A New Star Is Born

Online, July 10, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Space Events & News to Add to the Family's July Calendar - Earlier today, a team of UK astronomers announced their observations from the birth of a new massive star over 10,000 light years away from Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy. To celebrate this discovery Sylvan Dell Publishing has added family fun activities for young space explorers.

The University of Manchester funded the scientific discovery which included the use of the new ALMA telescope in Chile, the world's most powerful radio telescope. By using only a fraction of the ALMA telescope's potential power, scientists were given an in-depth look at this new star's creation within a dark cloud core and were able to gather a better understanding of how new "monster" stars are formed. The new star is more luminous than the Sun and measures 500 times its mass; the largest star ever seen in our galaxy. Catching the star during this early evolution stage is also rare, since the birth and childhood of stars are extremely quick.

The birth of this new star coincides perfectly with July's prominent history of space discoveries. July 20 marks forty-four years since astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, from the space crew Apollo 11, first walked on the moon in 1969. This event would secure the win in the notorious space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, which started with the release of the first satellite, Sputnik, by the Soviets in October 1957. This period in history would also lead to another space development in the month of July, the formation of NASA on July 29, 1958 by President Dwight Eisenhower.

July is the month for any amateur astronomers and astronauts out there. There are so many space related events to keep marked on this month's calendar. A new moon just started on July 8 which means the return of the full moon is on July 22. This full moon is commonly referred to by Native American tribes as the "Full Buck Moon" because male deer grow new antlers during this time. Also, the end of July marks the annual Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower that runs typically from July 12 through mid-August. This shower can reach about 20 meteors per hour during its peak, which sources seem to predict as July 28-30. Experts suggest venturing out to watch the skies after midnight or a couple of hours before dawn for best viewing.

The Calendar of Special Days on the Sylvan Dell Publishing website lists fun astronomy activities for the third week in July rightly titled "space week" and on July 29 for "moon day". Sylvan Dell titles such as Pieces of Another World and How the Moon Regained Her Shape feature topics such as star gazing and stages of the moon. Pieces of Another World by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Salima Alikhan, tells the story of a young girl and her dad's nighttime excursion to watch a meteor shower. The For Creative Minds section also contains extra helpful information concerning meteors and meteor showers, a must read before your own viewing. How the Moon Regained Her Shape by Janet Ruth Heller, with illustrations by Ben Hodson, brings to life a story inspired by a Native American folktale that explains why the moon changes shape. Heller also weaves in a good lesson on dealing with bullies alongside her majestic reverence for the moon. Additional titles on space include Meet the Planets, Saturn for My Birthday, and Solar System Forecast.

Sylvan Dell Publishing is on a mission to improve child literacy with science and math through fictional picture books. Using prose and pictures, children are delighted with stories of their favorite animals, planets, or even place. This leads to the exploration of facts and learning activities in each book's For Creative Minds pages. Sylvan Dell carefully designs each book to portray accurately the chosen subject. Vetted by experts in that field, and aligned to common core and state standards; each book is a unique asset to educational programs. Sylvan Dell has grown to include more than 80 authors and illustrators, and honored to have won more than 70 book awards since its inception in 2005.[/url]