The Express Tribune hi five - April 20

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Eclipses PAGE 2-3

Origami tall cap PAGE 4

Basketball PAGE 6

Fun science experiment PAGE 8

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

Hi light

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CASTING A A SHADOW SHADOW

ECLIPSES: ECLIPSES: OF OF THE THE SUN, SUN, THE THE EARTH EARTH AND AND THE THE MOON MOON Recently a lunar eclipse coloured the Moon bright red on April 15th and was observed worldwide. Eclipses are an interesting phenomenon that occurs when an astronomical object is hidden from view. There are two types of eclipses namely solar and lunar eclipse. Let’s look into how eclipses occur.

SOLAR ECLIPSE A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the Sun. During a solar eclipse, the Moon can sometimes perfectly cover the Sun because its size is nearly the same as the Sun’s when viewed from the Earth. The type of solar eclipse depends on the distance of the Moon from the Earth.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Earth intersects the umbra (when the Moon completely covers the Sun) portion of the Moon’s shadow. Under the most favourable circumstances, a total solar eclipse can last for 7 minutes, 31 seconds. When the umbra does not reach the surface of the Earth, the Sun is only partially hidden, resulting in an annular eclipse. Partial solar eclipses occur when the viewer is inside the penumbra (Moon is only partially in front of the Sun). However, the region where a partial eclipse can be observed is much larger than that of a total eclipse.

Sunlight

Uneclipsed Penumbra Sun

Earth

Umbra

Origin The term ‘eclipse’ is derived from the ancient Greek word which means ‘the downfall’ or ‘the darkening of a heavenly body’.

Penumbra

Rare occurrences Lunar eclipses occur every six months and total lunar eclipses normally come in sets of three followed by three partial eclipses.

Moon Earth

Solar eclipses can occur two to five times a year. Total eclipses occur about every 18 months and affect a very limited area.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

Hi Hi light light

LUNAR ECLIPSE

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LUNAR ECLIPSE

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. Lunar eclipses only occur when there is a full Moon.

There are three types of lunar eclipses: A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon but they do not form a perfectly straight line. When that happens, a fraction of the Moon moves into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow (umbra) and does not receive any direct Sunlight.

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon crosses partially into the Earth’s umbra. This means that all of the Moon’s visible surface still receives some direct Sunlight — but the Earth hides parts of the Sun. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon crosses entirely into the Earth’s umbra. Sunlight through the Earth’s atmosphere enters the umbra and provides a faint illumination.

Uneclipased Sunlight

Penumbral Eclipse Total Lunar Eclipse Earth

Partial Lunar Eclipse

Moon’s orbit The Earth revolves around the Sun and the Moon circles the Earth. During Full Moon, the Earth passes roughly between the Moon and the Sun. However, in most cases the three celestial bodies do not form a completely straight line. The reason why lunar eclipses do not happen every Full Moon is that the ‘lunar orbital plane’ — the imaginary flat surface whose outer rim is formed by the Moon’s path around Earth — runs at an angle of approximately five degrees to the Earth’s orbital plane around the Sun. The points where the two orbital planes meet are called ‘lunar nodes’. Only if the Moon appears near one of the two lunar nodes during Full Moon can a lunar eclipse be observed from the Earth’s night side. The type and magnitude of the lunar eclipse depends on how precisely Sun, Earth and Moon line up. A penumbral lunar eclipse can be observed if the three form an almost straight line.

What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

Activity

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Origami Tall Cap

There are so many different styles of caps that can be made out of paper. Ayesha Mehmood shows you how to make a tall cap out of a newspaper.

Supplies needed:

Step 1

Step 2

Fold a newspaper in half and crease it, then unfold it.

Drag one corner from the closed side of the newspaper and bring it to the crease.

• Newspaper

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Apply the same step to the other side.

Fold the upper layer twice and crease the paper.

Now flip the side and hold the paper horizontally.

Bring it to the middle crease.

Fold the bottom layer twice to make a crease, then unfold it.

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

Make two diagonal folds in the corner.

Now fold the layer upward and tuck it in the space.

Press on the sides.

Your tall cap is ready!

Want to watch a video guide for this?

Log onto Toffeetv.com and check out the activities section!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny news from across the globe!

