Magic Tree House Book 7: Sunset of the Sabertooth is another thrilling adventure by Mary Pope Osborne. In this book, Jack and Annie travel back in time to the Ice Age and encounter a fearsome sabertooth tiger. The story begins with Jack and Annie discovering a mysterious note from Morgan le Fay, their magical librarian friend. She instructs them to find a special kind of writing for their research book and sends them back in time to the Ice Age. As they arrive in a snowy landscape, Jack and Annie realize they are in a dangerous and unfamiliar world. They must be careful and brave as they navigate through the icy wilderness.
It’s why, in the evenings following April 23, you’ll see the moon on the other side of Regulus on the sky’s dome, as shown on the chart below:
But from anywhere worldwide, tonight s moon will be near Regulus on the sky s dome unless you re in that part of the world where the moon occults passes in front of Regulus. The star has an atmosphere enriched with barium, indicating that it may have an unseen companion, a more evolved star from which mass is transferred to Gacrux.
They must be careful and brave as they navigate through the icy wilderness. While exploring, Jack and Annie come across a cave where they find a baby woolly mammoth trapped by a fallen tree. With their resourcefulness and teamwork, they manage to free the mammoth and earn its trust.
Moon sweeps through Leo the Lion April 23 to 25
On the nights of April 23 to 25, 2018, the moon is moving through the constellation Leo the Lion. An important occultation of Leo’s brightest star – the concluding occultation in a series of 19 in a row – will happen on the night of April 24. Read more about the occultation below.
The Lion is one of the easiest constellations to pick out in the sky, although – as the moon passes through it – the lunar glare will somewhat obscure the view. Still, watch for Leo’s brightest star, Regulus, sometimes called the little king. And notice the backwards question mark pattern extending above Regulus. This pattern is an asterism, not a constellation but just a noticeable pattern of stars, called the Sickle. It represents the Lion’s head and shoulders.
Also notice the triangle of stars at the rear of Leo. The brightest star in this triangle is called Denebola, which means tail of the lion.
Chart of the constellation Leo via the IAU.
If you see the moon on April 23, you’ll see it as it’s heading toward Regulus. Just as the sun does during the day, the moon and Regulus go westward across the sky during the night. But the moon – as always – moves eastward relative to the backdrop stars of the zodiac. The eastward motion of the moon – on April 23 to 24, toward Regulus – is a reflection of its orbit around Earth.
It’s why, in the evenings following April 23, you’ll see the moon on the other side of Regulus on the sky’s dome, as shown on the chart below:
The chart above shows the moon to the east of Regulus, as seen from middle North American latitudes, on April 24. If you live in the Eastern Hemisphere, you’ll see the moon offset in the direction of Regulus, or to the west of this star. But from anywhere worldwide, tonight’s moon will be near Regulus on the sky’s dome – unless you’re in that part of the world where the moon occults (passes in front of) Regulus.
Occultation of Leo’s bright star Regulus. From precise areas on Earth, you could watch the moon occult (cover over) Regulus on the night of April 24. Regulus will disappear behind the moon’s dark side and then reappear on its illuminated side.
This is, in fact, the concluding occultation in what has been a long series of 19 monthly occultations of Regulus by the moon. The series began on December 18, 2016, and finally concludes on the night of April 24, 2018.
Regulus undergoes these occultation series because it lies along the ecliptic, which marks the path of the sun, moon and planets across our sky. Regulus is the only 1st-magnitude star – the only one of our sky’s brightest stars – to sit almost squarely on the ecliptic.
The lunar occultation of Regulus happens in the nighttime sky in north-central Russia (above the white line) on the night of April 24 (morning of April 25). Click here for more information. Worldwide map via IOTA.
Three other 1st-magnitude stars – that is, bright stars – reside close enough to the ecliptic to be occulted by the moon: Aldebaran, Antares and Spica. As it happens, Aldebaran, too, is in the midst of a series of 49 monthly occultations that started on January 29, 2015, and will conclude on September 3, 2018.
