One solution is to use a digital night vision system. We have sold these sorts of things before and they a decent job. Digital night vision has the same results as regular night vision but the method used is similar to taking a Photoshop image and cranking up the ‘brightness’ category – it is much more complicated than that, of course, but it  gives you the basic idea behind it. In any case Digital Night Vision does not have the fragility to bright lights that standard night vision may have.

Night Owl Optics has produced two new Digital Night Vision monoculars for customers. They are more durable (for the reasons listed above) and lower cost than standard night vision, and may have a longer lifetime than standard Night Vision. The only drawback is that you are looking at a screen of the image (much like the screen on a digital camera) through the optical eyepiece and not just the image via the optics. Most folks are willing to forgo this for the durability and lower cost.

The first model is the Night Owl XGEN Digital Viewer

With a 2.1x magnification, a 20mm lens diameter, and a price tag of just $149.00  this is a very nice entree into night vision equipment. One further feature is that Digital Night Vision only needs standard alkaline batteries, not the special lithium batteries of the power-hungry standard Night Vision.

The “step-up” from the XGEN is the XGENPro Digital Night Vision Monocular:

The XGENPro has 3-6x variable magnification, a 37mm aperture and a range of up to 200 feet. The cost for the XGENPro is just $189!

Both models employ built-in infrared illuminators, just like standard Night Vision equipment and weigh less than a pound each (without batteries).

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We have a lot of these placemats, so here is just a small sampling:

USA Map Placemat

Be sure to check out the World Map Placemat as well.

There’s the Solar System Placemat:

There is also the Stars & Constellations Placemat as well

For more on some basic learning there is a Multiplication Tables Placemat.

Be sure to also check out the Sign Language Placemat, Learning About Money Placemat, and Time to Tell Time Placemat.

For more science orientations there is the Periodic Table of Elements Placemat:

Science placemats also include the Weather Placemat, Human Body Placemat as well as this Rocks & Minerals Placemat:

We also have a Dinosaur Placemat (natch).

In all there are 15 different placemats to choose from! be sure to pick up some for your next meal!

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John Glenn was not the first person in space, but he was the first American in space, and while the USSR was racking up a lot of ‘firsts’ in the Space Race but the the Mercury program  was actually much more effective research and testing for space exploration in the long run.

That’s all for today. Its kinda busy here!

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A somewhat less common form is when large square crystals form:

But a rare formation of Iron Pyrite is the Sun. This is where a flat disc is formed by the crystals, with the smaller crystals forming the interior and larger crystals forming at the rim.This forms an interesting pattern that actually resembles a sun:

Spectrum Scientifics now has these rare Iron Pyrite suns in three different sizes: Small (1″), Medium (1-1/2″) and Large (2″). These are low-cost, Grade B Iron Pyrite suns. They will have defects like cracks and other flaws, but the overall structure will be a sun. Consider these an excellent addition for collectors!

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First up is the Space Shuttle Metal Marvel. The shuttle may be retired, but it still makes for an excellent model!

Buildings were very popular so we also figured some of the European structures would do well. That is why we know have the Eiffel Tower Metal Marvel.

Across the channel, we have London’s Big Ben Clock Tower.

All Metal Marvel models are 3-4″ tall (or long for ones like the Shuttle) and are for ages 13+. They arrive flat on laser-punched cards so they can fit in an envelope or card.

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A hemocytometer is designed to be used with a microscope to count blood cells.  The critical part of any Hemocytometer is a thick slide with a rectangular indentation with an etched grid (usually laser etched in this day and age).

The better designed slides use a grid pattern known as a Improved Neubauer. The grid has several areas of known size marked of, so that if one counts the blood cells in that grid one can get an accurate figure of how many cells are in the sample.This overall area is known as the counting chamber.

Many “Hemocytometers” are sold without any crucial accessories – one of  the most important is a Hemocytometer cover slip (shown above). This is important as the cover slip is much thicker than typical microscope cover slips. The slip cover must be placed over the counting chamber before adding the sample. The sample is then added to the edge of the cover slip and capillary action draws in the fluid . The counting chamber is then filled properly and counting can be done under a microscope. After that it is just math.

Part of the kit includes a syringe that is used to introduce the sample to the edge of the of cover slip once it is in place.

