July 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) ISS EarthKAM Summer 2009 Mission (July 7-10)
(2) MoonFest: Family Fun at NASA Ames Research Center (July 19)
(3) Training Workshop for Afterschool Universe Astronomy Program (NASA Goddard, July 23-24; Register by July 17)
(4) Public Astrophotography Project (July – September)
(5) Lunar Star Party with LCROSS Satellite (August 1)
(6) MS PHD Earth Science Initiative Accepting Applications (Deadline: Sept. 8)
(7) Astronomy and Earth Science Workshops for K-4 Teachers (Millbrae, Calif., Sept. 12-13)
(8) Ten Years of Science with Chandra Science Conference (Cambridge, Ma., Sept. 22-25)
(9) Solar System Ambassadors: Upcoming Summer Events for All Ages
(10) GLOBE Students Participate in Ocean for Life

PREVIOUSLY BROADCAST

(11) NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate to Begin Accepting Applications for Cohort 2 (Applications Accepting July 1 – Sept. 30)
(12) Middle School Teacher Workshop: Using NASA Observations to Study Changes in the Chesapeake Bay (July 7-9)
(13) Teacher Workshop on Using Earth Science Data in Grades 6-12 (July 8-9)
(14) Summer Science Workshops for K-12 Educators (June-July 2009)
(15) XXII Satellite Educators Conference (Aug. 13-15)
(16) Earth Science Week K-9 Student Contests (Entries due Oct. 16)
(17) Public Library Tour: Visions of the Universe (Jan. 2009-March 2010)

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

(18) “The New Science of Heliophysics” Available on DVD
(19) NASA’s Sea Level Viewer
(20) The Dynamic Earth DVD
(21) New Topographic Map of Earth
(22) Earth Observatory Feature Article – World of Change: Burn Recovery in Yellowstone

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

(23) NASA Solicits Proposals for Improving STEM Education via Gaming and Simulations: Proposals Due Aug 11
(24) Global Climate Change Education: Notice of Intent: July 2, Proposals Due: Aug. 3

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SCIENCE NEWS

(25) Space Station Room With a View
(26) Mars Rover Yielding New Clues While Lodged in Martian Soil
(27) NASA Selects Proposals to Enhance Science Education and Outreach
(28) Salt Finding Hints at Ocean Within Saturn Moon
(29) Lunar Impactor Launches Successfully
(30) NASA Returning to the Moon with First Lunar Launch in a Decade
(31) New Lunar Topography Map Brings Light to Moon’s Permanently Dark Craters
(32) Where Have All the Sunspots Gone?
(33) NASA 3-D Airborne Radar Studying San Andreas Fault
(34) NASA Studies Ice from Frigid Worlds

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CALENDAR

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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UPCOMING PROGRAMS & EVENTS

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*NEW IN THIS ISSUE

(1) ISS EarthKAM Summer 2009 Mission (July 7-10)

Middle school educators are invited to join NASA for the International Space Station EarthKAM Summer 2009 Mission on July 7-10, 2009. Find out more about this exciting opportunity that allows students to take pictures of Earth from a digital camera on board the International Space Station.

ISS EarthKAM is a NASA-sponsored project that provides stunning, high-quality photographs of Earth taken from the space shuttle and International Space Station. Since 1996, ISS EarthKAM students have taken thousands of photographs of Earth by using the World Wide Web to direct a digital camera on select spaceflights and, currently, on the International Space Station.

For more information about the project and to register for the upcoming mission, visit the ISS EarthKAM Home Page: www.EarthKAM.ucsd.edu.

