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Bring NASA Space Science to Your Seasonal Training

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This collection of curated presentations and video clips is a powerful resource for interpretation and education supervisors seeking to integrate space science into their training programs for field-level and early career staff. Each clip (ranging from approximately 1-13 minutes) has been carefully chosen from longer presentations, allowing supervisors to efficiently incorporate relevant content into seasonal training without the requirement to watch full-length videos.

The collection covers:

  • Indigenous astronomy and cultural perspectives
  • Ocean worlds and astrobiology
  • Similarities between other worlds and landscapes found in public lands around the US
  • Concerns regarding the impacts of human exploration on the Moon
  • Solar science and space weather
  • Respecting indigenous knowledge in interpretation

Group discussion questions are provided for each resource's clips to help staff make connections to your site. These questions are meant to be generative and spark curiosity. No additional space science knowledge is required.

Slow or no internet at your training location? All full length videos are available for download on the archived presentation page on the Earth to Sky website (free registration required).

Looking for Earth science presentations? Visit the Earth science curated page.

 

 

Curated Space Science Full Length Videos & Clips

 

⊕  Interpreting the Night Sky With Respect - Presented by Autumn Gillard

 

⊕  An Introduction to Ocean Worlds - Presented by Bethany Theiling & Andrea Jones

 

⊕   Find Earthly Landscapes on Other Worlds - Presented by Caela Barry

 

⊕  Fly Me to the Moon - Presented by Prabal Saxena

 

⊕  Relationships First!...And Always - Presented by Kat Gardner-Vandy & Daniella Scalice

 

⊕  Solar Features and the Carrington Event - Presented by Shauna Edson

 

⊕  Auroras and Citizen Science - Presented by Laura Brandt Edson

 

⊕  Sample Interpretive Mini-Programs

 

 

Interpreting the Night Sky With Respect - Autumn Gillard

Autumn is a maternal descendant of the Cedar Band of Paiutes, which is a part of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. She is the daughter of the late Delphina Edmo member of the Cedar Band of Paiutes, she is the granddaughter of Nola Zuniga member of the Cedar Band of Paiutes and is the great granddaughter of Nober Zuniga also a member of the Cedar Band of Paiutes. She also shares a Ute and Shoshone Bannock heritage. Autumn graduated from Southern Utah University magnum cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology minor in Psychology. She is currently working on a master’s degree from New Mexico Highlands University in Cultural Resource Management. She is the Cultural Resource Manager for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. 

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

The four clips linked below explore the intersection of Native American knowledge systems and astronomy, beginning with how Native peoples have been astronomers since time immemorial. She emphasizes that Native peoples are experts on their lands, skies, and waters. This session helps interpreters understand how to respectfully incorporate indigenous astronomical knowledge while honoring tribal sovereignty and cultural protocols.

  • Native People as Astronomers
    • Indigenous communities are the original astronomers on this continent, with observational knowledge spanning millennia and encompassing sophisticated understanding of celestial cycles, seasonal changes, and the relationships between sky, land, and life.
  • Colonization and Traditional Views of Storytelling
    • Autumn addresses the historical impact of colonization on traditional storytelling practices and how these narratives have been suppressed or appropriated. She emphasizes the importance of respecting seasonal storytelling protocols and seeking tribal permission before sharing indigenous star stories. 
  • Cultural Appropriation of the Night Sky
    • Not all tribes have the same belief system. When indigenous star knowledge has been documented by outside researchers, it has often been filtered through Western perspectives and removed from its living context to fit mainstream culture. It is important to respect the night as a cultural resource.
  •  Interpretation of the Solar System from the Southern Paiute Mindset
    • Autumn's section on interpreting the solar system from a Southern Paiute mindset demonstrates how indigenous cosmology offers equally valid scientific perspectives. 

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  • Autumn showed the spiral petroglyph that represents both the Milky Way and life's journey. Without retelling specific indigenous stories, how could you acknowledge in your programs that this landscape has been observed and understood by indigenous peoples since time immemorial? Draft 2-3 sentences you might actually say.
  • Autumn shared that William Palmer published Southern Paiute stories without permission and changed their meanings. Look at an interpretive program outline you're developing or have seen. Does it reference indigenous peoples or knowledge? What are some ways to trace where that information came from and verify it's appropriate to use?
  • A visitor asks you, "Do Native Americans have stories about that constellation?" As a group, discuss a respectful response specific to your site that doesn't appropriate knowledge. Craft 2-3 different responses depending on what you do and don't know.
  • A colleague wants to do a generic "Native American Night Sky Stories" program and asks you to help research content. Based on Autumn's presentation, what concerns would you raise? What alternative approaches might you suggest that would be more appropriate?

