NASA Earth and Space Science Education E-Newsletter
November 2009
This monthly broadcast includes upcoming educational programs, events, opportunities and the latest resources from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
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UPCOMING PROGRAMS & EVENTS
NEW IN THIS ISSUE
(1) Solar System Ambassador Events for All Ages in November
(2) NASA Endeavor Science Teacher Certificate Deadline Extended to Nov. 10
(3) Online Climate Courses for Middle & High School Educators Accepting Winter Registrations (Early Reg. Deadline Jan. 1, 2010)
(4) NASA Announces Global Climate Change Education Awards
(5) 2010 Thacher Environmental Research Contest for Grades 9-12 (Entries due April 5, 2010)
(6) GLOBE Partners with Live Earth
(7) 2010 Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (Boulder, Colo; July 31-Aug. 4)
(8) International Year of Astronomy 2009 Star Party at the White House
(9) Conference Recap: Challenges of a Diverse Workforce in the Global World of Today
*PREVIOUSLY BROADCAST
(10) Regional NSTA Conferences: NASA Educator Workshops
(11) Hands-On Universe/NASA WISE High School Teacher Workshops (Oct.-Nov.)
(12) International Year of Astronomy Finale (November)
(13) GLOBE Volunteer Teachers and Students Test Climate Curriculum (Oct.-Nov.)
(14) Public Library Tour: Visions of the Universe (Through March 2010)
(15) A Day at Goddard: Opportunity for DC Metro Teachers (Grades 8-12)
(16) Solar Dynamics Observatory Ambassador in the Classroom
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
(17) Impact Earth DVD (Middle School and Informal Science Venues)
(18) Global Telescope Network Web Site
(19) MyExploration Web site
(20) Astronomical Society of the Pacific Web Page Gives Real Scoop on “”Doomsday 2012”
(21) Podcast Series Shares Harvest of NASA Advances in Agriculture
(22) Earth Observatory Feature Articles—World of Change: El Niño, La Ñiña, and Rainfall
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SCIENCE NEWS
(23) The Sun’s Sneaky Variability
(24) NASA Mission to Study the Moon’s Fragile Atmosphere
(25) Giant Ribbon Discovered at the Edge of Our Solar System
(26) Lunar Lander Floats on Electric-blue Jets
(27) IBEX Spacecraft Provides First View of Our Place in the Galaxy
(28) Ice on Mars Exposed by Meteor Impacts
(29) NASA Instruments Reveal Water Molecules on Lunar Surface
(30) Satellites Unlock Secret to Northern India’s Vanishing Water
(31) Meteorite Found on Mars Yields Clues About Planet’s Past
(32) NASA Spacecraft Impacts Lunar Surface in Search for Water
(33) NASA Flies to Antarctic for Largest Airborne Polar Ice Survey
(34) Microwaving Water from Moondust
(35) NASA Refines Asteroid Apophis’ Path Towards Earth
(36) NASA Telescope Discovers Largest Ring Around Saturn
(37) The Fall of the Maya: New Clues About Drought and Deforestation Revealed
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UPCOMING PROGRAMS & EVENTS
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NEW IN THIS ISSUE
(1) SOLAR SYSTEM AMBASSADOR EVENTS FOR ALL AGES IN NOVEMBER
NASA Solar System Ambassadors have upcoming presentations across the U.S. at local venues including libraries, schools, state parks and museums. Themes include "The Universe - Past, Present and Future," “Galaxies, Nebulas, and Stars in the Universe,” “Leonid Meteor Shower,” “Colorful Cosmos/ NASA's MicroObs,” and more. For information on upcoming events, go to: http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/events.html.
(2) ENDEAVOR SCIENCE TEACHING CERTIFICATE – DEADLINE EXTENDED
The NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate deadline has been extended to November 10, 2009. The Endeavor program awards one-year fellowships each year to over 40 current and prospective teachers. Endeavor Fellows take five graduate courses in an innovative, LIVE (online) format from the comfort of their home or school and learn to apply research-based pedagogical strategies and cutting-edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) content to their classroom contexts. For more information, visit: http://www.us-satellite.net/endeavor/index.cfm.
