Summer

Image credit: Society for Popular Astronomy (www.popastro.com)

Welcome back!

My last blog was in German. I talked about my incredible visit to the Tooth Fairy Castle! If you missed it, click here to read it.

Today I will finish my “Four Seasons Series.” Yep, the missing season is Summer. In the first three blogs, I shared interesting facts about the colorful Autumn, the shorter, colder, and snowy days of Winter, and the birds chirping, allergies, and crazy Spring weather! Wow, that is a very looooong sentence. Mom said that many famous authors write long sentences, too. Then that makes “Young Blogger Joey Paco” famous, too. (wink) If you missed those interesting blogs, just click on their names to read them. 

If you remember, scientists have two ways to calculate the beginning of each season. The Astronomical is based on how far or near the Earth is to the sun: Summer: June 21 - September 22; The Meteorological is based on the average temperature. Summer: June 1 - August 31. Joey’s calculation: Hot, sweaty days and LEMONADE!!!!!

Some interesting facts about Summer:

Longer Days: Hm, let me explain. The longer days are only for those living in the Northern Hemisphere.(USA, Canada, Mexico…) Those living in the Southern Hemisphere are enjoying the cooler and shorter days of Winter. (Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia) Their longer day is December 21 or 22, depending on the year. Why longer days? Because the Earth is tilted to its maximum toward the Sun and the North Star, Polaris. A very important day to remember is June 30, the longest day of the year!

Midnight sun is a natural phenomenon in the Arctic Circle (North Pole) and Antarctic Circle (South Pole). Why is it called the Midnight Sun? Because the sun stays visible on the horizon even at midnight! Dad said this could last between 24 hours and 6 months. 

Crazy Weather: Those hot summer days trap moister creating more Thunderstorms and Hurricanes. June 1 also marks the beginning of the Hurricane Season in the Atlantic and the Caribbean!

Famous Festivals:  

Puerto Rico: Patron Saint Festivals (Fiestas Patronales). Mom said there are many fun activities for the family, rides for children, live music, artisans, and food. On the last day, there is a parade and fireworks!  

Brazil: Festa Junina. A festival to celebrate rural life, harvests, and the Catholic saints St. Anthony, St. John,and St. Peter. They will eat food made from corn.

USA: National Cherry Festival. Wow, here I can show off my cherry-pit spitting abilities. Ha,ha,ha. Carnival rides, live music, parades, and fireworks. Grandma and Mom like to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at thefarmers' market. 

Star gazing: Dad said June is a very active month in the sky. Milky Way - It looks like a faint line of light arching across the sky all night. Meteor Showers – It happens when many meteors seem to come from one place in the sky. They look like shooting stars. On June 7, you will see up to 30 shooting stars per hour! Hm,this reminds me of my adventure with the Shooting Star Express. 

Dad said you can see these constellations with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope: Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Sagitarius. Two interesting facts about Sagitarius. 1) It is located inside the Milky Way. 2) There is a huge black hole named Sagittarius A. Do you know what a black hole is? It is a “place” in space where the gravity keeps everything trapped inside, including light. 

My favorite Summer Activities: helping mom pick berries and vegetables from the garden, family picnic at the lake, nature scavenger hunt, riding my bike, grilling, and going swimming at the lake or the beach. 

In my next blog, I will tell you about another great family vacation.

Remember to brush your teeth and keep them clean for the Tooth Fairy.   

Joey Paco