STS-54 DSO 802, Educational activities "Physics of Toys", equipment

S93-25648 (Jan 1993) --- Part of the educational activities onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour for STS-54 will include several experiments with various toys, some of which are depicted here. The detailed supplementary objective (DSO-802) will allow the Shuttle crewmembers to experiment with the various types of toys in a microgravity environment while talking to pupils who will be able to monitor (via classroom TV sets) the activities at a number of schools.

Education instructors explain and demonstrate STS-54 DSO 802 toys at JSC

S93-25649 (6 Jan 1993) --- Carolyn Sumners, Ed.D., project director for Toys in Space, demonstrates some of the toys to be carried aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour for the STS-54 mission later this month. Gregory Vogt, Ed.D., NASA education specialist, is seen showing another of the toys to news media representatives here for the pre-flight press briefing. The detailed supplementary objective (DSO-802) will allow the Shuttle crewmembers to experiment with the various types of toys in a microgravity environment while talking to pupils who will be able to monitor (via classroom TV sets) the activities at a number of schools.

$When two black holes collide, they release massive amounts of energy in the form of gravitational waves that last a fraction of a second and can be "heard" throughout the universe - if you have the right instruments. Today we learned that the #LIGO project heard the telltale chirp of black holes colliding, fulfilling Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. NASA's LISA mission will look for direct evidence of gravitational waves. <a href="http://go.nasa.gov/23ZbqoE" rel="nofollow">go.nasa.gov/23ZbqoE</a> This video illustrates what that collision might look like.$

Black Holes Collide

When two black holes collide, they release massive amounts of energy in the form of gravitational waves that last a fraction of a second and can be "heard" throughout the universe - if you have the right instruments. Today we learned that the #LIGO project heard the telltale chirp of black holes colliding, fulfilling Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. NASA's LISA mission will look for direct evidence of gravitational waves. <a href="http://go.nasa.gov/23ZbqoE" rel="nofollow">go.nasa.gov/23ZbqoE</a> This video illustrates what that collision might look like.

STS-54 Pilot McMonagle with DSO 802 & Physics of Toys top on OV-105's middeck

STS054-S-020 (15 Jan 1993) --- McMonagle watches as a top spins above his head on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting Endeavour. The demonstration was part of a lengthy "physics of toys" program conducted by all five crewmembers on their third day aboard the Shuttle. Through telephone and TV downlinks, students in four schools around the country participated in a special lesson to discover how specific toys function differently in the classroom compared to those on the Shuttle. Students at Westwood Elementary School in Flint, Michigan -- McMonagle's hometown -- asked him questions about the several toys he demonstrated. The top demonstrates gyroscopic motion, the center of mass and angular momentum. The entire collection of toys will be videotaped for an educational program to be distributed to schools in the autumn. The scene was downlinked at 18:01:59:11 GMT, Jan. 15, 1993.

STS-54 Commander Casper with DSO 802 & Physics of Toys on OV-105's middeck

STS054-S-023 (15 Jan 1993) --- Casper holds up a paper boomerang before sailing it across Endeavour's middeck. The demonstration was part of a lengthy "physics of toys" program conducted by all five crewmembers on their third day aboard the Shuttle. Through telephone and TV downlinks, students in four schools around the country participated in a special lesson to discover how specific toys function differently in the classroom compared to those on the Shuttle. The boomerang was used to demonstrate Bernouli's principle and gyroscopic stability. The entire collection of toys will be videotaped for an educational program to be distributed to schools in the autumn. The scene was downlinked at 18:11:04:26 GMT, Jan. 15, 1993.

STS-54 MS3 Helms uses DSO 802 & Physics of Toys frog toy on OV-105's middeck

STS054-S-021 (15 Jan 1993) --- Helms with a frog swimmer toy on the middeck demonstrates some of the physics of toys to students watching on television. Four schools were chosen to ask questions of the astronauts during the lengthy program. Helms fielded questions from students at Shaver Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. The swimmer frog was used to demonstrate Newton's third law of motion and the conservation of angular momentum. The entire collection of toys will be videotaped for an educational program to be distributed to schools in the fall of this year. The scene was recorded at 17:51:38:12 GMT, Jan. 15, 1993.

STS-54 MS3 Helms uses DSO 802 & Physics of Toys fish toy on OV-105's middeck

STS054-S-019 (15 Jan 1993) --- Helms with a fish toy on the middeck demonstrates some of the physics of toys to students watching on television. Four schools were chosen to ask questions of the astronauts during the lengthy program. Helms fielded questions from students at Shaver Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. The fish was used to demonstrate Newton's third law of motion and the conservation of angular momentum. The entire collection of toys will be videotaped for an educational program to be distributed to schools in the fall of this year. The scene was recorded at 17:50:08:27 GMT, Jan. 15, 1993.