 

 

An Introduction to Ocean Worlds - Bethany Theiling & Andrea Jones

Bethany Theiling is an ocean worlds geochemist, which combines chemistry and geology. She studies oceans across the solar system including those on Earth. Andrea Jones is a planetary geologist focusing on education and communication. She was part of several NASA planetary science missions and research teams including the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover missions and several NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) teams.

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky Website and Full Length Video below:

This session is ideal for interpreters who work at sites with water features such as oceans, lakes, glaciers, geysers, and hot springs. Supervisors should use these clips to help staff understand that the landscapes visitors experience daily--a thermal feature in Yellowstone, a glacial valley in Alaska--are windows into understanding potentially habitable environments throughout our solar system. Liquid water is essential for life as we know it, making water-bearing worlds prime targets for astrobiological exploration. Bethany emphasizes that studying Earth's extreme environments, from the Grand Prismatic Spring to deep ocean vents, provides insights for understanding where and how life might exist on other worlds.

  • Why Study Ocean Worlds?
    • There is a lot more water in the solar system than visitors realize. Studying ocean worlds beyond Earth matters for understanding habitability and the potential for life in our solar system.
  • What Makes a World Habitable?
    • Bethany describes how habitability requires specific conditions including the right chemical building blocks, energy sources, and cycling systems.
  • Energy Sources to Power Life Supporting Processes
    • Bethany explains how extreme environments on Earth demonstrate the extreme conditions that life can thrive through photosynthetic energy, such as Grand Prismatic Spring, and chemosynthetic energy, such as hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean.
  • Enceladus: A Habitable Ocean World?
    • Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, exhibits evidence of a subsurface ocean, active geysers, and potentially habitable conditions. 

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  • Choose a water feature at or near your site—how could you use it as a gateway to talking about ocean worlds elsewhere in the solar system?
  • Bethany uses the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone (with its colorful rings of different bacteria) as an example of extreme life on Earth. If you work at a thermal site, how could you use this to discuss what "extreme" means and why extremophiles matter for astrobiology? If you don't work at a thermal site, what "extreme" environment near you (very cold, very dry, very salty, very acidic) could serve a similar purpose?
  • If you work at a site with hydrothermal features, caves, or other low-light environments, how could you use those features to explain chemosynthetic energy and why it matters for ocean worlds?
  • The presentation distinguishes between "habitable" (conditions that could support life) and "inhabited" (actually having life). Why is this distinction important? How would you explain it to a 10-year-old visitor versus an adult who asks, "If we've found evidence of water, does that mean there was life on Mars?"
  • Bethany uses the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone and oceanic hydrothermal vents as Earth analogs for potential environments on ocean worlds. Identify one specific feature at your site (thermal pool, glacier, salt flat, volcanic rock, etc.) that could serve as an analog for a feature on another world. How would you make that connection in a 2-minute program segment?

 

 

Mountains, Volcanoes & Sand Dunes: Find Earthly Landscapes on Other Worlds - Presented by Caela Barry

Caela is a Science Outreach Coordinator with the Solar System Exploration Division where she shares NASA science with the public through web content, social media, and public events. Caela has supported field work and public engagement in Katmai National Park, Long Valley Caldera near Bishop, California, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Mesa Verde National Park, to name a few.

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky Website and Full Length Video below: 

 Caela's presentation is valuable for any interpreter or educator that works in an outdoor setting. Caela takes viewers on a tour of the solar system, highlighting similarities between landscapes found in public lands around the US and those found on other planets. Caela also provides a foundation of lunar landscape knowledge, helpful for interpreters facilitating Moon programming. This presentation is especially valuable for seasonal interpreters and early-career staff who may feel intimidated by astronomy or space science, as it builds from what they already know (the landscapes where they work) rather than requiring them to learn entirely new content.

