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Sciences and Exploration Directorate, Code 600

WELCOME TO THE SCIENCES & EXPLORATION DIRECTORATE

Science @ Goddard

 A Galaxy Running Out of Gas

hubble space telescope image of galaxy ngc 2976
NGC 2976 does not look like a typical spiral galaxy. In this Hubble Space Telescope view of the oddball galaxy's inner region, there are no obvious spiral arms. Dusty filaments running through the disk show no clear spiral structure. The blue dots in the image are fledgling blue giant stars residing in the remaining active star-birth regions.

Science@Goddard

  • What will the global climate be like in 50 years?
  • Will the universe ever stop expanding?
  • How common are Earth-like worlds?
  • What causes changes in the Sun's brightness?
These are among the important questions about our universe that scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are trying to answer.
 

Podcasts, Blogs, and Images

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Astronomy Picture of the Day
Each day a different image of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
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Blueshift Podcast
Your "backstage pass" to the science, missions and people here at Goddard.
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Sun-Earth Day podcast
We have recently seen an increase in activity on the surface of the Sun. Join us with Joe Gurman, a NASA Solar Physicist, as he explains what is happening in these active regions.
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Visible Earth
A catalog of NASA images and animations of our home planet.
Earth Observatory Image of the Day
Each day, a new image of our Earth, with explanatory text.
Video Collection
Videos about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter tell about the next mission to the Moon

Games & Models

LRO artist's conception
Lunar Reconnaissance for Kids
Games, puzzles, quizzes and "moon cookies" can all be found on this kid's website about the Moon.
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Glory Mission - for Kids
A collection of interactive sites for kids, plus games, coloring pages, activities, and more!
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JWST Scope it Out!
The Webb Telescope may be unusual in appearance - but it has a lot in common with simple tube-shaped telescopes. Play the "Scope It Out!" game to find out more!
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Cosmic Distance Scale
Why don't humans travel to the nearest star or galaxy? Find out by using this interactive site that explains the immense distnaces to objects in our universe.
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StarGazers games list
Space Science, Earth Science, Spacecraft and other fun games!

Latest Science News

visible light image of Cape Verde Islands captured by NASA Aqua satellite
Cape Verde Islands and Hurricane Relevance
NASA's Aqua satellite flies over the Cape Verde islands, a region known for hurricane activity, and recently captured a stunning visual image of them.
map of energetic neutral atom emissions at the edge of the solar system
Solar Scientists Propose 'Magnetic Mirror Effect'
The magnetic field surrounding our solar system acts like a mirror for the particles that NASA's International Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft sees.
image of apollo 14 landing site on the moon with location of lunar lander and astronaut footprints marked
3D Measurements of Apollo 14 Landing Site
Scientists used multiple images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera to make 3D measurements of the Apollo 14 landing site.
Image of Pluto surface
Hubble Images Document Seasonal Changes on Pluto
New images of the dwarf planet show an icy, dark, molasses-colored world undergoing seasonal changes in its surface color and brightness.

New Education Resources

Glory and Global Warming Experiment allows students to measure the effect of excess carbon dioxide on the temperature of gas inside of soda bottles and see what the effects of aerosols are on the heating of the gas..
Solar Dynamics Observatory Educator Resources are available for this mission due to be launched in November 2009.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter education site contains teacher resources, a newsletter, trivia, activites and games and an active newsroom. Find out about the latest lunar mission from Goddard. Grades K-14
The Mars Global Surveyor website is designed to bring Mars and the Mars Global Surveyor down to Earth (no pun intended) for both kids and teachers.
Cosmic Times is a series of curriculum support materials that trace the history of our understanding of the universe during the past 100 years, from Einstein's formulation of gravity to the discovery of dark energy.

Featured Education Resources

Imagine the Universe! is a website containing high-energy astrophysics science information, news, features, online activities and lesson plans. Grades 8-college
StarChild is a website containing general astronomy for young astronomers (at two reading levels), including info, multimedia, quizzes, lesson plans. Grades K-8
AQUA Cool Science is a highly interactive site describing the AQUA mission
LANDSAT Education contains formal and informal education resources ranging from college course material and internships, to "Earth as art".
GISS Institute on Climate and Planets's education site contains lessons and modules that are driven by fundamental questions and topics scientists deal with in climate and environmental research. By design, they are problem-based investigations for middle to high school in which students learn to use various research tools to construct scientific understandings.
Ozone Hole Education Resources provide links to many formal and informal education sites dealing with the ozone hole and ozone depletion.
Ask Dr. SOHO will respond to questions about the Sun. Grades K-adult
STEREO's classroom products site contains downloadable teacher presentations, posters, booklets, fact sheets and lithos. Grades K-12
Space Weather Action Center will allow you to monitor the progress of an entire solar storm from the time it erupts from our sun until it sweeps past our small planet effecting enormous changes in our magnetic field. Your class can access, analyze and record NASA satellite and observatory data!

Informal Education Resources

The Sunday Experiment Join us and learn about all the cool science and engineering going on right now at Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center! Take part in hands on activities, meet scientists, engineers, and super cool people like us! You can even load up on free stuff, and more.
Family Science Night is a program is for middle school students and their families. Come to the Goddard Visitor Center once a month to discover the wide variety of science and engineering being performed here at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. As a family you will work with NASA volunteers to explore various themes through two hours of hands-on activities and even get to take home a bag full of goodies to then perform your own experiments at home!
Solar Pizza and other make-and-take activities about the sun
Afterschool Universe is an out-of-school-time astronomy program targeted at middle school students. It explores astronomy concepts through engaging hands-on activities and takes participants on a journey through the Universe beyond the solar system.
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