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The Magic of Lanterns at Montréal's Nature Museums
Montréal, Canada - To mark the International Year of Astronomy, a number of events at Montréal's Nature Museums are incorporating astronomical themes. From September 11 to November 1, Montréal's Nature Museums will be presenting The Magic of Lanterns 2009, a tremendous celebration of light in the Montréal Botanical Garden’s Chinese Garden. This year’s theme is traditional Chinese astronomy. The Magic of Lanterns has become a well-entrenched tradition. The 17th edition of this festive, cultural event promises to dazzle and thrill visitors once again! A shower of stars Early Chinese astronomers made many discoveries and created some 283 asterisms, or star patterns, representing clusters of 1,464 stars. But what most fascinated them was the way the Moon moved among the stars. To follow its movements, they divided the part of the sky that the Moon and the planets pass through into 28 bands of varying widths. Each of these lunar mansions is identified by a prominent asterism. Groups containing seven mansions were associated with four totem animals, each corresponding to a season and one of the cardinal points. The Azure Dragon, the Black Tortoise, the White Tiger and the Vermilion Bird will be appearing in a most distinctive sky chart in The Magic of Lanterns. More than a thousand years old A tradition at the Garden The magic of energy conservation The lighting for The Magic of Lanterns was modernized in 2008, with the new TFT LED Contactless System. The new system means a substantial reduction in energy use (nearly 10 times less) during the event, and is more reliable, even in poor weather. Montréal's Nature Museums – the Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden and Planetarium – helping visitors enjoy nature to the fullest. To view Montréal's Nature Museums' web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-717-Montréal_Biodôme |

The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is a magical place. The flora, fauna, remoteness and beauty are exquisite. Another interesting aspect is how the indigenous people there live. To learn more and see photos taken by indigenous children in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you can visit ninosdelaamazonia.org
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