New and Noteworthy

Hurricane Resources

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Hurricane season is almost here. The library has several books and videos about the effects of hurricanes on the Gulf Coast and about how to prepare:

Hurricane Ike: A Photographic Account presented by the Houston Chronicle

Ike's Wake: Southeast Texas Endures Hurricane's Devastation by the staff of Beaumont Enterprise

Overcoming Ike: Standing by You--Commemorative 6 Month Anniversary DVD by KHOU-TV

Hurricane Rita: Reflections of a Generation Witnessing Disaster edited by Vertna Bradley

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson

Hurricane Preparedness: Before, During, & After by ShowMeHow Videos

Newly Digitized - Five Neil Armstrong Transcripts

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Five newly digitized Neil Armstrong transcripts from the HQ Historical Reference Collection are available on the NASA Oral History Collections webpage. These transcripts are of interviews and a press conference dated 1966 to 1979.

NASA ScienceCasts

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

NASA ScienceCasts are short, timely videos on fun and unusual topics from NASA's science missions. Watch them, then post your comments online.

MyMoon Webcast with Sarah Noble

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Join the conversation with Dr. Sarah Noble, a program scientist at NASA Headquarters who is also an artist. Sarah studies lunar soil to unravel the mysteries of space weathering, and her passion for the wonders of the solar system has bled over into her artistic life—her paintings convey the joy and wonder of space exploration and the stark beauty of these alien worlds, particularly her favorite—the Moon.

The MyMoon webcast will be held on Tuesday, June 11, at 8 pm EDT.

Scientia Conference Video Online

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Video footage of the Scientia Conference on Space Exploration and Human Imagination held April 11-12 at Rice University, containing all presentations, is now available online. The conference examined how our growing understanding of the universe is changing our perceptions of humanity, what the societal and cultural implications are of the expansion of human presence in space, and how the culture of space exploration is changing.

NOAA Education Resources

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Find out about oceans, the atmosphere, climate, tropical storms and hurricanes, and more at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) Education Resources website. Along with educational material, educational opportunities for teachers and students are listed.

Open-Access Scientific Journal: Elementa

Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene is an open-access, nonprofit journal, founded by BioOne and five collaborating academic institutions: Dartmouth, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington.

Elementa publishes original research reporting on new knowledge of the Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems; interactions between human and natural systems; and steps that can be taken to mitigate and adapt to global change. The journal is organized into six knowledge domains--atmospheric science, earth and environmental science, ecology, ocean science, sustainable engineering, and sustainability transitions. Elementa is now accepting submissions.

Send Your Name and Haiku to Mars

Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Submit your name and a message, in the form of a haiku poem, to be sent into Mars orbit on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. The top three most popular haikus, decided by a public vote, will be sent to Mars onboard the MAVEN spacecraft and will be prominently displayed on the MAVEN website. The deadline is July 1. MAVEN is scheduled to launch this November.

Submit your name and message and see the contest rules online.

Skylab Anniversary

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

On Monday, May 13, NASA will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the launch of Skylab, America’s first space station, with a televised roundtable discussion featuring Skylab astronauts, a current astronaut, and agency managers planning future space missions. The discussion, open to NASA employees and the public, will begin at 2:30 p.m. EDT in the James Webb Auditorium of NASA Headquarters at 300 E St. SW in Washington. The event will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Participants will include:

Owen Garriott, science pilot, Skylab 3

Gerald Carr, commander, Skylab 4

Kevin Ford, commander, International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 34

D. Marshall Porterfield, director, Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Division, NASA Headquarters

Jason Crusan, director, Advanced Exploration Systems, NASA Headquarters

See it live on NASA TV.

Holiday Closure

Fri, 10 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Lunar and Planetary Institute will be closed Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday, May 28.

LPI Earth and Space Science Newsletter

Wed, 08 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The latest issue of the LPI Earth and Space Science Newsletter is now available online. This newsletter includes a calendar of upcoming events, list of workshops and courses, ways to get involved, information about grants and funding, a list of educator resources, and mission news and science. Sign up to receive the newsletter as a monthly email.

Cosmic Explorations Lecture: Black Holes

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Lunar and Planetary Institutes invites all inquisitive adults to attend Black Holes Inside and Out, a presentation by Dr. Andrew Hamilton on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 7:30pm. Dr. Hamilton is a professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

This presentation is the last of this season's Cosmic Explorations Speakers Series called “A User’s Guide to the Universe: You Live Here. Here’s What You Need to Know.”

USGS Topo Data on the Go

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

From the United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Map Topographic Data are now available on mobile devices that use the Android or iOS operating system. See the USGS announcement online to find out how to access this information on your mobile device.