(3) ONLINE CLIMATE COURSES FOR MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS—ACCEPTING WINTER REGISTRATIONS
Early Registration Deadline: January 1, 2009
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) offers a series of six and seven week courses for middle and high school teachers that combine geoscience content, information about current climate research, easy to implement hands-on activities, and group discussion. The courses run concurrently from Jan. 22 through March 14, 2010. There is a $225 fee per course (save $25 if you register by Jan. 1st.)
CD 501: Introduction to Earth’s Climate
CD 502: Earth System Science: A Climate Change Perspective
CD 503: Understanding Climate Change Today
For more specific course information, a course schedule and registration information, visit: http:/ecourses.ncar.ucar.edu or contact Kirsten Meymaris at kirstenm@ucar.edu.
(4) NASA ANNOUNCES GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION AWARDS
NASA has awarded $6.1 million in cooperative agreements to 15 U.S. organizations to enhance learning through the use of NASA's Earth Science resources. The selected organizations include colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers and a school district. The winning proposals illustrated innovative approaches to using NASA content to support elementary, secondary and undergraduate teaching and learning, and through lifelong learning. There is a particular emphasis on engaging students using NASA Earth observation data and Earth system models.
The cooperative agreements are part of a program Congress began in fiscal year 2008. For a list of selected organizations and projects descriptions, click on "Selected Proposals" and look for "Global Climate Change Education" at: http://nspires.nasaprs.com.
(5) 2010 THACHER ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CONTEST FOR GRADES 9-12
The 2010 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, an activity of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, awards cash prizes to secondary school students (grades 9-12) whose projects demonstrate the best use of satellites and other geospatial technologies or data to study Earth.
Three cash awards will be given: 1st place -- $2,000; 2nd place -- $1,000; and 3rd place -- $500. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams. In the case of team entries, the cash award will be split equally among the winning team members. In addition to prizes for the winning students, the teacher/coach of the winning students or teams will receive a $200 amazon.com gift card.
Entries must be postmarked April 5, 2010. For more information, please visit http://www.strategies.org/ThacherContest.
(6) GLOBE PARTNERS WITH LIVE EARTH
The GLOBE program is pleased to announce a partnership with Live Earth in support of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, a worldwide series of events to occur on April 18, 2010 dedicated to finding solutions for the global water crisis. GLOBE is contributing to the educational component of these events.
Live Earth Run for Water will feature 6 km runs (the average distance that women and children in Africa, Asia and Latin America must walk every day to obtain drinking water), concerts, and education villages to raise awareness and support to help solve the water crisis. For more information, see: http://liveearth.org/en/ or http://www.globe.gov/.
(7) 2010 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC
Boulder, Colo.; July 31-August 4, 2010
"Cosmos in the Classroom 2010: A Hands-on Symposium on Teaching Introductory Astronomy" & "Making Connections In Education and Public Outreach" – Save the date and plan to put funding in your 2010 budget for a double hands-on meeting for everyone involved in astronomy and space science education.
From Aug. 2-4, participants will meet to consider how ASP can do a better job with the introductory astronomy course and learn from some of the outstanding astronomy professors and instructors in the country. Much of the symposium will be in the format of small-group sessions, where they will practice effective techniques for reaching students. Participants will include community and small college instructors, university professors, graduate students and postdocs beginning to teach their first solo course, advanced high school teachers, and anyone who may be teaching a group of non-science majors in the future.
Everyone working in education and public outreach (E/PO) is invited to a meeting (Aug. 2-4) to consider how best to share the results of their work and improve their practice, to make connections with each other, across science disciplines, and with the Astro 101 instructors also in attendance. Focus groups will be arranged with instructors and E/PO professionals at all levels on what kinds of information and what kinds of materials are most useful in the classroom, and how Astro 101 and E/PO professionals can collaborate to their mutual benefit. A set of weekend workshops (July 31-Aug. 1) for educators will precede the meeting.
More information about specific meeting programs and formats and ways to propose sessions and papers will be available in the fall of 2009. Both dormitory and hotel housing have been arranged, so that the meeting is accessible for a variety of budgets. Read about the 2009 annual meeting or learn more about ASP at: http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html.
(8) INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY 2009 STAR PARTY AT THE WHITE HOUSE
NASA Science Mission Directorate organized a star gazing event at the White House on October 7, 2009, at the direction of the Executive Office of the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy, as a celebration of astronomy during the International Year of Astronomy 2009. President Obama and the First Family were joined by ~150 middle school students from Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia to peer through telescopes set up on the White House lawns and view celestial phenomena in portable planetaria. They also engaged in activities including scale models of the solar system, interacting with moon rocks and meteorites and modeling crater formation. Students had the opportunity to interact with NASA scientists and educators, NASA Administrator Bolden together with astronauts Buzz Aldrin, John Grunsfeld, Mae Jamison and Sally Ride. Watch a clip of the star party on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSgtXggeUKA.