(2) MOONFEST: Family Fun at NASA AMES Research Center

NASA Ames Research Center, July 19

Moonfest will celebrate the accomplishments of NASA focused around the Apollo 11 landing while also showcasing subsequent and planned future explorations of the Moon by the United States and other space-faring nations. The day will include scientific talks, rocket launches, musical performances, and more. The event is being organized by the NASA Lunar Science Institute, a new organization that supplements and extends existing NASA lunar science programs, and LCROSS, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission. http://moonfest.arc.nasa.gov/

(3) Training Workshop for Afterschool Universe Astronomy Program

NASA Goddard, Greenbelt, MD; July 23-24 (Register by July 17)

Afterschool Universe is an astronomy program targeting kids in out-of-school-time programs for grades 6-8. An upcoming workshop at NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Md, will provide free, comprehensive training that prepares participants to lead the program or train others to do so. All attendees who complete the training will receive a manual. Most materials needed to run the program are available at grocery stores and craft supplies stores. A free kit of materials that need to be ordered from specialized retailers is given to those who commit to run the program for the target audience (approximately $50 value). In addition to the kit, participants receive password access to a Web site with additional resources to help implement the program. To register, visit: http://universe.nasa.gov/au/register.html

(4) Public Astrophotography Project (July – September)

The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), NASA, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) are collaborating on the "Capture the Colorful Cosmos" astrophotography project. This program will give members of the public online access to the CfA’s MicroObservatory robotic telescopes, to take and colorize their own images of stars and galaxies the same way that professional astronomers do. Participating museums, nature centers, libraries, and other informal education organizations will run public workshops that result in exhibitions of original visitor-created astrophotography displays. These images and displays will be featured not only at the participating institutions, but also on ASTC, IYA, and NASA websites.

Informal Educators: To participate in a July ASTC online workshop to learn how to implement Capture the Colorful Cosmos, visit http://www.universeforum.org/iyacosmos/ or email Cosmos@astc.org.

Teachers, Students, Families, and Individuals: You too can use the MicroObservatory robotic telescopes to participate in the Capture the Colorful Cosmos project. Find out more at: http://www.universeforum.org/iyacosmos/

(5) Lunar Star Party with LCROSS Satellite (Aug. 1)

A national star party will be held on Aug. 1 in recognition of the anticipated impact of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) with the Moon. LCROSS will determine the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the Moon’s South Pole.

http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/

(6) MS PHD Earth System Science Initiative Accepting Applications for COHORT VII (2009-2011)

Deadline to Apply: Sept. 8, 2009

The Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD’S) in Earth System Science Initiative facilitates mentoring and networking activities for minority undergraduate and graduate Earth system science and engineering (ESSE) majors; and provides a supportive environment in which participants develop strategies and professional skills necessary to excel in Earth systems science and engineering fields. For details, student participation applications and mentor surveys, visit http://www.msphds.org.

(7) Astronomy and Earth Science Workshops for K-4 Teachers

Millbrae, Calif., Sept. 12-13

A weekend of hands-on workshops and informative science talks will be offered as part of the 120th anniversary meeting of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific. These workshops will take place Sept. 12-13, 2009, at the Westin Hotel near the San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, Calif. The program will include space science and earth science workshops for K-4 educators, as well as sessions for educators who work in informal settings (such as museums, nature centers, amateur astronomy clubs, and community organizations.)

No background in astronomy will be assumed or required. Experienced educators from the Society's staff, from NASA and NSF-sponsored projects, and from educational institutions around the country will be presenting. Only a limited number of spaces will be available, and, thanks to conference supporters, registration for each day of the workshop will be only $39. Thanks to the support of the Spitzer Space Telescope Science Center, a limited number of travel-support scholarships (of up to $300 per person) will be made available for educators.

Sunday afternoon will feature a special non-technical lecture series about the search for life among the stars, with some of the leading scientists from the SETI Institute describing the scientific experiments now under way to identify life beyond Earth.

For more information, visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html.

(8) Ten Years of Science with Chandra Science Conference

Cambridge, MA, Sept. 22-25

The fifth in a series, this meeting will highlight key science results from the first ten years of operation of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/

(9) Solar System Ambassadors: Upcoming Summer Events for all Ages

This summer is just starting to heat up with presentations by NASA Solar System Ambassadors at local venues - libraries, schools, state parks, museums and more - across the U.S.

"Mars: Missions and Mysteries," “Galaxies, Nebulas, and Stars in the Universe,” “Astronomy at the Beach 2009,” “A Journey Through the Cosmos,” and "Lunar Landing Anniversary/Star Navigation" are just a few of the themes planned for these public events.

