THE SUN-EARTH CONNECTION

An Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Newsletter

for the Sun-Earth Connection Science Community - and beyond!

January 23, 2008 Volume IX, Issue 1

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See End for Sponsor Information, How to Contribute (please

do!), Contact Us, Unsubscribe, or Find Back Issues

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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=> 1. LIVE from Barrow, Alaska: Polar Sunrise (Jan 24)

=> 2. Creating a Coherent “Heliophysics Story”:
Focus on TECHNOLOGY THROUGH TIME web feature

(And an invitation to contribute to our podcasts.)

=> 3. Solar Week, March 17-21, 2008. Web-Based Education & Fun

This spring’s revolving theme: Solar Energy

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1. LIVE FROM BARROW, AK: POLAR SUNRISE (JAN 24)

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Our team is headed to the Artic Circle for sunrise. NASA’s

Digital Learning Network (DLN), is making it possible for us

to webcast some of what is being learned and observed during

the scientific conference, “Polar Gateways,” – such as changes

in the Earth’s polar regions and the impact on other connected

Earth systems, our daily lives, and the future of our planet. You

will hear about aurora research, as well as the cultural

connections with the residents of Barrow--the majority of whom

are Inupiat Eskimos--and the traditional marine mammal hunts

and other subsistence practices that are an active part of

their culture. Use the following URL for information to connect

to the webcast.

http://dln.nasa.gov

The main conference web broadcast will be accessible through

links from the conference homepage at www.polargateways2008.org.

These presentations are targeted at multi-disciplinary scientists

but some talks, e.g. with lots of graphical content, may be of

interest to students.

-- Elaine Lewis, lewis@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov

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2. CREATING A COHERENT “HELIOPHYSICS STORY”: TECHNOLOGY THROUGH TIME

(AND AN INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR PODCASTS)

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Heliophysics is a huge subject--far larger than the education

content any one mission can possibly create--yet in order to

create a coherent context for the many different parts of the

“Heliophysics Story,” teachers and students need to see how

it all fits together. By the way, you can think of the

Heliophysics Story as the grand picture of how the Sun

interacts with itself, with the planets, and even with

interstellar space beyond.

Technology Through Time (http://sunearthday.nasa.gov) was

created by Troy Cline and Sten Odenwald in 2004 to provide a

growing body of background information for the Heliophysics

Story. We have covered such intriguing themes as: ancient

astronomers and their observatories, and the development of

the various technologies quantifying how the Sun works and how

it physically affects other planets.

Last year, we explored the various phenomena that play a role

in SPACE WEATHER. This year, we are highlighting what we call

the MYSTERIES OF THE HELIOSPHERE and the many intriguing

questions which remain active and controversial areas of research

even today. Recently, readers learned about the puzzle of the

missing solar neutrinos, and how it was finally solved in 2003.

They also learned that we seem to be no nearer to understanding

why the solar corona is so hot than we were a few decades ago.

In the coming weeks and months, TTT will post mysteries culled

from investigations into magnetospheric physics, the solar wind,

and other unusual corners of the solar system where research

is still moving the frontier of knowledge forward.

With new communications technologies such as podcasting, we have

begun to supplement the TTT essays with short 5-minute audio

programs that provide prospective visitors (over 1000 listeners

each month) with some background information to the current TTT

offering. If any of you have a good voice, (please…no Alvin the

Chipmunk wanabees!) and an interesting story to tell, please talk

to Troy or I about slotting you into future programs!!

-- Sten Odenwald, odenwald@astronomycafe.net

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3. SOLAR WEEK, MARCH 17-21, WEB-BASED EDUCATION & FUN

THIS SPRING’S REVOLVING THEME: SOLAR ENERGY

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www.solarweek.org

Every fall and spring since 2000, Solar Week provides a weeklong

series of Web-based educational classroom activities and games

geared for elementary, middle and high school students with a

focus on the Sun-Earth connection. Students learn about solar

eclipses, sunspots, and solar storms through a series of

activities, games, and question-and-answer sessions online with

leading scientists. Revolving themes corresponding with Sun-Earth

Day focus on special areas of interest. This year’s theme will

be Solar Energy, and our interactive message board will be graced

with visiting scientists and experts.

The interactive website is especially designed to spark the

interest of pre- and early-teen girls in science and also to

facilitate interaction for students of both genders with leading

scientists at the forefront of Sun-Earth research.

Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the

stars, astronomy in general. It's also for kids wondering what

it's like being a scientist, and possible career choices.

Participation makes for a fun computer lab activity as well.

-- Karin Hauck, karin@ssl.berkeley.edu

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Newsletter Sponsor Info: Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum

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How to Contact Us

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The Sun-Earth CONNECTION Education and Public Outreach

newsletter is issued approximately every 6-8 weeks. Back issues

can be found at

http://sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu/SECNews/

The Newsletter is sponsored by the Sun-Earth Connection

Education Forum (Goddard Space Flight Center and UC Berkeley;

Isabel Hawkins and Jim Thieman, Co-Directors) Sun-Earth

Connection Education Forum Web Site:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov and

http://sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu

Please direct all submissions to the newsletter to:

Karin Hauck (Editor) - E-mail: editor@sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu

Phone: (510) 642-2343 Fax: (510) 643-5660

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