Author: John Entwistle

By the Light of the Super Silvery Moon

For the first time in almost 20 years, northern autumn is beginning on the night of a full moon. The coincidence sets the stage for a “Super Harvest Moon” and a must-see sky show to mark the change of seasons.

The action begins at sunset on Sept 22nd, the last day of northern summer. As the sun sinks in the west, bringing the season to a close, the full Harvest Moon will rise in the east, heralding the start of fall. The two sources of light will mix together to create a kind of 360-degree, summer-autumn twilight glow that is only seen on rare occasions.

Keep an eye on the moon as it creeps above the eastern skyline. The golden orb may appear strangely inflated. This is the moon illusion at work. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, a low-hanging moon appears much wider than it really is. A Harvest Moon inflated by the moon illusion is simply gorgeous. The view improves as the night wears on.

The Harvest Moon gets its name from agriculture. In the days before electric lights, farmers depended on bright moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset. It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market. The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox became “the Harvest Moon,” and it was always a welcome sight.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

Link to the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus.

Earth Science Week Contests for 2010


If you have any questions about any of the following contests, e-mail the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.


Earth Science Week 2010 Photography Contest — Open to All Ages

The American Geological Institute is sponsoring a photography contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2010. Photographs should focus on the topic “We Depend on Energy.” The contest is open to any resident of the United States. Participants should submit a picture that best represents the ways their community uses energy. Entries may be submitted electronically or by mail. Only one entry will be accepted per person. The deadline for submitting photos is Oct. 15, 2010.

http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html


Earth Science Week 2010 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5

The American Geological Institute is sponsoring a visual arts contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2010. Artwork should focus on the topic “Energy on Earth.” The contest is open to students in grades K-5 who are residents of the United States. Participants should submit an original two-dimensional visual arts project that shows energy’s place in the way our planet works. Entries must be submitted by mail. The deadline for submitting entries is Oct. 15, 2010.

http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html


Earth Science Week 2010 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9

The American Geological Institute is sponsoring an essay contest to celebrate Earth Science Week 2010. Essays should focus on the theme “How Energy Powers the Planet.” The contest is open to students in grades 6-9 who are residents of the United States. Participants should submit an original essay no more than 300 words in length, typed, and formatted to fit on one page. Entries may be submitted electronically or by mail. The deadline for submitting entries is Oct. 15, 2010.

http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html



NASA's Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge


NASA is inviting students in grades 5-8 to participate in the 2nd Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge. The challenge uses real-world scenarios that meet science and mathematics content standards. Students can participate in a formal, informal or home-school setting.

Teams of up to six students will design a water recycling system for the unique environment of the moon. Teams will then test their system on a simulated wastewater stream. Proposals and results are due Feb. 28, 2011.

The winning teams will be announced in May 2011. The top three teams will receive awards. The first place team will receive an expense-paid trip to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the winning team’s visit to Kennedy, students will gain firsthand knowledge about NASA’s missions, receive behind-the-scenes tours of NASA’s launch facilities, and learn about future aerospace and engineering careers.

For more information and contest rules, please visit http://wlmr.nasa.gov/.

Download a copy of the Design Challenge flyer.

Questions about the challenge should be directed to Jay Garland. 

September NES Professional Development Opportunities

NASA Explorer Schools provides full support for educators wanting additional information about using any of the growing selection of NASA education activities supported by the project. Each activity is designed to excite and inspire students in grades 4-12 by involving them in authentic NASA problems often using NASA data.

The project is pleased to offer one-hour electronic professional development sessions throughout the year for each education activity supported by the project. These highly informative sessions are delivered through NES partner organizations, National Science Teachers Association and Georgia Tech. All NES electronic professional development are free of charge.

Participation in a session requires a computer connected to the Internet. For audio, the computer must have either working speakers or earphones; a headset with microphone connected to the computer; or simultaneous access to a telephone capable of calling a toll-free telephone number.

Each interactive session provides an overview of all support materials in each product module. In addition to introducing and explaining the featured classroom lesson, presenters will review the lesson’s essential question, subjects and topics covered, instructional objective, a connection to NASA and extension activities that may be done by students. Other classroom support resources also will be reviewed.

Participants may ask questions of the presenter through a chat window or on the telephone or headset, if available.

Shortly after signing up for a professional development session, the participant will receive confirmation e-mail with information about joining the online session.

Registered NES educators may sign up for as many electronic professional development opportunities as they would like to attend. However, space is limited in each session.

If, after signing up for a session, you find you cannot attend the session you signed up for, please send e-mail to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.  Include your name and the session you had signed up for. Then, return to this site, select a new session, and sign up for it.

Sessions will be repeated several times throughout the school year, so if you can’t participate in a session when it’s offered, you will have other opportunities to sign up for that session.

NOTE: All times shown are EASTERNtimes.

Module Title

Day

Date

Time (ET)

Lunar Nautics: Designing a Mission to Live and Work on the Moon

Tuesday

9/14/10

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Rockets Educator Guide: High-power Paper Rockets

Wednesday

9/15/10

9:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Earth Climate Course: Modeling Hot and Cold Planets

Monday

9/20/10

6:30 – 7: 30 p.m.

