OPHS Science
Announcements:
Department overview
The OP Science Department is dedicated to the advancement of Orchard Park student's scientific literacy. Our goal is to allow students to understand and enjoy science. To do this we offer a myriad of classes and clubs for students to engage in the scientific community.
In the News
Aurora Borealis
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are a breathtaking natural phenomenon that illuminates the night sky in high-latitude regions near the Arctic. This dazzling display of colorful lights, ranging from vibrant greens and pinks to deep reds and purples, is caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with Earth's atmosphere. These collisions excite atmospheric gases, creating ethereal, shimmering curtains of light that dance across the sky. Best viewed in winter months from places like Norway, Canada, and Iceland, the Northern Lights offer a mesmerizing spectacle that has fascinated humans for centuries, blending science and magic in the most beautiful way.
The Northern Lights might be visible for years to come in NYS
Until Webb, it was a challenge to observe star clusters in the dense central area of our Milky Way — which bulges out, full of old stars and dust! Here’s Webb’s view of NGC 6440. Orbiting within the Galactic bulge, 28,000 light years away, NGC 6440 is a globular cluster. Globular clusters are full of older stars (hundreds of thousands to millions of them!) tightly bound together by gravity.