NASA

“I do evolutionary programming,” said NASA Goddard oceanographer Dr. John Moisan. “I see a lot of possibility in using evolutionary programming to solve many large problems we are trying to solve. How did life start and evolve? Can these processes be used to evolve intelligence or sentience?”Courtesy of John Moisan Name: John Moisan Formal Job Classification: Research oceanographer Organization: Ocean Ecology Laboratory, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Geophysics (HBG), Earth Science Directorate (Code 616) – duty station at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission? I develop ecosystem models and satellite algorithms to understand how the ocean’s ecology works. My work has evolved over time from when I coded ocean ecosystem models to the present where I now use artificial intelligence to evolve the ocean ecosystem models. How did you become an oceanographer? As a child, I watched a TV series called “Sea Hunt,” which involved looking for treasure in the ocean. It inspired me to want to spend my life scuba diving. I got a Bachelor of Science in marine biology from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and later got a Ph.D. from the Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Initially, I just wanted to do marine biology which to me meant doing lots of scuba diving, maybe living on a sailboat. Later, when I was starting my graduate schoolwork, I found a book about mathematical biology and a great professor who helped open my eyes to the world of numerical modeling. I found out that instead of scuba diving, I needed instead to spend my days behind a computer, learning how to craft ideas into equations and then code these into a computer to run simulations on ocean ecosystems. I put myself through my initial education. I went to school fulltime, but I lived at home and hitchhiked to college on a daily basis. When I started my graduate school, I worked to support myself. I was in school during the normal work week, but from Friday evening through Sunday night, I worked 40 hours at a medical center cleaning and sterilizing the operating room instrument carts. This was during the height of the AIDS epidemic. What was most exciting about your two field trips to the Antarctic? In 1987, I joined a six-week research expedition to an Antarctic research station to explore how the ozone hole was impacting phytoplankton. These are single-celled algae that are responsible for making half the oxygen we breathe. Traveling to Antarctica is like visiting another planet. There are more types of blue than I’ve ever seen. It is an amazingly beautiful place to visit, with wild landscapes, glaciers, mountains, sea ice, and a wide range of wildlife. After my first trip I returned home and went back in a few months later as a biologist on a joint Polish–U.S. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) expedition to carry out a biological survey and measure how much fast the phytoplankton was growing in different areas of the Southern Ocean. We used nets to measure the amounts of fish and shrimp and took water samples to measure salinity, the amount of algae and their growth rates. We ate well, for example the Polish cook made up a large batch of smoked ice fish. What other field work have you done? While a graduate student, I helped do some benthic work in the Gulf of Maine. This study was focused on understanding the rates of respiration in the muds on the bottom of the ocean and on understanding how much biomass was in the muds. The project lowered a benthic grab device to the bottom where it would push a box core device into the sediments to return it to the surface. This process is sort of like doing a biopsy of the ocean bottom. What is your goal as a research oceanographer at Goddard? Ocean scientists measure the amount and variability of chlorophyll a, a pigment in algae, in the ocean because it is an analogue to the amount of algae or phytoplankton in the ocean. Chlorophyll a is used to capture solar energy to make sugars, which the algae use for growth. Generally, areas of the ocean that have more chlorophyll are also areas where growth or primary production is higher. So, by estimating how much chlorophyll is in the ocean we can study how these processes are changing with an aim in understanding why. NASA uses the color of the ocean using satellites to estimate chlorophyll a because chlorophyll absorbs sunlight and changes the color of the ocean. Algae have other kinds of pigments, each of which absorbs light at different wavelengths. Because different groups of algae have different levels of pigments, they are like fingerprints that can reveal the type of algae in the water. Some of my research aims at trying to use artificial intelligence and mathematical techniques to create new ways to measure these pigments from space to understand how ocean ecosystems change. In 2024, NASA plans to launch the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite, which will measure the color of the ocean at many different wavelengths. The data from this satellite can be used with results from my work on genetic programs and inverse modeling to estimate concentrations of different pigments and possibly concentrations of different types of algae in the ocean. You have been at Goddard over 22 years. What is most memorable to you? I develop ecosystem models. But ecosystems do not have laws in the same way that physics has laws. Equations need to be created so that the ecosystem models represent what is observed in the real world. Satellites have been a great source for those observations, but without a lot of other types of observations that are collected in the field, the ocean, it is difficult to develop these equations. In my time at NASA, I have only been able to develop models because of the great but often tedious work that ocean scientists around the world have been doing when they go on ocean expeditions to measure various ocean features, be it simple temperature or the more complicated measurements of algal growth rates. My experience with their willingness to collaborate and share data is especially memorable. This experience is also what I enjoyed with numerous scientists at NASA who have always been willing to support new ideas and point me in the right direction. It has made working at NASA a phenomenal experience. What are the philosophical implications of your work? The human capacity to think rapidly, to test and change our opinions based on what we learn, is slow compared to that of a computer. Computers can help us adapt more quickly. I can put 1,000 students in a room developing ecosystem model models. But I know that this process of developing ecosystem models is slow when compared what a computer can do using an artificial intelligence approach called genetic programming, it is a much faster way to generate ecosystem model solutions. Philosophically, there is no real ecosystem model that is the best. Life and ecosystems on Earth change and adapt at rates too fast for any present-day model to resolve, especially considering climate change. The only real ecosystem model is the reality itself. No computer model can perfectly simulate ecosystems. By utilizing the fast adaptability that evolutionary computer modeling techniques provide, simulating and ultimately predicting ecosystems can be improved greatly. How does your work have implications for scientists in general? I do evolutionary programming. I see a lot of possibility in using evolutionary programming to solve many large problems we are trying to solve. How did life start and evolve? Can these processes be used to evolve intelligence or sentience? The artificial intelligence (AI) work answers questions, but you need to identify the questions. This is the greater problem when it comes to working with AI. You cannot answer the question of how to create a sentient life if you do not know how to define it. If I cannot measure life, how can I model it? I do not know how to write that equation. How does life evolve? How did the evolutionary process start? These are big questions I enjoy discussing with friends. It can be as frustrating as contemplating “nothing.” Who inspires you? Many of the scientists that I was fortunate to work with at various research institutes, such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. These are groups of scientists are open to always willing to share their ideas. These are individuals who enjoy doing science. I will always be indebted to them for their kindness in sharing of ideas and data. Do you still scuba dive? Yes, I wish I could dive daily, it is a very calming experience. I’m trying to get my kids to join me. What else do you do for fun? My wife and I bike and travel. Our next big bike trip will hopefully be to Shangri-La City in China. I also enjoy sailing and trying to grow tropical plants. But, most of all, I enjoy helping raise my children to be resilient, empathic, and intelligent beings. What are your words to live by? Life. So much to see. So little time. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of question and answer profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 EditorJessica EvansContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.gov Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterArtificial Intelligence (AI)People of GoddardWallops Flight Facility Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

“Data visualization has recently exploded as a communication tool,” said Mark SubbaRao, information technology specialist and lead for NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. “As data becomes bigger and more complex, visualization becomes an even more important tool for understanding that data.”Rachel Connolly / Courtesy of Mark SubbaRao Name: Mark SubbaRao Title: Lead, Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) Formal Job Classification: Information Technology Specialist Organization: SVS, Science Mission Directorate (Code 606.4) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission? I have an amazing job. I get to work with all the most interesting NASA science and make it visual to help people can understand it. The Scientific Visualization Studio, the SVS, supports all of NASA and is located at Goddard. What is your educational background? I have B.S. in engineering physics, minor in astronomy, from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I have a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Johns Hopkins University. What is data visualization? How is it different from animation? Data visualization is the graphical representation of actual data (in our case usually scientific data). At its most basic it takes the forms of charts, graphs, and maps. In contrast, conceptual animation, such as the work of our colleagues in the CI Lab, is the graphical representation of ideas. Conceptual animation and data visualization are both needed to communicate the full scientific process. How did your work for the University of Chicago develop your interest in visualization? I worked on software for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a project to create the biggest 3D map of the universe. Our goal was to map 3D positions of a million galaxies, which we did. My role was to develop the software to determine the distance to galaxies. To see the result we needed a way to see how the galaxies were distributed in 3D, which led to my interest in visualization. Viewing this map, I felt like we had revealed a new world which no one had yet seen altogether. The desire to share that with the public led me a position at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. “Astrographics,” a video piece Mark SubbaRao produced for the Adler Planetarium, being projected on the Merchandise Mart on the Chicago riverfront.Michael SubbaRao / Courtesy of Mark SubbaRao How did planetariums evolve during your 18 years of working for the Adler Planetarium? I led their visualization efforts for their Space Visualization Laboratory, a laboratory that was on the museum floor and had multiple specialized displays. The local scientific community used our laboratory to present to the public including other scientists and students. I also produced planetarium shows and designed exhibits. My last project, “Astrographics” for Art on the Mart, was a 2.6-acre, outdoor projection onto a building near the Chicago River. We believe that this is the largest, permanent outdoor digital projection in the world. I began to see the power of the planetarium as a data visualization environment. Traditionally, a planetarium has been a place to project stars and tell stories about constellations. Planetariums have now evolved into a general-purpose visualization platform to communicate science. I got more involved with the planetarium community, which led to me becoming president of the International Planetarium Society. A major focus of my presidency was promoting planetariums in Africa. Why did you come to NASA’s SVS at Goddard? I came to Goddard in December 2020. I always admired NASA’s SVS and had used their products. I consider the SVS the preeminent group using scientific visualization for public communication. I wanted to work on visualizations for a broader variety of sciences, in particular, climate science. Our group created visualizations for the United Nations Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, the fall of 2021. In March 2022, I created a visualization called Climate Spiral, which went viral. This visualization shows monthly global temperature anomalies (changes from an average) between the years 1880 and 2021. Whites and blues indicate cooler temperatures, while oranges and reds show warmer temperatures. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio As the lead, how do you hope to inspire your group? Our group is very talented, experienced, and self-motivated. Data visualization has recently exploded as a communication tool. Our goal is to continue to stay on top of this rapidly evolving field. Coupled with this, there has been an explosion in scientific data from satellites and super computers. As data becomes bigger and more complex, visualization becomes an even more important tool for understanding that data. Karen St. Germain, NASA’s Director of Earth Science, presenting an SVS visualization of carbon dioxide to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/31168NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Your work combines art and science. What are the benefits of combining art and science? One huge benefit is that you can reach people through an artistic visual presentation of science who may not be interested in simply reading an article. You can go beyond teaching people, you can move them emotionally through a good, artistic presentation. For example, in “Climate Spiral,” we did not want to just inform people that global average temperatures have increased, we wanted people to feel that the temperature has increased. Also, our universe is just beautiful. Why not let the beauty of the universe create something artistic for you? I sometimes feel like I cheat by letting the universe do my design for me. What do you do for fun? Since moving to Maryland, and living near the Chesapeake Bay, I have taken up stand up paddleboarding. I like to cook too. My father is Indian, so I cook a lot of Indian food. Who inspires you? Arthur C. Clarke, the science fiction writer, also wrote a lot of popular science. He played a big part in my decision to become a scientist. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Explore More 8 min read John Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI Article 14 mins ago 5 min read NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows Article 14 mins ago 6 min read Phathom Donald Brings Space Closer as a Hubble Mission Engineer Article 14 mins ago Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 EditorJessica EvansContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.gov Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterPeople of Goddard View the full article

