President Obama and the First Lady will host a historic first "Star Party" on the White House lawn Wednesday evening (Oct. 7)as a part of the World Space Week with celebrations in over 50 nations. The United Nations-declared World Space Week, October 4-10, is the largest annual space event on Earth. The UN also declared International Year of Astronomy 2009 [video].The White House event for middle-school students will "highlight the President's commitment to science, engineering and math education as the foundation of this nation's global technological and economic leadership, and to express his support for astronomy in particular – for its capacity to promote a greater awareness of our place in the universe, expand human knowledge, and inspire the next generation by showing them the beauty and mysteries of the night sky," according to a White House statement.
"The event will include 20 telescopes on the White House lawn focused on Jupiter, the Moon and select stars; interactive dome presentations; and hands-on activities including scale models of the Solar System," the White House said. More from Sky and Tel.
No comments:
Post a Comment