(9) CONFERENCE RECAP: CHALLENGES OF A DIVERSE WORKFORCE IN THE GLOBAL WORLD OF TODAY
The Women in Astronomy and Space Science conference was held in Adelphi, Maryland on Oct. 20-23, 2009. Keynote speakers, Dr. Edward Weiler, NASA Headquarters, Dr. Kathie Olsen, National Science Foundation, and Congresswoman Donna Edwards, while recognizing the progress made in the education and employment of women in the scientific field, acknowledged that challenges still remained both in this area and in the integration of minorities into the scientific workforce. Issues discussed during the conference included leadership, parenthood, addressing unconscious bias, re-entry issues after a career break, and generational issues in the scientific workplace. A discussion group of early career astronomers identified work and family issues in the U.S. and presented their recommendations to the Executive Office of the President. Details of the conference may be found at http://wia2009.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
*PREVIOUSLY BROADCAST
(10) NSTA REGIONAL CONFERENCES: NASA EDUATOR WORKSHOPS
If you’re attending one of this fall’s NSTA regional conferences, be sure to check out the many NASA education sessions, including:
Nov. 12-14 – Ft. Lauderdale
http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2009ftl/?lid=tnav
NASA's High-Energy Vision—Chandra and the X-ray Universe (Nov. 12)
Bringing the Amazing High-Energy Universe into Focus (Nov. 12)
NASA’s GLOBE Program: A U.S. Regional GLOBE Networking Session (Nov. 12)
SC-F MESSENGER and Technology Integration with Classroom Instruction That Works (Nov. 13)
Free Telescope Access from NASA and the Fermi Space Telescope (Nov. 13)
Cosmic Times: Astronomy History and Science for the Classroom (Nov. 13)
Keeping Things in Motion: Using Newton’s Laws to Understand the Universe (Nov. 13)
How Do We Know? Using the Electromagnetic Spectrum to Explore the Universe (Nov. 13)
Accessible Technology to Bring Climate and Climate Change to Your Students (Nov. 13)
Dec. 3-5 – Phoenix
http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2009pho/?lid=tnav
What is Your Cosmic Connection to the Elements? (Dec. 3)
Exploring Our Universe on a Beam of Light (Dec. 3)
Climate Change: Global Connections and Sustainable Solutions (Dec. 3)
Cosmic Times: Astronomy History and Science for the Classroom (Dec. 3)
National Earth Science Teachers Association Earth Science Share-a-thon (Dec. 3)
Black Holes and Supernova: The Hidden Universe (Dec. 3)
NASA’s GLOBE Program: U.S. Regional GLOBE Networking Session (Dec. 4)
NASA’s Planet Hunting Mission (Dec. 4)
Infrared Astronomy with NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA (Dec. 4)
NASA’s Mysteries of the Universe: Dark Matter (Dec. 5)
Free Telescope Access from NASA and the Fermi Space Telescope (Dec. 5)
(11) HANDS-ON UNIVERSE/NASA WISE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WORKSHOPS
Join a team of teachers taking advantage of the opportunity to incorporate the NASA WISE mission (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) asteroid studies in Physics, Astronomy, and/or Earth Science courses. There will be a 1-day workshop to introduce new curriculum materials and participating teachers will be field test teachers for these new curriculum materials. The 1-day workshop will be followed by periodic teleconferences to assist teachers in implementing materials introduced in the workshops. For participation, you get a stipend of $50 for the 1-day workshop and another $50 for implementation and classroom field test feedback. For a list of workshop topics, schedules and locations, visit http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/education_workshop.html
(12) INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY FINALE
Science centers, museums, planetaria, and libraries all over the country will be celebrating the culmination of the International Year of Astronomy in November by unveiling spectacular images from NASA’s Great Observatories — Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra. Visit http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/events/iyafinale/ to locate participating institutions.
