By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor
Participants in Every Girl Counts – the program for middle school girls sponsored by Soroptimist International of Rim of the World – had the opportunity to visit the Mountain Skies Astronomical Society Astronomy Village on Oct. 22.
Dr. Lorann Parker shared her passion for all things astronomical with the girls, passing around a number of meteorites she had gathered in and around Lake Arrowhead.
“Lake Arrowhead is a treasure trove of meteorites,” Dr. Parker told the girls.
She also passed around a chip of the moon and a chip from Mars – both of which she had verified after doing her research.
One of the more unusual items she displayed was a fulgurite – something created when lightning strikes sand. It turns the sand into glass. The girls could also see some shells embedded in the fulgurite.
And of course she demonstrated the Van de Graaff generator, calling first Abigail and then Reed up to place their hand gently on top of the globe. Their hair gradually flew up; when Dr. Parker touched their hair, it fell back down.
As one group was in the education center with Dr. Parker, the other half of the girls went to the Robert Brownlee observatory where volunteer Dave Ficke had them look at sun spots through the telescope. He cautioned them not to look at the sun directly but assured them the telescope has a filter that protects their eyes.
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