( No, we didn’t take it out of the packaging, that thing is sharp!)

Very often samples need to be diluted before counting can take place, and while not ultra-critical our kit comes with two important dilution pipets. One for red blood cells, one for white blood cells.

Naturally, they are color coded for your convenience!

Since bloodwork can be dangerous, we advise always wearing rubber gloves and cleaning hemocytometer gear completely and carefully.

Spectrum Scientific’s Hemocytometer Kit sells for $49.95 and while it lacks some of the advanced features of much more expensive sets (such as anti-reflective coatings on the counting chamber) we cannot say that prices of $200+ are worth such features.  This is also a complete kit – not just a glass slide that other companies may offer.  Be sure of your needs when ordering!

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But the concept could do soooo much more that that! That’s why we carry these modern nesting dolls – Matryoshka Madness! Instead of a family we have robots!

First up is a set of futuristic-style sci-fi robot nesting dolls. The largest of these robots is 4-1/2″ tall while the smallest is 1-3/8″.

There is also this cool set of Eco-Warning Matryoshka

These are great gifts or fun fidget toys for the desk or coffee table. Pick up a set today!

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Orreries were the ultimate in mechanical devices in Astronomy. Universities would spend fortunes to build them in varying sizes and features. They could be as small as a desktop model, to as large as a closet. Today there are some Orreries in museums that take up entire rooms! Many older models are still around, albeit not operational and they show how our knowledge of the Solar System has changed – older models may not have all or even most of Jupiter’s moons, Mar’s two moons are often depicted as perfect spheres, and so on. The most amusing are the older models built before the discovery of Pluto – they were naturally built without that dwarf planet, and this absence was noted for many decades – until Pluto was demoted from planetary status and the old Orreries became accurate once more!

Orreries are almost never perfectly to scale – they are meant to show orbital periods, not accurate distances from the sun. The planets are often oversized as well, but that is necessary for the visual presentation.

These days, few large Orreries are built outside of museum entrance halls. Computer simulations on screens cover most of the mathematical needs, but very often students of Astronomy may need a decent physical demonstration of plnaetary rotation. Fortunately, there are some Orreries still being manufactured! Not just Orreries, but several kinds of solar system simulations!

First up we have a classic powered Orrery. This is a simple model showing just the Major planets – no moons, no dwarf planets, but it does use a classic gear driven system to work out the proper planetary periods! The model moves quietly  and includes a Teacher’s guide with 10 lesson plans! This model is perfect for classroom or home schooling for ages 8-14 (grades 3-9).

For a more economical model, we also have the Solar System Simulator. This model does not operate on gears, instead the planets are adjusted using the dates printed on the base. The planets are moved to show their position around the sun.

No Astronomy class plan would be complete without demonstrations to show how the Earth and Moon move around the Sun. For hat we have the Earth-Moon Orbiter Simulator

This simulator is manually gear driven and can be used to show the various aspects of the Moon revolving around the Earth and the Earth in turn revolving around the sun!  Daylight, night, seasons and phases of the moon are all demonstrated with this model. But perhaps you want to show a bit more? For that we also have an Illuminated Earth-Moon Orbiter Simulator

With this simulator you cover the same topics as the non-illuminated model, but with a much more effective visual aid as with an actual illuminating ‘sun’ give the effect of what light from the sun actual;y does!

These models are excellent for the classroom or for pooled equipment among home-schoolers.

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First up is the new Night Sky Playing Cards

Each card shows a constellation with descriptive details and the star pattern of that constellation. The suit (hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs) are also indicators of the best season for viewing the constellation! Great fun and a neat way to learn while playing cards.

We also now have the Rocks & Minerals playing cards

Each card has a colorful photograph of one of the most common and sought after specimens in the USA.

Both packs have 52 cards in all and cost just $5.95!

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Let’s start with the flipping frog,  wind it up and it does a nifty backflip!

There’s a nifty colorful submarine – great for tubs and sinks.

This sideways-walking crab

This flipping car, which drives, flips over, and zooms away in the opposite direction.

And finally a couple of ‘hard chargers’ whose feet scuttle and scurry and they try to run as fast as their wind-up legs will let them!

All of these wind-ups are under $3 and good for ages 3 and up. They’re great just for fun or for little engineers to figure out how they work!

www.spectrum-scientifics.com