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By NASA
4 Min Read Celebrating 20 Years: Night Sky Network
2023 Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing at Camino Real Marketplace with the View the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit. Credits:
Photo by Chuck McPartlin by Vivan White & Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
NASA’s Night Sky Network is one of the most successful and longstanding grassroots initiatives for public engagement in astronomy education. Started in 2004 with the PlanetQuest program out of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and currently supported by NASA’s Science Activation, the Night Sky Network (NSN) plays a critical role in fostering science literacy through astronomy. By connecting NASA science and missions to support amateur astronomy clubs, NSN leverages the expertise and enthusiasm of club members, who bring this knowledge to schools, museums, observatories, and other organizations, bridging the gap between NASA science and the public. Now in its 20th year, NSN supports over 400 astronomy clubs dedicated to bringing the wonder of the night sky to their communities across the US, connecting with 7.4 million people across the United States and its territories since its inception.
International Observe the Moon Night, September 2024 Credit: Oklahoma City Astronomy Club Humble Beginnings
It all started with an idea – astronomy clubs already do great outreach, and club members know a lot of astronomy (shown definitively by founder Marni Berendsen’s research), and they love to talk with the public – how could NASA support these astronomy clubs in sharing current research and ideas using informal activities designed for use in the places that amateur astronomers do outreach. Thanks to funding through NASA JPL’s PlanetQuest public engagement program, the Night Sky Network was born in 2004, with more than 100 clubs joining the first year.
Raynham Public Observing Night, February 2004 Credit: Astronomical Society of Southern New England/Mark Gibson As quoted from the first NSN news article, “NASA is very excited to be working closely with the amateur astronomy community,” said Michael Greene, current Director for Communications and Education and former head of public engagement for JPL’s Navigator Program and PlanetQuest initiatives, “Amateurs want more people to look at the sky and understand astronomy, and so do we. Connecting what we do with our missions to the sense of wonder that comes when you look up at the stars and the planets is one of our long-term objectives. We have a strong commitment to inspiring the next generation of explorers. Lending support to the energy that the amateur astronomy community brings to students and the public will allow NASA to reach many more people.”
Taking off like a rocket, Night Sky Network had over 100 clubs registered on their website within the first year.
The Toolkits
Outreach Toolkits were developed to assist clubs with their endeavors. These kits included educational materials, hands-on activities, and guides to explaining topics in an accessible way. So far, 13 toolkits have been created with topics ranging from the scale of the universe to how telescopes work. To qualify for these free Toolkits, clubs must be active in their communities, hosting two outreach events every three months or five outreach events within a calendar year. Supplemental toolkits were also created based on special events, such as the solar eclipses and the 50th anniversary of Apollo’s Moon landing. A new toolkit is in development to teach audiences about solar science, and NSN is on track to support clubs well into the future.
Rye Science Day, October 2014 Credit: Southern Colorado Astronomical Society/Malissa Pacheco NSN also hosts archived video trainings on these toolkits and other topics via its YouTube channel and a monthly webinar series with scientists from various institutions worldwide. Lastly, a monthly segment called Night Sky Notes is produced for clubs to share with their audiences via newsletters and mailing lists.
Sharing the Universe
In 2007, a National Science Foundation grant provided funding for further research into astronomy club needs. From that came three resources for clubs – the Growing Your Astronomy Club and Getting Started with Outreach video series, as well as an updated website with a national calendar and club and event coordination. Now you can find hundreds of events each month across the country, including virtual events that you can join from anywhere.
Night Sky Network: Current and Future
Map of Night Sky Network clubs within the United States, as of November 2024 Credit: Night Sky Network/Google Maps View the full article
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By NASA
4 min read
December’s Night Sky Notes: Spot the King of Planets
by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Jupiter is our solar system’s undisputed king of the planets! Jupiter is bright and easy to spot from our vantage point on Earth, helped by its massive size and banded, reflective cloud tops. Jupiter even possesses moons the size of planets: Ganymede, its largest, is bigger than the planet Mercury. What’s more, you can easily observe Jupiter and its moons with a modest instrument, just like Galileo did over 400 years ago.