 

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  • Europa has more than twice as much water as all of Earth's oceans combined, but it's under kilometers of ice. If you work at a site with ice, snow, or frozen lakes, how could you use visitors' experience with ice to help them understand Europa's structure? What comparisons would be meaningful? 
  • Caela's presentation uses a "guess which image is from Earth" approach with side-by-side comparisons. Why is this technique powerful? How does revelation create a different experience than just telling visitors facts?
  • Caela shows volcanic features from Venus, Io, the Moon, and Mars alongside Earth examples. If you work at or near volcanic features (lava flows, cinder cones, volcanic mountains, ash deposits, basalt formations), choose one specific feature at your site. How would you connect it to volcanism on another world? What would you say in 2-3 sentences?
  • If you work at or near a dune field or sandy area, how would you incorporate this comparison? What would surprise visitors about dunes existing on other worlds? If you don't work near dunes, what erosion or deposition process at your site might have planetary analogs?
  • Caela shows dried riverbeds and ancient river deltas on Mars alongside Earth examples. If you interpret any water-carved landscape (canyons, valleys, riverbeds, alluvial fans), how could you connect those features to Mars's ancient water history?
  • Caela includes images of field researchers working at Earth analog sites. Why include images of scientists doing fieldwork rather than just showing the landscapes? How does seeing people in the pictures change the story?
  • The presentation uses high-quality NASA images from various missions (rovers, orbiters, spacecraft). What NASA images might be useful for your programming? (Ask Earth to Sky for help finding them!)

 

 

 Fly Me to the Moon: Why Humans May Not be the Only Life on the Lunar Surface in the Future

Dr. Prabal Saxena is a research space scientist at NASA Goddard who studies lunar environments, exoplanets, and planetary protection, particularly regarding microbial survival in extreme conditions. He is a co-lead for the Sellers Exoplanet Environments Collaboration at Goddard.

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

What happens when humans bring microbes to the Moon's surface? Prabal explains that humans are inherently "messy" because we carry trillions of bacteria and millions of microbes per square centimeter on our skin. He connects this research to "Leave No Trace" principles, emphasizing that sustainable lunar exploration requires understanding and tracking how human presence affects pristine environments. This presentation is designed to be accessible to interpreters without microbiology or space science backgrounds. Prabal uses everyday analogies, humor, and clear explanations to make complex topics understandable. 

  • Microbial Life & Lunar Pole Exploration Intro (Astrobiology)
    • Prabal introduces why studying microbial survival on the Moon matters, explaining that NASA's Artemis program plans to return humans to the lunar south pole to access resources like frozen water in permanently shadowed regions.
  • Sustained Human Presence on the Moon (Astrobiology)
    • NASA's vision for Artemis differs dramatically from Apollo missions. Instead of brief visits to equatorial regions, the goal is continuous human presence at the lunar south pole with base camps, rovers, and infrastructure.
  • Humans are Messy with Microbes
    • Unlike spacecraft components that can be sterilized with heat and UV radiation, humans cannot be decontaminated to that degree. We carry microbial hitchhikers with us wherever we go, as evidenced by fungi growing on the International Space Station.
  • Survival of Cosmopolitan Microbes in Space
    • Ordinary bacteria and fungi found in everyday environments can survive exposure to space conditions including vacuum, radiation, extreme temperatures, and UV light.
  • Microbial Survival at Potential Lunar Landing Sites
    • Prabal presents his team's research mapping UV light exposure across the lunar south pole, explaining that UV light is the most effective killer of microbes. 
  • Testing Microbial Survival at Artemis III Candidate Landing Sites
    • The Moon's minimal tilt means the sun never rises high at polar regions, creating permanently shadowed craters that act like freezers, resulting in a patchwork of places where microbes might survive. It is likely that astronauts will transport viable microbes to the lunar surface with significant implications for science and contamination.
  • Leave No Trace: Humans' Impact on the Moon
    • Prabal connects his research to "Leave No Trace" principles, explaining that while we should minimize contamination, perfect prevention is impossible. He emphasizes that we need to make informed decisions about sustainable exploration that respects the Moon as a shared resource deserving thoughtful stewardship, much like national parks and protected areas on Earth.

