NASA’s Stardust-NExT mission is offering the public a chance to win a small cube of aerogel (the lightest and lowest-density solid) or a mission cookie cutter. NASA is asking the public to visit the Stardust-NExT mission Web site and complete an online survey about the site.
A total of 100 surveys submitted through Nov. 30, 2009, will be selected randomly to win a cookie cutter or aerogel sample.
For more information, visit http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov/survey.html
Filed under: Astronomy, Educational Materials, K-12, NASA, Professional Development, STEM, Science, Teacher Development, Teacher Opportunities, Workshop
Teacher Training Opportunity: Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope Program
The Lewis Center for Educational Research announces an opportunity for K-12 teachers to participate in a unique program. The Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope Program, or GAVRT, is an education partnership involving NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and LCER. The program is a K-12 project using radio astronomy to provide an opportunity for students to experience real science and to learn that science is an ongoing process and actual discovery is possible. Using classroom computers, 32,000 students have taken control of a 34-meter, 500-ton, nine-story-tall radio telescope located at NASA’s Deep Space Network at Goldstone, Calif. There are currently 473 trained teachers at 283 schools in 37 states across the United States and at American schools in 14 countries and three U.S. territories.
What is in it for the students? They learn how to gather data, understand what the data mean and how to follow through with analysis. Students and teachers team with scientists to conduct cutting-edge research leading to discovery. GAVRT is exciting for students while accomplishing educational and scientific objectives.
In 2010, the teacher training program will also include Radio JOVE. Radio JOVE is a hands-on educational activity that brings the radio sounds of the sun, Jupiter, the Milky Way galaxy, and terrestrial radio noise to students, teachers and the public. This program targets students in grades 6 – 14 and involves building a simple radio telescope, making observations, and sharing results with other participants and with professional radio astronomers.
To bring the GAVRT program into the classroom, teachers must attend a five-day class. Teacher training classes are scheduled to take place at the Lewis Center on March 8-12, July 19-23, and Oct. 25-29, 2010. The program strongly recommends that at least two teachers attend the training from each school or area. While this is not a requirement, it will definitely help in program support once back in the classroom. The cost of the five-day class is $745. Teachers interested in participating are invited to apply online at http://www.lewiscenter.org/gavrt/opportunities.php
For more information about GAVRT and Radio JOVE, visit http://www.lewiscenter.org/gavrt/ and http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov
Filed under: Aeronautics, Astronomy, Engineering, Funding, Higher Education, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities, fellowships
NASA announces a call for graduate fellowship proposals to the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) program for the 2010-2011 academic year. This call for fellowship proposals solicits applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines. The purpose of NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals. Awards resulting from the competitive selection will be made in the form of training grants to the respective universities.
The deadline for NEW applications is February 1, 2010, and the deadline for RENEWAL applications is March 15, 2010.
The NESSF call for proposals and submission instructions are located at the NESSF 09 solicitation index page at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ – click on “Solicitations” then click on “Open Solicitations” then select the “NESSF 10″ announcement. Also refer to “Proposal Submission Instructions” listed under “Other Documents” on the NESSF 10 solicitation index page.
All proposals must be submitted in electronic format only through the NASA NSPIRES system. The advisor has an active role in the submission of the fellowship proposal. To use the NSPIRES system, the advisor, the student, and the university must all register. Extended instructions on how to submit an electronic proposal package are posted on the NESSF 10 solicitation index page listed above. You can register in NSPIRES at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/
Filed under: Astronomy, Cool Science, Higher Education, K-12, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities, Webcasts
YouTube viewers have the opportunity to “Ask a Nobel Laureate” a question via the Internet. NASA Astrophysicist John Mather, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2006, is the first Nobel Laureate to participate with Nobelprize.org, the official Web site of the Nobel Foundation, and he will answer a selection of video questions uploaded onto YouTube.
Nobelprize.org manages TheNobelPrize YouTube channel and disseminates content from their archives gathered since the first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901. Mather is the first NASA researcher to receive the Nobel Prize, which he received with George Smoot for their discoveries regarding the echoes of the Big Bang – providing extraordinary glimpses of the beginning of the universe.
Questions must be submitted by Oct. 30, 2009. John Mather will post video responses to a selection of questions shortly after.
To participate online and see questions that have already been submitted, visit http://www.youtube.com/thenobelprize
For more information about John Mather and his discovery, visit http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2006/index.html
Filed under: Astronomy, Cool Science, Higher Education, K-12, NASA, Science, Student Opportunities, Teacher Opportunities, Webcasts
NASA invites students and faculty to an internet chat with Peter Schultz, co-investigator with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission. NASA’s LCROSS, which is searching for water ice in the Cabeus A crater near the moon’s south pole, culminated with two lunar impacts on Oct. 9, 2009. Schultz is also involved with two other NASA missions: Stardust-NExT and Deep Impact eXtended Investigation. To learn more about Peter Schultz and his career, please visit http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/centers/kennedy/technology/schultz_peter.html.