This image taken on Feb. 7 by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, reveals swirling cloud formations in the northern area of Jupiter’s north temperate belt. Citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill processed the image using data from the JunoCam imager. NASA, JPL-Caltech, SwRI, MSSS | Image processing by Kevin M. Gill, © CC BY Jupiter’s position as our solar system’s largest planet is truly earned; you could fit 11 Earths along Jupiter’s diameter, and in case you were looking to fill up Jupiter with some Earth-size marbles, you would need over 1300 Earths to fill it up – and that would still not be quite enough! However, despite its formidable size, Jupiter’s true rule over the outer solar system comes from its enormous mass. If you took all of the planets in our solar system and put them together, they would still only be half as massive as Jupiter all by itself. Jupiter’s mighty mass has shaped the orbits of countless comets and asteroids. Its gravity can fling these tiny objects towards our inner solar system and also draw them into itself, as famously observed in 1994 when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, drawn towards Jupiter in previous orbits, smashed into the gas giant’s atmosphere. Its multiple fragments slammed into Jupiter’s cloud tops with such violence that the fireballs and dark impact spots were not only seen by NASA’s orbiting Galileo probe but also by observers back on Earth!
Look for Jupiter near the Eye of the Bull, Aldebaran, in the Taurus constellation on the evening of December 15, 2024. Binoculars may help you spot Jupiter’s moons as small bright star-like objects on either side of the planet. A small telescope will show them easily, along with Jupiter’s famed cloud bands. How many can you count? Credit: Stellarium Web Jupiter is easy to observe at night with our unaided eyes, as well-documented by the ancient astronomers who carefully recorded its slow movements from night to night. It can be one of the brightest objects in our nighttime skies, bested only by the Moon, Venus, and occasionally Mars, when the red planet is at opposition. That’s impressive for a planet that, at its closest to Earth, is still over 365 million miles (587 million km) away. It’s even more impressive that the giant world remains very bright to Earthbound observers at its furthest distance: 600 million miles (968 million km)! While the King of Planets has a coterie of 95 known moons, only the four large moons that Galileo originally observed in 1610 – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Calisto – can be easily observed by Earth-based observers with very modest equipment. These are called, appropriately enough, the Galilean moons. Most telescopes will show the moons as faint star-like objects neatly lined up close to bright Jupiter. Most binoculars will show at least one or two moons orbiting the planet. Small telescopes will show all four of the Galilean moons if they are all visible, but sometimes they can pass behind or in front of Jupiter or even each other. Telescopes will also show details like Jupiter’s cloud bands and, if powerful enough, large storms like its famous Great Red Spot, and the shadows of the Galilean moons passing between the Sun and Jupiter. Sketching the positions of Jupiter’s moons during the course of an evening – and night to night – can be a rewarding project! You can download an activity guide from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific at bit.ly/drawjupitermoons
Now in its eighth year, NASA’s Juno mission is one of just nine spacecraft to have visited this impressive world. Juno entered Jupiter’s orbit in 2016 to begin its initial mission to study this giant world’s mysterious interior. The years have proven Juno’s mission a success, with data from the probe revolutionizing our understanding of this gassy world’s guts. Juno’s mission has since been extended to include the study of its large moons, and since 2021 the plucky probe, increasingly battered by Jupiter’s powerful radiation belts, has made close flybys of the icy moons Ganymede and Europa, along with volcanic Io. What else will we potentially learn in 2030 with the Europa Clipper mission?
Find the latest discoveries from Juno and NASA’s missions to Jupiter at science.nasa.gov/jupiter/
Originally posted by Dave Prosper: February 2023
Last Updated by Kat Troche: November 2024
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By NASA
On Nov. 6, 2024, NASA Night brought cosmic excitement to the Toyota Center, where Johnson Space Center employees joined 16,208 fans who interacted with NASA as they watched the Houston Rockets claim victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Energy soared as International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel stepped up to take the first shot.
