African-American History Month - The Tough Little Boy Who Became an Astronaut

When NASA astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair was a little boy, he yearned for knowledge, and at only nine years old walked a mile to his local library to check out some books. The library in his hometown, however, was not open to people of color, and the librarian called the police to send him away. Little Ron was not to be dissuaded, however, and he stayed until the police and his mother arrived.

The rest, as they say, is history...

Super Cool Science Experiment

Many of you are working on science fair projects for your science class. Sometimes it is hard to come up with an original idea. Two Canadian students came up with a great topic for a science fair project in space, so they asked the Canadian Space Agency to test it on the International Space Station!

How to Use a Washcloth in Space

Asteroid 2012 DA 14's Near Miss

Look out...here come's an asteroid!

Today's animated Google Doodle is dedicated to the asteroid DA 14 which will pass closer to the Earth than any other known asteroid in history.

It is passing so close to the Earth, in fact, that it will be closer than the Moon or the geosynchronous satellites which orbit the Earth for communication and weather forecasting purposes.

Although we will not be able to see the asteroid in the United States, it will be visible with binoculars in the United Kingdom and east of the UK.

No, Virginia, the world is not going to end on 12/21/12

Never fear, the world is not going to end on 12/21/12.

This is actually the date of the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. Because it is predictable, the people of the earth have created stories about the solstice to help them understand this phenomena. Because scientists in the modern era are able to explain the solstice, the shortest day of the year, it is no longer a mystery.

The "End of the World 2021" scare is a just myth, perpetrated by an internet hoax that blends cosmology, the study of the universe and its formation, and cultural stories. Even NASA has issued a statement debunking this claim.

Winter Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere

So, if you want to see something really cool, just check the clock when the sun rises, and again when the sun sets on Friday, December 12, 2012, to see how long the day was. The sun is setting at its most southern degree of latitude below the equator on this date. Then do the same on December 22nd. You will find that the day is longer on the 22nd as the sun begins setting at a more northern degree of latitude until it is at its most northern degree of latitude on the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year.

Summer Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere

Isn't science cool?!

NASA Announces Asteroid Naming Contest for Students

Here's Your Chance to Name a Real Asteroid!

OSIRIS-REx mission

Ever want to name a real celestial body? What's a "celestial body" you ask? A celestial object is any object in the observable universe, ie. the sky, and is also known as an astronomical object.


The upcoming NASA OSIRIS-REx mission will bring back samples of the near-Earth asteroid 1999 RQ36 that will hopefully help us learn about the origins of life on Earth!

Check out NASA's contest to name the 1999 RQ36 asteroid and...
good luck!

NASA's Name That Asteroid!