(13) GLOBE VOLUNTEER TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TEST CLIMATE CURRICULUM
The GLOBE Great Global Investigation of Temperature (GGIT), taking place October-November 2009, is the first in a series of new climate research investigations being developed by GLOBE for the Student Climate Research Campaign. This exciting new set of learning experiences introduces students to core climate science concepts and scientific thinking. Students will work with NASA scientists and share the findings of their research via social collaboration tools. They will present results at the Group on Earth Observations Plenary in Washington D.C. in November. For more information about the GLOBE program, visit http://www.globe.gov/.
(14) PUBLIC LIBRARY TOUR: VISIONS OF THE UNIVERSE - Through March 2010, 40 public libraries are hosting “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery,” a traveling exhibition to mark the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. For more information: http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/visions/ or http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ppo/programming/visions/visionsuniverse.cfm.
(15) A DAY AT GODDARD: OPPORTUNITY FOR DC METRO TEACHERS (Grades 8-12) - Teachers in the DC Metro area are invited to bring their students to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for a day spent learning what it is like to work for NASA. Field trips include a meet-and-greet at the visitor’s center featuring a scientist and engineer, a demonstration of the Science on a Sphere program, a tour of the satellite testing facility and an inquiry based science lab activity. Programs are highly customizable, teacher-friendly and designed for grades 8-12. Contact Aleya Van Doren with your desired date and class information to reserve your spot at aleya.vandoren@nasa.gov. Slots fill up quickly so register today!
(16) SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY AMBASSADOR IN THE CLASSROOM
Let NASA take over your classroom for the day! Teachers in the DC Metro area and southern Pennsylvania are eligible for a visit from an SDO educator or scientist. Your students will learn about solar clocks, Earth’s place in the solar system, electricity and magnetism, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the Doppler effect. Visits are free, include all supplies for the activity, and can be customized for each teacher. Register at: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/epo/educators/ambassador.php
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
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(17) IMPACT EARTH DVD (MIDDLE SCHOOL & INFORMAL SCIENCE VENUES)
Impact Earth is a fulldome planetarium show that teaches about meteors, meteorites, asteroids and comets. It includes the results from recent NASA missions and about the dangers they can pose to life on Earth. Shows dramatically show the effects of the Chixulub and Tungusta events, plus the Pallasite impact the resulted in the Brenham meteorite fall. It describes ways that asteroid hunters seek new objects in the solar system, and how ground penetrating radar is used to find meteorites that have survived to the Earth’s surface. Narrated by astronaut Tom Jones, it also discusses ways that humans might try to deflect an asteroid or comet that is on a collision course with Earth. The DVD was created for informal science venues (digital planetariums) and is also useful as ancillary material for middle school science.
The show recently passed the NASA education product review. It was also highlighted in the Sally Ride Science Festival on the Rice campus Oct. 24 (http://rsi.rice.edu/news.cfm?mode=details&status=Publish&news_id=6449 and http://earth.rice.edu/connected/news.html.) It will be shown in the "Discovery Dome" at the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) meeting in Fort Worth October 31-Nov 1, and also at the "Exploration Station" at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, December 13. In November 15-25 two domes will go to Morocco to reach both students and teachers in four cities.
The classroom DVD costs $10 and also includes "Ice Worlds" about global climate change and icy satellites, and "Body Code" about DNA. It may be ordered via: http://spaceupdate.com/purchase_order.html. Visit http://www.e-planetarium.com for planetarium licensing (costs start at $2500 for a fulldome single projector.)
(18) GLOBAL TELESCOPE NETWORK WEB SITE
The Global Telescope Network (GTN) is a network of small telescopes around the world. Members include students, educators and amateur and professional astronomers. The GTN Web site contains information for both partners (those with their own telescopes) and associates (those who wish to use a network telescope.) The purpose of the GTN is to use small telescopes to obtain ground-based observations of high-energy objects of interest to NASA missions: Swift, Fermi and XMM-Newton. The Web site passed the NASA education product review, and is useful for both formal educators working with students and by amateur astronomers: http://gtn.sonoma.edu/.
(19) MyEXPLORATION WEB SITE
The “MyExploration” Web site encourages visitors to learn, explore and participate in the upcoming Ares I-X rocket mission. NASA is asking the public to upload 60-second videos that finish the statement “Space exploration is important because …” These videos will be posted on the site for others to see. The “MyExploration” Web site also has links to Ares information on the Web, including links to the latest news and information on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To learn more, upload your video, view videos submitted by others, and take the “MyExploration” quiz, visit http://www.nasa.gov/myexploration.
