Category Archives: Space Science

Planetary Society Hangout, Jan.21, 2013 with lunar geologist Sarah Noble

February 2, 2013 TopSpacer

The Planetary Society Hangout on Jan 31, 2013 welcomed Sarah Noble, a lunar geologist and a member of the Research & Analysis program at NASA Headquarters. She talked about the space science program and in particular how space science proposals are reviewed and selected. She also discussed lunar science and declared that the Moon is definitely not a “been there, done that” kind of place. There is a lot of good science left to be done there. She described, for example, NASA’s LADEE mission, which will look at the dust and hyper-thin atmosphere around the Moon.

Space Science

JPL video: What’s Up for February 2013?

February 1, 2013 TopSpacer

NASA JPL’s “What’s Up for February 2013?” video report:

Astronomy, Space Science

A video guide to asteroid 2012-DA14

February 1, 2013 TopSpacer

The Planetary Society provides this “Guide to the February 15, 2013 Close Pass by Asteroid 2012 DA14“:

Education, Space Science

Titan & Europa essay contest – Grades 5-12

January 30, 2013 TopSpacer

Here’s a message from the Titan and Icy Worlds Education and Public Outreach Teams at NASA JPL:

Dear Teachers and Students,

NASA is holding an essay contest about Saturn’s moon Titan & Jupiter’s moon Europa for students in the United States in grades 5-12.

.The contest deadline is February 28, 2013. The contest website is here: http://icyworlds.jpl.nasa.gov/contest/.

Questions about the Titan & Europa essay contest can be sent to: titaneuropa@jpl.nasa.gov.

The topic of the Titan & Europa essay is either a mission to Saturn’s moon Titan or to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Both of these missions would study a world that is exciting for astrobiologists(*).Your assignment is to decide which of the proposed missions would be more interesting to you, and why. Be creative, be original, and ask good questions that you hope the mission would answer.

The Titan mission would include a Titan orbiter and a Titan balloon. The Europa mission would include a Europa orbiter and a Europa lander. The orbiters, balloon, and lander would each have science instruments to study either Titan or Europa.

In your essay, you can include information about what science instruments you would put on the orbiter and balloon or lander, if you wish, based on what you hope to find on Titan or Europa.

Winning essays will be posted on a NASA website, and winners and their classes will be invited to participate in a videoconference or teleconference with NASA scientists.

Contest videos about Astrobiology, Titan, and Europa can be found here:
http://icyworlds.jpl.nasa.gov/contest/videos/

(*) Astrobiologists are scientists who study the origins, evolution, future and distribution of life in the universe. The main question astrobiologists are trying to answer is: “Is there life beyond Earth?”

Good luck!

Best wishes,
The Titan and Icy Worlds NASA Astrobiology Institute Education and Public Outreach Teams
titaneuropa@jpl.nasa.gov

Astronomy, Space Science

Asteroid 2012-DA14 to pass earth closer than GEO-sats

January 28, 2013 TopSpacer 1 Comment

NASA’s ScienceCast program reports on the upcoming close fly-by of asteroid 2012-DA14:

On Feb. 15th an asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth closer than many man-made satellites. Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, astronomers have never seen an object so big come so close to our planet.