Including Yuri's Night!
Do
you think that locations in Siberia closest to the ocean had warmer
or colder temperatures than locations that were far inland? (For the
answer, scroll down.)
 |
| Przhevalsky's horse |
On
this date in 1839, Nikolai Przhevalsky was born in Russia. He
grew up to become an explorer and geographer who traveled and studied
regions in Siberia and in Central Asia, such as Turkestan. He
described many species of animals and plants that were previously
unknown to Europeans, including the only species of wild horse still
alive, which is called Przhevalsky's horse. |
| Mustangs |
Do
you know why free-roaming horses in the U.S. (called mustangs)
are not properly called “wild horses”? (For the answer, scroll
down.)
And
on this date in 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became
the first human in space! Space exploration is exciting to me—partly
because there is so much more to explore up there! Perhaps the world
feels that way, too, because today is celebrated as Cosmonaut's Day,
International Day of Human Space Flight, and Yuri's Night. Check out
this and this other post about Yuri Gagarin and celebrations of
humanity's first-ever spaceflight.
ANSWERS:
 |
| Siberia inland |
Oceans
have a “moderating effect” on temperatures. That means that land
near oceans tends to have more “medium” weather—cooler weather
when it is hot inland and warmer weather when it is cold inland. In
Siberia, famous for freezing cold temperatures, the coastal lands
tend to be warmer.
 |
| Siberia's coast |
Mustangs
are sometimes called “wild horses” because they are unowned and
uncontrolled, like other wild animals. However, their ancestors were
domesticated horses first brought to North America by Spaniards.
Therefore, the proper term for them is “feral” rather than
“wild.”
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