(20) ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC WEB PAGE GIVES REAL SCOOP ON “DOOMSDAY 2012”
Will Doomsday come in 2012? A widespread Internet-circulated story claims that Dec. 21, 2012 will be the end for planet Earth because some astronomical event, allegedly predicted by the ending of a Mayan calendar cycle, will destroy or decimate our planet. But do not hold your breath, says NASA scientist David Morrison, because is not going to happen. His concise summary of the claims and the scientific response is being published by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific as a public service at: http://www.astrosociety.org/2012.
Many mechanisms for doomsday are being proposed, including a collision with a fictional planet called Nibiru, deadly activity on the surface of the Sun that lashes out at Earth, alignments with the center of our galaxy, and so on. For several months, NASA and many astronomers have received increasingly worried letters and e-mails from members of the public about the possibility, widely touted on the Internet that the world will end in 2012. David Morrison has coined the term “cosmophobia” -- fear of the cosmos -- for these concerns, and has seen a huge increase in the phenomenon this year.
Dr. Morrison, a world-renowned expert on the solar system (and asteroid impacts), also serves as the public scientist for NASA’s Ask an Astrobiologist service, where he answers questions for the public. For an annotated guide of resources for responding to many claims of astronomical pseudo-science, from astrology to crop circles, and ancient astronauts to Moon-landing denial, see: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/pseudobib.html.
(21) PODCAST SERIES SHARES HARVEST OF NASA ADVANCES IN AGRICULTURE
A new NASA Podcast series "Science for Hungry World," spotlights scientific advances in monitoring agricultural and landscape changes that affect the sustainability of the world's food supply. The podcasts cover: land use and land cover change; sustainability of food availability and access; the essential interplay of water and agriculture; the future of the world's food system; and joint agriculture projects between NASA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Agency for the International Development (USAID). To view the podcast series (5 videos) on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/ag_casts/index.html.
(22) EARTH OBSERVATORY FEATURE ARTICLE--WORLD OF CHANGE: EL NIÑO, LA NIÑA, AND RAINFALL
For many people, El Niño and La Niña mean floods or drought, but the events are actually a warming or cooling of the eastern Pacific Ocean that impacts rainfall. These sea surface temperature and rainfall anomaly images show the direct correlation between ocean temperatures and rainfall during El Niño and La Niña events.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/enso.php
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SCIENCE NEWS
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(23) THE SUN’S SNEAKY VARIABILITY
Oct. 27 – It might not be obvious to the naked eye, but the sun is a variable star. A sensor slated for launch onboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will probe the sun's "sneaky variability" with better time and spectral resolution than ever before.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/27oct_eve.htm?list1110881
(24) NASA MISSION TO STUDY THE MOON’S FRAGILE ATMOSPHERE
Oct. 23 – NASA is planning a mission to study the Moon's fragile atmosphere--before it's too late.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/23oct_ladee.htm?list1110881
(25) GIANT RIBBON DISCOVERED AT THE EDGE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Oct. 16 – NASA's IBEX spacecraft has discovered a vast, glowing ribbon at the edge of the solar system. One mission scientist calls the discovery "shocking" and says theorists are "working like crazy" to explain the finding.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/15oct_ibex.htm?list1110881
(26) LUNAR LANDER FLOATS ON ELECTRIC-BLUE JETS
Oct. 16 – How do you fly on a world with no atmosphere? Wings won't work and neither do propellers. The space agency is perfecting the art of "airless flying" using a prototype lunar lander at the Marshall Space Flight Center.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/15oct_lunarlander.htm?list1110881
(27) IBEX SPACECRAFT PROVIDES FIRST VIEW OF OUR PLACE IN THE GALAXY
Oct. 16 – NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, or IBEX, spacecraft has made it possible for scientists to construct the first comprehensive sky map of our solar system and its location in the Milky Way galaxy. The new view will change the way researchers view and study the interaction between our galaxy and sun. To view the sky map and for more information about IBEX, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ibex.
(28) ICE ON MARS EXPOSED BY METEOR IMPACTS
Oct. 15 – NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed frozen water hiding just below the surface of mid-latitude Mars. The spacecraft's observations were obtained from orbit after meteorites excavated fresh craters on the Red Planet. To view images of the craters and learn more about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mro.