Four individuals with NASA affiliations have been named 2022 fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in recognition of their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements in the scientific enterprise. Election as a Fellow by the AAAS Council honors members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society have distinguished them among their peers and colleagues. The 2022 Fellows class includes 508 scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines. Rita Sambruna from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was recognized in the AAAS Section on Astronomy, and Jennifer Wiseman, also from Goddard, was recognized in the AAAS Section on Physics. Dorothy Peteet of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York was honored in the AAAS section on Earth Science. Erik Conway of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in southern California was honored for distinguished contributions and public outreach to the history of science and understanding of contemporary science and science policy. Dr. Rita Sambruna is the acting deputy director of the Science and Exploration Directorate and the deputy director of the Astrophysics Division at Goddard. She also promotes increased participation of underrepresented groups in science.Courtesy of Rita M. Sambruna Rita Sambruna Dr. Rita Sambruna is the acting deputy director of the Science and Exploration Directorate and the deputy director of the Astrophysics Division at Goddard. She also promotes increased participation of underrepresented groups in science. She worked with a team to position Goddard to lead the decadal top priority missions. She led a team to set into place a vision for a Multi-Messenger Astrophysics Science Support Center at Goddard, to lead the astrophysics community in reaping the most from NASA- and ground-based observations of celestial sources. She came to Goddard in 2005 to work on multiwavelength observations of jets using the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other NASA capabilities. From 2010 to 2020 she worked at NASA Headquarters, Washington, as a program scientist for astrophysics. Her research interests include relativistic jets, physics of compact objects, supermassive black holes in galaxies, and multiwavelength and multi-messenger astrophysics. In December 2022, Sambruna was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) as an internationally acclaimed astrophysicist who embodies the RAS mission in promoting the advancement of science, the increased participation of historically underrepresented groups in astronomy, and a broad interest in astronomy. In 2019 she was awarded the NASA Extraordinary Achievement Medal for her leadership on the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey studies. She was named Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2020 and a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society in 2021. Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is a senior astrophysicist at Goddard and a Senior Fellow at Goddard, where she serves as the senior project scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope. Her primary responsibility is to ensure that the Hubble mission is as scientifically productive as possible.NASA Jennifer Wiseman Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is a senior astrophysicist at Goddard and a Senior Fellow at Goddard, where she serves as the senior project scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope. Her primary responsibility is to ensure that the Hubble mission is as scientifically productive as possible. Previously, Wiseman headed Goddard’s Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics. She started her career at NASA in 2003 as the program scientist for Hubble and several other astrophysics missions at NASA Headquarters. Wiseman’s scientific expertise is centered on the study of star-forming regions in our galaxy using a variety of tools, including radio, optical, and infrared telescopes. She has a particular interest in dense interstellar gas cloud cores, embedded protostars, and their related outflows as active ingredients of cosmic nurseries where stars and their planetary systems are born. In addition to research in astrophysics, Wiseman is also interested in science policy and public science outreach and engagement. She has served as a congressional science fellow of the American Physical Society, an elected councilor of the American Astronomical Society, and a public dialogue leader for AAAS. She enjoys giving talks on the excitement of astronomy and scientific discovery, and has appeared in many science and news venues, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NOVA, and National Public Radio. Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet is a senior research scientist at GISS and an adjunct professor at Columbia University. She directs the Paleoecology Division of the New Core Lab at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia.NASA Dorothy Peteet Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet is a senior research scientist at GISS and an adjunct professor at Columbia University. She directs the Paleoecology Division of the New Core Lab at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia. In collaboration with GISS climate modelers and LDEO geochemists, she is studying conditions of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene that are archived in sediments from lakes and wetlands. Peteet documents past changes in vegetation, derived from analyses of pollen and spores, plant and animal macrofossils, carbon, and charcoal embedded in sediments. Her research provides local and regional records of ancient vegetational and climate history. One recent focus has been the sequestration of carbon in northern peatlands and coastal marshes: ecosystems that are now vulnerable to climate change and potentially substantial releases of carbon back into the atmosphere. Peteet also has performed climate modeling experiments to test hypotheses concerning the last glacial maximum and abrupt climate change. She is interested in climate sensitivity and in how past climate changes and ecological shifts might provide insights on future climate change. Erik Conway has served as the historian at JPL since 2004. Prior to that, he was a contract historian at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He is a historian of science and technology, and has written histories of atmospheric science, supersonic transportation, aviation infrastructure, Mars exploration, and climate change denial.NASA Erik Conway Erik Conway has served as the historian at JPL since 2004. Prior to that, he was a contract historian at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He is a historian of science and technology, and has written histories of atmospheric science, supersonic transportation, aviation infrastructure, Mars exploration, and climate change denial. He is the author of nine books, most recently, “A History of Near-Earth Objects Research” (NASA, 2022), and “The Big Myth” (Bloomsbury, 2023). His book “Merchants of Doubt” with Naomi Oreskes was awarded the Helen Miles Davis and Watson Davis prize from the History of Science Society. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018 and the Athelstan Spilhaus Award from the American Geophysical Union in 2016. AAAS noted that these honorees have gone above and beyond in their respective disciplines. They bring a broad diversity of perspectives, innovation, curiosity, and passion that will help sustain the scientific field today and into the future. Many of these individuals have broken barriers to achieve successes in their given disciplines. AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 EditorJamie Adkins Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterGoddard Institute for Space StudiesPeople of Goddard View the full article

“I’m always proud every time I see a new picture taken by Hubble,u0022 said Phathom Donald, a satellite systems engineer for the Hubble Space Telescope. u0022It feels like an accomplishment and an honor even to be part of a mission that brings those images to people on Earth.”u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Rob Andreoliu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Name: Phathom Donald Title: Mission Engineer Formal Job Classification: Satellite Systems Engineer Organization: Astrophysics Project Division, Hubble Space Telescope Operations Project, Code 441 What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission? As a member of the flight operations team for the Hubble Space Telescope, I monitor and evaluate the performance of Hubble’s subsystems through its telemetry. I send commands to Hubble as needed for routine maintenance, maintaining communication with the spacecraft, and recovery from onboard anomalies. I also support ground system maintenance to ensure that operations run smoothly and uninterrupted. On the flight software team, I build and run simulations to verify flight software changes before they’re installed onto Hubble. Just like how your laptop or your smartphone gets regular updates to add new features or to fix bugs, Hubble gets flight software updates for added capabilities and to address new issues. Being a flight controller was a dream of mine, so being able to command a spacecraft has been really exciting. I also really enjoy coding, and it’s been interesting seeing how all these critical and complicated activities happen at the same time. I think the work I do outside of my flight controller role has helped me become a better flight controller, because I have a better idea of what’s happening behind the scenes — things feel a bit more intuitive to me. How did you find your path to Goddard? During undergrad, I was on a path to become a power systems engineer. But one day in my senior design class, our professor invited the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) project manager at the time to speak to our class about systems engineering and its applications to the mission. Within five minutes of this presentation, I was on the verge of tears. This presentation alone changed the course of my career because it reminded me that I love the stars and I love space. More importantly, it made me feel like a career at NASA was actually possible. So, I emailed the speaker and asked him for advice, and he responded with excellent guidance and encouragement. I saved that email and essentially used it as a career guide. After graduating, I worked for a NASA contractor first as a quality engineer, then as a model-based systems engineer. While I was in that role, I pursued my master’s, and about a month after graduating, I saw the job posting for Hubble’s flight operations team at Goddard. After a year or so of settling in, I reached out to that same speaker and I let him know I took his advice, I made it to NASA, and that I couldn’t be more grateful for his help. He responded beautifully, saying that he was humbled to have played any role in me getting to where I wanted to be. What first sparked your interest in space? My dad used to take my brothers and me to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles all the time. I loved going to those shows in the planetarium and just feeling engrossed in what they were teaching. I’d always wanted to take an astronomy class, but I didn’t get the chance until my last year of undergrad. I’m so glad I did; it just reaffirmed that space is for me. u0022In moments where Hubble’s mission is at risk, I’ll look at the situation and think, ‘Okay, what can we do to either fix or mitigate this problem?’u0022 said Phathom Donald, a satellite systems engineer for the Hubble Space Telescope. u0022I do what I can with care, I communicate clearly with those I’m working with, and I trust the abilities of my colleagues.”u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Rebecca Rothu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e What is your educational background? I graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 2014 with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering. I also have a master’s in space systems engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Right now, I’m pursuing a graduate certificate in control systems from the University of Michigan at Dearborn to prepare for a role supporting Hubble’s pointing and control subsystems. After I’m done, I plan to pursue a graduate certificate in aerospace for that same reason; I want to pick up and hone skills in order to maximize my contributions to Hubble. How do you keep a cool head when you have a mission-critical situation? I think I’m generally a pretty calm person, but in moments where Hubble’s mission is at risk, I tend to focus on what is in my power to get done. So I’ll look at the situation and think, “OK, what can we do to either fix or mitigate this problem?” And I do what I can with care, I communicate clearly with those I’m working with, and I trust the abilities of my colleagues. I work with really brilliant, dedicated people who love what they do, so I know that they’re going to do what’s best for the mission. What is your proudest accomplishment at Goddard? To be honest, I’m always proud every time I see a new picture taken by Hubble, especially after we’ve recovered it from an anomaly. It feels like an accomplishment and an honor even to be part of a mission that brings those images to people on Earth. Who are your science role models, and how have they shaped your career in science? Katherine Johnson: she was an African American mathematician who was pivotal in the success of the early human spaceflight missions carried out by NASA. Her complex trajectory calculations got the first man into space and back unharmed. I also admire Dr. Sian Proctor: she was the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft. As a minority, it can be easy to feel like an outlier in the space industry. Seeing people like Katherine and Dr. Proctor succeed and excel in these fields adds a bit of comfort. They show me that these technically demanding roles are attainable. How do you like to spend your time outside of work? What are your hobbies? I spend a lot of time with my tiny dog, Chara. I named her after a yellow star in the Hunting Dogs constellation. Chara is Greek for “joy,” and to say she brings me joy would be an understatement. I actually have a new obsession with snorkeling and freediving. I went snorkeling for the first time in early 2021 and it completely changed my life. Before snorkeling, I was terrified of water. After snorkeling, I wanted to be a fish. I just love the freedom that comes with the lack of equipment. I love the peace that I feel underwater. What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words. “The stars are not too far.” What is some advice you would give your 10-year-old self? You are capable of more than you know, more than what people might try to make you believe. Do what makes you feel fulfilled and define your own success. Your passion is your strength. By Hannah Richter NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterBlack History MonthHubble Space TelescopePeople of Goddard Latest News More NASA News Article8 Min ReadJohn Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI Article5 Min ReadMark SubbaRao Brings Data to Life Through Art 5 Min ReadNASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows Article 6 Min ReadPhathom Donald Brings Space Closer as a Hubble Mission Engineer Article 5 Min ReadTrena Ferrell Inspires Through Science and Education Article View the full article