KSC-2010-4522

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Astronaut Hall of Fame near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, fifth- through eighth-grade students and their parents listen to a presentation about the theory of flight during the last NASA family education night event. Other activities included "gee-whiz" presentations, astronaut appearances, a hovercraft, vortex cannon and alternative fuel vehicles, which promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. The event is part of NASA's Summer of Innovation initiative to provide interactive learning experiences to middle school students nationwide during the summer months. The program is a cornerstone of the Educate to Innovate campaign announced by President Barack Obama in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser

Hubble snap a beautiful supernova explosion some 160,000 light-years from Earth

Of all the varieties of exploding stars, the ones called Type Ia are perhaps the most intriguing. Their predictable brightness lets astronomers measure the expansion of the universe, which led to the discovery of dark energy. Yet the cause of these supernovae remains a mystery. Do they happen when two white dwarf stars collide? Or does a single white dwarf gorge on gases stolen from a companion star until bursting? If the second theory is true, the normal star should survive. Astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to search the gauzy remains of a Type Ia supernova in a neighboring galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. They found a sun-like star that showed signs of being associated with the supernova. Further investigations will be needed to learn if this star is truly the culprit behind a white dwarf's fiery demise. This image, taken with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-68.7, also known as N103B. It is located 160,000 light-years from Earth in a neighboring galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. N103B resulted from a Type Ia supernova, whose cause remains a mystery. One possibility would leave behind a stellar survivor, and astronomers have identified a possible candidate. The actual supernova remnant is the irregular shaped dust cloud, at the upper center of the image. The gas in the lower half of the image and the dense concentration of stars in the lower left are the outskirts of the star cluster NGC 1850. The Hubble image combines visible and near-infrared light taken by the Wide Field Camera 3 in June 2014. Credit: NASA, ESA and H.-Y. Chu (Academia Sinica, Taipei) <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a>

$Image release date September 22, 2010 To view a video of this image go here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5014452203">www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5014452203</a> Caption: A spectacular new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the heart of the Lagoon Nebula. Seen as a massive cloud of glowing dust and gas, bombarded by the energetic radiation of new stars, this placid name hides a dramatic reality. The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a dramatic view of gas and dust sculpted by intense radiation from hot young stars deep in the heart of the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8). This spectacular object is named after the wide, lagoon-shaped dust lane that crosses the glowing gas of the nebula. This structure is prominent in wide-field images, but cannot be seen in this close-up. However the strange billowing shapes and sandy texture visible in this image make the Lagoon Nebula’s watery name eerily appropriate from this viewpoint too. Located four to five thousand light-years away, in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer), Messier 8 is a huge region of star birth that stretches across one hundred light-years. Clouds of hydrogen gas are slowly collapsing to form new stars, whose bright ultraviolet rays then light up the surrounding gas in a distinctive shade of red. The wispy tendrils and beach-like features of the nebula are not caused by the ebb and flow of tides, but rather by ultraviolet radiation’s ability to erode and disperse the gas and dust into the distinctive shapes that we see. In recent years astronomers probing the secrets of the Lagoon Nebula have found the first unambiguous proof that star formation by accretion of matter from the gas cloud is ongoing in this region. Young stars that are still surrounded by an accretion disc occasionally shoot out long tendrils of matter from their poles. Several examples of these jets, known as Herbig-Haro objects, have been found in this nebula in the last five years, providing strong support for astronomers’ theories about star formation in such hydrogen-rich regions. The Lagoon Nebula is faintly visible to the naked eye on dark nights as a small patch of grey in the heart of the Milky Way. Without a telescope, the nebula looks underwhelming because human eyes are unable to distinguish clearly between colours at low light levels. Charles Messier, the 18th century French astronomer, observed the nebula and included it in his famous astronomical catalogue, from which the nebula’s alternative name comes. But his relatively small refracting telescope would only have hinted at the dramatic structures and colours now visible thanks to Hubble. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Image credit: NASA, ESA <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> To learn more about the Hubble Space Telescope go here: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html</a>$

Hubble reveals heart of Lagoon Nebula

Image release date September 22, 2010 To view a video of this image go here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5014452203">www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5014452203</a> Caption: A spectacular new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image reveals the heart of the Lagoon Nebula. Seen as a massive cloud of glowing dust and gas, bombarded by the energetic radiation of new stars, this placid name hides a dramatic reality. The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a dramatic view of gas and dust sculpted by intense radiation from hot young stars deep in the heart of the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8). This spectacular object is named after the wide, lagoon-shaped dust lane that crosses the glowing gas of the nebula. This structure is prominent in wide-field images, but cannot be seen in this close-up. However the strange billowing shapes and sandy texture visible in this image make the Lagoon Nebula’s watery name eerily appropriate from this viewpoint too. Located four to five thousand light-years away, in the constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer), Messier 8 is a huge region of star birth that stretches across one hundred light-years. Clouds of hydrogen gas are slowly collapsing to form new stars, whose bright ultraviolet rays then light up the surrounding gas in a distinctive shade of red. The wispy tendrils and beach-like features of the nebula are not caused by the ebb and flow of tides, but rather by ultraviolet radiation’s ability to erode and disperse the gas and dust into the distinctive shapes that we see. In recent years astronomers probing the secrets of the Lagoon Nebula have found the first unambiguous proof that star formation by accretion of matter from the gas cloud is ongoing in this region. Young stars that are still surrounded by an accretion disc occasionally shoot out long tendrils of matter from their poles. Several examples of these jets, known as Herbig-Haro objects, have been found in this nebula in the last five years, providing strong support for astronomers’ theories about star formation in such hydrogen-rich regions. The Lagoon Nebula is faintly visible to the naked eye on dark nights as a small patch of grey in the heart of the Milky Way. Without a telescope, the nebula looks underwhelming because human eyes are unable to distinguish clearly between colours at low light levels. Charles Messier, the 18th century French astronomer, observed the nebula and included it in his famous astronomical catalogue, from which the nebula’s alternative name comes. But his relatively small refracting telescope would only have hinted at the dramatic structures and colours now visible thanks to Hubble. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Image credit: NASA, ESA <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a> <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a> To learn more about the Hubble Space Telescope go here: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html</a>