-0313086_zps1e6c4213.jpg