Champagne. No. More Like Coca-Cola Supernova.

Posted by Melissa Carter at 1/4/2011 8:02 PM
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Bert Show Melissa space supernova





Crying as Mrs. Bayless read from Where the Red Fern Grows.   That's what I was doing when I was 10.  I'm not sure if Kathryn Gray of Canada has read that classic tale or not, but I know she has a telescope and has outdone most kids - and adults for that matter - by being the youngest ever to find a supernova.

For non-space geeks, a Supernova is not only the partial title of an Oasis song.  Officially it is an explosion in space that signals the death of a star, and is a rare event.

Kathryn pored over images a family friend brought to her and her astronomer father from the Abbey Ridge Observatory, and the tweener rang in her New Year by finding the bright remnants of an exploding star.  It was verified by astronomers and named Supernova 2010lt.

While Canada celebrates its newest star I'll have to blow the dust off my telescope and the memory of Wilson Rawls' tale.  You know Indian legend has it only an angel can plant a red fern and where it grows is sacred.  *tear* Chokes me up every time.




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  • 1/5/2011 5:12 PM Dr Goulet wrote:
    I love that she was so interested in stars she put in all the hours that it took to find that supernova. That is an accomplishment that she will have for the rest of her life. It is an inspiration to other children as well as adults!
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  • 1/8/2011 4:43 PM Sara wrote:
    This story reminds me SO MUCH of my daughter, Avery. Only Avery will be finding a dinosaur bone in rural Georgia instead of a supernova in space.
    Geek Girls FTW!
    Reply to this
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