Astrophysics Missions E/PO Updates May 13, 2015 (For Period April 1, 2015 to April 30, 2015) Astrophysics Forum

Chandra X-ray Observatory Multi-Media, Social Media Products and Events 1 science release podcast: Tour of NGC Space Scoop for Kids on black hole in M83 1 st entry in new series, “Chandra Sketches”, simple explanations of basic astronomy/Chandra concepts 2 blogs on science releases: NGC 6388 and Quasar study Blog discussion with PI of quasar study Blog congratulating Hubble on 25 th anniversary from its fellow Great Observatories Blog on Framingham State U. (MA) science fair featuring 3 Chandra exhibits (FETTU, HTE & 15 th anniversary) Outreach/Public Engagement/Education CXC astronomy-themed IYL exhibit continued at Univ. Puerto Rico HTE showed at St. Charles City/County District Library, St. Peters MO K. Arcand presented HTE electric discharge activity to RI 3 rd grade class K. Arcand presented career, data visualization & EMS talk and activity for local Prov. Girls Who Code workshop with middle school girls. K. Arcand presented Chandra/Pencil Code talk/QA via Google Hangout with Girls in Tech Club at Oakbrook Middle School, Ladson SC SPIE versions of IYL exhibit sent to Cambridge MA and Las Vegas NV Science Fairs. Provided 50 sets of IYL small posters to US State Dept. American Spaces and US National Park Service Presented IYL briefing to NASA Museum Alliance Presented Elementary teacher PD with Stop for Science at McAullife Challenger Center, Framingham MA Future Events/Activities HTE goes next to Knightdale East Regional Library, NC NASA IYL exhibit goes to Carmel High School and Planetarium, Carmel IN Contact: Kathy Lestition

Fermi/Swift/XMM/EPOESS/NuSTAR 1)The last appearance of the NASA E/PO booth at our Faculty Research Expo occurred on April 15, At this event, Lynn Cominsky received the President’s Excellence in Scholarship Award. See awards.html awards.html 2) Work continued on the revisions to the Big Ideas in Cosmology curriculum in response to the NASA Product Review. 3) Aurore Simonnet is working on a new skymap poster for Fermi to go along with the 3 rd LAT catalog which has been released. Contact: Lynn Cominsky

STScI (HST/JWST) Hubble Science Briefing On April 2, a Hubble Science Briefing teleconference was held by STScI’s Office of Public Outreach. A STScI outreach astronomer and STScI’s head of the Research and Instrument Analysis Branch presented a “25 Years Observing the Solar System: What the Hubble Space Telescope has Revealed about our Cosmic Backyard in the Last Quarter Century” talk. The speakers reviewed the Hubble Space Telescope’s contributions to understanding our solar system. They also discussed how Hubble’s longevity has allowed observations of long-term changes in the solar system. Thirty-eight people were logged in to this telecon. Listeners represented museums, planetariums, libraries and other informal education venues, as well as community colleges, universities and K-12 schools. Many NASA centers participated as well. The Hubble Science Briefing teleconference series is hosted by NASA’s Museum Alliance, a gateway to NASA resources for museums, science centers, planetariums, zoos, and aquariums. Public Lecture Series On April 7, the STScI Office of Public Outreach held its monthly Public Lecture Series. The featured speaker presented a talk entitled “Star Lores: Hubble’s 25- Year News Odyssey” to members of the Baltimore community. A summary of recent astronomical discoveries called “News from the Universe” was also provided. An assortment of press release photographs, spanning almost two decades of Hubble images, were distributed to the live audience of approximately 110 attendees. The event was webcast and the recordings are available in the STScI webcast archive. Hubble Distance Learning Presentation for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at NC State On April 9, a STScI outreach astronomer did a distance-learning presentation for a lifelong learning group in North Carolina. A “25 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope" talk was provided to about 20 students in the Solar System Exploration class of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at North Carolina State University. The presentation was done as a WebEx video conference, with a question and answer session afterwards. Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, which operate on 119 university and college campuses across the country, are specifically designed to serve the unique learning needs of retirees and other lifelong learners. STEAM Fair at Lutherville Laboratory On April 16, STScI staff presented at the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Fair at Lutherville Laboratory in Lutherville, MD. The presentation included an overview of how artists create science images using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Parents and students also were engaged in exploring light with filter glasses. STScI staff presented to 90 students in grades kindergarten through six. Lutherville Laboratory is a magnet elementary school in Baltimore County that specializes in science, mathematics, and communications. USNO Science Colloquium On April 16, a STScI outreach astronomer presented the weekly science colloquium at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) in Washington, D.C. A “25 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope" talk was provided to about 50 current and retired members of the USNO staff. ViewSpace Production for Hubble’s 25th Anniversary For Hubble’s 25th anniversary, STScI’s Office of Public Outreach released an updated ViewSpace theme about the Hubble Space Telescope, featuring new beauty segments and some of the spectacular images that Hubble has captured in recent years. Hubble 3D In celebration of Hubble’s 25th Anniversary, IMAX re-distributed the film “Hubble 3D” to its museum and science center theaters. The film had special screenings at thirty-five domestic and international theaters for two weeks around the anniversary of Hubble’s launch on April 24. With this special engagement, the film’s box office is expected to surpass $70 million worldwide. Contact: Hussein Jirdeh Bonnie Eisenhamer

Highlights and Nuggets The submission of E/PO highlights and nuggets to NASA HQ is a voluntary exercise that our community participates in on a monthly basis. Highlights are submitted by Astrophysics missions and program offices to help NASA stay up-to-date on these E/PO activities. Nuggets are sent separately, and are submitted by missions, program offices, ROSES awards, and Forums to assist SMD in communicating the accomplishments of its E/PO program. Below is a list of the Astrophysics missions and program offices that submit highlights and/or nuggets. The frequency of submissions is at the discretion of the E/PO lead. Advance Composition Explorer (ACE) Chandra X-ray Observatory Exoplanet Exploration Fermi/Swift/XMM Kepler NASA Goddard Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) Planck Space Telescope Science Institute (HST/JWST) Spitzer Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) WISE