International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel takes the first shot on Nov. 6, 2024, as the Houston Rockets go up against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas The ceremonial first shot also gave back to the community, with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta donating $1,000 to the Clutch City Foundation to support underserved youth through education, sports, and disaster relief.
Throughout the game, Johnson employees kept the crowd engaged with NASA trivia, creating a “launch countdown” energy that had fans cheering. The arena lit up as Adam Savage narrated a video showcasing the International Space Station’s groundbreaking contributions to science. From unlocking discoveries impossible on Earth to testing critical technologies for our return to the Moon, the orbiting laboratory plays a vital role in advancing medical and social breakthroughs that enhance life on our planet.
The Artemis II crew also appeared on the jumbotron, reminding everyone of NASA’s mission to establish a long-term presence on the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to inspire a new generation of explorers.
Dana Weigel, center, shows off a Rockets jersey on the court with Rockets mascot Clutch, left, and NASA mascot Cosmo.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas In the Sky Court area of the stadium concourse, Johnson volunteers held “mission control” with an interactive exhibit that drew fans in like a gravitational pull. From exploring a Space Launch System model and handling a spacesuit helmet and glove to touching a 3.4-billion-year-old Moon rock collected during Apollo 17, NASA’s booth offered attendees a glimpse into space exploration.
Visitors had the chance to ask questions and bring home mission pins, stickers, and hands-on activities, provided by the International Space Station Program and the Artemis campaign. Seventy-five “Lucky Row” fans also received bags filled with NASA outreach materials, courtesy of the Johnson Public Engagement team.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center volunteers connect with fans at the game through an interactive exhibit.NASA The Orion Flight Simulator, with its realistic switches and displays, provided an immersive experience that allowed fans to dock the Orion spacecraft to humanity’s first lunar space station, Gateway.
More than 600 fans eagerly lined up to experience NASA’s mobile exhibit trailer in the Toyota Center parking lot—drawing lines as long as those at the box office.
Fans engage with the Orion Flight Simulator at NASA’s booth. NASA/Helen Arase Vargas Fans also tested their skills with a crew assembly activity focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, simulating the challenges astronauts face in orbit. NASA’s inflatable mascot, Cosmo, joined the action on the court, posing for photos and adding galactic fun to events like the T-shirt giveaway.
The Houston Rockets mascot Clutch and NASA mascot Cosmo team up on the court at Toyota Center in Houston.NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA’s presence brought together the excitement of sports with the wonder of space exploration, inspiring fans to keep shooting for the stars.
View more images from the event below.
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By NASA
ESA/Hubble & NASA, O. Fox, L. Jenkins, S. Van Dyk, A. Filippenko, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team, D. de Martin (ESA/Hubble), M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble) This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features NGC 1672, a barred spiral galaxy located 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Dorado. This galaxy is a multi-talented light show, showing off an impressive array of different celestial lights. Like any spiral galaxy, shining stars fill its disk, giving the galaxy a beautiful glow. Along its two large arms, bubbles of hydrogen gas shine in a striking red light fueled by radiation from infant stars shrouded within. Near the galaxy’s center are some particularly spectacular stars embedded within a ring of hot gas. These newly formed and extremely hot stars emit powerful X-rays. Closer in, at the galaxy’s very center, sits an even brighter source of X-rays, an active galactic nucleus. This X-ray powerhouse makes NGC 1672 a Seyfert galaxy. It forms as a result of heated matter swirling in the accretion disk around NGC 1672’s supermassive black hole.
See more images of NGC 1672.
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, O. Fox, L. Jenkins, S. Van Dyk, A. Filippenko, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team, D. de Martin (ESA/Hubble), M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble)
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