Solar System Ambassadors is a public outreach program designed to work with motivated volunteers across the nation. Ambassadors are space enthusiasts from various walks of life who are interested in providing greater service and inspiration to the community at large. There are now 523 Ambassadors in 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico bringing the excitement of space science and exploration to the public in their local communities.

For information on upcoming events, go to: http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/events.html

(10) GLOBE students participate in Ocean for Life

In July, the Ocean Science Initiative for Multinational Students will bring together 60 high school students from the United States and eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa to participate in a unique educational and cultural experience focusing on the ocean. Students will participate in research, conservation, and stewardship activities to address the issues threatening ocean health and to protect the ocean’s resources at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the other at Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries.

The first group concludes and second group begins in Washington, DC, where participants will tour the Capitol and the White House, the Smithsonian, the National Aquarium and other educational institutions. In addition, all foreign delegations will visit their respective Embassies.

The program is a collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NASA, the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, the U.S. State Department, the GLOBE Program, SCUBAnauts International, Meridian International Center, the National Geographic Society, American University’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Follow the students on their cross-cultural journey by visiting http://www.globe.gov beginning July 15, 2009.

*PREVIOUSLY BROADCAST

(11) THE NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate is accepting applications from July 1 – Sept. 30, 2009. The 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.

(12) Middle School Teacher Workshop: Using NASA Observations to Study Changes in Chesapeake Bay (july 7-9)

Cutting edge science observations from space will be integrated with classroom-ready lessons in this three-day workshop for middle school teachers at NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Md. Please register at this URL: http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/bay. With other issues please send e-mail message with "Chesapeake Bay" in Subject Field to: Trena.M.Ferrell@nasa.gov.

(13) Teacher Workshop on Using Earth Science Data in Grades 6-12 (JULY 8-9)

The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) is organizing a teacher workshop at the July 8-9 Federation for Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) meeting in Santa Barbara. To apply and reserve a $200 participation stipend, please send a short e-mail to Margaret Mooney at margaret.mooney@ssec.wisc.edu. For more information, visit http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/teacherworkshop/esip.

(14) Summer Science Workshops for K-12 Educators (June-July 2009) - Penn State University is offering summer workshops for K-12 educators on topics including: Earth’s history, renewable energy technologies, calculator-controlled robots, lunar exploration, extreme cosmic messengers and black holes. Participants earn 2 graduate credits and PA ACT 48 hours; free lodging, meals and partial travel support; and can apply for tuition subsidies. For more information: http://teachscience.psu.edu

(15) XXII Satellite Educators Conference (aug 13-15)

This annual conference is for educators interested in discovering ways to use satellites and related technologies as a vehicle for helping students appreciate and understand the complex interrelationships among science, technology, individuals, societies and the environment while developing and applying inquiry and technology skills to study authentic questions and problems. For more information, visit: http://www.SatED.org.

(16) Earth Science Week K-9 Student Contest entries may be submitted now, and all due by the Friday of Earth Science Week, Oct. 16, 2009. The photography contest, open to all ages, focuses on “How Climate Shapes My World.” The visual arts contest, titled “The Climate Where I Live,” is open to students in grades K-5 and students in grades 6-9 are eligible to enter the essay contest: “Climate Connections.” To learn more about these contests, including how to enter, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/.

(17) Public Library Tour: Visions of the Universe - From Jan. 2009-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.

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

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(18) The New Science of Heliophysics Available on DVD

"From the Sun to the Stars: The New Science of Heliophysics," is a one-hour documentary, which debuted on NASA-TV earlier this year, and is now available from NASA CORE. The program is formatted - magazine-style - with six segments that can also be viewed as individual videos. A key theme is space weather -- how explosive events on the Sun, spreading out past Earth, may impact satellites and disrupt modern global civilization.

