Astronomy
Astronomy -
Astronomy is the study of the Universe and everything in it, including planets, stars, galaxies, comets, and black holes.
You can visit the American Museum of Natural History Their website contains a lot of information for kids about space among many other great topics!
Artemis 1 -
Artemis I is the first integrated test of NASA's Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis 1 is an unmanned flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate the commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.
NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Safely Lands on Red Planet! - Thursday, February 18, 2021 “The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission embodies our nation’s spirit of persevering even in the most challenging of situations, inspiring, and advancing science and exploration. The mission itself personifies the human ideal of persevering toward the future and will help us prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.” To read more about this mission, visit's Nasa's website!
Celestial Events of 2021
January 3rd - Quadrantid Meteor Shower.
January 9th - Conjunction of Mercury and Saturn.
January 11th - Conjunction of Venus and the Moon. Venus will appear next to the moon on Jan. 11 as it travels behind the sun.
(A conjunction is a fancy term to describe an apparent meeting or passing of two or more celestial bodies.)
Two lunar eclipses are also expected in 2021, one in spring and another in the fall. And, the Perseids meteor shower will once again brighten the sky in August.
The Great Conjunction 2020!
There are so many exciting astronomical events happening! Jupiter and Saturn will pass very close to each other.
"What makes this year’s spectacle so rare, then? It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will for 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this “great conjunction.”
The closest alignment will appear just a tenth of a degree apart and last for a few days. On the 21st, they will appear so close that a pinkie finger at arm’s length will easily cover both planets in the sky. The planets will be easy to see with the unaided eye by looking toward the southwest just after sunset."
To learn more about this please visit's Nasa's website!
International Space Station -
The International Space Station is turning 20. It's celebrating 20 consecutive years in space! To learn more about the ISS, visit Nasa's website.
HISTORIC SPACEX LAUNCH - Bob & Doug
SpaceX is an American company and is sending two astronauts Bob & Doug to the International Space Station. They will be launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Watch this historic moment by streaming the video live from Nasa's website!
"They are loading the Falcon 9 rocket’s propellants – liquid oxygen and a refined, rocket-grade kerosene called RP-1 – into the rocket’s first and second stages."
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA headquarters is located in Washington DC. There are also ground facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Huntsville, Alabama; Houston, Texas; Moffett Field, California; and Cleveland, Ohio. We are fortunate to live close to Huntsville, Alabama and Cape Canaveral, Florida you can visit these sites in person or go online!
NASA has complied a fun list of STEM at-home projects that you can do to learn about science and space! Visit their Website to learn more!
You have probably heard about the Hubble Space telescope. The Hubble telescope has given scientists wonderful pictures of the solar system that would not be possible with a telescope on earth. Now it's predecessor the James Webb space telescope is the most powerful telescope to be launched into space and promises to dramatically change the way we see the universe! To learn more about this engineering feat visit NASA's website - James Webb Space Telescope.
Stargazing -
Do you ever go outside at night and look up at the sky and want to know the names of the stars? Try out this cool website, Kid's Guide to Stargazing.
See what the sky is like where you live by visiting TimeandDate.com.
Lyrid Meteor Shower -
The Lyrid meteor shower, April showers, are bits from broken asteroids and particles from comets. Each year, around April 16 to 25, on its path around the Sun, Earth passes through these debris trails. When the debris hits the atmosphere, it disintegrates creating streaks of light an color through our sky. The Lyrids are known for fast, bright meteors. There can be as many as 100 meteors per hour, more common is 10-20 per hour. The radiant for this shower is near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra.
Perseids and Geminids Meteor Shower -
The Perseid Meteor shower occurs in August and radiates from a point in the constellation Perseus. "Radiating from near the bright stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini the Twins, the Geminid meteor shower is one of the finest meteors showers in the Northern Hemisphere." Geminid meteor shower can be viewed around the middle of December.
Constellations -
To learn about the constellations visit StarDate Online.
Moon Phases -
Learn About the Different Phases of the Moon! Watch the video below to learn about the phases of the moon.
You can do a fun phases of the moon experiment with chocolate cream filled cookies at home! Once you cut them to represent the phases of the moon you get to eat them--maybe not all in one sitting!!
Watch the video below to see a fun experiment that you can do at home to learn about the phases of the moon.
Do you want to test your knowledge of space against your peers? You can test your knowledge about space during the Science Olympiad Starry, Starry Night Challenge!