The chat will begin at 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 15, 2009, at http://ESMDSpaceGrantProject.universitywebchat.com/chat9385/.
The chat room will not be available until 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. There are 100 slots available that will be filled on a first come/first serve basis.
Participants are encouraged to submit questions ahead of time to Mandi.C.Falconer@nasa.gov. Questions about the activities surrounding LCROSS can also be asked during the chat.
For more information about the mission, visit the NASA mission page at http://www.nasa.gov/lcross. You can also follow the mission on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LCROSS_NASA and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/LCROSS-Lunar-Impactor-Mission/154478180006
Filed under: Aeronautics, Astronomy, Engineering, Environmental Science, Higher Education, NASA, Research, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities
The NASA Postdoctoral Program provides talented postdoctoral scientists and engineers with valuable opportunities to engage in ongoing NASA research projects. The Postdoctoral Program serves as a source of talent to ensure the continued quality of the NASA research workforce. These one- to three-year fellowship appointments are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems and astrobiology.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. or an equivalent doctorate degree before beginning the fellowship. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship, Lawful Permanent Resident status, Employment Authorization Document with pending LPR status, or J-1 Visa status as a Research Scholar before beginning the fellowship. An H-1B Visa status is not acceptable because the NPP is not an employment program.
Stipend rates for Postdoctoral Fellows start at $50,000 per year. Moderate supplements are given for Ph.D. degrees in certain specialized fields, such as engineering, computer science, clinical space-biomedical science, etc., and for high cost-of-living areas. Funds are available for relocation expenses. Fellows also receive $8,000 per appointment year to support travel to conferences, meetings and other activities (i.e., travel to field sites or observatories to collect data or for required training) that directly support their research projects.
Applications for this opportunity are due on Nov. 1, 2009.
For further information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm
Filed under: Astronomy, Cool Science, NASA, STEM, Science, Teacher Opportunities
Do you love space? Are you adept at sharing your love of the stars with the public? If so, here’s a chance to join a growing network of space enthusiasts who have volunteered as NASA Solar System Ambassadors. Ambassadors from the states of Delaware and North Dakota especially are needed to represent those states.
The application period is being extended through Oct. 16, 2009. Ambassadors are U.S. citizens selected from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, or U.S. citizens serving U.S. audiences abroad. The program is one of the longest-running NASA volunteer outreach projects.
Each ambassador receives online training from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and educational materials supplied by various space missions, such as the next Mars rover — Curiosity. Curiosity will check to see whether Mars has been favorable for supporting microbial life and preserving evidence of life. The rover is scheduled to launch in October 2011.
To apply as a NASA Solar System Ambassador, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/ssa.cfm
For more information about the Solar System Ambassador Program, visit http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/index.html
A calendar of events hosted by ambassadors is available at http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/events.html
Filed under: Aeronautics, Astronomy, Cool Science, K-12, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities, Teacher Opportunities
During the week of Nov. 16-20, 2009, students in grades K-8 are invited to re-discover the remarkable accomplishment of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Forty years have passed since this momentous event. To celebrate, NASA’s Digital Learning Network will deliver a daily videoconference that explores a single NASA center’s contribution to Apollo 11. These programs will also feature an in-studio NASA employee who had a special connection with Apollo 11. Student participation and interaction with the DLN host and NASA expert are assured.
Note: All programs are scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. CST and end at 1:00 p.m. CST.
Nov. 16, 2009 — Langley Research Center
Learn how a young engineer convinced his boss that lunar exploration would only be possible if something called Lunar Orbit Rendezvous was used as the passageway to the moon.
Nov. 17, 2009 — Marshall Spaceflight Center
Learn how a rocket taller than the Statue of Liberty was constructed for peaceful space exploration and why its presence tipped the scale of the space race in favor of the U.S.
Nov. 18, 2009 — Kennedy Space Center
Discover America’s spaceport, the site where the Apollo 11 astronauts made their final preparations before counting down to the launch of the fastest vehicle human have ever ridden in — the Saturn V rocket.
Nov. 19, 2009 — Johnson Space Center
Learn more about the home of the astronaut corps and take a peek inside the Mission Control Center, where a room called the “FCR 2” was the setting for communication with Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins as they were zooming towards the moon.
Nov. 20, 2009 — Ames Research Center
NASA expects to travel to the moon again in the next decade. Learn how this will take place through a new NASA program called Constellation.
Registration
To participate in this program, your school must have videoconferencing capabilities. For more information on technical requirements, visit http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/techinfo/
If you would like to be placed on the “we’re interested” list for this free program, please reply to jsc-dislearn@mail.nasa.gov . Please respond no later than close of business on Oct. 14, 2009.