Read more about the program and preview clips at: http://passporttoknowledge.com/suntostars/ihy/

PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, supported by NASA, also produced a series of five related vodcasts, which can be seen at: http://passporttoknowledge.com/suntostars/ss01.php

(19) NASA’S Sea Level Viewer

Follow ocean trends from your desktop with NASA’s Sea Level Viewer. Heat from the oceans is a driving force of climate, and the best place to watch ocean heat circulate is from space. Now Internet users can access these data by using the Sea Level Viewer, an interactive visualization tool developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif. The NASA Sea Level Viewer provides users with an up-to-date look at recent ocean topography data, allowing them to explore a global view or watch videos explaining the impact of sea surface height on Earth's climate. The Sea Level Viewer is accessible through http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov.

(20) The Dynamic Earth DVD

This new DVD provides an 18-minute introduction to how NASA is observing our ever-changing planet. The online home of “The Dynamic Earth” DVD is http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/for_educators/educational_dvd.php. Here you can download the video as an iPod or iPhone version, as well as an AppleTV/Full resolution version, and access a glossary and links to related Websites.

(21) New Topographic Map of Earth

NASA and Japan released a new digital topographic map of Earth that covers more of our planet than ever before. The map was produced with detailed measurements from NASA's Terra spacecraft. For visualizations of the new ASTER topographic data, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/20090629.html

(22) Earth Observatory Feature Article – World of Change: Burn Recovery in Yellowstone

In 1988, wildfires raced through Yellowstone National Park, consuming hundreds of thousands of acres. This series of Landsat images tracks the landscape’s slow recovery through 2008. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/yellowstone.php

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

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(23) NASA Solicits Proposals for Improving STEM Education via Gaming and Simulations

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Learning Technologies Project Office (LTPO) has released a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) to conduct research and evaluation on the design and usage of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) and Persistent Immersive Synthetic Environments (Virtual Worlds) for NASA Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education and Training.

For the full announcement, go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={92DCA439-0217-8FD2-73D1-86EB8D2C2A4A}&path=open

(24) NASA Global Climate Change Education

Notice of Intent: July 2, 2009

Proposals Due: Aug. 3, 2009

NASA is accepting proposals in response to the "Global Climate Change Education: Research Experiences, Teaching & Learning" Cooperative Agreement Notice. For the full announcement, go to: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={6950C5E7-9903-AFEA-2AB0-A839C6F510B4}&path=open

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SCIENCE NEWS

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(25) Space Station Room With a View

June 26 – Astronauts are looking forward to an unprecedented view of the cosmos when the largest window ever built for space is installed on the International Space Station.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/26jun_cupola.htm?list1110881

(26) Mars Rover Yielding New Clues While Lodged in Martian Soil

June 25 – NASA's Mars rover Spirit, lodged in Martian soil that is causing traction trouble, is taking advantage of the situation by learning more about the Red Planet's environmental history.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/news/mer-20090625.html

(27) NASA Selects Proposals to Enhance Science Education and Outreach

June 24 - NASA has selected four organizations for education and public outreach activities to help inspire the next generation of science leaders and explorers. The cooperative agreements support the astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary and Earth divisions of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, which is providing the funding for the activities.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/jun/HQ_09-146_SMD_Education_Awards.html

(28) Salt Finding Hints at Ocean Within Saturn Moon

June 24 – For the first time, scientists working on NASA's Cassini mission have detected sodium salts in ice grains of Saturn's outermost ring. Detecting salty ice indicates that Saturn's moon Enceladus, which primarily replenishes the ring with material from discharging jets, could harbor a reservoir of liquid water -- perhaps an ocean -- beneath its surface. More information about the Cassini mission is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/cassini.

(29) Lunar Impactor Launches Successfully

June 19 – NASA successfully launched the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). The satellite is on a mission to search for water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the moon’s south pole. Read more about LCROSS at http://www.nasa.gov/lcross.

(30) NASA Returning to the Moon with First Lunar Launch in a Decade

June 18 – NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched aboard an Atlas V rocket. LRO's instruments will help scientists compile high-resolution three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths. The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, exploring permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will relay more information about the lunar environment than any other previous mission to the moon.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html

(31) New Lunar Topography Map Brings Light to Moon’s Permanently Dark Craters

June 18 - A new lunar topography map with the highest resolution of the moon's rugged south polar region provides new information on some of our natural satellite's darkest inhabitants – permanently shadowed craters.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars/features/dsn-20090618.html

(32) Where Have All the Sunspots Gone?

