This science news story highlights a new initiative by the Hubble Space Telescope to image distant galaxies. The program uses gravitational lenses to image galaxies that are otherwise too distant and faint for the telescope to image. The story... (View More) includes information describing how gravitational lenses are similar to optical lenses. The article also includes a description of parallel fields - a set of observations done in tandem with the gravitational lens observations that will result in six additional HUDF-type observations of the sky. Star Witness News is a series of articles, written for students, that are inspired by Hubble Space Telescope press releases. Supplemental education materials include vocabulary, discussion questions and answers, and identifies relevant Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. (View Less)

Dieter Hartmann, a high-energy physicist, presents a story-based lesson on the science of Gamma-Ray astronomy. The lesson focuses on gamma-ray bursts; examining their sources, types, and links to the origin and evolution of the Universe. The... (View More) story-based format of the lesson also provides insights into the nature of science. Students answer questions based on the reading guide. A list of supplemental websites is also included. (View Less)

This lithograph features an image from the Hubble Space Telescope, showcasing the well-known features of NGC 3982, a face-on spiral galaxy. The accompanying activity, In Search Of...Spiral Galaxies, is a curriculum support tool designed for use as... (View More) an introductory inquiry activity. In this activity, students will use the lithograph image and text to generate questions about spiral galaxies, and then research the answers to those questions. Students will then create a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the material. (View Less)

This lithograph features an image from the Hubble Space Telescope, showcasing the distinctive shape of the Ring Nebula, NGC 6720. The accompanying classroom activity, In Search of…Planetary Nebula Shapes, is a curriculum support tool designed as... (View More) an introductory inquiry activity. In this activity, students will use the lithograph image and text to generate questions about planetary nebulas shapes, and then research the answers to those questions. Students will then create a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the material. (View Less)

This lithograph features an image from the Hubble Space Telescope, showcasing a colorful view of the star-forming nebula N90, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud. The accompanying activity, In Search of...the Electromagnetic Spectrum, is a... (View More) curriculum support tool designed for use as an introductory inquiry activity. In this activity, students will use the lithograph image and text to generate questions about the electromagnetic spectrum, and then research the answers to those questions. Students will then create a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the material. (View Less)

The PlanetQuest Observing Cards are designed to give telescope operators and other interpreters a new way of explaining the night sky. Relating common observing objects to our search for exoplanets makes these spectacular sights more understandable.... (View More) These cards are a great resource for use at observing night events, providing new stories to tell about commonly viewed celestial objects. (View Less)

This story-based lesson presents information on the early investigation into solar and cosmic X-rays, as well as the scientists working in pursuit of X-ray detection and imaging, that set the stage for a program of space-based astronomy. The lesson... (View More) is narrated by Dr. Herbert Friedman, and includes information on his work, as well as his childhood, home life, and interests while a college student. (View Less)

These guides showcase education and public outreach resources from across more than 20 NASA astrophysics missions and programs. The twelve guides - one for each month - contain a science topic, an interpretive story, a sky object to view with... (View More) finding charts, hands-on activities, and connections to NASA science. The guides are modular, so that educators can use the portions that are the most useful for their audiences/events. Following is the theme for each month: January - Betelgeuse, February - Orion Nebula, March - Pleiades, April - Pollux; May - Hubble Deep Field, June - Hercules Cluster, July - Ring Nebula & Veil Nebula, August - The Search for Habitable Worlds, September - Milky Way Galaxy, October - Upsilon Andromedae, November - Andromeda Galaxy, and December - Crab Nebula. (View Less)