Football frenzy Even in a nation famously fanatical about football, one Brazil supporter takes it to another level. Nelson Paviotti has worn his team colours every day for 20 years. He only ever wears green, yellow, white and blue because he promised to wear their colours if Brazil won the 1994 World Cup. Their side featuring the likes of Romario and Bebeto triumphed as the US hosted the finals. Even his home and office is in identical shades. Paviotti also claims he only eats green or yellow food. He has painted his two VW Beetles in the same colours and fitted roof speakers that play Brazil’s national anthem on his drive to work. “I feel like a patriot who loves his Brazil, who loves his land, who loves his people — that’s full of hope for a greater future for Brazil,” he said. The devotee, who lives in Campinas in São Paulo state, is confident this summer’s tournament will be a success — whether Brazil become champions for a sixth time or not. He said: “The whole world will be focused on Brazil. It will allow us to communicate many messages, whether we win the World Cup or not. It’s going to show that we are here, what true Brazil is, just when the World Cup and football is uniting the people.” INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

Knit me a jumper The future looks bright for Titch the tiny lamb thanks to her new wardrobe. A difficult birth meant that Titch emerged into the world shivering and unable to feed from her mother. She was the last of triplets and emerged with her feet bent backwards, which meant she was unable to stand. Tiny splints were attached to fix her legs in the correct position and she was hand-fed by staff at Fishers Farm in West Sussex. The youngster was also separated to stop her from getting injured by her bigger and stronger siblings. However, without her mum to keep her warm, an alternative solution for Titch had to be found. Step forward keen knitter Sue Pollard, who picked up her needles and created a fetching red woolly jumper for the youngster. Now, as well as being the best dressed animal on the farm, Titch is warm and cosy and is coming on leaps and bounds. ORANGE.CO.UK

World wide weird

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Baby’s day out

An adventurous toddler who went missing from his Nebraska home was found in an unusual place, stuck inside a claw machine at a bowling alley. Kael Ireland showed it’s easier to get into arcade machines than to get prizes out, after he was spotted behind the glass playing with stuffed toys. The three-year-old wandered out of his Lincoln home, resulting in his worried mother calling the police when she realised he was missing. Staff at ‘Madsen’s Bowling and Billiards’ believe the child crawled through the chute where prizes are dropped into. “How did he get in there? That’s pretty much what everyone was saying,” worker Rachell Hildreth told a local paper. His mother, Ashley Ireland, said it was the most scared she had ever been. Kael was freed after staff at the bowling centre called the vending machine’s operators for instructions on how to open it. The youngster was given a teddy bear from inside the machine to bring home after being reunited with his mother. Definitely a lesson for all kids to be careful in the future. METRO.CO.UK

Truck Inn An old fire tuck has been transformed into a hotel room. The 1954 Commer Q4 vehicle, which was once on show at the Manston Fire Museum in Kent, can now be hired out by guests staying at Inshriach House, in Aviemore, Scotland. The strange hotel room was dreamt up by Walter Micklethwait, who filled it with numerous fittings from a number of interesting sources. It now contains an oak floor taken from a Tudor building, a door from a farm cottage and a wall that was used to protect a doghouse. Despite the strange combination of fittings and unlikely location in the Scottish hills, visitors to the fire truck hotel have been impressed. “We loved it! Staying in an old fire truck was as quirky and fun as we expected,” said one guest. “It was comfortable and enjoyable — chopping our own wood and cooking food on the fire burner plate. Perfect.”

If you don’t fancy staying in the truck, Inshriach House also offers a shepherd’s hut and a cabin to stay in. METRO.CO.UK

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

Did you know?

