Sun-Earth Day is comprised of a series of programs and events that occur throughout the year culminating with a celebration on or near the Spring Equinox. For Sun-Earth Day 2009, NASA will engage a worldwide audience in the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, with an emphasis on daytime astronomy. Tremendous strides have been made as satellites and ground-based observatories attentively monitor the sun to understand the processes that govern the sun’s influence on the solar system. NASA will offer a series of coordinated events to promote and highlight the sun and its connection to Earth and other planets. The events will support the spirit of international collaboration.
 
Over the past eight years, the NASA Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum has sponsored and coordinated education and public outreach events to highlight NASA Sun-Earth Connection research and discoveries. The Forum’s strategy involves using celestial events, such as total solar eclipses and the Transit of Venus, as well as Sun-Earth Day during the March equinox, to engage K-12 schools and the public in space science activities, demonstrations, and interactions with space scientists.
 
Students in upper-elementary, middle and high school are also invited to participate in Solar Week taking place March 9-13, 2009. Solar Week provides a week of series of Web-based educational classroom activities and games that focus on the Sun-Earth connection. Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the stars and astronomy in general. An interactive message board is available where classrooms can pose questions of leading solar scientists.
 
On March 20, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. EST, join a panel of scientists for a live Sun-Earth Day Webcast. During the webcast, scientists Eric Christian, Nicky Fox, Terry Kucera and Sten Odenwald will share discoveries about the sun, while students monitor the sun and prepare their own space weather forecast. Students from Houston will demonstrate their own sundials. New and exciting images and visualizations will be shared during the program.
 
For more information and educational resources, including posters, fliers, postcards and an educator kit, visit the Sun-Earth Day Web site at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2009/index.php.
 
 - courtesy of NASA