September 18, 2003
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The Red Valley
Have you seen the Red Planet lately? A few weeks ago, Mars came closer to Earth than it has in thousands of years. Usually, Mars is 50 million miles away. Although it is now receding, it is still about 34 million away. That means that it's 16 million miles closer than it has been in thousands of years!
On Mars, there is a valley called Ma'adim Vallis. Scientists think it was created by water that gouged out a lake. The name for the valley was taken from the Hebrew word for Mars: Ma'adim, which comes from another Hebrew word, adom (red).
Mitzvah Makers
Please tell us, in no more than 50 words, about a mitzvah that you or someone else did that you think would make a great story and be a great example to others.
Send your essay, including a photo of the mitzvah-doer, to The Jewish Journal, 3580 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1510, Los Angeles, CA 90010. If you do not have a photo, you can e-mail the essay to kids@jewishjournal.com . Deadline is Monday, Oct. 20, 2003.
You could win a $10 gift certificate.
Seeing Stars
F.W. Herschel, a Jewish astronomer who lived from 1738 to 1822 is one of the six astronomers represented on the Astronomers Monument at The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.