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Word Origins Basketball You must have played or heard of basketball and spent hours trying to get the ball through the hoop. But have you ever wondered how this sport came into being? It is documented that Dr James Naismith, a teacher of physical education in Springfield, Massachusetts, was asked by the director of physical education to come up with a new game students could play indoors during the winter that would help keep track and field runners in shape and would be relatively safe to play. What he came up with was inspired by a game he had played as a child, ‘duck on a rock’. However, rather than using a rock, Dr Naismith decided his game would be played with a football. The goal of his game would be to throw a football into a peach basket, which would be nailed up high on the wall. He chose the football as he deemed it to be fairly safe to be thrown around and not likely to cause injury. He decided to put the basket high on the wall because he observed most injuries seemed to happen in sports around the goal zone, with both defenders and the offensive side becoming very aggressive in these regions. So he felt by putting it up high, it would prevent some of the potential for injury between offenses and defenses. Interestingly, the original peach baskets did not have their bottoms knocked out, so whenever someone would get the soccer ball in the basket, the game would be temporarily paused while someone climbed a ladder to get the ball. This was soon changed and a hole was put in the bottom of the basket. The game was first played on December 21, 1891. Since then changes have been made to the original sport but the concept remains the same.

How to say ‘baseball cap’ in different languages

Cool facts Uranus spins lying on its side (like a barrel).

Uranus was the first planet discovered by telescope.

Catalan

:

Gorra de beisbol

Croatian

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Bejzbolska kappa

Czech

:

Baseballová epice

Finnish

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Lippalakki

Uranus hides its interior but scientists guess that under the hydrogen-methane atmosphere is a hot, slushy ocean of water, ammonia and methane thousands of miles deep wrapped around a rocky core.

French

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Sasquette de baseball

Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and is another gas giant.

Haitian-creole

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Kepi bezbòl

Saturn has a small rocky core covered with liquid gas.

Hungarian

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Baseball sapka

It is surrounded by a system of rings that stretch out into space for thousands of kilometres.

Indonesian

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Baseball sapka

Italian

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Berretto da baseball

Malay

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Topi besbol

Saturn is very light as it is made up of more hydrogen than helium so it is less dense.

Polish

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Czapka z daszkiem

Like Jupiter, Saturn has many Moons which surround it.

Portugese

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Boné de beisebol

Romanian

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șapcă de baseball

Spanish

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Visera de béisbol

Swedish

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Keps

Uranus’s atmosphere is mostly hydrogen but it also contains large amounts of a gas called methane. Methane absorbs red light and scatters blue light so a bluegreen methane haze hides the interior of the planet from view.

The rings are made up of millions of ice crystals, some as big as houses and others as small as specks of dust.

Saturn is the sixth planet and the most distant that can be seen with the naked eye.

Saturn is not the only planet with rings. Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune also have rings although they are much fainter and less spectacular than Saturn’s.

Saturn is best known for its rings.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

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Fun & games

Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Card Competition

Sher Bano Akber Winner

DIya Qaim

Mariyam Majeed

Syed Saif Ali Winner

Zainab Zafar

Vadiyah Abbas

Zainab Nasir

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 20, 2014

Have fun with science

Floating Balloons You can put on an impressive show by using a few balloons and a hair-dryer.

Let’s see how.

What to do?

1. Blow up a balloon till it’s the size of a baseball and tie off the end. Blow up two more balloons, one small and the other as large as possible.

2. Hold the balloon above your head at arm’s length and blow hard at it as you let go. Can you keep the balloon in the air?

3. Now ask your friend to turn on the hair-dryer and point it up toward the ceiling. Now place the smallest balloon in the stream of moving air and let go. What happens? Does the balloon stay in the air or falls down to the ground?

4. Now try to get all three balloons together to float in the air stream created by the hairdryer. Maybe you can add a pingpong ball as well. Will it float?

5. When you first let the balloon go, it sinks because it is denser than the air surrounding it.

(Do you know why balloons filled with helium rise?) However, the balloon is only slightly denser than air, so you were able to keep it from falling by blowing on the bottom of the balloon, either by mouth or with the hair-dryer. The column of moving air pushes on the bottom of the balloon, forcing it to rise.

You will need: • Three balloons • An electric hair-dryer • Help from a friend

This activity is brought to you by:

Word of the week: Molecule Can you see the air that surrounds you? You can definitely feel it if you wave your hand quicky back and forth. The air is made up of tiny invisible molecules. When you blew air on the balloons, it was these molecules that pushed the balloons up. Since more molecules hit the largest balloon as compared to the smallest, it was the largest that floated highest. Air is composed of molecules of different gases, the most abundant of which are Nitrogen (N2), around 78%, and Oxygen (O2), around 21%.

Scientist Factory is a Norwegian social enterprise working to spread science literacy among students in Norway and Pakistan.

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