When replying, the subject line must be: Apollo 11 40th Anniversary.
Please include the following information in your message:
• Your name
• Your school e-mail
• Your school’s telephone number
• Your school’s name
• Your school’s city
• Your school’s state
• Your school’s technical point of contact
• Technical POC’s work telephone
• Technical POC’s work e-mail
• Student grade levels
• Anticipated number of participating students
• Date/time of preferred participation
Additional Opportunity
Would you like to challenge your students to exercise their bodies and minds? The DLN has designed a fun activity that incorporates fitness and math! “Walk to the Moon” encourages students to count their steps around their homes and schools to reach a goal of 250,000. Each step will be equal to one mile. With approximately 250,000 miles between Earth and the Moon, your students will “walk” to the moon! Students may chart their progress individually or in groups — the choice is yours. Either way, the DLN would like to hear about your class’s journey! Please e-mail your results to jsc-dislearn@mail.nasa.gov , and you may hear your students’ stories LIVE during the DLN’s week-long special event in November!
Filed under: Astronomy, Cool Science, Higher Education, K-12, NASA, OMSI, STEM, Science
(From our friends at OMSI in Portland Oregon)
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will offer space exploration enthusiasts the opportunity to watch the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) crash-land on the Moon Friday, October 9. The LCROSS will crash into the Moon in order to gather data from the 6-mile-high impact cloud it will create. OMSI will be showing the impact in the auditorium live via satellite on NASA TV beginning at 3:30 a.m., with the impact scheduled at 4:30 a.m. PDT. Admission for the televised impact is free.
The Mission Objectives of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) include confirming the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the Moon’s South Pole. The identification of water is very important to the future of human activities on the Moon. LCROSS will excavate the permanently dark floor of one of the Moon’s polar craters with two heavy impactors in 2009 to test the theory that ancient ice lies buried there. The impact will eject material from the crater’s surface to create a plume that specialized instruments will be able to analyze for the presence of water (ice and vapor), hydrocarbons and hydrated materials.
On October 9, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. Pacific time, the Centaur upper stage of the rocket that launched Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS to the Moon will crash in to moon crater at the south pole, Cabeus A, as the LCROSS spacecraft watches. Four minutes later, LCROSS itself will crash at the same spot. The impact will be watched by numerous spacecraft and both amateur and professional ground-based observatories. On that date the impact site will be in darkness but the ejecta plume, predicted to be approximately 6 miles in height, will launch into sunlight.
The impact will be observed by several space-based observatories, including the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope; GeoEye, a private spacecraft that provides high-resolution satellite imagery; Odin, a Swedish radio astronomy satellite; NASA’s Earth Observing 1 technology demonstration satellite; and LCROSS’s sister mission Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In addition, numerous professional ground-based telescopes will be watching, including Keck, Gemini, and IRTF in Hawaii; Magdalena Ridge and Apache Point Observatories in New Mexico, and MMT in Arizona.
For more information about the LCROSS mission, including images and timeline, visit: http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/
Please note that the LCROSS impact date and time is subject to change by NASA.
ABOUT OMSI
Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science museums, a world-class tourist attraction, and an award-winning educational resource for the kid in each of us. OMSI is located at 1945 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214. For general information, call 503.797.4000 or visit http://www.omsi.edu
Filed under: Astronomy, Cool Science, Higher Education, K-12, NASA, STEM, Science
(From our friends at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland Oregon)
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland announces an exciting preview of NASA’s upcoming lunar crash landing. NASA will steer the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) into the moon to search for signs of water in a towering plume of dust raised by the crash. The ScienceWorks preview of the impact, illustrated with NASA mission video and new lunar images, will be held October 8th, 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the ScienceWorks auditorium. Admission for the event is free.
The mission objectives of the LCROSS crash include detecting the presence of ancient water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the Moon’s South Pole. The presence of water is vital to the future of human exploration and colonization of the Moon. LCROSS will excavate the permanently dark floor of one of the Moon’s polar craters with two heavy impactors. The impacts will eject material from the crater’s surface to create a plume that instruments will analyze for the presence of water, hydrocarbons and hydrated materials.
The Centaur upper stage of the launch rocket will crash in to crater Cabeus A, at the lunar south pole, at approximately 4:30 a.m., October 9th. After observing the impact at close range, LCROSS itself will crash a few minutes later in the same area. The impact site itself will be in darkness but the ejecta plume, predicted to be 6 miles in height, will launch into sunlight.
The impact will be observed by several space-based observatories, including the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope and LCROSS’s sister mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In addition, numerous professional ground-based telescopes will be watching along with amateur astronomers, including our local Southern Oregon Skywatchers. The impact plume should be visible in telescopes 10″ or larger in size.
For more information, please visit the ScienceWorks website at http://www.scienceworksmuseum.org/
