Newt and Rattlesnake Skin Enrichment
Newt received a new enrichment recently: shed skin from our rattlesnake! This enrichment was quite smelly and provided Newt with two interesting textures to explore— crispy when dry and light and delicate when wet. Many animals hunt and eat snakes in the wild, and snake sheds provide our animals a safe way to engage in those predatory behaviors. No snakes were harmed in the making of these videos. :snake: :crocodile:
vaskies 10-28
In celebration of the final evening of Night of the Living Museum, we present to you the Ghost of Jupiter Nebula, also known as NGC 3242. This beautiful cloud of gas and dust in space, located in the constellation Hydra the Many-Headed Snake, represents the death-throes of the star that can be seen in the center of the nebula. Someday, our own Sun will go through this same process as its life comes to an end. But don't panic - that won't be for another 5 billion years or so. So we've got a ghost (the nebula) hanging out with a monster (Hydra)...and at the center of it all is a zombie (the dead white dwarf star). Very Halloween indeed. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
vaskies 10-25
Ever wonder why Pluto is no longer considered a major planet? The answer can be found by looking at the orbits of the planets. The eight major planets all orbit the Sun in approximately the same plane, which lines up with the equator of the Sun. This plane is called the ecliptic. See how all the orbits of the planets line up together when we view the solar system from the side? Now look at Pluto. Pluto's orbit is strangely tilted compared to all the other planets - by over 17 degrees. And Pluto's not the only one. Haumea, Makemake, and Eris - the other three dwarf planets located out beyond Neptune - also have strangely tilted orbits. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
vaskies 10-11
Besides the Summer Triangle, another simple shape can be found in the Autumn skies. Look to the East in the early evening, and your eyes will be drawn to four stars that make an almost perfect square or diamond shape. These stars will not be as bright as the Summer Triangle stars, but the shape is so clear that they will nonetheless attract your gaze at once. This the Great Square of Pegasus, main body of the constellation Pegasus the Flying Horse. If you're not sure how a square became a flying horse, you're not alone. The Ancient Greeks were masters of imagination, it seems, as many of the constellations bear little resemblance to what they are named for. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
vaskies 10-7
It might officially be Autumn, but Summer is still hanging on the sky...at least, the Summer Triangle is. Composed of three of the brightest stars in the sky, this heavenly shape is easy to spot, high overhead in the early evening. Look towards the South, and the bright stars Vega, Deneb and Altair will pop right out at you. The Summer Triangle is first visible during the Summer months, as the name implies, but continues to be easy find in the early evening through much of the Fall season. This simple shape is an asterism - not an official constellation - so use your imagination to see whatever triangular wonder you'd like to add to the night sky. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
Birthdays at the Virginia Living Museum
Do you have a birthday party to plan? Celebrate your special day with a one-of-a-kind experience at the Virginia Living Museum. Meet our animal ambassadors up close during a private animal presentation by one of the Museum's professional educators.
Enjoy a self-guided tour of our exhibits that showcase some of Virginia's unique native wildlife. View the Chesapeake Bay's most exciting animals, explore the World of Darkness and our Virginia caves, and experience prehistoric times at our Dinosaur Discovery Trail. It's a memory that will last a lifetime!
Find out more at https://bit.ly/3PE0wT0).
Newt's New Enrichment
Our American alligator, Newt, is growing up and has been learning to use her natural alligator behaviors. Giving her enrichment items like this tug rope encourages her to investigate, use her powerful jaws to bite and manipulate it, and hone her territorial instincts in a safe way. Want to learn more about Newt and alligator behavior? Come visit our Cypress Swamp exhibit on a Monday or Wednesday at noon for our alligator feeding and keeper talk!
Reserve tickets now at: https://thevlm.org/visit/your-visit/timed-tickets/
VAskies 9-20
Are you ready for OSIRIS-REx to return to Earth? Well, part of it, anyway. The main OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is still out there, doing it's thing, but the sample return capsule with pieces from Asteroid Bennu will be returning home on September 24. This seven year mission represents an amazing achievement. This little spacecraft journeyed all the way to an asteroid, rendezvoused with it, managed to tap the surface gently enough to pick up particles of material without damaging itself, packed them away and shot them back towards Earth. You can watch a live feed of the return of the sample capsule on NASA's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdwyqctp908 #VASkies #valivingmuseum
Hummingbird host plants at the VLM
Do you want hummingbirds in your garden? Our horticulture experts are here to show some of the fantastic plants at the Virginia Living Museum that will bring hummingbirds buzzing into your backyard. All of these plants will be available at the fall plant sale, along with various other native plants. Garden or backyard, start your horticultural plans at the Virginia Living Museum.
