Celebrate Park and Recreation Month

July 18, 2023

Park and Recreation Month is held annually in July to promote the importance of parks and recreation in our communities. And with summer’s longer days, there is no better time to take a stroll, picnic, or pursue other outdoor leisure activities. If you are into astronomy or a star-watching enthusiast, the U.S. Government Bookstore offers publications to help with outdoor recreation activities, such as stargazing.

Before setting out on a night-time adventure under the stars, pick up the Astronomical Almanac, where you can study a wide variety of technical and general astronomical information. It is a worldwide resource for fundamental astronomical data and contains data supplied by many scientists from around the world. The Astronomical Almanac is also an excellent resource for commercial pilots, sailors, and the military to strengthen safer travel and further assist in navigation by both air and sea.

One of life’s great experiences is to find yourself with loved ones in a campground tent, looking up at celestial wonders in a deep blue night sky. Take a trip to outer space by browsing our collection of resources produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), highlighting Earth’s beauty from space through photographic images covering Earth’s wonders.

There are many ways to celebrate Park and Recreation Month in your community:

  • Visit your local park or recreation center
  • Participate in a park and recreation program
  • Volunteer your time to help maintain a park or recreation facility
  • Attend a Park and Recreation Month event
  • Spread the word about the importance of parks and recreation on social media

No matter how you choose to celebrate, Park and Recreation Month is a great opportunity to appreciate the many benefits that parks and recreation provide to our communities.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publications and Information Sales Office.

Images and additional content provided by Government Book Talk Editor Trudy Hawkins. Trudy is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).

Leave a Comment » | NASA, Naval Observatory, Science & Technology | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

NEW! Astronomical Almanac for the Year 2023

March 23, 2023

Calling all astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts! The Astronomical Almanac for the Year 2023 is now available from the U.S Government Bookstore.

The Astronomical Almanac contains a wide variety of both technical and general astronomical information. It is published jointly by the U.S. Nautical Almanac Office at the U.S. Naval Observatory and Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office in the UK, and contains data supplied by many scientists from around the world.

A brief overview of the data available within this yearly updated astronomical resource includes:

  • Phenomena – information on the seasons, phases of the Moon, configurations of the planets, eclipses, etc.                     
  • Time-Scales and Coordinate Systems – calendar information, relationships between time scales, universal, and, sidereal times, Earth rotation angle,
  • Sun – Moon – Planets – detailed positional information,
  • Stars and Stellar Systems – mean places for bright stars, double stars, UBVRI standards,
  • Tables and Data – Julian dates, selected astronomical constants, relations between time scales.

The Astronomical Almanac is a great resource for commercial as well as the military to strengthen safer travel and further assist in navigation by both air and sea.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publications and Information Sales Office.

Images and additional content provided by Government Book Talk Editor Trudy Hawkins. Trudy is the Senior Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Office supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (https://bookstore.gpo.gov).

4 Comments | Libraries, Science & Technology, Teachers and teaching | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

GPO Summer Travel Series: Seeing Stars

July 24, 2018

A kid in foggy goggles yells BELLY FLOPPP!, the sound of the lifeguard whistle blows, the smell of Chlorine fills the hot air, and suddenly, nostalgia has made her way to us. What are some of your best summer memories? Maybe it’s chasing after the ice cream truck, cannonballing into the lake, catching fireflies in jars, or selling lemonade to the cars that pass by. All make for a pretty epic summer break. But what about stargazing at a National Park? If you have children in your life, it’s essential you add stargazing to their list of favorite summer pastimes! And hey – you’re never too old to create a new memory yourself.

Midwest National Parks of the United States offer a sanctuary of natural darkness, making them perfect stargazing sites. Head over to one before the summer is over – many parks actually have night sky programs. Pick the park of your choice and ask the folks at the visitor center about the program. Thank your lucky stars (and your national park ranger) for the opportunity because that giddy summer’s here feeling you had as a kid is about to return.

Before setting off for your stargazing adventure, order Junior Ranger Night Explorer, an activity booklet from the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior. To start off, the booklet will guide you through smart stargazing, including what items to bring with you so you can see all the planets and star clusters up close and personal. With Junior Ranger Night Explorer, your little rising stars will learn how to find the North Star, track phases of the moon, learn about galaxies, and use all their senses to explore the night environment at a national park.

What’s perhaps even cooler is that right inside the booklet are some stargazing tools! Cut out the planisphere (also known as a star wheel) and holder provided in the booklet. Then turn the wheel until the date appears above the time that you are out at night. The constellations visible at that time will appear in the window. Next, hold the planisphere above your head and look up at it to see where each constellation is located in the sky.

If you notice that some stars appear to be different colors than others, it’s because they are! The colors of stars indicate what temperature they are. For example, blue stars are hot, while red stars aren’t so hot. The sun is yellow, which means it’s a medium temperature. By studying the color of a star, astronomers can learn about its birth, life and death. That’s right! Just like us, stars are born, alive for some time (about ten billion years that is), and eventually die.

Creative Junior Night Explorers can even make up their own constellation story. The Big Dipper was known to Native Americans and Greeks as a big bear, but farmers in England knew it as a plow. Their differing ways of life actually influenced what they believed the shape to be – pretty incredible, right? Now grab your handy dandy Junior Ranger Night Explorer activity booklet and draw your own constellation!

You can now add stargazing to your list of favorite summer activities. Stay tuned to Government Book Talk to see what’s written in the stars for next time, our devoted travelers!

More from our Summer Travel Series:

GPO Summer Travel Series: Cave Dwellers, Fossil Finders and Dinosaurs Galore

GPO Summer Travel Series: Beach Health and Safety

GPO Summer Travel Series: California, Here GPO Comes

GPO Summer Travel Series: Exploring the Everglades

GPO Summer Travel Series: A Cape Cod Vacation

GPO Summer Travel Series: Your Trip to Yellowstone

GPO Summer Travel Series: Discover the Grand Canyon

GPO Summer Travel Series: What to Do and See in Washington DC

Don’t forget to check out our latest catalog America The Beautiful.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Department of the Interior, Family, National Park Service, Science & Technology | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins