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Sciences and Exploration Directorate, Code 600

WELCOME TO THE SCIENCES & EXPLORATION DIRECTORATE

WELCOME TO THE SCIENCES & EXPLORATION DIRECTORATE
The largest Earth and Space Science research organization in the world.

 STEREO Captures Sun's Eruption

Image of solar activity captured by stereo satellite
The twin STEREO spacecraft, now almost 120 degrees apart in their orbits around the Sun, captured this large and dramatic eruption of gas (prominence) September 26 to 27. The prominence, consisting of cool gas suspended in the Sun's magnetic field, lies in the upper left corner of this image.

Sun-Earth Science at Goddard

  • How do changes on the Sun affect the Earth's environment?
  • How can we improve forecasts of damaging solar storms?
  • What happens at the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space?
  • What triggers surges in the "solar wind" of particles streaming from the Sun?
These are just some of the important questions about the Sun-Earth connection that scientists are exploring at Goddard Space Flight Center.

Podcasts, Blogs, and Images

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Sun-Earth Day podcast
We have recently seen an increase in activity on the surface of the Sun. Join us with Joe Gurman, a NASA Solar Physicist, as he explains what is happening in these active regions.
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SOHO Real-time solar movies
See what the sun looks like today - from SOHO!
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
Each day a different image of our fascinating universe, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

Games & Models

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StarGazers games list
Space Science, Earth Science, Spacecraft and other fun games!
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Concentration Game
Play the classic Concentration card game online, with a solar twist!
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Satellite models
Create you own paper version of the latest NASA solar missions.

Latest Sun-Earth-Heliosphere Science News

image from a computer simulation of solar tsunami disturbance on the sun
Solar Tsunami Mystery Solved
NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft have confirmed the existence of wavelike disturbances on the sun's surface dubbed "solar tsunamis."
illustration of convoluted magnetic field lines emanating from the sun
Investigating the Sun's Cycle of Highs and Lows
The Solar Dynamics Observatory will enable scientists to answer critical questions about our home star, such as the causes of solar variability and its impact on Earth.
photograph of a scientific instruments that will fly on the fast sat mission
FASTSAT Instruments Prepped for Launch
Three scientific instruments developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will fly on an upcoming satellite mission called FASTSAT.
a multicolored map made with data from the interstellar boundary explorer satellite shows the measured flux of energetic neutral atoms in space
IBEX Yields Its First All-Sky Map
NASA's IBEX spacecraft enabled scientists to construct the first comprehensive sky map of our solar system and its location in the Milky Way galaxy.

New Education Resources

Solar Dynamics Observatory Educator Resources are available for this mission due to be launched in November 2009.
Sun-Earth Day 2009 is a feature-filled site devoted to our star the Sun and its effects on the Earth. Games and puzzles, podcasts and vodcasts, educator resrouces, and more!

Featured Education Resources

Ask Dr. SOHO will respond to questions about the Sun. Grades K-adult
STEREO's classroom products site contains downloadable teacher presentations, posters, booklets, fact sheets and lithos. Grades K-12
Space Weather Action Center will allow you to monitor the progress of an entire solar storm from the time it erupts from our sun until it sweeps past our small planet effecting enormous changes in our magnetic field. Your class can access, analyze and record NASA satellite and observatory data!
IMAGE Education Center provides teachers, students and the interested public with the latest information about auroral science, and the study of Earth's magnetic field.

Informal Education Resources

The Sunday Experiment Join us and learn about all the cool science and engineering going on right now at Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center! Take part in hands on activities, meet scientists, engineers, and super cool people like us! You can even load up on free stuff, and more.
Family Science Night is a program is for middle school students and their families. Come to the Goddard Visitor Center once a month to discover the wide variety of science and engineering being performed here at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. As a family you will work with NASA volunteers to explore various themes through two hours of hands-on activities and even get to take home a bag full of goodies to then perform your own experiments at home!
Solar Pizza and other make-and-take activities about the sun
Goddard Signature