Monthly Archives: July 2020

"Black Lives in Astronomy," a new 8-page resource guide by astronomer/educator Andrew Fraknoi, includes written and video resources about and by 25 black astronomers, as well as general materials to examine the history and issues facing black members of the astronomical community. Both older, established scientists and people early in their careers are covered. It is aimed at the Astro 101 and amateur astronomer level, and thus does not include any technical materials. It is designed to give instructors and students examples of authentic black voices that can be shown in class or used in assignments. You can find it free of [...]

Image credit: The Planetary Society I often have people come up to me after presentations to ask how they can be more involved. It is a great question, and there are so many great answers. First of all there are membership organizations. These are usually annual memberships with an associated fee, and options such as a regular magazine (that you can choose a digital or print magazine mailed to you). There are so many out there, that I could use this entire post just to list all the options! For the sake of space considerations, I will mention three (all of [...]

Join the NASA GLOBE 2020 Community Cloud Challenge! Whether your library programs have gone virtual, curbside, or you’re able to host in-person events, you can invite your patrons to discover clouds from a new perspective. We all share the same sky with a wide variety of clouds in it. This is unique opportunity to learn about clouds together. Choose how to participate Take observations: Observe clouds or sky conditions using the Clouds tool in the GLOBE Observer app. These observations can help scientists see change over time and help with interpretation of satellite cloud data. Download the app, register with an email [...]

Link Bank for Take Your Patrons to Mars Webinar – 7 July 2020 Presenters: Brooks Mitchell and Claire Ratcliffe (STAR Net), Christine Shupla, Sha’Rell Webb, and Dr. Candice Bedford (Lunar and Planetary Institute) Contact: Brooks Mitchell (bmitchell@spacescience.org) or Christine Shupla (shupla@lpi.usra.edu) for questions. Description: NASA is about to launch the Mars 2020 mission – and now is the time to get your patrons excited! The Perseverance rover will launch between July 17-August 11, 2020, and will land on Mars in February 2021. Invite your patrons to participate in its journey! Hear from NASA Mars scientists, learn some activities you can conduct online [...]