Harvard Observatory in 1850 took the first photographs of a star. Mr. J. A. Whipple, under the direction of Professor W. C. Bond, chose Vega in the Lyra constellation for their subject. Vega is the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere.
California Flag
Sequoia National Park in California
California became the thirty-first state of the United States in 1850. It is about third in land area but first in population. It produces so many goods that it is actually about the sixth largest economy in the world. One of its concerns is that it lacks water to sustain both population growth and agricultural needs. Sacramento is the capital, and the nickname is the Golden State. The state motto is Eureka, meaning I have found it. It has had eight major earthquakes since 1900. Children could visit an Internet site at: California.