“This event made me realize that NASA really is a family. Everyone works together for a positive outcome; a shared, common interest,” said Dr. Trena Ferrell, NASA’s Earth Science Division’s Education and Publish Outreach Lead. “World-class scientist and engineers willingly give their time to tell the world about their expertise. They are good with people of all ages and are always particularly kind with kids, our next generation of explorers.”NASA / Bill Ingalls Name: Trena Ferrell Title: Education and Public Outreach Lead for the Earth Science Division Formal Job Classification: Environmental Scientist Organization: Earth Science Division, Earth Science Directorate (Code 610) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? I interface with the public and educational institutions to share all the great research that our scientists and engineers are doing at NASA. I also support large-scale public events around the country and interact with citizen scientists. I’ve always been passionate about science and education, so now I get to mesh my two passions together. What is your educational background? I have a Bachelor of Science in premedicine from Albright College in Redding, Pennsylvania; a master’s in developmental biology from American University in Washington, D.C.; and a Ph.D. in environmental science from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. How did you come to work for Goddard? Initially I wanted to be a doctor, but I started teaching science at the middle school and high school at the Maya Angelou Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., and found that I loved teaching. (I got to meet her once, and she was phenomenal!) Around 2000, I asked NASA to send a speaker, Dr. Octavia Tripp. Through her suggestion, I became an aerospace education specialist and then the NASA Explorer Schools Workshop Coordinator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Around 2005, I became Goddard’s education representative for Maryland. In 2015, I became a public affairs specialist for Goddard’s Office of Communications. In 2016, I started in my current position. What is your message to students? I work with students from kindergarten through college. I want them to reach for the stars and realize that they can be scientists or engineers who work at NASA. I want them to know that NASA also offers a plethora of other careers, which I also want them to consider. What is your message for citizen scientists? I tell them that they are an important piece of the NASA puzzle who help us with our scientific efforts. For example, the Globe Observer App can be downloaded to a smart phone. Using this app, they can take photos of clouds, land cover, tree height, and mosquito larvae. They can also take tree height measurements. What was your favorite large-scale event? I was one of the co-leads for Goddard’s open house in 2015, my first large-scale project of this magnitude. Over 20,000 people attended. We had so many people that the Greenbelt Metro Station had to close. People even came from other states. I loved seeing all our hard work pay off and how excited all the people were to be at Goddard. I especially enjoyed watching the kids interreacting with our scientists and engineers, asking questions. They are our future. Dr. Trena Ferrell, the education and public outreach lead for NASA’s Earth Science Division, works with students from kindergarten through college. “I want them to reach for the stars and realize that they can be scientists or engineers who work at NASA. I want them to know that NASA also offers a plethora of other careers, which I also want them to consider.”NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Bill Hrybyk When did you feel like you were part of the NASA family? While working on our 2015 open house, I worked with an amazing team. Kudos to the Office of Communications; especially to Michelle Jones, Leslee Scott, Deanna Trask, and Amy Grigg. This event made me realize that NASA really is a family. Everyone works together for a positive outcome; a shared, common interest. If you need help, someone shows up to help you without asking. And you do the same for others who need help. World-class scientist and engineers willingly give their time to tell the world about their expertise. They are good with people of all ages and are always particularly kind with kids, our next generation of explorers. How has working at Goddard changed your life? While at Goddard, I met my husband Mark Branch, a Goddard engineer. He was our subject matter expert for a student outreach event I organized. We married two years after meeting, in 2010. Someday I’d like to write a book about all the couples who met at Goddard. I sincerely thank everyone at Goddard who has touched my life and helped me! Who has guided you the most in life? My parents did everything they could to give my sister and me the best possible opportunities. They told us to dream big and to do big things. They are always there for us. They are amazing people! I adore my family. I love that I have added new family members from NASA. What do you do to relax? I attended a French high school for my junior year and became an admirer of French culture and cuisine. I like to cook, including French food. I also love traveling. I enjoy reading fiction to relax. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Explore More 8 min read John Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI Article 14 mins ago 5 min read Mark SubbaRao Brings Data to Life Through Art Article 14 mins ago 5 min read NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows Article 14 mins ago Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterPeople of GoddardPeople of NASA View the full article

Jonathan Gardner of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was selected as a 2023 Fellow of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for extraordinary achievement and service. He is being recognized for exceptional community service and scientific leadership of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope science teams, leading to Webb’s flight hardware exceeding all of its requirements. Dr. Jonathan Gardner is the Deputy Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.Credits: Courtesy of Jonathan Gardner Gardner is the deputy senior project scientist for the Webb telescope in Goddard’s Astrophysics Science Division. Webb, which launched Dec. 25, 2021, is the largest, most powerful, and most complex space science telescope ever built. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. John Mather, senior project scientist on Webb and a senior astrophysicist at Goddard, nominated Gardner for the fellowship. In his nomination, Mather wrote: “Jonathan Gardner is a quiet superstar, well known to the Webb community. As deputy senior project scientist for Webb, Gardner represents the senior project scientist in all aspects of the mission, with responsibility for ensuring Webb’s scientific performance. Gardner is a tireless advocate for the scientific vision and its accurate implementation. He is the main spokesperson for Webb science throughout NASA and in the wider astronomy community. He is the person most responsible for keeping the science teams working well together and for communicating with other astronomers.” Gardner began working on Webb as a member of the Ad-Hoc Science Working Group in the late 1990s, joining the project as the deputy senior project scientist in 2002. Beginning in 2002, Gardner organized all the meetings and communications of the Science Working Group, which included people from the U.S., Europe, and Canada, including instrument teams and other partners. He recruited Goddard scientists for the mission’s Project Science Team, and ensured a scientist was assigned to every engineering topic. Gardner also wrote and published the scientific requirements in a dedicated issue of Space Science Reviews. He set up the Science Requirements Analysis Board to review any potential threats to the scientific goals of the mission and worked with engineering teams to avoid any failures. He represented scientific interests throughout the engineering project and throughout NASA, by ensuring regular communication between scientists, managers, and engineers. The 2023 AAS Fellows are recognized for enhancing and sharing humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe through personal achievement and extraordinary service to the astronomical sciences and to the AAS. AAS, established in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers. Its membership of approximately 8,000 also includes physicists, geologists, engineers, and others whose interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronomical sciences. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community, which it achieves through publishing, meetings, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov By Robert Gutro NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. View the full article

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has elected three new members with NASA affiliations. Two employees and one retiree from three different NASA centers around the country were awarded the honor on Feb. 7. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting Oct. 1. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to ‘the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.” Christine Mann Darden, director (retired), Strategic Communications Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASAu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Christine Mann Darden, director (retired), Strategic Communications Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, was awarded for pioneering research in supersonic flight technologies and leadership in advancing aerodynamics design to produce low-boom sonic effects. She is internationally known for her research into supersonic aircraft noise, especially sonic boom reduction, and recognized for her groundbreaking achievement as the first African American woman at NASA Langley to be appointed to the top management rank of Senior Executive Service. She is equally known for her efforts to inspire and educate generations of aerospace scientists and engineers. Christa D. Peters-Lidard, deputy director, Science and Exploration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA Office of the Chief Information Officeru003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Christa D. Peters-Lidard, director, Science and Exploration, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, was honored for contributions to understanding land-atmosphere interactions, soil moisture monitoring and modeling, and leadership in Earth system modeling. Her research interests include the application of high-performance computing and communications technologies in Earth system modeling, for which her Land Information System team was awarded the 2005 NASA Software of the Year Award. Vanessa E. Wyche, director, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASAu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Vanessa E. Wyche, director, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, received the honor for leadership of NASA Johnson, enabling a commercial low-Earth orbit space economy and future Moon and Mars missions. She is responsible for a broad range of human spaceflight activities, including development and operation of human spacecraft, NASA astronaut selection and training, and mission control. Wyche oversees commercialization of low-Earth orbit – ensuring commercially provided destinations to continue research there following transition from the International Space Station in 2030. Additionally, she leads Johnson’s role in exploring the Moon and Mars with NASA’s Artemis spacecraft, including surface system capabilities for human and commercial robotic missions, and partners with academia, industry, and international community to establish a sustainable lunar economy. Rob Gutro NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov L. Eileen Erickson / Kim Case National Academy of Engineering lerickson@nae.edu / KCase@nae.edu Explore More 8 min read John Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI Article 14 mins ago 5 min read Mark SubbaRao Brings Data to Life Through Art Article 14 mins ago 5 min read NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows Article 14 mins ago Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterJohnson Space CenterLangley Research CenterPeople of Goddard View the full article

Dr. Peyman Abbaszadeh poses outside Princeton University, where he is a postdoctoral research associate in the department of civil and environmental engineering. Peyman’s research area is computational hydrology and satellite data assimilation.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: Atieh Alipour / Courtesy of Peyman Abbaszadehu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Editor’s Note: A revised version of this story was posted on February 17, 2023, to include the interviewee’s updated description of his work responsibilities and goals. Name: Dr. Peyman Abbaszadeh Title: Science Collaborator Organization: Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, Sciences and Exploration Directorate (Code 617) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission? I work with researchers at Goddard on developing a new generation of hydrologic data assimilation systems by integrating the NASA LIS (Land Information Systems) and ParFlow hydrologic model. My role at Goddard is especially interesting because I get to work with a team of researchers from all over to collaborate on this project. Our goal is to understand the interaction between the land surface and subsurface hydrologic processes and how this complex system is affected by human activities and the environment at different spatial and temporal scales. It is very exciting working closely with outstanding scientists at NASA on solving unknown problems. This is a great opportunity, and I am so excited about that. Providing access to the information we generate empowers others in the scientific community to use it in their own field studies. Like a recipe, we post all our models and analyses on GitHub with instructions, so that users can utilize them efficiently. What is your background? I got my bachelor’s in civil engineering at the University of Tabriz in Iran. Later I moved to Tehran to study hydrology at Tehran Polytechnic University. Later I moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where I got my Ph.D. in water resources at the University of Alabama. Currently, I am continuing my postdoctoral research at Princeton University and reside in New Jersey. Dr. Peyman Abbaszadeh, a science collaboration researcher at Goddard, discusses the importance of uncertainty in hydrologic studies with high school students in the Water and Climate Academy Week at Watershed Institute, Hopewell Township, New Jersey.u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: Lisa Gallagher / Courtesy of Peyman Abbaszadehu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Can you explain how these hydrologic models function? Hydrologic models simplify the Earth’s surface and subsurface physical processes using a combination of mathematical equations. They are built to predict and estimate the ways in which water flows above and below the surface of the Earth. Knowing this is extremely important as it helps us to better manage water resources and irrigation systems in different locations with different hydroclimate regimes. Hydrologic models are utilized to enhance drought monitoring, flood forecasting, and other early warning systems by providing more accurate and reliable estimates of soil moisture, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and subsurface water flow among others. Why did you become a hydrology focused scientist? I became a hydrologist to study how much water we have access to on Earth and how it moves and stores in the atmosphere, on the land surface, and below the ground while being affected by climate change. Along with conducting research, one of my top priorities is making sure that my research contributes to the education of younger generations. To achieve this, I am so happy that I got the chance to get involved in the outreach and education program at the IGWMC (Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center) at Princeton University, where we promote the education of K-12 students and teachers, as well as community members. Can you explain why hydrological science is significant to current research? As we know, climate change is now a climate crisis, as it is warming our planet and disturbing the water cycle by changing the hydrologic processes on the land surface and below the ground. Understanding how the hydrologic variables and fluxes — for example, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, river flow, and groundwater — change over time and interact helps us better prepare and plan for current conditions and accurately forecast future events, such as floods, droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves. These extreme events cause billions of dollars in damage annually in the US and globally. Hydrologic science contributes to a better understanding of the physics behind these processes and their interactions and paves the way for better estimating the likelihood of future events. What inspires you? I decided to apply for this position because during my Ph.D. study, there was a constant voice in the back of my head asking how I could apply the skills I had learned and contribute to society. I wanted to reapply my knowledge in the field to help solve real-world water-related problems and challenges. Working on this project helps me see the real footprint of my research. What do you like to do in your free time? I love to travel with my wife. Recently we had the opportunity to visit Vermont and New Hampshire, which have beautiful scenery. I also love hiking, so this recent trip was a blast! How do you relax after a long day spent in the lab? Card games are another passion of mine, particularly a good poker night. But it’s not a complete end of the day without a good TV show to unwind. Learn more about LIS here: https://lis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ By Ranna P. Zahabi NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterPeople of GoddardWater & Energy CycleWater on Earth Explore More 8 min read John Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI Article 14 mins ago 5 min read Mark SubbaRao Brings Data to Life Through Art Article 14 mins ago 5 min read NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows Article 14 mins ago View the full article

