Building a successful reading culture through the school library

Much research has documented the strong correlation between independent reading and academic achievement, and the school library can serve a crucial role in encouraging reading. Drawing from one case study out of a larger dataset of six schools, this paper details how one school transformed its school library, making it a central place for reading within the school. Data collected provided evidence of the kinds of strategies, programmes and design that works to encourage reading. Data collection to help us understand the reading and school library culture included: A school-wide reading survey, interviews with the principal, teachers and students, library observations, timed counts, narratives and time-lapse photographs of library space contributed. Factors for building a reading culture include: (1) Curating the book selection for readers, (2) Making books visible (3) Creating programmes to excite readers, (4) Designing spaces for reading, and (5) Building an ecology for reading.Accepted versio

Kilometer-precise (UII) Umbriel physical properties from the multichord stellar occultation on 2020 September 21

We report the results of the stellar occultation by (UII) Umbriel on 2020 September 21. The shadow crossed the USA and Canada, and 19 positive chords were obtained. A limb parameter accounted for putative topographic features in the limb fittings. Ellipse fittings were not robust – only upper limits were derived for the true size/shape of a putative Umbriel ellipsoid. The adopted spherical solution gives radius = 582.4 ± 0.8 km, smaller/close to 584.7 ± 2.8 km from Voyager II. The apparent ellipse fit results in a true semi-major axis of 584.9 ± 3.8 km, semi-minor axis of 582.3 ± 0.6 km, and true oblateness of 0.004 ± 0.008 for a putative ellipsoid. The geometric albedo was pV = 0.26 ± 0.01. The density was ρ = 1.54 ± 0.04 g cm−3. The surface gravity was 0.251 ± 0.006 m s−2 and the escape velocity was 0.541 ± 0.006 km s−1. Upper limits of 13 and 72 nbar (at 1σ and 3σ levels, respectively) were obtained for the surface pressure of a putative isothermal CO2 atmosphere at T = 70 K. A milliarcsecond precision position was derived: α = 02h30m28s.84556 ± 0.1 mas, δ = 14o19́36́́.5836 ± 0.2 mas. A large limb parameter of 4.2 km was obtained, in striking agreement with opposite Southern hemisphere measurements by Voyager II in 1986. Occultation and Voyager results indicate that the same strong topography variation in the surface of Umbriel is present on both hemispheres.Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Observatório do Valongo, Ladeira do Pedro Antonio 43Laboratório Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia LIneA INCT do e-Universo, Rua Gal. José Cristino 77,Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – CEDERJ, R. Antonio Ferreira 110 – Rio da Areia – Bacaxá,Observatório Nacional - MCTI, R. General José Cristino 77Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) Instituto de Física, Av. João Naves de Ávila 2121, Bairro Santa MônicaLESIA Observatoire de Paris Université PSL Sorbonne Université Université de Paris CNRSFederal University of Technology Physics Institute (PPGFA/UTFPR), Av. Sete de Setembro, 3165Universidade Estadual de So Paulo (UNESP)) Grupo de Dinâmica Orbital e Planetologia, SPInternational Occultation Timing Association (IOTA), PO Box 20313Centennial Observatory Herrett Center for Arts & Science College of Southern IdahoCabrillo College Earth Futures Institute UC Santa Cruz, 6500 Soquel DriveRand Observatory II - MPC W71Biological Sciences California State UniversityUniversity of New Haven, 300 Boston Post RoadWestport Astronomical Society, 182 Bayberry LaneMark Slade Remote Observatory, WildernessSky & Telescope (Senior Contributing Editor) AAS Sky Publishing LLCAnarchist Mt. ObservatoryBarnard Astronomical Society, Hamilton County Harrison Bay State ParkHarvest Moon Observatory H25Universidade Estadual de So Paulo (UNESP)) Grupo de Dinâmica Orbital e Planetologia, S

Occultation-based Size and Shape of (269) Justitia

We present results from an occultation of a star by the asteroid (269) Justitia on 2023 August 31 UT using a deployment of 34 stations. Of the deployed stations, 29 were successful in collecting useful data and 19 recorded a positive occultation event. All stations were regularly spaced 2.45 km apart in the cross-track direction to cover ±3 σ of the ephemeris uncertainty with a planning diameter of 59 km. We find that the shape of Justitia is irregular, with large-scale facets and a circular-equivalent radius in the range of 28.5–28.9 km. The inferred albedo is p _V  = 0.072 ± 0.007 using a rotation-corrected absolute magnitude of H _V  = 9.72. Astrometry from the occultation is provided

The trans-Neptunian object (119951) 2002 KX14 revealed via multiple stellar occultations

Context. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are icy bodies located in the outer solar system that offer key insights into the primordial conditions of our planetary system. The stellar occultation technique has proven to be an essential tool for studying these distant and faint objects, enabling precise determinations of their size, shape, and albedo, while also improving estimates of their orbital parameters. Among them, (119951) 2002 KX14 is a large classical TNO with limited previous observations and unresolved questions regarding its physical properties. Aims. This study aims to analyze and characterize the TNO (119951) 2002 KX14 through observations of stellar occultations, providing unique measurements of its size, shape, and albedo. Shape measurements are especially relevant, as only thirteen TNOs have had their projected shapes measured. These results contribute to our understanding of the physical properties of this object and the broader TNO population. Methods. Five stellar occultations by 2002 KX14 were observed from 2020 to 2023, involving multiple telescopes across different locations in Europe and the Americas. High-precision astrometry and photometric data were used to predict the occultation paths and extract ingress and egress timings. One of the events was detected from six sites and there are also several close misses, providing precise constraints for an accurate determination of the object’s limb. Furthermore, elliptical fits to the occultations chords allowed for the determination of the object’s shape and area-equivalent diameter. The geometric albedo was calculated by combining the occultation results with published absolute magnitudes. Results. The five occultations resulted in 15 positive chords that allowed us to accurately measure the shape and size of 2002 KX14. Given that the rotational variability of this body is minimal, we can reasonably assume that the variations are due to albedo features, since the body is classed as a Maclaurin spheroid. The projected ellipse has semi-major and semi-minor axes of 241.0 ± 7.2 km and 157.1 ± 5.2 km, respectively, corresponding to an average area-equivalent diameter of 389.2 ± 8.7 km. The geometric albedo was estimated to be 11.9 ± 0.7%. These values differ from the 455 ± 27 km diameter and the 9.7-1.3+1.4% albedo derived from thermal measurements, offering a more refined understanding of the object’s physical properties

Size and Shape of (11351) Leucus from Five Occultations

Abstract We present observations of five stellar occultations for (11351) Leucus and reports from two efforts on (21900) Orus. Both objects are prime mission candidate targets for the Lucy Discovery mission. Combined results for Leucus indicate a very dark surface with p V = 0.037 ± 0.001, which is derived from the average of the multichord occultations. Our estimate of the triaxial ellipsoidal shape is for axial diameters of 63.8 × 36.6 × 29.6 km assuming that the spin pole is normal to the line of sight. The actual shape of the object is only roughly elliptical in profile at each epoch. Significant topography is seen with horizontal scales up to 30 km and vertical scales up to 5 km. The most significant feature is a large depression on the southern end of the object as seen from a terrestrial viewpoint. For this work we developed a method to correct for differential refraction, accounting for the difference in color between the target object and the reference stars for astrometry derived from ground-based images.</jats:p