AIAA Annual Technical Symposium

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA) Houston chapter is holding their Annual Technical Symposium on Friday, May 17 at the Gilruth Center, NASA/Johnson Space Center. This all-day conference will cover a variety of topics including space exploration, space commercialization, astrodynamics, robotics, human space policy, and space history.

The cost to attend the conference is $15. Registration is open to all--AIAA membership and JSC badging is not required--and walk-ins are welcome. Find out more at the 2013 Annual Technical Symposium webpage.

Humans 2 Mars Summit Webcast

Mon, 06 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The second annual Humans 2 Mars Summit is going on May 6-8 at George Washington University. Watch the webcast live at the conference's home on LiveStream.

Be an Asteroid Mapper

Fri, 03 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Asteroid Mappers launched with the goal of helping scientists develop a statistical foundation for understanding the age of planetary surfaces. Check out the Vesta Edition. Vesta is a unique body because of its size and history--the craters and surfaces aren’t very well behaved, so new challenges already exist. Asteroid Mappers will push the boundaries of existing citizen science to find out just how good the public can get at higher level mapping tasks.

Count craters, discover boulder fields, mark unique features. Finish analyzing an image and send your work off to contribute to NASA's Dawn mission science. Register, take the online tutorial, and start mapping!

Space Day 2013

Thu, 02 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Since its launch in 1997, the Space Day educational initiative, which takes place on the first Friday of each May, has evolved into a massive grassroots effort dedicated to the extraordinary achievements, benefits and opportunities in the exploration and use of space. The ultimate goal is to promote math, science, technology and engineering education by nurturing young peoples' enthusiasm for the wonders of the universe and inspiring them to continue the stellar work of today's space explorers.

Celebrate Space Day and check out the events, games and resources online at the Space Day website.

Space Telescope Science Institute Lectures

Wed, 01 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Space Telescope Science Institute presents live and on-demand webcasts related to science, technology, and business to the scientific community and the public at-large. Previous lectures from 2005 through 2013 are available online and cover a variety of cosmic topics.

Online Science Exhibits

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, England, has been creating virtual versions of their exhibitions since 1995. These online exhibits include Atmospheres, Anvilled Stars, Moonscope, Titan: A New World Explored, and Cosmographia.

Lab Out Loud

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Lab Out Loud is a podcast and blog that discusses science news and science education with leading scientists, researchers, science writers and other important figures in the field. The podcast, hosted by science teachers Dale Basler and Brian Bartel, covers a variety of topics in science and science education--the latest episode is Episode 95, Helping Students Imagine Mars.

Support for Lab Out Loud is provided by the National Science Teachers Association.

Fly Along with Voyager

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The public can fly along with NASA's Voyager spacecraft as the twin probes head towards interstellar space, the space between stars. NASA's Eyes on the Solar System program, a Web-based, video-game-like tool to journey with NASA's spacecraft through the solar system, has added a Voyager module that takes viewers along for a ride with Voyager 1 as it explores the outer limits of the heliosphere. Time has been sped up to show one day per second. Rolls and other maneuvers are incorporated into the program, based on actual spacecraft navigation data. The charged particle data are also shown.

MyMoon Webcast with Brian Day

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Join the conversation with Brian Day and learn more about the next NASA mission to the Moon, LADEE. New discoveries find the Moon a far more exciting place than we previously thought. This August, NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) — part of the new generation of robotic lunar explorers) — will launch from Wallops Flight Facility, and orbit the Moon! This mission will be the FIRST launch of the new Minotaur V rocket and will provide us with a greater understanding of the structure of the very thin lunar atmosphere and dust within it. LADEE will also provide opportunities for you to get involved through citizen science and observations during the mission. Come with questions and be prepared to learn how YOU can get involved!

The MyMoon webcast will be held on Tuesday, May 21, at 8 pm EDT.

The Franklin Institute's Case Files

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Franklin Institute presents “The Case Files” online, highlighting individuals from the history of science and technology. Each thematic group of case files begins with commentary from a distinguished historian of the discipline. All contain scans of related newspaper clippings, personal letters, book excerpts, and more, and some have podcasts. Topics include computing, transportation, cosmic inquiry, energy and communications.

The Engines of Our Ingenuity Turns 25

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Engines of Our Ingenuity turns 25 this year. Engines is a radio program that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativity. Written and hosted by John Lienhard and other contributors, it is heard nationally on Public Radio and produced by KUHF-FM Houston. Among other features, this website houses the transcripts for every episode heard since the show's inception in 1988. There are also lots of extras, such as audio files, episodes in Spanish, and related talks and papers.

HubbleSource

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

HubbleSource is a growing collection of resources for educators, developers, interpreters, producers, and other professionals in museums, planetaria, nature centers, observatory and park visitor centers, and other free-choice learning venues. Its products and resources include exhibits and shows, source material, events and services. HubbleSource is part of the public outreach effort at the Space Telescope Science Institute.