Follow this link to find out more: https://thevlm.org/events/native-plant-sale/
Types of Perennials at the Virginia Living Museum
Perennials are a great way to spice up your garden this fall. The Virginia Living Museum has a wide variety of colors and types of Perennials to choose from. Some haven't been available for years, so the quicker you get to the native plant sale, the better because you do not want to miss out on these amazing plants.
Follow the link for more: https://thevlm.org/events/native-plant-sale/
vaskies sep 9
Near the diminutive constellation Sagitta the Arrow is an amazing celestial treasure. Also known as Messier 27, the Dumbbell Nebula got it's nickname from it's unique shape. Located some 1200 light years away, this nebula has been built up over time by the star at the center, which has been shedding it's outer layers of gas into space. You'll need a telescope to zoom in and see the beautiful glowing gas now surrounding this aging star. Don't have one? Come join us at the Virginia Living Museum tonight for FREE public stargazing. Weather permitting, we'll be looking at this and many other celestial marvels. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
stargazing tomorrow
With sunset at around 7:30pm, we will begin tomorrow evening's stargazing around 8:30pm. In the planetarium we will feature Virginia Skies at 6:00pm, Hypnotica at 7:00pm, the brand new Laser Bowie at 8:30pm, and Pink Floyd's The Wall at 10pm. Stargazing is free and open to all, weather permitting. Shows are $8 per person per show, with members pay $5 per person per show. The museum and outdoor trail remain closed during stargazing - only the observatory, Education Center, and Conservation Garden are open.
Click here to buy tickets: https://thevlm.org/events/planetarium-shows/evening/
vaskies sep 6
Look just above the diamond shape of Aquila, the Eagle high in the southern sky. If your sky is especially dark and clear, you may be able to pick out the faint stars that make up the tiny constellation Sagitta the Arrow. Depending on which Greek myth you prefer, this arrow either belonged to Hercules, who used it to slay an eagle sent by Zeus to torment Prometheus; or by Apollo, who used it to attack the Cyclopses; or Eros, who used it on Zeus to make him fall in love, much to his wife's displeasure. Either way, this tiny constellation plays an important role in my legendary tales. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
vaskies 9-2
Look high in the evening sky in early September to spot Altair, the twelfth brightest star in the sky and brightest star of the diamond-shaped constellation Aquila the Eagle. According to Greek legend, Aquila was summoned by Zeus, King of the Greek gods, to carry Ganymede, the young man who served as cup-bearer to the denizens of Mount Olympus. When any Olympian needed to quench their thirst, they would simply call for Aquila, who would carry Ganymede to them. Aquila and another celestial bird, Cygnus the Swan, lend their brightest stars to the asterism of the Summer Triangle, along with brilliant Vega in Lyra the Harp. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
Destination Dino 3 days left
🚨Watch out🚨 There are only THREE more days left of Destination Dinosaurs before it goes extinct for the year!!! Don't miss out on life-size animatronic dinosaurs and dinosaur-yoga if you need a stretch. You won't want to miss out. Reserve a tickets at https://thevlm.org/visit/your-visit/timed-tickets/
vasky aug 30
The beautiful Cygnus the Swan dominates the early evening sky in late summer, flying majestically along the Milky Way. Bright enough to be seen even in areas of moderate light pollution, the Swan is home to one of the most lovely stars in the sky. Albireo, the star that marks the head of the Swan, is not what it first appears to be. Zoom in on this little star with your telescope, and you'll discover a gorgeous binary star. The two stars of Albireo are two different colors - the brilliant blue star is hotter than its golden companion. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
vaskies august 26
Another celestial wonder in Cygnus the Swan, NGC 6992, also known as the Veil Nebula, is the remnant of a powerful supernova. Scientists have determined that the original star that exploded was 20 times more massive than our Sun. The supernova occurred some 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, and when first visible in the skies of Earth, would have been brighter than the planet Venus, making it easily visible in the daytime. The image shown here is the brightest area of the eastern portion of the Veil Nebula. The entire Veil consists of many segments strewn across a significant area in Cygnus. #VASkies #valivingmuseum
