World Space Week

Join space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2009. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957. World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 50 nations. To learn more about World Space Week, search for events in your area and find educational materials related to the event, visit http://www.worldspaceweek.org/index.html.

X-15 To the Edge of Space Poster

Between June 1959 and October 1968, NASA’s X-15 hypersonic research flights rewrote the rulebook of conventional flight. This poster presents facts, history, achievements and a labeled diagram of the experimental airplane that flew higher and faster than any other winged vehicle besides the space shuttle. The poster also contains mini biographies of the 12 X-15 test pilots, including Neil Armstrong.

Click the link to download the pdf poster file.

“From Earth to the Universe” Exhibit on Display Worldwide

“From Earth to the Universe” is a collection of astronomical images that showcase the most dramatic views of the universe. The images represent the incredible variety of astronomical objects that are known to exist -- planets, comets, stars, nebulae, galaxies and the clusters in which they congregate -- and are being exhibited in over 250 locations throughout the world in 2009 and 2010. These exhibits, held in public parks, airports, art centers and at other unique sites, will bring the wonders of the universe right to you.


Over 60 countries are scheduled to host a FETTU exhibit. To find dates and locations for the exhibit, visit http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/table_events.php.

The goal of FETTU is to engage the public -- especially those who might think they are not interested in astronomy or science -- through the stunning beauty of astronomical images. Short and informative captions on the panels, as well as a comprehensive Web site, are available to help introduce the viewer to the science behind the aesthetics.

More information on FETTU, a project produced and directed by the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, may be found at http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org.