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Activity Continues On the Sun
 Posted on May 21, 2013 09:16:52 AM | John Entwistle
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Solar activity continued on May 14, as the sun emitted a fourth X-class flare from its upper left limb, peaking at 9:48 p.m. EDT. This flare is classified as an X1.2 flare and is the 18th X-class flare of the current solar cycle. The flare caused a radio blackout – categorized as an R3, or strong, on NOAA’s space weather scales from R1 to R5 -- which has since subsided.

/1037974main_SDO image.tifThe flare was also associated with a non-Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection. CMEs and flares are separate but related solar phenomena: solar flares are powerful bursts that send light and radiation into space; CMEs erupt with billions of tons of solar material. They often, but do not always, occur together. Any time we can see a solar flare from Earth’s view, than at least some of its light and radiation must be directed at Earth. CMEs on the other hand may or may not be Earth directed. NASA observes CMEs even when they are not traveling toward Earth, because they may impact spacecraft.

To read more and see some incredible imagery on this solar activity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News051513-ar1748.html.

This story is a great real-world connection to the NASA Explorer Schools featured lesson, Geometry: Space Math Problems—Solar Storms. To access this lesson, visit the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus.

NES Professional Development Web Seminars This Week
 Posted on May 14, 2013 02:10:11 PM | John Entwistle
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Professional Development Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting two 90-minute live professional development Web seminars for educators this week.

Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Web Seminar

On May 15, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, background information about water recycling on the International Space Station will be provided. Then, see how you can incorporate the information into an exciting hands-on, inquiry-based challenge requiring students to solve a problem. You will watch a video showing students engaged in the challenge and discuss possible modifications to the challenge to adapt it for different students and classroom situations.

For more information and to register online, visit the NSTA Learning Center.

Engineering Design Challenge: Thermal Protection System Web Seminar

On May 16, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, you can learn about the science of heat transfer and heat dissipation related to NASA vehicles, and receive an introduction to the associated engineering design challenge, Thermal Protection System. In this activity, students are challenged to design a thermal protection system and test it using a propane torch.

For more information and to register online, visit the NSTA Learning Center.

This is the last time these seminars will be offered during the current school year.


NASA Now: Engineering Careers at NASA
 Posted on May 13, 2013 11:01:30 AM | John Entwistle
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NASA Now In this NASA Now classroom video, you'll hear from three career engineers at NASA Langley Research Center who work in very different fields. They discuss the unique projects they are working on and how science, technology, engineering and mathematics education played a role in their career path to NASA.

Engineering Careers at NASA is available on the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus beginning May 15.

NASA Now Minute

Milky Way Black Hole Snacks on Hot Gas
 Posted on May 13, 2013 08:57:10 AM | John Entwistle
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The Herschel space observatory has made detailed observations of surprisingly hot gas that may be orbiting or falling towards the supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Herschel is a European Space Agency mission with important NASA participation.

Our galaxy's black hole is located in a region known as Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* for short, which is a nearby source of radio waves. The black hole has a mass about four million times that of our sun and lies roughly 26,000 light-years away from our solar system.

This story is an extension to the NASA Explorer Schools featured lesson, Mathematical Models: Black Holes. To access this featured lesson, visit the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus.

To read more about the observations, visit NASA's Herschel Space Observatory Web page.

Want to go to Mars? Here's a second chance.
 Posted on May 10, 2013 08:30:23 AM | John Entwistle
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Artist concept of MAVEN spacecraft orbiting MarsIf you missed out on the opportunity to send your name to Mars as part of the Curiosity mission (see the NES Teachers Corner article, Want to go to Mar? Here's Your Chance) here's a second opportunity.

NASA is inviting members of the public to submit their names and a personal message online for a DVD to be carried aboard a spacecraft that will study the Martian upper atmosphere.

The DVD will be in NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, spacecraft, which is scheduled for launch in November, 2013. The DVD is part of the mission's Going to Mars Campaign coordinated at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.

The DVD will carry every name submitted. The public also is encouraged to submit a message in the form of a three-line poem, or haiku. However, only three haikus will be selected. The deadline for all submissions is July 1, 2013. An online public vote to determine the top three messages to be placed on the DVD will begin July 15, 2013.

To read more about this opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/may/HQ_13-125_MAVEN_Name_to_Mars.html.

This is a fantastic extension to NASA Explorer Schools’ Curiosity Month NASA Now programs. To check out these episodes, visit the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus.

Three Years of Solar Dynamics Observatory Images
 Posted on May 09, 2013 09:06:04 AM | John Entwistle
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Solar Dynamics Observatory image of the sun based on a wavelength of 171 angstroms, which is in the extreme ultraviolet range In the three years since it first provided images of the sun, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has had virtually unbroken coverage of the sun's rise toward solar maximum, the peak of solar activity in its regular 11-year cycle.

For more information and to see or download a time-lapse video showing those three years of the sun at a pace of two images per day, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/news/first-light-3rd.html.

This video is a very cool addition to the NASA Explorer Schools featured lesson, Geometry: Space Math Problems—Solar Storms. To access this lesson, visit the NASA Explorer Schools Virtual Campus.

NES Professional Development Web Seminars This Week
 Posted on May 06, 2013 09:03:24 AM | John Entwistle
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Professional Development Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting two 90-minute live professional development Web seminars for educators this week.

Pythagorean Theorem: Exploring Space Through Math -- Lunar Rover

On May 8, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, learn to use the distance formula and the Pythagorean theorem to determine the minimal path and minimal time for a lunar rover to perform tasks on the surface of the moon. You should have a basic knowledge of scale factor and application of the Pythagorean theorem. Having access to a calculator is helpful but not necessary for session. For more information and to register online, visit the NSTA Learning Center.

Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber

On May 9, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. EDT, learn how to incorporate exciting space exploration problems into your technology or life science classes. See how you can use the engineering design process to have students design, build and evaluate the effectiveness of a lunar plant growth chambers while engaging them in research and standards-based learning experiences. For more information and to register online, visit the NSTA Learning Center.

This is the last time these seminars will be offered during the current school year.


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