i n t h i s i s s u e : G R A N DPA R E N T ’ S DAY S A N D B O OK FA I R • T E D xYOU T H CON F E R E NCE • VOLU N T E E R S POT L IG H T
The
POST VO LU M E X X , N U M B E R 7 A biweekly publication of The Post Oak School
N OV E M B E R 14 , 2 014 Available online at www.postoakschool.org
DA R K M AT T E R Remarks by John Long, Head of School given at the annual POPA Dinner on September 9, 2014
Post Oak High School students regularly present and debate topics to strengthen their confidence, communication skills, and ability to think on their feet.
D
ark Matter.
Astronomers have used telescopes for 400 years to identify and study the stars and planets and moons and other objects in space. Our solar system has its sun and eight planets and numerous moons and comets and asteroids and other objects flying around in orbit. Our sun is one small member of the milky way galaxy, a spinning cluster of 300 billion stars –
and who knows how many planets orbit those stars? And our home galaxy is just one of 200 billion galaxies in the known universe. However, it seems that these billions of galaxies and quintillions of stars don’t move the way astronomers predict they should. The current best theory says that the universe also includes DARK MATTER, which is invisible – even through telescopes. In fact, calculations suggest that 84% of the known