NASA Celebrates Sun-Earth Day With Illuminating Webcast

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109 TELEPHONE 818-354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

DC Agle 818-393-9011
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

Sonja Alexander 202-358-1761
NASA Headquarters, Washington
sonja.r.alexander@nasa.gov

Dewayne Washington 301-286-0040
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov

NEWS RELEASE: 2008-054 March 18, 2009

NASA Celebrates Sun-Earth Day With Illuminating Webcast

PASADENA, Calif. – NASA scientists will reveal new information and images about our sun and its
influence on Earth and the solar system for Sun-Earth Day, recognized each year in conjunction with
the spring equinox. The highlight of this year's celebration is a webcast for students and teachers
around the world, beginning at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT), Friday, March 20.

This year's theme, "Our Sun, Yours to Discover," celebrates the International Year of Astronomy and
emphasizes daytime astronomy. During the live, interactive event, participants from around the world
and NASA scientists will share new discoveries and visualizations about our sun. Participating
students will have the opportunity to demonstrate personally designed sundials, while others will be
monitoring the sun and preparing their own space weather forecast.

"Tremendous strides have been made with satellite and ground-based observations of the sun, which
have enabled us to monitor the sun to gain a better understanding of the processes that govern its
influence on our solar system," said Eric Christian, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Sun-Earth Day is a celebration of the sun and how it affects life on our planet and the space around
Earth, known as geospace. For the past nine years, NASA has sponsored and coordinated education
and public outreach events for Sun-Earth Day that highlight NASA heliophysics research and
discoveries. NASA's goal is to use celestial events to engage the public and students in kindergarten
through 12th grade via webcasts, podcasts, space science activities, demonstrations and interactions
with space scientists.

"These events also support the spirit of international collaboration," said Lou Mayo, project manager
at Goddard for Sun-Earth Day 2009. "We are excited about sharing the latest discoveries about our
sun and encourage others to join our quest for a greater understanding of our closest star."

Goddard is producing the Sun-Earth Day webcast. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif., and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago also are participating in the broadcast. NASA Television
and the agency's Web site will broadcast the event live.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For more information about Sun-Earth Day, visit: http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2009/index.php .

For more information about NASA's Education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education .

JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

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