The first day of school is a full moon. And it has many names.

The August full moon always shines among or near the stars of Aquarius or Capricornus. Full moons always rise at sunset and set at sunrise. Since this full moon phase will occur in the morning daylight hours, the moon will appear to be full on both Wednesday and Thursday evening in the Americas. Follow the link to August's night sky story.

August Night Sky

What is a mole?  Click on the link below

What is a Mole? https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-mole-and-why-are-moles-used-602108

STEM CAREERS OFFER HIGHER STARTING SALARIES RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE

Highest Paying Bachelors Degrees by Salary Potential

Here is a 2016-2017 College Salary Report that lists over 300 college degrees including their entry level and mid career yearly salary.  After clicking on Article 1 click on the blue tab to see the full list. 

The Best Places for Pay for STEM jobs - 2017 Edition

This recent article lists average pay for STEM careers in 25 different U.S. metro areas and lists the common fields and employers for each.  Click on Article 2.

Total Eclipse of the Sun on Monday, August 21, 2017

Check out the livestream from the Exploratorium this Monday beginning around 10:00 am.  They will be livestreaming from the path of totality in Madras, Oregon and Casper, Wyoming during the 2 hour jaunt of the moon's shadow as it races across the contonental United States at 1000 mph!

Check out San Francisco's Exploratorium website and watch short video about the eclipse in the meantime.  

Also, during the eclipse, be sure to look at the shadows made by trees. What you can often see are little crescents like these taken in El Dorado County during the last partial eclipse on May 20, 2012. 

Visit an observatory in Placerville.

 The Cameron Park Rotary Community Observatory (located in Placerville) is free to the public on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights weather permitting.  Visit their website by clicking on this link communityobservatory.com to learn about hours, directions, events, and what parts of our galaxy their two 14 inch telescopes can bring to life.  For extra credit -> Bring back the complimentary star chart with a docent signature attached to a well written paragraph or two describing your experience and what you were able to see and learn.