(29) NASA INSTRUMENTS REVEAL WATER MOLECULES ON LUNAR SURFACE
Oct. 15 – NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar regions of the moon. Instruments aboard three separate spacecraft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than predicted, but still relatively small.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/sep/HQ_09-222_Moon_Water_Molecules.html
(30) SATELLITES UNLOCK SECRET TO NORTHERN INDIA’S VANISHING WATER
Oct. 15 – Using NASA satellite data, scientists have found that groundwater levels in northern India have been declining by as much as one foot per year over the past decade.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/aug/HQ_09-185_India_water.html
(31) METEORITE FOUND ON MARS YIELDS CLUES ABOUT PLANET’S PAST
Oct. 15 – NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity is investigating a metallic meteorite the size of a large watermelon that is providing researchers more details about the Red Planet's environmental history.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/aug/HQ_09_186_Mars_meteorite.html
(32) NASA SPACECRAFT IMPACTS LUNAR CRATER IN SEARCH FOR WATER
Oct. 9 – NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, created twin impacts on the moon's surface early Friday in a search for water ice.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/oct/HQ_09-236_LCROSS.html
(33) NASA FLIES TO ANTARCTICA FOR LARGEST AIRBORNE POLAR ICE SURVEY
Oct. 8 – NASA began a series of flights to study changes to Antarctica's sea ice, glaciers and ice sheets. The flights are part of Operation Ice Bridge, a six-year campaign that is the largest airborne survey ever made of ice at Earth's polar regions. For more information about Operation Ice Bridge, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/ice_bridge
(34) MICROWAVING WATER FROM MOONDUST
Oct. 7 – NASA scientists have figured out how to extract water from lunar soil. Their approach is as easy as using a microwave oven.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/07oct_microwave.htm?list1110881
(35) NASA REFINES ASTEROID APOPHIS’ PATH TOWARD EARTH
Oct. 7 – Using updated information, NASA scientists have recalculated the path of a large asteroid. The refined path indicates a significantly reduced likelihood of a hazardous encounter with Earth in 2036. For more information about asteroids and near-Earth objects, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch.
(36) NASA TELESCOPE DISCOVERS LARGEST RING AROUND SATURN
Oct. 7 – NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered an enormous ring around Saturn -- by far the largest of the giant planet's many rings.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/oct/HQ_09-231_Spitzer.html
(37) THE FALL OF THE MAYA – NEW CLUES OF DEFORESTATION AND DROUGHT REVEALED
Oct. 6 – Archeologists are using NASA satellites and supercomputers to crack the mystery of the ancient Maya. New findings suggest the Maya may have played a key role in their own downfall.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/06oct_maya.htm?list1110881
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CALENDAR
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Nov. 10 – Endeavor Teaching Certificate Deadline, http://www.us-satellite.net/endeavor/index.cfm
Nov. 12-14 – NSTA Regional, Ft. Lauderdale, http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2009ftl/?lid=tnav
Nov. 17 – NASA Public Lecture: Update on Polar Ice, http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/events/events.html
Nov. 18 – NASA DLN VideoConference, NASAimages.org and eClips,http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/events/events.html
Nov. 30 – Round three Top Stars entries due, http://topstars.strategies.org/
Dec. 3-5 – NSTA Regional, Phoenix, http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2009pho/?lid=tnav
Dec. 14-18 – American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting, San Francisco
Jan. 1– Early Registration Deadline for UCAR Climate Courses, http:/ecourses.ncar.ucar.edu
April 5 – Entries due for 2010 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, http://www.strategies.org/ThacherContest
April 28 – NASA DLN VideoConference, MoonWorld, http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/
May 26 – NASA DLN VideoConference, On the Moon, http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/
July 31-Aug. 4 – 2010 Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference, http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NASA Science Mission Directorate: Larry Cooper, Stephanie Stockman and Ming-Ying Wei.
Editor: Theresa Schwerin, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), theresa_schwerin@strategies.org.
Writer: Catherine Fahey, IGES, catherine_fahey@strategies.org.
Contributions from:
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College; Hashima Hasaan, NASA HQ; Becca Hatheway, UCAR Office of EPO; Jan Heiderer, GLOBE; Patricia Reiff, Rice Space Institute; Kevin McLin, Sonoma State University; Denise Smith, STScI; and Aleya VanDoren, NASA GSFC.
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