Category Archives: Uncategorized

An Interview with Dr. Rakesh Mogul of NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection

The Office of Planetary Protection’s primary role is to minimize the biological contamination of the solar system that may result from human based exploration – robotic exploration and basic human exploration. Continue reading

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Selecting the Next Landing Site on Mars

An astronomy education activity for learning the features of Mars Continue reading

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Extremophiles: Earth Analogs for Alien Life

Astrobiologists have yet to find conclusive proof of life outside Earth, although tantalizing clues of the possibility of life do exist. Just this week, researchers announced the discovery of phosphine gas in the clouds of Venus. Phosphine is found in … Continue reading

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3D Printing Mars Terrains Using MOLA Data

Version 2 As a teacher or Mars enthusiast, have you ever wanted to 3D print custom Mars terrains? For example, as the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover prepares to land in Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, would you like to … Continue reading

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An Interview with Dr. Chris McKay

Astrobiologist with NASA Ames Research Center Dr. Christopher P. McKay holds a PhD in AstroGeophysics from the University of Colorado, Boulder and his research interests focus on the evolution of our solar system and the origin of life. He studies … Continue reading

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Searching for Life Beyond

New Haven School, where I teach science, is a residential treatment center for girls who have experienced trauma and other challenges. During the summers, since we can’t send our students home until they have completed their treatment program, we hold … Continue reading

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Fifty Years Ago

It was a Sunday afternoon in July and I was nine years old. In my hometown of Deseret, Utah we attended our normal church meetings, going to Sunday School in the morning. Everyone was more excited and restless than usual. … Continue reading

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Launching the Washington Monument

Day Five of the Teacher Innovator Institute; Friday, July 19, 2019 Our day today was a bit lighter than the previous days because our evening would be busy. The big celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon … Continue reading

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Dropping the Moon

Teacher Innovator Institute Day 4: Thursday, July 18, 2019 On Thursday, July 18, 2019 we were in two locations on the National Mall for our Teacher Innovator Institute. We started in the Museum of Natural History and ended in the … Continue reading

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At the Udvar-Hazy Center

Teacher Innovator Institute Day 3: Wed., July 17, 2019 On our third full day of the Teacher Innovator Institute we were at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center again near Dulles International Airport. We spent the … Continue reading

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