u0022From a natural resources perspective, I often say that Wallops has all the aspects of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (which shares its home with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge) in Florida but in a compressed area,u0022 said Shari Miller, NEPA manager and natural resources manager at Wallops Flight Facility. u0022We protect all these species while launching rockets and unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or drones above them.u0022NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility / Jamie Adkins Name: Shari Miller Title: Wallops Flight Facility National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Manager and Wallops Natural Resources Manager Formal Job Classification: Environmental Engineer Organization: Medical and Environmental Management Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (Code 250) What do you do at Goddard? For half my job, I do environmental planning and review all projects and missions looking to come to Wallops or that Wallops project managers are looking to perform anywhere in the world. For the other half of my job, I manage the natural resources permitting and review at Wallops. Why did you become an environmental engineer? I have always been an outdoors person and was raised to love nature and the environment. I have a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology from Salisbury University and a master’s in environmental science from the University of Maryland. I have worked at Wallops for over 23 years. What are some of Wallops’ unique environmental attributes? From a natural resources perspective, I often say that Wallops has all the aspects of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (which shares its home with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge) in Florida but in a compressed area. We have endangered species including nesting shorebirds called the piping plover and red knots, and protected species, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Loggerhead sea turtles sometimes nest on our shores. Seals may stop to rest. We protect all these species while launching rockets and unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or drones above them. For the other half of my job, I can be analyzing the environmental impacts of a rocket launched from a balloon over Hawaii ranging to that of replacing a bridge or building a new rocket launch pad at Wallops, all in the same day. Environmental impacts may include noise levels; socioeconomic effects in the community; and changes, positive or negative, to air, water, or other natural resources. Environmental planning allows the public to comment on proposed federal projects including infrastructure and mission. Shari Miller, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) manager and natural resources manager at Wallops Flight Facility, helps balance mission needs while also protecting Wallops’ diverse local ecosystem. u0022We have endangered species including nesting shorebirds called the piping plover and red knots, and protected species, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Loggerhead sea turtles sometimes nest on our shores. Seals may stop to rest.u0022NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility / Shari Miller What is the coolest thing you have done at work? In 2015, I worked on a NASA mission called the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project in Hawaii. A sounding rocket launched from a balloon was used to test a decelerator and parachute for landing rovers on Mars. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Southern California designed the decelerator and parachute. Wallops designed the balloon and sounding rocket system and performed the launch. The Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility provided the launch range in Hawaii. Both the balloon and the decelerator systems had the potential to land in a National Marine Monument, a highly protected area. I worked with the Hawaiian governor’s office, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service on obtaining the necessary permits. I loved the challenge of working with so many entities. I planned all the permits and analyses to ensure that the mission could proceed. Do you like to plan in advance? The point of early planning is to “know before you go” to allow time to make any necessary changes. I am a planner, at work and in life. I start planning early. How are you going to know where you are going and get plane tickets unless someone does some advance planning? Who inspires you? My parents inspire me. My father passed away, but he taught me to appreciate a thunderstorm. My mom is in her mid-seventies and retired, but she never sits still. She is one of the most on-the-go people I know. If she is not walking her dogs in the woods, she is either at a card game, a college class, or on a lunch date with friends. Her energy and love of learning and reading and her excitement to share what she has learned, inspires me. I am a data-driven, scientific person. She gave me my love of nature, science, data, and learning. u0022I can be analyzing the environmental impacts of a rocket launched from a balloon over Hawaii ranging to that of replacing a bridge or building a new rocket launch pad at Wallops, all in the same day,u0022 Wallops Flight Facility resources manager Shari Miller describes her job. u0022Environmental impacts may include noise levels; socioeconomic effects in the community; and changes, positive or negative, to air, water, or other natural resources.u0022NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility / Shari Miller As a nature lover and environmentalist, what is your favorite place in the world and why? I love hiking with my two dogs in the woods and to our local creeks and lakes. I love to travel. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled a lot, including to Japan and Thailand. The top of my traveling wish list is New Zealand. How does being in nature ground you? I am a high-energy person. Being in nature allows me to slow down and breathe; to listen to the stillness, the wind and birdsong. Just to listen to the quiet. All this grounds and calms me, it is almost meditative. It is also energizing and recharges my battery. What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words. Nature-lover balancing the environment and missions. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterPeople of GoddardPeople of NASAWallops Flight FacilityWomen's History Month Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility Environmental Management Division Explore Earth Science From its origins, NASA has studied our planet in novel ways, using a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based… View the full article

u0022The really interesting thing to me is how time theoretically acts strangely around black holes. According to Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity, black holes change the flow of time,u0022 said Jeremy Schnittman, Goddard research astrophysicist. u0022So much of how we experience the world is based on time, time marching steadily forward. Anything that changes that is a fascinating take on reality.u0022u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003eCredits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Rebecca Rothu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e Name: Jeremy Schnittman Formal Job Classification: Research astrophysicist Organization: Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory, Astrophysics Division (Code 663) What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission? I try to understand the formation and properties of black holes. I also help develop ideas for new missions to study black holes. What drew you to astrophysics? I always liked science and math. The great thing about astrophysics is that it involves a little bit of everything – math, computer programming, physics, chemistry and even philosophy to understand the big picture, the enormity of space. I have a B.A. in physics from Harvard, and a Ph.D. in physics from MIT. I came to Goddard in 2010 after two post-doctoral fellowships. Explore how the extreme gravity of two orbiting supermassive black holes distorts our view. In this visualization, disks of bright, hot, churning gas encircle both black holes, shown in red and blue to better track the light source. The red disk orbits the larger black hole, which weighs 200 million times the mass of our Sun, while its smaller blue companion weighs half as much. Zooming into each black hole reveals multiple, increasingly warped images of its partner. Watch to learn more. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Jeremy Schnittman and Brian P. Powell Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio As an astrophysicist, what do you think about? I think of myself as a computational physicist as opposed to an experimental or observational physicist. I write many computer programs to do computer simulations of black holes. I also do a lot of theoretical physics, which is pencil and paper work. I think a lot about equations and math to understand black holes. What is most philosophical about black holes to me is not so much what people most often think about, that their gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape. The really interesting thing to me is how time theoretically acts strangely around black holes. According to Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity, black holes change the flow of time. If you could get close enough to a black hole, theoretically you could go back and forth in time. All our experiments and observations seem to indicate that is how black holes might behave. So much of how we experience the world is based on time, time marching steadily forward. Anything that changes that is a fascinating take on reality. Related Link: Gravity Assist: Black Hole Mysteries, with Jeremy Schnittman What do you tell the people you mentor? I mentor undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate students in astrophysics. Since we are working remotely, I have students from all over the country. I help them with their research projects which mostly relate to black holes in some way. I also offer career advice and help them with their work-life balance. When possible, family comes first. There are more people coming out of graduate school in astrophysics than there are jobs, so there are going to be many people who will not work for NASA or as a professor. Fortunately, there are a lot of other fascinating, related jobs, and I help guide the students there. What do you do for fun? I have a woodshop in our basement where I build furniture, dollhouses, toys, and other items for gifts. As a theoretical physicist, I don’t get to work in a lab. So it is nice to have some hands on experience. I do a lot of hiking and cycling to exercise. I also enjoy spending time with my family. Who is your favorite author? Andy Weir is probably my favorite sci-fi author. I also love the epic naval historical fiction by Patrick O’Brian. Who inspires you? My childhood hero, who is still my scientific hero, is Albert Einstein. The more I work in astrophysics, the more he impresses me. Every single one of his predictions that we have been able to test has proven true. It may be a while, but someday I hope we prove his theories about time travel. Also, I admire Kip Thorne, an American physicist from Cal Tech and recent Nobel laureate, who is “the man” when it comes to black holes. He is also a really nice, good guy, a real mensch. Very humble and down-to-earth. He is always extremely patient, kind and encouraging especially to the younger scientists. He is a good role model as I transition from junior to more senior status. What is your one big dream? I make a lot of predictions, so it would be exciting if one of my theories was proven correct. Hopefully someday. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Conversations with Goddard Conversations With Goddard is a collection of question and answer profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsGoddard Space Flight CenterAstrophysicsGalaxies, Stars, & Black Holes ResearchPeople of Goddard Explore More 8 min read John Moisan Studies the Ocean Through the ‘Eyes’ of AI Article 14 mins ago 5 min read Mark SubbaRao Brings Data to Life Through Art Article 14 mins ago 5 min read NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows Article 14 mins ago View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Cliffs slope into the ocean in San Simeon, California. All along the state’s dynamic coastline, land is inching down and up due to natural and human-caused factors. A bet-ter understanding of this motion can help communities prepare for rising seas.NASA/JPL-Caltech The elevation changes may seem small — amounting to fractions of inches per year — but they can increase or decrease local flood risk, wave exposure, and saltwater intrusion. Tracking and predicting sea level rise involves more than measuring the height of our oceans: Land along coastlines also inches up and down in elevation. Using California as a case study, a NASA-led team has shown how seemingly modest vertical land motion could significantly impact local sea levels in coming decades. By 2050, sea levels in California are expected to increase between 6 and 14.5 feet (15 and 37 centimeters) higher than year 2000 levels. Melting glaciers and ice sheets, as well as warming ocean water, are primarily driving the rise. As coastal communities develop adaptation strategies, they can also benefit from a better understanding of the land’s role, the team said. The findings are being used in updated guidance for the state. “In many parts of the world, like the reclaimed ground beneath San Francisco, the land is moving down faster than the sea itself is going up,” said lead author Marin Govorcin, a remote sensing scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The new study illustrates how vertical land motion can be unpredictable in scale and speed; it results from both human-caused factors such as groundwater pumping and wastewater injection, as well as from natural ones like tectonic activity. The researchers showed how direct satellite observations can improve estimates of vertical land motion and relative sea level rise. Current models, which are based on tide gauge measurements, cannot cover every location and all the dynamic land motion at work within a given region. Local Changes Researchers from JPL and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used satellite radar to track more than a thousand miles of California coast rising and sinking in new detail. They pinpointed hot spots — including cities, beaches, and aquifers — at greater exposure to rising seas now and in coming decades. To capture localized motion inch by inch from space, the team analyzed radar measurements made by ESA’s (the European Space Agency’s) Sentinel-1 satellites, as well as motion velocity data from ground-based receiving stations in the Global Navigation Satellite System. Researchers compared multiple observations of the same locations made between 2015 to 2023 using a processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). Scientists mapped land sinking (indicated in blue) in coastal California cities and in parts of the Central Valley due to factors like soil compaction, erosion, and groundwater withdrawal. They also tracked uplift hot spots (shown in red), including in Long Beach, a site of oil and gas production. NASA Earth Observatory Homing in on the San Francisco Bay Area — specifically, San Rafael, Corte Madera, Foster City, and Bay Farm Island — the team found the land subsiding at a steady rate of more than 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) per year due largely to sediment compaction. Accounting for this subsidence in the lowest-lying parts of these areas, local sea levels could rise more than 17 inches (45 centimeters) by 2050. That’s more than double the regional estimate of 7.4 inches (19 centimeters) based solely on tide gauge projections. Not all coastal locations in California are sinking. The researchers mapped uplift hot spots of several millimeters per year in the Santa Barbara groundwater basin, which has been steadily replenishing since 2018. They also observed uplift in Long Beach, where fluid extraction and injection occur with oil and gas production. The scientists further calculated how human-induced drivers of local land motion increase uncertainties in the sea level projections by up to 15 inches (40 centimeters) in parts of Los Angeles and San Diego counties. Reliable projections in these areas are challenging because the unpredictable nature of human activities, such as hydrocarbon production and groundwater extraction, necessitating ongoing monitoring of land motion. Fluctuating Aquifers, Slow-Moving Landslides In the middle of California, in the fast-sinking parts of the Central Valley (subsiding as much as 8 inches, or 20 centimeters, per year), land motion is influenced by groundwater withdrawal. Periods of drought and precipitation can alternately draw down or inflate underground aquifers. Such fluctuations were also observed over aquifers in Santa Clara in the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Ana in Orange County, and Chula Vista in San Diego County. Along rugged coastal terrain like the Big Sur mountains below San Francisco and Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles, the team pinpointed local zones of downward motion associated with slow-moving landslides. In Northern California they also found sinking trends at marshlands and lagoons around San Francisco and Monterey bays, and in Sonoma County’s Russian River estuary. Erosion in these areas likely played a key factor. Scientists, decision-makers, and the public can monitor these and other changes occurring via the JPL-led OPERA (Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis) project. The OPERA project details land surface elevational changes across North America, shedding light on dynamic processes including subsidence, tectonics, and landslides. The OPERA project will leverage additional state-of-the-art InSAR data from the upcoming NISAR (NASA-Indian Space Research Organization Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission, expected to launch within the coming months. News Media Contacts Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874 jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov Written by Sally Younger 2025-015 Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related TermsNISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)EarthEarth ScienceJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 2 min read Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project FjordPhyto is a collective effort where travelers on tour expedition vessels in Antarctica help scientists… Article 3 hours ago 5 min read Euclid Discovers Einstein Ring in Our Cosmic Backyard Article 4 hours ago 3 min read NASA Explores Earth Science with New Navigational System Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

