Have a junior scientist or burgeoning astronaut in your house? Read on.

In May of this year NASA conducted its final servicing mission to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope. One of the major tasks on this trip was upgrading the existing camera with the new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). The first images captured by this new instrument have just been released and they are breathtaking. Like images from a spectacular science fiction film, the WFC3 has begun to record real life cosmic beauty.

My current favorite is the heartbreakingly beautiful “dusty pillar lit from within by newborn stars” seen below. See more images and text at National Geographic News. And visit NASA’s Kids’ Club for a whole galaxy of activities and space exploration.

This coming week on July 22nd the sun will ’stand still’ for a full 6 minutes and 39 seconds. This total solar eclipse will fall along a narrow corridor through northern India, eastern Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern tip of Myanma, central China and the Pacific Ocean. While most of us will not be in a position to see the phenomena, SunStopper.sg and the SEMS (Sun, Earth, Moon Systems) site from the University of South Dakota will be broadcasting ‘live’ video.

The black dot on the animation below shows the narrow path of eclipse totality, which actually spans over 100 miles wide.

Scientists always say to never look directly at the sun during an eclipse and with good reason as permanent eye damage could occur. However, if you feel the need to take a peek - check out amazing solar images captured by the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft. Launched into orbit in December 1995, SOHO continues to provide amazing photographs of the sun including the ones shown below which were taken this past week.

Another way to safely view and photograph an eclipse is with the use of a pinhole camera. A pinhole camera uses a very small hole to create a lens for the light to enter and expose the film. Download and construct any of the unusual Readymech Pinhole Cameras below for free! Each download comes with complete instructions for assembly and use.

You may have seen this great looking tilt-shift, time-lapse animation by Paul Johannessen making the rounds around the internet. If you have a kid who could watch a construction site for hours on end, they’re bound to enjoy “Scenes From A Rooftop.”

For those with techy inclinations it was shot on a Panasonic HVX200, in 1080 using the interval recording mode. Paul added the soft focus later - so it’s no true tilt-shift but the end result is so similar - making the landscape appear as though it were a model miniature. The talented Mr. Johannessen also composed the accompanying music.

You’ll note immediate stylistic similarities with the elegant photography of Erin Tyner - however in this case the artist actually is using model miniatures. Each image feels like a still frame from an intricate story. View additional work and browse her shop.

As kids are becoming computer literate at younger and younger ages, technology is getting cuter and cuter. Exhibit A - the USB flash drive. Designers have discovered a world of possibilities in this little modern day floppy disk. Maker Mimoco “has fused the art of contemporary characters with the functionality of personal data storage devices making its name known in both the pop-culture driven Art Toy underground and the savvy high-tech ‘tronic world.” My personal favorite, the big haired Luke Skywalker. Find a huge selection here.

Every now and then I come across an idea so smart it makes me go “Doh!” (think Homer Simpson) “I wish I had thought of that!” Such is the case with Thing of the Month, a site packed with subscription based clubs in an excellent (and ever growing) selection of interest areas. Take for example the 12 month Flying Objects Club - once a month for an entire year a package arrives at your doorstep containing some freekin’ fantastic flying toy, be it a bird glider, a frisbee, a kite, a rocket, an airplane - all of which can take to the air and fly. Most of the clubs are kid-focused, although I tell you there are several I would love to subscribe to. Whether your passion is crafting, science, board games, robots, paper automata models or great toys for your toddlers there is a club for you. Come on, what kid (big or little) wouldn’t love receiving mail like this every month!

Depending on the interests of the recipient and the size of your pocketbook, you can select from 4, 6 and 12 month clubs or buy the items individually. OR if you’re a little impatient and want, say, all of the kits in the 6 month Origami Club right now - there’s an express option just for you. Below is just a partial sampling of the available clubs:

Flashlights. The perfect toy? I have no idea, however I can make a pretty good argument for them being high on the list.

They are readily available, have a wide price range (you can even find them at the dollar store), with few exceptions (one is listed below) they are silent and lend themselves to both active and down time. Type flashlight games into Google and you’ll find all manner of outdoor fun: tag and hide & seek - much more fun with a flashlight. Blow bubbles at dusk and attempt to find them with your beam of light, they glow!

At the same time you can crash on the living floor and play flashlight tag on the wall or practice your shadow puppet skills. They can be comforting to the kid who’s wary of the dark, some even convert into soft glow nightlights and would be much appreciated by the after dark reader. Perfect for sleep-overs, pup tent in the backyard, basement fort and a necessity for sleep-away camp. Inexpensive enough to make great additions to party goody bags and Christmas stockings. Convinced yet? See a few cool examples of what’s currently available below.
Below:

Wild Lights Tiger Flashlight, Catch this tiger by his tail and squeeze, he opens his mouth and roars. $5.99

Coleman Flashlight/Nightlight, Operates as a regular flashlight, an amber LED nightlight and it can project 8 starlight patterns onto your wall! $12.49

Headlamps, Contains 3 LED lights (very bright!) on adjustable headband, great for adult guided evening hikes. $19.95 each

EverReady Flashlight, Inexpensive and rugged, best part though is that it floats. $6.95

Above:

LED Lantern & Flashlight, Converts from a bright flashlight to a soft-glow lantern with just a pull. Only 4 1/4″ tall. $23.95

Coleman Kid’s Lantern (scroll down) This one is cool, remote-controlled, auto shut off, cool to the touch, weather-resistant and it floats. $24.95

Coleman Kid’s Firefly Lantern (scroll down) Ok, technically not a flashlight or a lantern but a house for fireflies! $9.95

Have an evening with no plans? Make a play date with your kids. With minimal planning a flashlight scavenger hunt in a low lit house can be exciting and the last clue can lead to brownies and milk in the kitchen or popcorn and movie in the living room.

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In researching this post, I discovered the web is host to the Flashlight Museum (I LOVE the internet!) Run by a group of guys whose hobby got way out of control, the museum is headquarters for the flashlight collecting community and an image archive of vintage flashlights. I couldn’t help but post some the beauties below.

Driving around town a few months back I spotted a shop that for all intents and purposes looked like Willy Wonka’s workshop. Returning on foot I found the Oomp-Loompa confections were actually hyper-stylized candy-colored television sets stocked floor to ceiling. Enter the wonderful world of Hannspree. We’re talking LCD screens housed in casings shaped like toy trucks, plush animals, sporting equipment and fruit. And as if in a sugar coma, I wondered around for 45 minutes making the sales staff nervous as I touched every set within reach.

Regardless of your stance on kids and tv, you can certainly appreciate this charming marriage of technology and design. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an advocate of Junior having a television in his room but I could definitely see one of these in the playroom, family room or maybe even the kitchen. There are only two Hannspree stores in the US: Beverly Hills and San Francisco, but you can view the entire collection and purchase items from their web site.

Here’s a very Apple meets Target advertising style overview of the Hannspree collection which I should mention also includes several styles for adults as well including a wooden model I quite like.