Antares and Spica have no occultaion series going on at present. Spica will have a series of 20 monthly occultations from June 16, 2024, to November 17, 2025. Antares will have a series of 68 monthly occultations from August 25, 2023, to August 27, 2028.
The green line on the sky charts above represents the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane projected onto the constellations of the zodiac. We often see the moon near the ecliptic on the sky’s dome, but not necessarily right on the ecliptic. That’s because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted about 5 degrees relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.
However, the moon in its orbit crosses the ecliptic – Earth’s orbital plane – twice a month. When the moon is traveling from south to north, the moon crosses Earth’s orbital plane at its ascending node; when the moon crosses the ecliptic from north to south, it’s called the moon’s descending node.
The moon reaches its ascending node – going from south to north – on April 23. By April 24, the moon is a bit north of the ecliptic in our sky, residing a scant 1/2 degree north (1/2 degree = moon’s apparent diameter). Click here to know the moon’s present ecliptic latitude.
The moon will remain north of the ecliptic until it next crosses the ecliptic at its descending node (north to south) on May 7, 2018.
Bottom line: On the nights of April 23 to 25, 2018, enjoy the moon sweeping through the constellation Leo the Lion.
The star has a mass of 1.52 solar masses and a radius 28.41 times that of the Sun. With a surface temperature of 4,294 K, it is 302 times more luminous than the Sun. It is a relatively slow spinner, with a projected rotational velocity of 3.14 km/s. the star’s estimated age is 2.17 billion years.
Their kind act doesn't go unnoticed, as the baby mammoth leads them to a secret valley where other woolly mammoths and sabertooth tigers live. Jack and Annie are both intrigued and fearful of the sabertooth tigers, especially when they encounter a massive adult sabertooth. As the story progresses, Jack and Annie learn about the behaviors and habitats of ice age animals. They witness a hunt by the sabertooth tigers and rescue a young sabertooth cub from a dangerous situation. The main idea of this book revolves around Jack and Annie's encounters with ice age creatures and their adventures in the dangerous world of the sabertooth tigers. It emphasizes the importance of bravery, kindness, and understanding towards animals. Throughout the book, the author provides interesting facts about ice age animals, making it both an entertaining and educational read. As Jack and Annie face challenges and danger, they also learn valuable life lessons and appreciate the wonders of nature. Magic Tree House Book 7: Sunset of the Sabertooth offers an exciting journey into the past, filled with action, mystery, and knowledge. It is a great addition to the popular Magic Tree House series and will captivate readers of all ages..
Reviews for "Magic Tree House Book 7: An Immersive Experience of Ancient Egyptian Culture"
1. John - 2 stars
I found "Magic Tree House Book 7" to be quite disappointing. The plot felt repetitive and predictable. Jack and Annie find themselves stranded in a historical setting, come across a problem, solve it with minimal effort, and return to the present. The characters lacked depth, and I couldn't relate to their actions or emotions. Additionally, the writing style was plain and lacked the descriptive elements that would have made the story more engaging. Overall, I was not impressed with this installment of the series and felt like it didn't offer anything new or exciting.
2. Sarah - 1 star
I was not a fan of "Magic Tree House Book 7" at all. The story felt forced and contrived, with the time-traveling concept being poorly executed. The historical settings lacked authenticity and depth, making it hard for me to immerse myself in the story. The dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic, and the interactions between the characters were unconvincing. Moreover, the pacing was off, with the climax and resolution feeling rushed and unsatisfying. I found myself struggling to finish the book and felt no desire to continue with the series after this disappointing installment.
3. Alex - 2 stars
"Magic Tree House Book 7" was a letdown for me. The plot felt formulaic, following a predictable pattern that didn't offer any surprises or twists. The lack of character development made it hard for me to root for Jack and Annie, as they felt like one-dimensional characters going through the motions. The historical settings were simplistic and didn't capture my interest, failing to transport me to different time periods. Additionally, the writing style was uninspiring, with bland descriptions and dialogue that lacked depth. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and would not recommend it to others.