This artist’s concept visualizes a super-Neptune world orbiting a low-mass star near the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Scientists recently discovered such a system that may break the current record for fastest exoplanet system, traveling at least 1.2 million miles per hour, or 540 kilometers per second.NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC) Astronomers may have discovered a scrawny star bolting through the middle of our galaxy with a planet in tow. If confirmed, the pair sets a new record for the fastest-moving exoplanet system, nearly double our solar system’s speed through the Milky Way. The planetary system is thought to move at least 1.2 million miles per hour, or 540 kilometers per second. “We think this is a so-called super-Neptune world orbiting a low-mass star at a distance that would lie between the orbits of Venus and Earth if it were in our solar system,” said Sean Terry, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Since the star is so feeble, that’s well outside its habitable zone. “If so, it will be the first planet ever found orbiting a hypervelocity star.” A paper describing the results, led by Terry, was published in The Astronomical Journal on February 10. A Star on the Move The pair of objects was first spotted indirectly in 2011 thanks to a chance alignment. A team of scientists combed through archived data from MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) – a collaborative project focused on a microlensing survey conducted using the University of Canterbury Mount John Observatory in New Zealand — in search of light signals that betray the presence of exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system. Microlensing occurs because the presence of mass warps the fabric of space-time. Any time an intervening object appears to drift near a background star, light from the star curves as it travels through the warped space-time around the nearer object. If the alignment is especially close, the warping around the object can act like a natural lens, amplifying the background star’s light. This artist’s concept visualizes stars near the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Each has a colorful trail indicating its speed –– the longer and redder the trail, the faster the star is moving. NASA scientists recently discovered a candidate for a particularly speedy star, visualized near the center of this image, with an orbiting planet. If confirmed, the pair sets a record for fastest known exoplanet system.NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC) In this case, microlensing signals revealed a pair of celestial bodies. Scientists determined their relative masses (one is about 2,300 times heavier than the other), but their exact masses depend on how far away they are from Earth. It’s sort of like how the magnification changes if you hold a magnifying glass over a page and move it up and down. “Determining the mass ratio is easy,” said David Bennett, a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA Goddard, who co-authored the new paper and led the original study in 2011. “It’s much more difficult to calculate their actual masses.” The 2011 discovery team suspected the microlensed objects were either a star about 20 percent as massive as our Sun and a planet roughly 29 times heavier than Earth, or a nearer “rogue” planet about four times Jupiter’s mass with a moon smaller than Earth. To figure out which explanation is more likely, astronomers searched through data from the Keck Observatory in Hawaii and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Gaia satellite. If the pair were a rogue planet and moon, they’d be effectively invisible – dark objects lost in the inky void of space. But scientists might be able to identify the star if the alternative explanation were correct (though the orbiting planet would be much too faint to see). They found a strong suspect located about 24,000 light-years away, putting it within the Milky Way’s galactic bulge — the central hub where stars are more densely packed. By comparing the star’s location in 2011 and 2021, the team calculated its high speed. This Hubble Space Telescope image shows a bow shock around a very young star called LL Ori. Named for the crescent-shaped wave made by a ship as it moves through water, a bow shock can be created in space when two streams of gas collide. Scientists think a similar feature may be present around a newfound star that could be traveling at least 1.2 million miles per hour, or 540 kilometers per second. Traveling at such a high velocity in the galactic bulge (the central part of the galaxy) where gas is denser could generate a bow shock. NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: C. R. O’Dell (Vanderbilt University) But that’s just its 2D motion; if it’s also moving toward or away from us, it must be moving even faster. Its true speed may even be high enough to exceed the galaxy’s escape velocity of just over 1.3 million miles per hour, or about 600 kilometers per second. If so, the planetary system is destined to traverse intergalactic space many millions of years in the future. “To be certain the newly identified star is part of the system that caused the 2011 signal, we’d like to look again in another year and see if it moves the right amount and in the right direction to confirm it came from the point where we detected the signal,” Bennett said. “If high-resolution observations show that the star just stays in the same position, then we can tell for sure that it is not part of the system that caused the signal,” said Aparna Bhattacharya, a research scientist at the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA Goddard who co-authored the new paper. “That would mean the rogue planet and exomoon model is favored.” NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will help us find out how common planets are around such speedy stars, and may offer clues to how these systems are accelerated. The mission will conduct a survey of the galactic bulge, pairing a large view of space with crisp resolution. “In this case we used MOA for its broad field of view and then followed up with Keck and Gaia for their sharper resolution, but thanks to Roman’s powerful view and planned survey strategy, we won’t need to rely on additional telescopes,” Terry said. “Roman will do it all.” Download additional images and video from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. By Ashley Balzer NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-1940 Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsExoplanetsAstrophysicsExoplanet DiscoveriesExoplanet ScienceGoddard Space Flight CenterNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeNeptune-Like ExoplanetsScience & ResearchStudying ExoplanetsThe Universe Explore More 4 min read Discovery Alert: With Six New Worlds, 5,500 Discovery Milestone Passed! On Aug. 24, 2023, more than three decades after the first confirmation of planets beyond… Article 7 months ago 3 min read Discovery Alert: Water Vapor Detected on a ‘Super Neptune’ The atmosphere of a “super Neptune” some 150 light-years distant contains water vapor, a new… Article 3 years ago 6 min read Why NASA’s Roman Mission Will Study Milky Way’s Flickering Lights Article 1 year ago View the full article

2 min read Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project Adventurous travellers aboard the Viking Octantis ship, sampling phytoplankton from Danco Island in the Errera Channel for the FjordPhyto project. Allison Cusick FjordPhyto is a collective effort where travelers on tour expedition vessels in Antarctica help scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Universidad Nacional de La Plata study phytoplankton. Now project leader Dr. Allison Cusick has a Ph.D.! . Dr. Cusick studies how melting glaciers influence phytoplankton in the coastal regions. She wrote her doctoral dissertation based on the data collected by FjordPhyto volunteers. “Travelers adventure to the wild maritime climate of Antarctica and help collect samples from one of the most data-limited regions of the world,” said Cusick. “While on vacation, they can volunteer to join a FjordPhyto science boat experience where they spend an hour collecting water measurements like salinity, temperature, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, as well as physical samples for molecular genetics work, microscopy identification, and carbon biomass estimates. It’s a full immersion into the ecosystem and the importance of polar research!” Cusick successfully defended her thesis on December 18, 2024, earning a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Hers is the second Ph.D. based on data from the FjordPhyto project. Martina Mascioni from FjordPhyto team earned her Ph.D. from the National University of La Plata (Argentina) in 2018. The project is a hit with travelers, too. “It’s incredibly inspiring to be part of a program like this that’s open to non-specialist involvement,” said one volunteer, a retired biology teacher aboard the Viking Octantis ship, who continued to say, “Thank you for letting us be a part of the science and explaining so clearly why it matters to the bigger picture.” If you would like to get involved, go to www.fjordphyto.org and reach out to the team! Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share Details Last Updated Feb 10, 2025 Related Terms Citizen Science Earth Science Oceans Explore More 5 min read NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm Article 4 days ago 3 min read NASA’s Cloud-based Confluence Software Helps Hydrologists Study Rivers on a Global Scale Article 6 days ago 15 min read Summary of the 53rd U.S.–Japan ASTER Science Team Meeting Article 3 weeks ago View the full article

The ring of light surrounding the center of the galaxy NGC 6505, captured by ESA’s Euclid telescope, is an example of an Einstein ring. NGC 6505 is acting as a gravitational lens, bending light from a galaxy far behind it. ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, G. Anselmi, T. Li; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, has made a surprising discovery in our cosmic backyard: a phenomenon called an Einstein ring. An Einstein ring is light from a distant galaxy bending to form a ring that appears aligned with a foreground object. The name honors Albert Einstein, whose general theory of relativity predicts that light will bend and brighten around objects in space. In this way, particularly massive objects like galaxies and galaxy clusters serve as cosmic magnifying glasses, bringing even more distant objects into view. Scientists call this gravitational lensing. Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri noticed a hint of an Einstein ring among images from the spacecraft’s early testing phase in September 2023. “Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, we could see a perfect Einstein ring,” Altieri said. “For me, with a lifelong interest in gravitational lensing, that was amazing.” The ring appears to encircle the center of a well-studied elliptical galaxy called NGC 6505, which is around 590 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. That may sound far, but on the scale of the entire universe, NGC 6505 is close by. Thanks to Euclid’s high-resolution instruments, this is the first time that the ring of light surrounding the galaxy has been detected. Light from a much more distant bright galaxy, some 4.42 billion light-years away, creates the ring in the image. Gravity distorted this light as it traveled toward us. This faraway galaxy hasn’t been observed before and doesn’t yet have a name. “An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing,” explained Conor O’Riordan, of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany, and lead author of the first scientific paper analyzing the ring. “All strong lenses are special, because they’re so rare, and they’re incredibly useful scientifically. This one is particularly special, because it’s so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.” Einstein rings are a rich laboratory for scientists to explore many mysteries of the universe. For example, an invisible form of matter called dark matter contributes to the bending of light into a ring, so this is an indirect way to study dark matter. Einstein rings are also relevant to the expansion of the universe because the space between us and these galaxies — both in the foreground and the background — is stretching. Scientists can also learn about the background galaxy itself. “I find it very intriguing that this ring was observed within a well-known galaxy, which was first discovered in 1884,” said Valeria Pettorino, ESA Euclid project scientist. “The galaxy has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring was never observed before. This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well. This discovery is very encouraging for the future of the Euclid mission and demonstrates its fantastic capabilities.” A close-up view of the center of the NGC 6505 galaxy, with the bright Einstein ring aligned with it, captured by ESA’s Euclid space telescope.ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre, G. Anselmi, T. Li; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence By exploring how the universe has expanded and formed over its cosmic history, Euclid will reveal more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark energy and dark matter. Dark energy is the mysterious force that appears to be causing the universe’s expansion. The space telescope will map more than a third of the sky, observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion light-years. It is expected to find around 100,000 strong gravitational lenses. “Euclid is going to revolutionize the field with all this data we’ve never had before,” added O’Riordan. Although finding this Einstein ring is an achievement, Euclid must look for a different, less visually obvious type of gravitational lensing called “weak lensing” to help fulfil its quest of understanding dark energy. In weak lensing, background galaxies appear only mildly stretched or displaced. To detect this effect, scientists will need to analyze billions of galaxies. Euclid launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, July 1, 2023, and began its detailed survey of the sky Feb. 14, 2024. The mission is gradually creating the most extensive 3D map of the universe yet. The Einstein ring find so early in its mission indicates Euclid is on course to uncover many more secrets of the universe. More About Euclid Euclid is a European mission, built and operated by ESA, with contributions from NASA. The Euclid Consortium — consisting of more than 2,000 scientists from 300 institutes in 15 European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan — is responsible for providing the scientific instruments and scientific data analysis. ESA selected Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor for the construction of the satellite and its service module, with Airbus Defence and Space chosen to develop the payload module, including the telescope. Euclid is a medium-class mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision Programme. Three NASA-supported science teams contribute to the Euclid mission. In addition to designing and fabricating the sensor-chip electronics for Euclid’s Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory led the procurement and delivery of the NISP detectors as well. Those detectors, along with the sensor chip electronics, were tested at NASA’s Detector Characterization Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI), at Caltech in Pasadena, California, will archive the science data and support U.S.-based science investigations. JPL is a division of Caltech. Media Contacts Elizabeth Landau Headquarters, Washington 202-358-0845 elandau@nasa.gov Calla Cofield Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-808-2469 calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov View the full article