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  •  The presentation distinguishes between contamination prevention (stopping microbes from getting there) and contamination knowledge (tracking what gets there and what happens to it). Which approach is more realistic for lunar exploration? How does this distinction apply to managing visitor impacts at your site?
  • Prabal notes that Apollo missions were brief visits to equatorial regions, while Artemis plans sustained presence at the poles—a fundamentally different approach with different impacts. How does the duration and intensity of human presence affect environmental impact? What parallels exist between day-use areas versus overnight camping zones, or between low and high visitation seasons at your site?
  • Prabal explains that every time astronauts open an airlock, vent their spacesuits, or place equipment on the surface, they're transferring microbes. What are the similar situations at your site—unavoidable transfer points where impact happens regardless of visitor intentions? How do you communicate about these without making visitors feel guilty?
  • You're giving a Leave No Trace or wilderness ethics program. Draft 2-3 sentences that honestly acknowledge we cannot avoid all impact but explain why understanding and minimizing impacts still matters. Use Prabal's "humans are messy" concept to frame this authentically.
  • You're interpreting at a pristine or sensitive area (wilderness, research natural area, archaeological site, restored habitat). Prabal discusses how some lunar regions should potentially be "no-go zones" to preserve scientific value. How would you explain to visitors why some areas have restricted access without making them feel excluded or resentful?
  • If you work at a alpine or snow/ice site, consider the similarities/differences with shadowed craters on the Moon that act as "freezers" preserving ancient materials. How could you connect ice cores, frozen landscapes, or slow biological processes in cold environments to the scientific value of lunar cold traps?
  • You bring up some of Prabal's research in a Moon program. A visitor asks a technical question about microbes/space. Practice comfortable responses that recognize knowledge limits.

 

 

Relationships First!...And Always - Presented by Kat Gardner-Vandy & Daniella Scalice

Kat Gardner-Vandy (citizen of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is an Assistant Professor of Aviation and Space in Oklahoma State University’s School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation. Daniella Scalice is the Education and Communications Lead for the NASA Astrobiology Program and the Community-Based Education Lead for NASA’s MAIANSE Program. Daniella leads an international Working Group of Native and non-Native scientists and educators across NASA and beyond who work with Tribes and Indigenous Communities

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

Kat Gardner Vandy and Daniella Scalice collaborate to help educators build authentic relationships with indigenous communities, bringing together perspectives from tribal membership and NASA science outreach. Kat and Daniella guide educators through understanding tribal sovereignty and self-determination, explaining that indigenous nations are sovereign entities with the right to govern themselves and determine their own participation. Their framework stresses that relationship-building must come before any work or projects.

  •  The Importance of Introductions
    • Relational introductions differ from Western professional introduction by acknowledging ancestry, land relationships, and positionality. These introductions are fundamentally important in indigenous contexts.
  • Close Looking Activity: American Progress Painting
    • The "Close Looking Activity" uses the famous American Progress painting to practice visual analysis skills, helping educators identify symbolic elements, examine whose perspectives are represented (and whose are absent), and understand how historical imagery shaped narratives about westward expansion. Please note that this section may generate strong emotions. Consider using this section after the group has developed rapport. Create space for processing responses to Kat and Daniella's prompts. 
  • Relationships as the Heart of Indigenous Lifeways
    • Relationships are at the heart of indigenous lifeways, contrasting the hierarchical worldview of colonization with indigenous concepts like "All My Relations," which recognizes all living things as equal relatives.

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  • Kat and Daniella modeled two different types of introductions—professional (name, title, role) versus relational (ancestry, land relationships, positionality, identities). Practice introducing yourself using the relational model. What felt comfortable? What felt awkward or vulnerable? What information did you include or exclude, and why?
  • Kat went first in the second round of introductions, which they noted reflects affording her "the place of honor" rather than Scalice (who holds institutional NASA power) going first. What does this teach you about how power operates in subtle ways? Where in your work might you have opportunities to shift who goes first, who speaks, or whose perspective gets centered?
  • The presentation included the statement "progress came at a cost" when discussing the American Progress painting. Think about infrastructure at your site (roads, buildings, dams, bridges). What land alteration or displacement made those structures possible? How could you acknowledge this in interpretation without either celebrating or condemning, but simply being honest?
  • The presenters outlined stages of relationship building. Even though you may not directly contact tribal offices, which of these principles apply to how you prepare programs that touch on indigenous topics?
    • Before initiating (self-reflection, research, learning)
    • Initiating (listening, open mind, no "ask")
    • Building (spending time, letting them lead, flexibility)
    • Sustaining (long-term commitment, proper permissions, co-authorship)
  • Kat shared that when building relationships, you should "show up for events unrelated to your work" to demonstrate the relationship matters beyond what you need. As a field interpreter, you likely can't attend distant tribal events on work time. What ARE ways you could demonstrate respect and interest even within the constraints of your position? (Examples might include: reading tribal newspapers, following tribal social media, learning correct pronunciation of tribal names, etc.)

