Comets, Asteroids, and Much More – Small Bodies, The Solar System’s New Zoo

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Educator Conference – December 3-4, 2005, Pasadena, Ca.

The solar system is full of objects and new discoveries take place almost daily. Some of these objects challenge our ability to name and categorize them.  Are there nine planets? Eight? Ten? Dozens? Small objects of rock, metal and ice are extremely numerous and are puzzle pieces for the evolution of the solar system.

We are actively engaged in exploration of these objects.  DEEP IMPACT successfully struck a comet nucleus in July, STARDUST is bringing back comet particles in January, DAWN is scheduled to launch in June to explore Main Belt asteroids, NEW HORIZONS will explore Kuiper Belt objects after its Pluto flyby, the European Space Agency’s ROSETTA is on its way to asteroids and a comet, Japan’s HAYABUSA sits just seven kilometers away from an asteroid, and ground based observatories are probing the objects at the extreme edges of our solar system.

Please join scientists and engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for an educator conference on these objects. The conference will take place all day Saturday, December 3 and half day Sunday, December 4 at JPL in Pasadena, California. The conference is open to all educators including museum staff. High school students and above may attend. Anyone under sixteen years of age must be accompanied by an adult (parent or teacher).

Check-in begins at 8:00 am. On Saturday the conference will begin at 8:30 am and conclude at 5:00 pm. On Sunday the conference will begin at 8:30 am end at noon.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in north Pasadena. For directions please visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/about_JPL/maps.cfm . Note that pre-registration is required. Walk-up registration will not be possible for this conference.

To register for this conference please send in the following information and a registration check for $35 to cover materials costs, food (continental breakfast both days, box lunch on Saturday, and breaks) and incidentals.

  Name
  Title
  School/Organization
  Address
  State
  Zip
  Citizenship (Please bring government issued photo ID)
  Age (only if under 18 years of age)
  Contact info for confirmation & last minute changes:
  – E-mail
  – Phone

  Make $35 check payable to: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  Mail to:
  Small Bodies Educator Conference
  Attn: Kimberly Johansen
  Mail Stop 186-113
  Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  4800 Oak Grove Drive
  Pasadena, CA 91109
  (818) 354-0112

Registration deadline is Wednesday, November 23, 2005 (the day prior to Thanksgiving).

For current mission information visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/

For JPL education news visit: http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/