5 min read February’s Night Sky Notes: How Can You Help Curb Light Pollution? Light pollution has long troubled astronomers, who generally shy away from deep sky observing under full Moon skies. The natural light from a bright Moon floods the sky and hides views of the Milky Way, dim galaxies and nebula, and shooting stars. In recent years, human-made light pollution has dramatically surpassed the interference of even a bright full Moon, and its effects are now noticeable to a great many people outside of the astronomical community. Harsh, bright white LED streetlights, while often more efficient and long-lasting, often create unexpected problems for communities replacing their old street lamps. Some notable concerns are increased glare and light trespass, less restful sleep, and disturbed nocturnal wildlife patterns. There is increasing awareness of just how much light is too much light at night. You don’t need to give in to despair over encroaching light pollution; you can join efforts to measure it, educate others, and even help stop or reduce the effects of light pollution in your community. Before and after pictures of replacement lighting at the 6th Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River. The second picture shows improvements in some aspects of light pollution, as light is not directed to the sides and upwards from the upgraded fixtures, reducing skyglow. However, it also shows the use of brighter, whiter LEDs, which is not generally ideal, along with increased light bounce back from the road. City of Los Angeles Amateur astronomers and potential citizen scientists around the globe are invited to participate in the Globe at Night (GaN) program to measure light pollution. Measurements are taken by volunteers on a few scheduled days every month and submitted to their database to help create a comprehensive map of light pollution and its change over time. GaN volunteers can take and submit measurements using multiple methods ranging from low-tech naked-eye observations to high-tech sensors and smartphone apps. Globe at Night citizen scientists can use the following methods to measure light pollution and submit their results: Their own smartphone camera and dedicated app Manually measure light pollution using their own eyes and detailed charts of the constellations A dedicated light pollution measurement device called a Sky Quality Meter (SQM). The free GaN web app from any internet-connected device (which can also be used to submit their measurements from an SQM or printed-out star charts) Night Sky Network members joined a telecon with Connie Walker of Globe at Night in 2014 and had a lively discussion about the program’s history and how they can participate. The audio of the telecon, transcript, and links to additional resources can be found on their dedicated resource page. Light pollution has been visible from space for a long time, but new LED lights are bright enough that they stand out from older street lights, even from orbit. The above photo was taken by astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti from the ISS cupola in 2015. The newly installed white LED lights in the center of the city of Milan are noticeably brighter than the lights in the surrounding neighborhoods. NASA/ESA DarkSky International has long been a champion in the fight against light pollution and a proponent of smart lighting design and policy. Their website (at darksky.org) provides many resources for amateur astronomers and other like-minded people to help communities understand the negative impacts of light pollution and how smart lighting policies can not only help bring the stars back to their night skies but make their streets safer by using smarter lighting with less glare. Communities and individuals find that their nighttime lighting choices can help save considerable sums of money when they decide to light their streets and homes “smarter, not brighter” with shielded, directional lighting, motion detectors, timers, and even choosing the proper “temperature” of new LED light replacements to avoid the harsh “pure white” glare that many new streetlamps possess. Their pages on community advocacy and on how to choose dark-sky-friendly lighting are extremely helpful and full of great information. There are even local chapters of the IDA in many communities made up of passionate advocates of dark skies. DarkSky International has notably helped usher in “Dark Sky Places“, areas around the world that are protected from light pollution. “Dark Sky Parks“, in particular, provide visitors with incredible views of the Milky Way and are perfect places to spot the wonders of a meteor shower. These parks also perform a very important function, showing the public the wonders of a truly dark sky to many people who may have never before even seen a handful of stars in the sky, let alone the full, glorious spread of the Milky Way. More research into the negative effects of light pollution on the health of humans and the environment is being conducted than ever before. Watching the nighttime light slowly increase in your neighborhood, combined with reading so much bad news, can indeed be disheartening! However, as awareness of light pollution and its negative effects increases, more people are becoming aware of the problem and want to be part of the solution. There is even an episode of PBS Kid’s SciGirls where the main characters help mitigate light pollution in their neighborhood! Astronomy clubs are uniquely situated to help spread awareness of good lighting practices in their local communities in order to help mitigate light pollution. Take inspiration from Tucson, Arizona, and other dark sky-friendly communities that have adopted good lighting practices. Tucson even reduced its skyglow by 7% after its own citywide lighting conversion, proof that communities can bring the stars back with smart lighting choices. Originally posted by Dave Prosper: November 2018 Last Updated by Kat Troche: January 2025 View the full article

NASA/Michael DeMocker The full moon rises over the Superdome and the city of New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday evening, January 13, 2025. New Orleans is home to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility where several pieces of hardware for the SLS (Space Launch system) are being built. For more than half a century, NASA Michoud has been “America’s Rocket Factory,” the nation’s premiere site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems. See more photos from NASA Michoud. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The G-IV aircraft flies overhead in the Mojave Desert near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Baseline flights like this one occurred in June 2024, and future flights in service of science research will benefit from the installment of the Soxnav navigational system, developed in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute in California’s Silicon Valley. This navigational system provides precise, economical aircraft guidance for a variety of aircraft types moving at high speeds.NASA/Carla Thomas NASA and its partners recently tested an aircraft guidance system that could help planes maintain a precise course even while flying at high speeds up to 500 mph. The instrument is Soxnav, the culmination of more than 30 years of development of aircraft navigation systems. NASA’s G-IV aircraft flew its first mission to test this navigational system from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in December 2024. The team was composed of engineers from NASA Armstrong, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, and the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI) in California’s Silicon Valley. “The objective was to demonstrate this new system can keep a high-speed aircraft within just a few feet of its target track, and to keep it there better than 90% of the time,” said John Sonntag, BAERI independent consultant co-developer of Soxnav. With 3D automated steering guidance, Soxnav provides pilots with a precision approach aid for landing in poor visibility. Previous generations of navigational systems laid the technical baseline for Soxnav’s modern, compact, and automated iteration. “The G-IV is currently equipped with a standard autopilot system,” said Joe Piotrowski Jr., operations engineer for the G-IV. “But Soxnav will be able to create the exact level flight required for Next Generation Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AirSAR-NG) mission success.” Jose “Manny” Rodriguez adjusts the Soxnav instrument onboard the G-IV aircraft in December 2024. As part of the team of experts, Rodriguez ensures that the electronic components of this instrument are installed efficiently. His expertise will help bring the innovative navigational guidance of the Soxnav system to the G-IV and the wider airborne science fleet at NASA. Precision guidance provided by the Soxnav enables research aircraft like the G-IV to collect more accurate, more reliable Earth science data to scientists on the ground.NASA/Steve Freeman Guided by Soxnav, the G-IV may be able to deliver better, more abundant, and less expensive scientific information. For instance, the navigation tool optimizes observations by AirSAR-NG, an instrument that uses three radars simultaneously to observe subtle changes in the Earth’s surface. Together with the Soxnav system, these three radars provide enhanced and more accurate data about Earth science. “With the data that can be collected from science flights equipped with the Soxnav instrument, NASA can provide the general public with better support for natural disasters, tracking of food and water supplies, as well as general Earth data about how the environment is changing,” Piotrowski said. Ultimately, this economical flight guidance system is intended to be used by a variety of aircraft types and support a variety of present and future airborne sensors. “The Soxnav system is important for all of NASA’s Airborne Science platforms,” said Fran Becker, project manager for the G-IV AirSAR-NG project at NASA Armstrong. “The intent is for the system to be utilized by any airborne science platform and satisfy each mission’s goals for data collection.” In conjunction with the other instruments outfitting the fleet of airborne science aircraft, Soxnav facilitates the generation of more abundant and higher quality scientific data about planet Earth. With extreme weather events becoming increasingly common, quality Earth science data can improve our understanding of our home planet to address the challenges we face today, and to prepare for future weather events. “Soxnav enables better data collection for people who can use that information to safeguard and improve the lives of future generations,” Sonntag said. Share Details Last Updated Feb 07, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsAirborne ScienceArmstrong Flight Research CenterB200Earth ScienceJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 5 min read NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm Key Points The largest solar storm in two decades hit Earth in May 2024. For… Article 24 hours ago 2 min read Wind Over Its Wing: NASA’s X-66 Model Tests Airflow Article 2 days ago 3 min read NASA’s Cloud-based Confluence Software Helps Hydrologists Study Rivers on a Global Scale Rivers and streams wrap around Earth in complex networks millions of miles long, driving trade,… Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Earth Science Aircraft Flown at Armstrong Armstrong Science Projects View the full article