 

 Solar Features and the Carrington Event - Presented by Shauna Edson

Shauna Edson has been an astronomy educator at the Museum and its Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory since 2012. Edson provides the Museum's guests with their "daily dose of wonder" with opportunities to look through telescopes or even hold a meteorite. Shauna earned an Sc.B. in geological sciences from Brown University and an M.A.T. in museum education from The George Washington University. She strives to use her background in dance, art, and hands-on inquiry to help make science relevant and accessible to all.

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

 This presentation tells the story of the Carrington Event through the lens of solar features and space weather. The Carrington Event of 1859 represents the most powerful solar storm in recorded history, causing auroras visible in the Caribbean and disrupting telegraph systems worldwide. Interpreters and educators who facilitate solar viewing sessions will find this presentation valuable, as Shauna uses plain language to explain complex solar and space weather phenomena. Additionally, staff who interpret the mid-1800's time period may find opportunities to incorporate The Carrington event into their programming.

  • What are Sunspots?
    • Sunspots are the most accessible solar feature—they're visible through safe solar filters in telescopes and projected through pinhole viewers.
  • What are Solar Prominences?
    • Prominences are among the most visually stunning solar features—visitors often gasp when they first see them through a solar scope, and Shauna notes this is when people often (incorrectly) exclaim "Oh wow, there's a solar flare!"
  • What are Solar Flares?
    • Solar flares are events, not objects—this is the critical distinction Shauna emphasizes.
  • What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)?
    • CMEs are  "giant sneezes"—massive eruptions of material blown off the Sun into space.
  • What is a Coronagraph?
    • We can't see CMEs through our regular solar telescopes because they happen in the corona (the outer atmosphere) which is much, much fainter than the Sun's visible disk. To see them, spacecraft use coronagraphs.
  • How do Sunspots, Prominences, Flares, and CMEs Work Together?
    • These features and events work together as a complex, interconnected magnetic system driven by the Sun's 11-year-cycle.
  • What was the Carrington Event, and How did it Affect the Average Person?
    • The Carrington Event of September 1859 is the most powerful solar storm in recorded history. Shauna uses it as a compelling narrative to tie together all the solar features and space weather concepts.

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  • The presentation shows the same solar features through different filters. If your site has solar viewing equipment, what filters do you have available? What features will visitors see through them? What features will they NOT see, and how will you manage expectations about that?
  • Shauna notes that sunspots typically appear in pairs or groups because magnetic field loops have two ends where they enter and exit the Sun's surface. If you're facilitating solar viewing and visitors see a pair of sunspots, what would you point out? How could you help them visualize the invisible magnetic field connection between them?
  • The presentation emphasizes that coronagraphs block the Sun's bright disk so we can see the fainter corona and CMEs. This is similar to blocking the Sun with your hand to see something in a bright sky. What everyday analogies like this could you use to explain other astronomical observation techniques (filters, spectroscopy, time-lapse imaging, etc.)?
  • Shauna shows how Richard Carrington observed the Sun safely in 1859 by projecting its image onto a white surface rather than looking through the telescope. You're setting up solar viewing for visitors. What safety protocols must you establish? How will you communicate these consistently to arriving visitors without sounding repetitive or alarming?
  • The Carrington Event caused telegraph systems to fail, spark, and even catch fire from induced electrical currents. Modern visitors might not understand telegraphs. What current technologies would you emphasize when explaining how a similar event today would affect our infrastructure? What would be most relevant to your visitors' daily lives?
  • Richard Carrington was systematically sketching sunspots when he noticed the unusual bright spots that turned out to be a massive solar flare. He ran to find someone else to witness it, ensuring verification. What does this story teach us about the scientific process? How could you use this example when interpreting other scientific discoveries or ongoing research at your site?
  • Shauna notes that Carrington's observation was "the first documented Western science" observation of a solar flare, while acknowledging that "people around the world for centuries who have been observing the sun in different ways" likely understood this before documented Western science did. How does this framing honor multiple ways of knowing while still telling Carrington's story? What does this model for discussing scientific "discoveries" at your site?