June 17 – Scientists studying a jet stream deep inside the sun may have solved the mystery of the missing sunspots.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/17jun_jetstream.htm?list1110881.

(33) NASA 3-D Airborne Radar Studying San Andreas Fault

June 17 – Like doctors assessing the health of a patient, scientists use a broad array of tools to "listen" to the San Andreas and other faults, looking for clues about their past, present and future behavior. Now, Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists have added a new airborne radar tool (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) to their arsenal.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/uavsar-20090617.html

(34) NASA Studies Ice from Frigid Worlds

June 12 – Researchers in JPL’s Ice Physical Properties Laboratory are recreating the ices found on the frigid bodies that inhabit the cold, outer reaches of our solar system. The goal is to study up-close the chemical and physical processes that take place on and beneath the surface of Titan, Europa, and other fascinating icy bodies such as Enceladus and Iapetus.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/media/cassini-20090612.html

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CALENDAR

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July 1-Sept. 30 – NASA Endeavor Teaching Certificate Accepting Applications, http://www.us-satellite.net/endeavor/index.cfm

July 2 – NASA Global Climate Change Education: Notices of Intent Due, http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={6950C5E7-9903-AFEA-2AB0-A839C6F510B4}&path=open

July 7-9 – Middle School Teacher Workshop: Using NASA Observations to Study Changes in Chesapeake Bay, http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/bay

July 7-10 – ISS EarthKam Summer 2009 Mission, www.EarthKAM.ucsd.edu

July 8-9 – Teacher Workshop on Using Earth Science Data in Grades 6-12, http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/teacherworkshop/esip/

July 19 – Moonfest: Family Fun at NASA Ames Research Center, http://moonfest.arc.nasa.gov/

July 20-24 – NASA Planetary Science Summer School, http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov.

July 23-24 – Training Workshop for Afterschool Universe Astronomy Program, http://universe.nasa.gov/au/register.html

Aug. 1 – Lunar Star Party with LCROSS Satellite, http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/

Aug. 3-7 – NASA Planetary Science Summer School, http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov.

Aug. 13-15 – Satellite Educators Conference, www.SatED.org.

Aug. 30 – Top Stars entries due: contest for formal (K-12 and college) and informal educators sending in their best examples of using NASA’s Hubble for STEM education, http://topstars.strategies.org/

Aug. 31-Sept. 4 – GLOBE World Climate Conference, http://www.globe.gov/fsl/pdf/GLOBE-WMO_announcementMay2009-5.pdf

Sept. 8 – Deadline to Apply for MS PHD Earth System Science Initiative, http://www.msphds.org

Sept. 12-16 – Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s 120th Anniversary Celebration, http://m1e.net/c?75116197-W8ceafm7URt2k%404112591-aRmfbHA4MuBmM

Sept. 12-13 – Astronomy & Earth Science Workshops for K-4 Teachers, http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html

Sept. 22-25 – Ten Years of Science with Chandra Science Conference, http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/

Sept. 16 – NASA Public Lecture: Tracking Severe Storms, http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/events/events.html

Oct. 13 – NASA Public Lecture: Dark Matter, http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/events/events.html

Oct. 16 – Entries due for Earth Science Week Student Contests, http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/

Nov. 17 – NASA Public Lecture: Update on Polar Ice, http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/events/events.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:
Christopher Chrissotimos, NASA Science Mission Directorate; Andrew Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific; Geoffrey Haines-Stiles, Passport to Knowledge; Jan Heiderer, GLOBE; Teresa Kennedy, UCAR; Anita Krishnamurthi, Jim Manning, Astonomical Society of the Pacific; Lois Ricciardi, Institute for Broadening Participation; Glen Schuster, U.S. Satellite Laboratory, Inc. and Denise Smith, STScI.