CosmoQuest has a large presence at this year’s AGU in Washington, DC, from Dec 10-14, 2018. We have a number of posters and presentations by our team members. If you’re there, come by and check out what we’ve been doing!

Maya Bakerman will be presenting the poster ED41E-1237: International Observe the Moon Night – Nine Years of Engaging Visitors in Lunar and Planetary Exploration

When: Thursday, 13 December 2018 08:00 – 12:20
Where: Walter E Washington Convention Center – Hall A-C (Poster Hall)

Description: International Observe the Moon Night is an annual worldwide event, held in the fall, that celebrates lunar and planetary science and exploration. International Observe the Moon Night is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in collaboration with NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), the NASA’s Space Science Education Consortium, CosmoQuest, Night Sky Network, and Science Festival Alliance. Other key partners include the NASA Museum Alliance and NASA Solar System Ambassadors.

In 2018, International Observe the Moon Night will bring together thousands of people across the globe to observe and learn about the Moon and its connection to planetary science. This year we will also engage in activities for the 50th anniversary of Apollo.

Over 4,505 International Observe the Moon Night events were registered between 2010 and 2017, at which over a million visitors attended worldwide. Over the years, 47% of International Observe the Moon Night events have been held in the United States, with strong support from one hundred different countries. Since 2010 International Observe the Moon Night events sizes have increased, as have the number of events–to over 600 a year. Evaluation results show that International Observe the Moon Night visitors and hosts are encouraged to observe, understand, and connect to planetary science and exploration. International Observe the Moon Night events attract a variety of hosts: scientists, educators, and citizen enthusiasts around the world leverage International Observe the Moon Night to bring communities together, get visitors excited, and help them learn about the Moon–and beyond, and to share resources that help extend engagement in lunar and planetary science and observation.

Through our event website (relocated, in summer 2018, to https://moon.nasa.gov/observe), we annually provide resources such as event-specific Moon maps, presentation slides, advertising materials, and certificates of participation. Additionally, International Observe the Moon Night highlights partner resources such as online interfaces including Moon Trek (https://moontrek.jpl.nasa.gov) and CosmoQuest (https://cosmoquest.org/x/) to provide further opportunities to engage with NASA science.