 

 

 Auroras, Citizen Science, and Aurorasaurus - Presented by Laura Brandt Edson

Laura Brandt Edson is the project manager for Aurorasaurus, a collaborative science project that engages aurora chasers and citizen scientists in collecting real-time data about auroral displays worldwide. Laura comes to collaborative science from the field of public history and informal education, using her M.A.T. in Museum Education to help connect professional scientists with community collaborators. In her work to support the multifaceted, transdisciplinary work of Aurorasaurus, she has presented this project to educators and at conferences.

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

This presentation demystifies the aurora borealis and aurora australis, beginning with the fundamental physics of how these light shows are created through solar wind interactions with Earth's magnetosphere. Laura emphasizes that aurora forecasting remains challenging because the physics is complex and unpredictable, making aurora chasing always a "game of luck" even with the best space weather predictions. Laura's plain language explanations are essential for interpreters at high-latitude sites where auroras are regularly visible. Surprisingly, this session presentation is also valuable for interpreters anywhere because auroras can appear at mid-latitudes during strong geomagnetic storms and understanding the Sun-Earth connection enriches interpretation, regardless of location. Laura's unique position as project manager for Aurorasaurus (a collaborative science project with contributions from volunteers worldwide) means her presentation balances scientific accuracy with public engagement accessibility. 

  • How Do Auroras Form?
    • Auroras aren't just "particles from the Sun hitting the atmosphere" (a common oversimplification) but rather the visible result of Earth's magnetic field being disturbed by solar wind, storing energy, and then releasing that energy by accelerating particles back toward Earth.
  • What Causes the Aurora Colors?
    • One of the most striking aspects of auroras is their color, and Laura explains that colors tell us both what the aurora is made of and how high up it is.
  • Types of Aurora
    • Laura describes several types of aurora, including STEVE.

 

Group Discussion Questions:

  • Laura distinguishes between the common oversimplification ("particles from the Sun hit Earth's atmosphere") and the more accurate explanation involving magnetic reconnection and energy storage. Why does this distinction matter for interpretation? Practice delivering both a 15-second and a 2-minute aurora explanation.
  • The presentation explains that auroras happen on Earth's night side because that's where magnetic reconnection accelerates particles back toward the atmosphere, not on the day side where solar wind first encounters Earth. This contradicts many people's intuition that auroras would happen where the Sun "hits" Earth most directly. How would you help a visitor understand this counterintuitive geography? What analogy might work?
  • Laura provides a specific observational tip: "If you can see stars through it, it's likely aurora; if you cannot see stars through it, it's likely cloud." You're on a roving patrol and a visitor asks, "Is that the aurora or just clouds?" How would you help them use this tip to figure it out themselves? What other observational questions could you ask to help them become better aurora observers?
  • The presentation explains aurora colors as indicators of altitude and atmospheric composition. If you're facilitating aurora viewing and someone exclaims about seeing pink at the bottom of a bright display, what would you say about what that color means? How could you use color observations to teach about atmospheric layers?
  • Laura discusses how cameras often show more vivid colors than human eyes see because of how rods and cones work in low light. A visitor is disappointed that the aurora looks pale to their eyes but vibrant in their camera. How would you validate both experiences as "real" and explain the difference without making them feel like they're missing out?
  • Laura enthusiastically describes STEVE and how citizen observers brought it to scientists' attention. How could you use this story when recruiting visitors to participate in Aurorasaurus observations or any other citizen science effort? What does STEVE demonstrate about the value of careful observation by non-professionals?
  • Aurorasaurus collects both positive reports and negative reports. Laura notes that negative reports are valuable for defining aurora visibility boundaries. A visitor says, "There's nothing to see tonight, so there's no point reporting." How would you explain why reporting absence is scientifically valuable?
  • Laura raises the important point that "the night sky is more accessible to some people than to other people and particularly dark skies," noting safety concerns, transportation barriers, and weather exposure challenges. Your park is planning dark sky programs. What specific steps could you take to make these programs more accessible and safer for more people?
  • Laura's aurora content connects directly to Shauna's solar features content. If your site offers both daytime solar viewing and nighttime aurora viewing, how would you create thematic continuity between these programs? What would you say during solar viewing to preview possible aurora activity? What would you say during aurora viewing to reference the solar origins?

 

Sample Night Sky Interpretive Mini-Programs

 

The Lives of Stars Program - Presented by Brenna Rodriguez

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

 

Reflecting on Your Experience with the Night Sky Program - Presented by Andy Smithkin

Archived Presentation on the Earth to Sky website and Full Length Video Below:

 

 

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