Explore Hubble Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts e-Books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Posters Hubble on the NASA App Glossary More 35th Anniversary Online Activities Hubble captured this image of supernova SN 2022abvt (the pinkish-white dot at image center) about two months after it was discovered in 2022. ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. J. Foley (UC Santa Cruz) Download this image A supernova and its host galaxy are the subject of this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxy in question is LEDA 132905 in the constellation Sculptor. Even at more than 400 million light-years away, LEDA 132905’s spiral structure is faintly visible, as are patches of bright blue stars. The bright pinkish-white dot in the center of the image, between the bright center of the galaxy and its faint left edge, is a supernova named SN 2022abvt. Discovered in late 2022, Hubble observed SN 2022abvt about two months later. This image uses data from a study of Type Ia supernovae, which occur when the exposed core of a dead star ignites in a sudden, destructive burst of nuclear fusion. Researchers are interested in this type of supernova because they can use them to measure precise distances to other galaxies. The universe is a big place, and supernova explosions are fleeting. How is it possible to be in the right place at the right time to catch a supernova when it happens? Today, robotic telescopes that continuously scan the night sky discover most supernovae. The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, spotted SN 2022abvt. As the name suggests, ATLAS tracks down the faint, fast-moving signals from asteroids close to Earth. In addition to searching out asteroids, ATLAS also keeps tabs on objects that brighten or fade suddenly, like supernovae, variable stars, and galactic centers powered by hungry black holes. Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Explore More The Death Throes of Stars Homing in on Cosmic Explosions Media Contact: Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Share Details Last Updated Feb 07, 2025 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Hubble Space Telescope Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Spiral Galaxies Stars Supernovae The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge Reshaping Our Cosmic View: Hubble Science Highlights Hubble’s 35th Anniversary View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions 4 min read Sols 4445–4446: Cloudy Days are Here NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image showing its left-front wheel and the large rock it ran into (visible at lower left); another rock blocked its right-front wheel (the wheel is visible at the right edge), so the rover paused its drive to await instructions from the mission team on Earth. Curiosity captured the image using its Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) on sol 4444, or Martian day 4,444 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, on Feb. 5, 2025, at 08:38:01 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 Overnight before planning today, Mars reached a solar longitude of 40 degrees. The solar longitude is how we like to measure where we are in a Mars year. Each year starts at 0 degrees and advances to 360 degrees at the end of the year. For those of us on the Environmental Science (ENV) team, 40 degrees is a special time as it marks the beginning of our annual Aphelion Cloud Belt (ACB) observation campaign. During this time of year, the northern polar ice cap is emerging into the sunlight, causing it to sublimate away and release water vapor into the atmosphere. At the same time, the atmosphere is generally colder, since Mars is near aphelion (its furthest distance from the Sun). Together, these two factors mean that Mars’ atmosphere is a big fan of forming clouds during this part of the year. Gale is right near the southern edge of the ACB, so we’re starting to take more cloud movies to study how the ACB changes during the cloudy season. (Jezero Crater, home to Perseverance, is much closer to the heart of the ACB, so keep an eye on their Raw Images page over the next several months as well. The drive from Monday’s plan ended early, after just about 4 meters instead of the 38 meters that had been planned (about 13 feet vs. 125 feet). We initially thought this might have been because our left-front wheel ran into the side of a large rock (see the image above), but after we got our hands on the drive data, it turned out that the steering motor on the right front wheel indicated that a rock was in the way on that side too, so Curiosity stopped the drive to await further instruction from Earth. This is a well-understood issue, so we should be back on the road headed west today. The cold weather is still creating power challenges, so we had to carefully prioritize our activities today. Despite the drive fault, we received the good news that it was safe to unstow the arm, so we were able to pack in a full set of MAHLI, APXS, and DRT activities. Before that, though, we start as usual with some remote sensing activities, including ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam observations of “Beacon Hill” (some layered bedrock near the rover) and a ChemCam RMI mosaic of the upper portion of Texoli butte. After taking a 3½-hour nap to recharge our batteries, we get into the arm activities. These start off with some MAHLI images of the MAHLI and APXS calibration targets, then continue with MAHLI and APXS observations of “Zuma Canyon.” This is followed by DRT, APXS, and MAHLI activities of some bedrock in our workspace, “Bear Canyon.” Although we then take another short nap, we don’t yet stow the arm as we have a pair of lengthy post-sunset APXS integrations. The arm is finally stowed about an hour and a half before midnight. The second sol of this plan begins with some more remote sensing activities, starting with ChemCam LIBS on “Mission Point”. This is followed by a series of Mastcam images of “Crystal Lake” (polygonal fractures in the bedrock), “Stockton Flat” (fine lamination in the bedrock), “Mount Waterman,” and Mission Point. We then finish with some ENV activities, including a Mastcam tau and Navcam line-of-sight to measure dust in the atmosphere and a Navcam cloud movie. This plan ends with a (hopefully!) lengthy drive west and many hours asleep to recharge our batteries as much as possible before planning starts again on Friday. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that REMS, RAD, and DAN continue to diligently monitor the environment throughout this plan. Written by Conor Hayes, Graduate Student at York University Share Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2025 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4443-4444: Four Fours for February Article 19 hours ago 3 min read Persevering Through Science Article 3 days ago 3 min read Sols 4441-4442: Winter is Coming Article 3 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

Credit: NASA The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), an advisory committee that reports to NASA and Congress, issued its 2024 annual report Thursday examining the agency’s safety performance, accomplishments, and challenges during the past year. The report highlights 2024 activities and observations on NASA’s work, including: strategic vision and agency governance Moon to Mars management future of U.S. presence in low Earth orbit health and medical risks in human space exploration “Over the past year, NASA has continued to make meaningful progress toward meeting the intent of the broad-ranging recommendations the panel has made over the last several years,” said retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms, chair of ASAP. “We believe that the agency’s careful attention to vision, strategy, governance, and program management is vital to the safe execution of NASA’s complex and critical national mission.” This year’s report reflects the panel’s continued focus on NASA’s strategies for risk management and safety culture in an environment of growing space commercialization. Specifically, the panel cites its 2021 recommendations for NASA on preparing for future challenges in a changing landscape, including the need to evaluate NASA’s approach to safety and technical risk and to evolve its role, responsibilities, and relationships with private sector and international partners. Overall, the panel finds NASA is continuing to make progress with respect to the agency’s strategic vision, approach to governance, and integrated program management. The NASA 2040 new agencywide initiative is working to operationalize the agency’s vision and strategic objectives across headquarters and centers. With the establishment of NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office in 2023, it finds NASA has implemented safety and risk management as a key focus for NASA’s Artemis campaign. The 2024 report provides details on the concrete actions the agency should take to fulfill its previous recommendations and spotlights its recommendations for the agency moving ahead. It addresses safety assessments for Moon to Mars and current International Space Station operations, as well as risk-related issues surrounding NASA’s planned transition to commercial low Earth orbit destinations. It covers relevant areas of human health and medicine in space and the impact of budget constraints and uncertainty on safety. The annual report is based on the panel’s 2024 fact-finding and quarterly public meetings; direct observations of NASA operations and decision-making; discussions with NASA management, employees, and contractors; and the panel members’ experiences. Congress established the panel in 1968 to provide advice and make recommendations to the NASA administrator on safety matters after the 1967 Apollo 1 fire claimed the lives of three American astronauts. To learn more about the ASAP, and view annual reports, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/asap -end- Jennifer Dooren / Elizabeth Shaw Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 jennifer.m.dooren@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsAerospace Safety Advisory Panel View the full article

4 min read What You Need To Know About the March 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse The Moon will pass into Earth’s shadow and appear to turn red on the night of March 13 or early in the morning of March 14, depending on time zone. Here’s what you need to know about the total lunar eclipse. The March 2025 total lunar eclipse will take place between late night on March 13 and early morning on March 14 across several time zones. In this data visualization, the Moon moves from right to left, passing through Earth’s shadow and leaving in its wake an eclipse diagram with the times (in UTC) at various stages of the eclipse. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio What is a lunar eclipse? A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. In a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the Moon is within the umbra, it turns red-orange. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called “Blood Moons” because of this phenomenon. Alignment of the Moon, Earth, and Sun during a lunar eclipse (not to scale). NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio How can I observe the eclipse? You don’t need any special equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance the view. A dark environment away from bright lights makes for the best viewing conditions. This eclipse will be visible from Earth’s Western Hemisphere. Map showing where the March 13-14, 2025 lunar eclipse is visible. Contours mark the edge of the visibility region at eclipse contact times, labeled in UTC. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio What can I expect to observe? Milestone: What’s happening: Penumbral eclipse begins (8:57pm PDT, 11:57pm EDT, 03:57 UTC) The Moon enters the Earth’s penumbra, the outer part of the shadow. The Moon begins to dim, but the effect is quite subtle. Partial eclipse begins (10:09pm PDT, 1:09am EDT, 05:09 UTC) The Moon begins to enter Earth’s umbra and the partial eclipse begins. To the naked eye, as the Moon moves into the umbra, it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk. The part of the Moon inside the umbra will appear very dark. Totality begins (11:26pm PDT, 2:26am EDT, 06:26 UTC) The entire Moon is now in the Earth’s umbra. The Moon will turn a coppery-red. Try binoculars or a telescope for a better view. If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds. Totality ends (12:31am PDT, 3:31am EDT, 07:31 UTC) As the Moon exits Earth’s umbra, the red color fades. It will look as if a bite is being taken out of the opposite side of the lunar disk as before. Partial eclipse ends (1:47am PDT, 4:47am EDT, 08:47 UTC) The whole Moon is in Earth’s penumbra, but again, the dimming is subtle. Penumbral eclipse ends (3:00am PDT, 6:00am EDT, 10:00 UTC) The eclipse is over. Data visualization showing a telescopic view of the Moon as the March 2025 total lunar eclipse unfolds. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Why does the Moon turn red during a lunar eclipse? The same phenomenon that makes our sky blue and our sunsets red causes the Moon to turn reddish-orange during a lunar eclipse. Sunlight appears white, but it actually contains a rainbow of components—and different colors of light have different physical properties. Blue light scatters relatively easily as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere. Reddish light, on the other hand, travels more directly through the air. When the Sun is high on a clear day, we see blue light scattered throughout the sky overhead. At sunrise and sunset, when the Sun is near the horizon, incoming sunlight travels a longer, low-angle path through Earth’s atmosphere to observers on the ground. The bluer part of the sunlight scatters away in the distance (where it’s still daytime), and only the yellow-to-red part of the spectrum reaches our eyes. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears red or orange because any sunlight that’s not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface. It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is reddened by sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio What else can I observe on the night of the eclipse? Look to the western sky on the night of the eclipse for a glimpse of planets Jupiter and Mars. The Moon will be in the constellation Leo, under the lion’s hind paw, at the beginning of the eclipse; soon afterward, it will cross into the constellation Virgo. As Earth’s shadow dims the Moon’s glow, constellations may be easier to spot than usual. Visit our What’s Up guide for monthly skywatching tips, and find lunar observing recommendations for each day of the year in our Daily Moon Guide. Read more: The Moon and Eclipses Writers: Caela Barry, Ernie Wright, and Molly Wasser Share Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2025 Related Terms Earth’s Moon Skywatching The Solar System Explore More 5 min read NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm Article 4 hours ago 5 min read Planetary Alignments and Planet Parades Article 2 days ago 4 min read What’s Up: February 2025 Skywatching Tips from NASA Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA The Moon and Eclipses There are two types of eclipses: lunar and solar. During a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow obscures the Moon. In a… Solar Wind on the Moon As you read this, the Sun is blasting charged particles (electrons, protons, and other ions) out into the solar system.… Earth’s Moon The Moon makes Earth more livable, sets the rhythm of ocean tides, and keeps a record of our solar system’s… Skywatching View the full article

NASA/Suni Williams Blue tentacle-like arms attached to an Astrobee free-flying robot grab onto a “capture cube” in this image from Feb. 4, 2025. The experimental grippers demonstrated autonomous detection and capture techniques that may be used to remove space debris and service satellites in low Earth orbit. The Astrobee system was designed and built at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley for use inside the International Space Station. The system consists of three cube-shaped robots (named Bumble, Honey, and Queen), software, and a docking station used for recharging. The robots use electric fans as a propulsion system that allows them to fly freely through the microgravity environment of the station. Cameras and sensors help them to “see” and navigate their surroundings. The robots also carry a perching arm that allows them to grasp station handrails to conserve energy or to grab and hold items. Image credit: NASA/Suni Williams View the full article

