Sky Watching - Amazing Fire Rainbow

The land near our apartments is an empty one and it is our window to enjoy the nature, the greens and the blues which will probably be lost once another builder will occupy the land in few years. It has been our  (mine and our son's) usual activity nowadays to take some time, stand in our balcony and enjoy sky watching. Few days back, to our surprise we could see something like a rainbow in the sky. 

When we observed more keenly, we were sure that it wasn't a rainbow. S said in a quiet tone, "Amma, it seems like the fire rainbow that we read about". I remembered having seen a fire rainbow picture and information related to it in National Geographic few months back. Fire Rainbow, the flame like appearance is actually called as the circumhorizontal arc which is an ice halo formed by plate shaped ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/06/060619-rainbow-fire.html

I was sure the one that we saw was a fire rainbow. It was amazing to watch such a thing in the sky. I read that fire rainbow is the rarest of all naturally occurring atmospheric wonder. At that moment, I really felt blessed. 

Fire Rainbow captured in Navalur, South Chennai, India

Charlotte Mason says 

"Nature knowledge is the most important for young children. It would be well if we all persons in authority, parents and all who act for parents, could make up our minds that there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they get for themselves of the world they live in. Let them once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists..." (Vol 1, II Out of Door Life For the Children, p. 61)

Connecting with nature and seeking to learn more about it; has been something that we are busy with, in the recent few months.  Connection with nature has been slipping away from children in this generation.  It is been said that children grow healthier, wiser, more content when they are connected with nature. As a first step to provide my child an experience of the world that he lives in, I started to enjoy the nature myself. I am forming a habit to look in for simple natural things that is around me. I wish to have simple interactions  with nature that is available around me, include and encourage my son to participate in those moments. 

Sky watching can be an effective activity for sensory stimulation. I believe majority of our learning happens through 'Seeing'. Nowadays, I am inspired to create this bond with nature, because the moments when I become one with nature provides me a sense of healing in a sometimes hostile and frightening world. For a young learner, sky watching could be an activity that involves sensory stimulation, but in my case, it is also very holistic since it involves my emotions that requires stimulation to learn to heal myself. 

Needless to say that I have been experiencing these healing powers of incredible nature after I have started to learn with my son. I wish we could create such stimulating learning spaces and opportunities for ourselves that strengthens our connection with nature, make nature education as a part of our daily lives and embrace the wisdom inherent in nature.

Enjoy learning and Sharing.