Star Formation Movie

This is NOT an artist rendition of gas collapsing gravitational to form a star, but a movie made from REAL data showing this process. Go here to learn more. Hope you enjoy!

Gorgeous Galactic Center Image

Available here courtesy of NASA's Great Observatories. Taken just in time for the holidays as part of the International Year of Astronomy celebrations (and for lots of very interested scientific reasons. The center of the Milky Way is a hotbed of star formation, stellar explosions, etc. that is very poorly understood). Also available here.

Solar Sails!

Continuing our mini-theme of new technologies in space travel, read this New York Times Science article on Solar Sails. Hope you enjoy!

High School Summer Internships at JPL

JPL is looking for a few highly motivated high school students who have a strong interest in and aptitude for science, technology, engineering and/or math for its JPL Summer High School Internship Program (JPL SpaceSHIP). This program runs for eight weeks during the summer of 2010. Applicants must be at least 16 when the program starts. They must also live within a 50-mile radius of JPL, which is located in Pasadena, Calif., and have a 3.0 GPA. Each student has a mentor – a NASA/JPL scientist, engineer or staff member who provides guidance about the project and answers questions about careers in science and engineering. For more details about this opportunity, go here, and good luck.

If you get it, I'd love to hear about what you did....

Space Elevators!

Long a staple of science fiction, NASA has been funding some research to try and make them a technological fact. Go here for some neat little computer games to describe what a space elevator is. Hope you enjoy!

NASA "Moon Work" Competition

From the official NASA email:" The 2010 NASA Moon Work engineering design challenge seeks to motivate college students by giving them first-hand experience with the process of developing new technologies. To participate in the contest, students will submit their original design for tools or instruments that can help astronauts live and work on the moon. Top-ranked students will be offered a chance to intern with a team from NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program.

Students should submit a notice of intent to enter the contest by Dec. 15. Final entries for the Moon Work challenge are due May 15, 2010. All entries must be from students at U.S. colleges or universities. Although non-citizens may be part of a team, only U.S. citizens may win NASA internships or travel awards.

For complete details and to enter the contest, visit: http://moonwork.larc.nasa.gov."

Good luck!

BLAST! DVD Discount Extended

The best Astronomy movie of the year, BLAST! is no available for a 20% educator's discount using code 5G7S5K now through December 11th. Go here for more information. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I hope to rectify that soon, but I really hope that you are have a good Turkey (or Tofu-rkey) Day today.

ESA Rosetta flyby blogged live

Go here to read live updates from ESA's Rosetta last flyby of the Earth before it chases some comets around the Solar System. Enjoy!

Want to be Lunar Certified?

Well, if you are an elementary school teacher in the greater Los Angeles / Southern California area, it is possible. NASA/JPL Education Resources Center is offering a free class in Lunar Certification, which allows you to borrow actual lunar rock and soil samples as well as meteorite samples from NASA. It will be held November 12 from 4 p.m. to 6:00 p.m at the Educator Resource Center, 1460 Holt Ave., Pomona, CA 91767. RSVP by calling 909-397-4420. Enjoy!