Smart Skies: Line up with Math

Wednesday

9/22/10

9:00 – 10:00 p.m.

MY NASA DATA: Solar Cell Energy Availability

Thursday

9/23/10

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Messenger: Cooling with Sunshades

Tuesday

9/27/10

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

GENESIS: Exploring Data-A First Look

Wednesday

9/29/10

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration

Wednesday

9/29/10

9:00 – 10:00 p.m.

For information about each product module, visit the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus website.

Sign-up for NES Project Orientation Sessions


On Sept. 7, 2010, an e-mail was sent to all registered NASA Explorer Schools participants requesting they sign up for a project orientation session. One-hour orientation sessions begin on Sept. 15. The sessions will provide an overview of the NES Virtual Campus website, professional development opportunities for educators, NASA Now student broadcasts, and recognition opportunities and research experiences for educators, students and schools. 

Participation in an orientation session requires a computer connected to the Internet and simultaneous access to a telephone capable of calling a toll-free number. 

If you registered to participate in the NES project and didn’t receive an e-mail about the orientation sessions, check your junk mail folder and be sure to add NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov to your e-mail safe senders list.

If you did not receive the NES e-mail, please send a follow-up e-mail to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.


Get the NASA App for iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch


Did you know there are NASA Apps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, that combine all of your favorite NASA images, videos, missions and information into one, easy-to-use, application? They are available free of charge at the App Store from Apple or directly on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or within iTunes.


The NASA App HD for iPad allows you to discover a wealth of NASA information. The application collects, customizes and delivers an extensive selection of dynamically updated mission information, images, videos and Twitter feeds from various online NASA sources in a convenient mobile package. Come explore with NASA, now on your iPad.

The NASA App for iPhone and iPod touch collects, customizes and delivers an extensive selection of dynamically updated information, images and videos from various online NASA sources in a convenient mobile package.



Solar Probe to Plunge Into Sun's Atmosphere


NASA’s daring plan to visit the sun took a giant leap forward recently with the selection of five key science investigations for the Solar Probe+ spacecraft.


Slated to launch no later than 2018, the smart car-sized spacecraft will plunge directly into the atmosphere of the sun, aiming to solve some of the biggest mysteries of solar physics. Today’s announcement means that researchers can begin building sensors for unprecedented in situmeasurements of the solar system’s innermost frontier.

For additional information about this exciting project, visit http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/02sep_spp/

Link to the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus home page.


Webcast on Aug. 31, 2010 — Our Solar System: An Inquiry Tour

The Aerospace Education Services Project, or AESP, is presenting a free webcast on Aug. 31, 2010, at 4 p.m. EDT. Teachers of grades 5-8 are invited to take a learning tour of the solar system in this hour-long inquiry-based professional development webcast. The webcast will show teachers how to use NASA missions and curriculum support materials in the classroom. Participants will develop a better understanding about Earth’s neighbors in space and their relationship to Earth.

For more information and to view the webcast, visit http://neon.psu.edu/31Aug2010/.



Blast Back to School with NASA Education Resources


As you get ready for the new school year, consider adding a little space to your class.


NASA offers educational resources for use with kindergarten through college, as well as resources for the informal education community. Many of NASA’s educational products are quick and easy to find on the NASA website. 

Visit the NASA Blast Back to School page to find educational resources and NASA events taking place in your area. From the site, you can find information relating to the following topics:


  • NASA Explorer Schools.

  • NASA Summer of Innovation.
  • Current Opportunities for Students and Educators.
  • National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.

  • Taking Up Space Blog.
  • Go Backstage With NASA Education.
  • Homework Topics for Students.

  • NASA’s Education Resources,
  • Easy Ways to Obtain NASA Educational Materials.
  • Find NASA Teaching Materials.

  • NASA’s Educator Resource Center Network.

  • Central Operation of Resources for Educators.
  • Educational Multimedia.


For more information, visit the Blast Back to School page: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/blast-back-to-school-2010.html

Link to the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus home page.

Desert RATS 2010 Webcast

NASA’s Desert RATS, or Research and Technology Studies, will make its 13th trip to the desert this fall for another round of analog testing.

The Desert RATS tests offer a chance for a NASA-led team of engineers, astronauts and scientists from across the country to come together to conduct technology-development research in the Arizona desert. The location offers a good stand in for destinations for future planetary exploration missions. 

This year’s mission includes a variety of activities geared to inspire students to become space explorers and NASA’s future workforce. On Sept. 1, 2010, at 9:45 a.m. PDT, a 30-minute webcast will highlight the upcoming Desert RATS activities as they kick off the two-week testing period. Students can submit questions to be answered live by actual engineers and scientists that created, built and are testing all of the amazing tools, vehicles and technology. Questions for the NASA field test team can be submitted at www.arizonadesertrats.com.

For more information about Desert RATS visit https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/desert_rats.html.

Check out videos of this year’s mission on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/NASAanalogTV