Celebrate Earth Day at NOAA - April 22, 2008
Science On a Sphere® Presentations
Imagine looking at the Earth from space, and getting a satellite view of ocean currents, a season of hurricanes raging across the Atlantic, and warming or cooling of the Pacific sea surface that indicates El Niño or La Niña phenomena. Enjoy a close-up look at gigantic flares exploding from the Sun. Follow the evolution of the continents across millions of years in a few minutes. See what computer models are showing us about climate change.
NOAA's Science On a Sphere® is a unique visualization tool that allows a viewer to look at Planet Earth and see the physical and dynamical aspects of the integrated Earth system - air-land-sea-ice - from the perspective of a satellite or spacecraft.
NOAA in Boulder is hosting a full day of Science On a Sphere® showings to celebrate Earth Day, 2008 - Tuesday, April 22 - at the David Skaggs Research Center, 325 Broadway. Science On a Sphere® showings will be presented for 30 visitors each hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors to NOAA on Tuesday, April 22, must present a photo ID to the screeners at the Visitors Center, to the right of the entrance at Rayleigh Road and Broadway, just south of 27th Way. After obtaining a badge, visitors can enter the David Skaggs Research Center and receive a ticket for a Science On a Sphere® viewing. There is no charge, but each hourly viewing will be limited to the first 30 persons on site to obtain a ticket.
Cloud Paintings and Poetry Connect Science and Art
Students in the 2nd grade class of Ms. Clare Schoolmaster at Mesa Elementary in Boulder have been studying clouds - and Van Gogh. And they have found that the two go together like tomato soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches.
Visitors to NOAA on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, will get to see the work of the Mesa 2nd graders, which will be on display in the David Skaggs Research Center lobby.
The children have integrated scientific painting of clouds at high, middle, and low altitudes, and then have rendered the pictures in the colors and style of an Impressionist painter. In the middle of the images is an acrostic poem, using the first letter of a cloud type to guide the literary - yet informative - works.
On Wednesday, April 23, NOAA scientists and staff will host a reception for the young artistic scientists/scientific artists.