ED31A-01
Space Weather Around the World: An IHY Education Program
Fifty years ago the International Geophysical Year organized a unique and unprecedented program of research
that united 60,000 scientists from 66 nations to study global phenomena concerning the Earth and its space
environment. In that same spirit, "Space Weather Around the World" is a program to coordinate and facilitate the
involvement of NASA heliophysics missions and scientists to inspire and educate a world-wide audience about
the International Heliophysical Year (IHY). We will use the popular Sun-Earth Day annual event framework
sponsored by the Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum to promote IHY science and the spirit of international
collaboration. The theme for the March 2007 Sun-Earth Day: "IHY: Living in the Atmosphere of the Sun" was
selected a year ago in anticipation of the IHY celebration. These efforts will be expanded through a series of
coordinated programs under the theme "Space Weather Around the World" for Sun-Earth Day 2008. We will
produce a live broadcast from China of the total solar eclipse on August 1st 2008 as the central event,
highlighting investigations associated with the eclipse by the international heliophysics community. Additional
collaborative efforts will include: a Space Weather Media Maker web-tool to allow educators and scientists to
create their own multi-media resource to enhance teaching and learning at all levels; Rock-n-Sol, a musical
composition by children internationally inspired by space weather and incorporating sonifications of solar data;
and Space Weather Action Centers for students to track a solar storm featuring podcasts of multi-cultural
perspectives on IHY. The anticipated audience would be millions of people internationally The science and E/PO
heliophysics community has an exciting story to tell about IHY, and we look forward to the opportunity to share it
globally.
http:sunearthday.gsfc.nasa.gov
ED31A-02
Engaging Scientists and Educators in the IHY: A Case Study of Stanford's Space Weather Monitoring Program
The IHY offers unique opportunities to provide education and public outreach programs throughout the world.
The Stanford Solar Center has developed a student-focused space weather monitoring program aimed at
developing global understanding of the response of Earth's atmosphere to terrestrial and extraterrestrial drivers.
Through our educational component, we hope to inspire the next generation of space and Earth scientists and
spread the knowledge of our solar system and the exciting process of scientific exploration to the people of the
world!
Stanford's Solar Center in conjunction with the Space, Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory and
local educators have developed inexpensive Space Weather Monitor instruments that students around the world
can use to track and study solar- and lightning-induced changes to the Earth's ionosphere. Through the United
Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI) and the IHY Education and Public Outreach Program, we are
deploying these instruments for student use at high school and early university levels. The distribution includes
science resources as well as classroom materials and educator support. A centralized database allows
collection of, and free access to, world-wide data. Scientists and radio experts serve as mentors to students, and
assist them in understanding their data.
We will describe the monitor distribution program, focusing particularly on how we are engaging scientists to
participate and on the role of educators, plus the resources provided to them, in high schools and universities
throughout the world.
http:sid.stanford.edu
ED31A-03
International Heliophysical Year in Germany: Public Outreach
Heliophysics has a long standing tradition in Germany. Observations of the Sun have been carried out for centuries. Since the launch of the space mission AZUR in 1965 German researchers were and are part in many important heliophysical missions like Helios, Ulysses, SOHO and recently Stereo. The community welcomes the United Nation initiative and supports their activities. The German IHY Outreach and Education program is based on a number of events. Several institutions will take part in the world-wide open doors day. A major effort is an exhibition, which has been developed by German researchers and can be seen at the computer fair CEBIT and in ten Planetaria all over Germany. We are part of the activity Space Weather and Europe- Educational tool with the Sun, which is funded by the European Union. A Special Issue of the German Physik Journal will bring heliophysical research closer to the public. All material will be available via our webpage www.ihy2007.de
ED31A-04
Successful Heliophysical Programs Emphasizing the Relation of Earth and the Sun
Heliophysical is defined as the interconnectedness of the entire solar-heliospheric-planetary system. Our goals are to introduce easily accessible programs that introduce the Sun and other solar system processes to the public. The programs emphasize the impact of these processes on Earth and its inhabitants over geological time. These types of programs are important as these topics as generally taught as a secondary concept rather than an integrated approach. Space Weather is an excellent mechanism for integrating Earth and space science. Heliophysics, which includes Space Weather, is traditionally part of space science studies, but most students do not understand the effect of the Sun's atmosphere on Earth or the intense effects energetic particles can have on humans, whether traveling through space or exploring the surfaces of the Moon or Mars. Effects are not only limited to space travel and other planetary surfaces but also include effects on Earth's magnetosphere which, in turn, affect radio transmission, GPS accuracy, and on occasion spacecraft loss and terrestrial power outages. Meteoritic impacts are another topic. Impacts on planetary bodies without strong plate tectonic activities provide ample evidence of their occurrence over geological time. As an analog, impacts have also had an extensive record on Earth, but plate tectonics have been responsible for obliterating most of the evidence. We have developed effective and engaging venues for teaching heliophysics, via the internet, CD-Rom's, museum kiosks, and planetarium shows. We have organized workshops for teachers; "NASA Days" and "Sally Ride Festivals" for students, and "Sun-Earth Day" events for the public. Our goals are both to increase k-16 and public literacy on heliophysical processes and to inspire the next generation to enhance the workforce. We will be offering examples of these programs, as well as distributing CD's and DVD's of some of the creative works.