5 min read NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm Key Points The May 2024 solar storm created two new temporary belts of high-energy particles surrounding Earth. Such belts have been seen before, but the new ones were particularly long lasting, especially the new proton belt. The findings are particularly important for spacecraft launching into geostationary orbits, which can be damaged as they traverse the dangerous belts. The largest solar storm in two decades hit Earth in May 2024. For several days, wave after wave of high-energy charged particles from the Sun rocked the planet. Brilliant auroras engulfed the skies, and some GPS communications were temporarily disrupted. With the help of a serendipitously resurrected small NASA satellite, scientists have discovered that this storm also created two new temporary belts of energetic particles encircling Earth. The findings are important to understanding how future solar storms could impact our technology. The new belts formed between two others that permanently surround Earth called the Van Allen Belts. Shaped like concentric rings high above Earth’s equator, these permanent belts are composed of a mix of high-energy electrons and protons that are trapped in place by Earth’s magnetic field. The energetic particles in these belts can damage spacecraft and imperil astronauts who pass through them, so understanding their dynamics is key to safe spaceflight. The May 2024 solar storm created two extra radiation belts, sandwiched between the two permanent Van Allen Belts. One of the new belts, shown in purple, included a population of protons, giving it a unique composition that hadn’t been seen before. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Kristen Perrin The discovery of the new belts, made possible by NASA’s Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment (CIRBE) satellite and published Feb. 6, 2025, in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, is particularly important for protecting spacecraft launching into geostationary orbits, since they travel through the Van Allen Belts several times before reaching their final orbit. New Belts Amaze Scientists Temporary belts have been detected in the aftermath of large solar storms before. But while previous belts have been composed mostly of electrons, the innermost of the two new belts also included energetic protons. This unique composition is likely due to the strength and composition of the solar storm. “When we compared the data from before and after the storm, I said, ‘Wow, this is something really new,’” said the paper’s lead author Xinlin Li, a professor at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. “This is really stunning.” The new belts also seem to have lasted much longer than previous belts. Whereas previous temporary belts lasted around four weeks, the new belt composed primary of electrons lasted more than three months. The other belt, that also includes protons, has lasted much longer than the electron belt because it is in a more stable region and is less prone to the physical processes that can knock the particles out of orbit. It is likely still there today. “These are really high-energy electrons and protons that have found their way into Earth’s inner magnetic environment,” said David Sibeck, former mission scientist for NASA’s Van Allen Probes and research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who was not involved with the new study. “Some might stay in this place for a very long time.” How long such belts stick around depends on passing solar storms. Large storms can provide the energy to knock particles in these belts out of their orbits and send them spiraling off into space or down to Earth. One such storm at the end of June significantly decreased the size of the new electron belt and another in August nearly erased the remainder of that electron belt, though a small population of high-energy electrons endured. CubeSat Fortuitously Comes Back to Life to Make the Discovery The new discovery was made by NASA’s CIRBE satellite, a CubeSat about the size of a shoebox that circled the planet’s magnetic poles in a low Earth orbit from April 2023 to October 2024. CIRBE housed an instrument called the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope integrated little experiment-2 (REPTile-2) — a miniaturized and upgraded version of an instrument that flew aboard NASA’s Van Allen Probes, which made the first discovery of a temporary electron belt in 2013. The CIRBE CubeSat in the laboratory before launch. CIRBE was designed and built by LASP at the University of Colorado Boulder. Xinlin Li/LASP/CU Boulder After a year in space, the CubeSat experienced an anomaly and unexpectedly went quiet on April 15, 2024. The scientists were disappointed to miss the solar storm in May but were able to rely on other spacecraft to provide some preliminary data on the electron belt. Luckily, on June 15, the spacecraft sprang back to life and resumed taking measurements. The data provided high-resolution information that couldn’t be gleaned by any other instrument and allowed the scientists to understand the magnitude of the new belts. “Once we resumed measurements, we were able to see the new electron belt, which wasn’t visible in the data from other spacecraft,” Li said. Having the CubeSat in orbit to measure the effect of the solar storm has been bittersweet, Li said. While it provided the opportunity to measure the effects of such a large event, the storm also increased atmospheric drag on the CubeSat, which caused its orbit to decrease prematurely. As a result, the CubeSat deorbited in October 2024. However, the spacecraft’s data makes it all worth it. “We are very proud that our very small CubeSat made such a discovery,” Li said. CIRBE was designed and built by LASP at the University of Colorado Boulder and was launched through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI). The mission is sponsored by NASA’s Heliophysics Flight Opportunities for Research & Technology (H-FORT) program. By Mara Johnson-Groh NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2025 Related Terms Heliophysics CubeSats Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Division Ionosphere Space Weather The Sun Van Allen Probes Explore More 5 min read Straight Shot: Hubble Investigates Galaxy with Nine Rings Article 2 days ago 2 min read Hubble Spots a Supernova Article 6 days ago 2 min read Hubble Studies the Tarantula Nebula’s Outskirts Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Ames Research Center 650-604-5116 Arc-legal-office@nasa.gov Armstrong Flight Research Center 661-276-3162 alex.m.ray@nasa.gov Glenn Research Center 216-433-3422 grc-ethics@mail.nasa.gov Goddard Space Flight Center 301-286-9181 gsfc-legal@mail.nasa.gov Headquarters 202-358-0550 hq-ethicsteam@nasa.gov Johnson Space Center 281-483-6727 JSCLegal@nasa.gov Kennedy Space Center 321-867-0272 ksc-ethics-advisor@mail.nasa.gov Langley Research Center 757-864-3221 LaRC-DL-Ethics@mail.nasa.gov Marshall Space Flight Center 256-544-0024 msfc-ethics@mail.nasa.gov NASA Management Office at Jet Propulsion Laboratory 818-354-2562 hema.j.sresty@nasa.gov Stennis Space Center I NASA Shared Services Center 228-688-2164 SSC.Legal.Office@mail.nasa.gov Return to OGC Homepage OGC Disclaimer: The materials within this website do not constitute legal advice. For details read our disclaimer. View the full article

NASA’s Ethics Program provides training and counsel to NASA employees and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the agency-wide ethics program. Headquarters and Center Chief Counsels ethics officials support the ethics program in their respective localities. A list of ethics officials at each NASA location can be found here: Headquarters and Center Ethics Officials. Associate General Counsel, General Law Practice Group: Katie Spear Agency Counsel for Ethics: Adam Greenstone Current Employees NASA employees have a responsibility to the United States Government and its citizens to place loyalty to the Constitution, laws, and ethics principles above private gain. As NASA employees, we need you to preserve NASA’s core value of integrity through your commitment to ethics and ethical decision-making. If you are faced with a question concerning your ethics obligations as a NASA employee, please contact a NASA ethics official before taking action. Contact Information What are your obligations? Know the rules. If you have questions, please ask an ethics official at your respective center. Headquarter and Center Ethics Officials Financial Disclosure As a NASA employee, you may be required to disclose your financial interests for one of two reasons: 1) You are in a position requiring by law that you file a Public Financial Disclosure (OGE Form 278)(PDF) report. This includes members of the Senior Executive Service (SES); SL or ST employees; holding another position classified above the GS-15 level; holding a “NASA excepted” position above a certain pay level; and Schedule C appointees. 2) Your duties are such that they raise an increased likelihood of a conflict of interest, for which you would file an (OGE Form 450)(PDF) report. If you are in a position subject to Public Financial Disclosure (or acting in one for more than 60 days), then you are subject to the Public Financial Disclosure report in which your report will be publicly available. If you are a General Schedule or other employee required to file OGE Form 450, your financial disclosure requirements will be less complex, and report will be confidential. For specific questions, please contact an ethics official. Widely Attended Gatherings Determinations Please click here to access the latest Widely Attended Gatherings Determinations. If you do not see a determination for the event in which you were invited to attend in your official capacity, please request guidance from your local ethics official. Widely Attended Gatherings (WAGs) Determinations Outside Activities NASA employees are subject to regulations regarding outside employment. They are prohibited from engaging in outside activities that conflict with their official duties. In addition, the NASA Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for NASA Employees, 5 C.F.R. Part 6901, require prior approval for engaging in certain types of outside employment. In these instances, employees should request approval from their local ethics official prior to accepting such outside employment. Note that the NASA Supplemental rules also prohibit NASA employees from engaging in outside employment with a NASA contractor, subcontractor, or grantee in connection with work performed by that entity for NASA; or a party to a Space Act Agreement, Commercial Launch Act agreement, or other agreement to which NASA is a party pursuant to specific statutory authority, if the employment is in connection with work performed under that agreement. Employees in a leave status are subject to the same legal parameters. Please reach out to your local ethics official for guidance. Resources 14 General Principles, Office of Government Ethics Criminal Conflicts of Interest, Summary for Executive Brand Employees Introduction to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, Summary for Executive Branch Employees Standards of Ethics Conduct for Executive Branch Employees Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Hatch Act, Office of Special Counsel Prospective Employees We look forward to welcoming you to NASA! You are joining an organization that works to change the history of humanity and usher in a bold new era or discovery. We are depending on you to maintain the public trust and to preserve NASA’s ethical culture. Accordingly, NASA employees must comply with ethical standards that relate to outside employment, political activities, and business relationships, among other topics. NASA encourages prospective employees to learn more about these ethical standards along the path of joining our team. If ethics questions arise before or after you join NASA, please contact a NASA ethics official before taking action. What are your obligations? Know the rules. If you have questions, please ask an ethics official at your respective location. Headquarter and Center Ethics Officials Financial Disclosure As a NASA employee, you may be required to disclose your financial interests for one of two reasons: 1) You are in a position requiring by law that you file a Public Financial Disclosure (OGE Form 278)(PDF) report. This includes members of the Senior Executive Service (SES); SL or ST employees; holding another position classified above the GS-15 level; holding a “NASA excepted” position above a certain pay level; and Schedule C appointees. 2) Your duties are such that they raise an increased likelihood of a conflict of interest, for which you would file an (OGE Form 450)(PDF) report. If you are in a position subject to Public Financial Disclosure (or acting in one for more than 60 days), then you are subject to the Public Financial Disclosure report in which your report will be publicly available. If you are a General Schedule or other employee required to file OGE Form 450, your financial disclosure requirements will be less complex, and your report will be confidential. For specific questions, please contact an ethics official. Resources 14 General Principles, Office of Government Ethics Criminal Conflicts of Interest, Summary for Executive Brand Employees Introduction to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, Summary for Executive Branch Employees Standards of Ethics Conduct for Executive Branch Employees Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Hatch Act, Office of Special Counsel Former Employees The post-government employment ethics statute, 18 U.S.C. § 207, applies to a former NASA employee’s communication with NASA or the Government on behalf of the former employee’s non-federal employer. Former NASA employees should contact a NASA ethics official for advice before communications or otherwise interacting with NASA or the Government on behalf of their new employer because this criminal statute may be implicated. The Procurement Integrity Act also restricts individuals who were in certain contracting roles from accepting compensated work from certain contractors for a limited period. Contact Information If you have questions, please ask an ethics official at your respective center. Headquarters and Center Ethics Officials Special Government Employees A Special Government Employee (SGE) is an officer or employee “who is retained, designated, appointed, or employed to perform, with or without compensation, for not to exceed one hundred and thirty days during any consecutive period of three hundred and sixty-five consecutive days.” 18 U.S.C. § 202. Congress created the SGE category in 1962 to allow the federal Government to obtain the expertise it needs, while allowing experts to continue their private professional lives. As a result, some of the ethics statutes and regulations apply differently to SGEs than they do to regular executive branch employees, and some provisions do not apply at all. Financial Disclosure SGEs are required to file a financial disclosure report each year, usually a confidential financial disclosure report (OGE-450). Financial disclosure reporting helps NASA identify any possible financial conflicts of interest. SGEs are notified in advance of when to file. Sample Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, Office of Government Ethics Confidential Financial Disclosure Guide, Office of Government Ethics Video on how to Complete a New Entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report Video on how to Complete an Annual Financial Disclosure Report Ethics Training SGEs are required to receive annual ethics training by December 31st of each calendar year. Contact Information If you are a SGE and have questions, please contact the Headquarters Ethics Team by e-mail at hq-ethicsteam@nasa.gov or by phone at (202) 358-0550. Resources 14 General Principles, Office of Government Ethics Criminal Conflicts of Interest, Summary for Executive Brand Employees Introduction to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, Summary for Executive Branch Employees Standards of Ethics Conduct for Executive Branch Employees Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Office of the General Counsel NASA Headquarters 300 E Street SW Suite 9V30 Washington, DC 20546 Phone Number (202) 358-2450 Return to OGC Homepage OGC Disclaimer: The materials within this website do not constitute legal advice. For details read our disclaimer. View the full article