Tag: Heliophysics

Northern Maine Educators Prepare for Totality!

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2 min read Northern Maine Educators Prepare for Totality! More than 70 teachers, librarians, and informal educators from Aroostook County, Maine gathered to exchange ideas and make plans in preparation for celebrating the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Sponsored by the NASA Science Activation project Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE) and organized/hosted by Francis Malcolm Science Center (FMSC) in Easton, ME, these Trek to Totality events held on January 30 and February 13, 2024 included activity demonstrations by LENE partners, Gulf of Maine Research Institute and University of…

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2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge Announces 10 Global Winners

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5 min read 2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge Announces 10 Global Winners This Earth observation was captured during a day pass by the Expedition 40 crew aboard the International Space Station on September 2, 2014. European Space Agency Astronaut Alexander Gerst Ten teams from around the world have been named the Global Winners of the 2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge. The Challenge is the largest annual global hackathon, and gives participants the opportunity to engage with real world problems we face on Earth and in space. The 2023…

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Solar Secrets Unveiled: Planetarium Program Showcases Parker Solar Probe Discoveries

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2 min read Solar Secrets Unveiled: Planetarium Program Showcases Parker Solar Probe Discoveries In January, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) hosted its monthly planetarium program, offering attendees an insightful journey into the study of our solar system’s star. On January 23, 2024, Dr. Nour Raouafi, project scientist of the Parker Solar Probe and astrophysicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), shared how the Parker Solar Probe is changing what we know about the Sun. Dr. Raouafi began by delving into the history of heliophysics, including Eugene…

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NASA Signs Memorandum of Agreement for Space Weather

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Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (left), signs the Memorandum of Agreement for Space Weather alongside Ken Graham, assistant administrator for NOAA’s Weather Services (right). This quad-agency agreement will further research and operations of space weather to improve space weather predictions and preparedness while also mitigating its impacts. NOAA / Robert Hyatt On Dec. 7, 2023, Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, signed on behalf of the agency the Memorandum of Agreement for Space Weather Research-To-Operations-To-Research Collaboration. This quad-agency agreement is between NASA, the…

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Calling all Eclipse Enthusiasts: Become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador!

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2 min read Calling all Eclipse Enthusiasts: Become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador! By Vivian White, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Eclipse Ambassadors help share information with their communities about how to safely observe the Sun, such as using handheld solar viewers. Los Angeles Astronomical Society/Iraneide De Oliveira Are you an astronomy enthusiast or undergraduate student with a passion for sharing space science? We are excited to share with you a wonderful opportunity to become an official NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador and help your community experience the awe and wonder…

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AWE Launching to Space Station to Study Atmospheric Waves via Airglow

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4 min read AWE Launching to Space Station to Study Atmospheric Waves via Airglow NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, mission is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station in November 2023, where it will make use of a natural, ethereal glow in Earth’s sky to study waves in our planet’s atmosphere. Built by Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory in North Logan, Utah, AWE will be mounted on the exterior of the space station. From this perch, AWE will stare down toward Earth, tracking undulations in the air…

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NASA Selects Four Small Explorer Mission Concept Studies

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NASA logo Credits: NASA NASA has selected four small explorer missions to conduct concept studies. These studies aim to expand knowledge of the dynamics of the Sun and related phenomena, such as coronal mass ejections, aurora, and solar wind to better understand the Sun-Earth connection. Any missions selected to move forward after the concept studies are conducted will join the current heliophysics mission fleet, which not only provides deeper insight into the mechanics of our universe, but also offers critical information to help protect astronauts, satellites, and communications signals, and…

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