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Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 8, astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders discuss the flight. They are introduced by Senator John Glenn

This is the second portion of the video presentation at the AIAA 50th anniversary celebration for NASA on Sept. 24, 2008. Learn more at www.nasa.gov.

Quincy Jones musical composition featuring video of NASA astronauts in space.

Neil Armstrong speaks at the AIAA 50th anniversary celebration for NASA on Sept. 24, 2008. Learn more at www.nasa.gov.

One of the Viking Project Leaders talks about NASA's first spacecraft to land on Mars. Learn why the current Phoenix mission may help answer some of the questions Viking raised more than 30 years ago.

The engineer in charge of bringing television images from the Apollo 11 moon landing to your living room talks about that nail-biting moment.

NASA 50th Anniversary Lecture Series Dr. Stephen Hawking Lecture "Why We Should Go Into Space" George Washington University April 21, 2008

NASA 50th Anniversary Lecture Series Dr. Stephen Hawking Lecture "Why We Should Go Into Space" George Washington University April 21, 2008

NASA 50th Anniversary Lecture Series Dr. Stephen Hawking Lecture "Why We Should Go Into Space" George Washington University April 21, 2008

NASA 50th Anniversary Lecture Series Dr. Stephen Hawking Lecture "Why We Should Go Into Space" George Washington University April 21, 2008

NASA 50th Anniversary logo

Music video of NASA's Space Shuttle program

A music video commemorating the Mercury 7 astronauts for the 50th Anniversary of NASA

This mobile of feathery clouds will twist and turn in a gentle breeze. It even includes rain clouds with sparkling showers! You’ll have four kinds of clouds in your mobile: Cumulonimbus, cirrus, cumulus, and nimbostratus clouds. These clouds are different shapes, and they can mean very different things for the upcoming weather. Learn all about these clouds in the green bar on the right! To make this cloud mobile, you’ll need a few easy-to-find supplies—and a little patience to get the clouds balanced just right.

A black hole is an area of such immense gravity that nothing -- not even light -- can escape from it.

The formation of our solar system is a complex process that scientists have studied and theorized about for many years. Here's a simplified description of how it is thought to have formed: Solar Nebula: Approximately 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system began as a vast cloud of gas and dust in space known as a solar nebula. This nebula was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements. Gravitational Collapse: Some event, such as a nearby supernova explosion or sho The formation of our solar system is a complex process that scientists have studied and theorized about for many years. Here's a simplified description of how it is thought to have formed: Solar Nebula: Approximately 4.6 billion years ago, our solar system began as a vast cloud of gas and dust in space known as a solar nebula. This nebula was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements. Gravitational Collapse: Some event, such as a nearby supernova explosion or shockwave, triggered the gravitational collapse of the solar nebula. As the nebula contracted under the force of gravity, it began to spin and flatten into a rotating disk. Protostar Formation: At the center of this spinning disk, a dense region formed, known as the protostar. This protostar grew hotter and more massive as it continued to attract material from the surrounding disk. Planetesimal Formation: In the remaining part of the disk, smaller clumps of material, called planetesimals, began to form through a process of accretion. These planetesimals ranged in size from dust grains to larger bodies several kilometers in diameter. Planet Formation: Over time, these planetesimals collided and merged, forming larger and larger bodies called protoplanets. These protoplanets continued to grow through collisions and gravitational attraction. Clearing the Disk: As the protostar at the center of the disk grew into the Sun, it began to emit solar radiation. This radiation pressure cleared the remaining gas and dust from the disk, preventing further growth of planetesimals. Formation of Planets: The protoplanets that survived this clearing process eventually became the planets we know today. Closest to the Sun, the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) formed from denser materials. Farther out, in the colder regions of the disk, the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) formed from gas and ice. Other Solar System Objects: In addition to planets, the solar system also contains other objects like asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets, which are remnants of the early solar nebula. This process of solar system formation, known as the nebular hypothesis, is supported by various lines of evidence, including observations of other star-forming regions and the composition of celestial bodies within our solar system.

Scientists think the moon formed when a Mars-sized object crashed into Earth. When the moon formed, it was much closer to Earth. It must have looked giant in the sky! The moon is getting about 1-1/2 inch farther away from Earth every year. The moon is bright because it reflects sunlight. There is no air on the moon. The Apollo astronauts had to bring their own! The moon's gravity is only about 1/6 as strong as Earth's. When Apollo astronaut Alan Shepard hit a golf ball on the moon in 1971, it probably landed over two miles away!

Sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.

We on Earth have just one moon, but some planets have dozens of them. Others don’t have any. Which planets have moons, and which don’t? Let’s go in order from the Sun.

If you're ever near the North or South Pole, you may be in for a very special treat. Frequently there are beautiful light shows in the sky. These lights are called auroras. If you're near the North Pole, it is called an aurora borealis or northern lights. If you're near the South Pole, it is called an aurora australis or the southern lights

GPS, or Global Positioning System, works by using a network of satellites orbiting the Earth. Here's a simplified explanation of how it works: Satellite Constellation: There are approximately 24 to 32 GPS satellites in orbit around the Earth. These satellites are spread out in such a way that at least four of them are visible from almost any point on Earth at any given time. Triangulation: Each GPS satellite continuously broadcasts its position and a precise timestamp signal. A GPS receiver on the ground (such as in your smartphone or GPS device) picks up signals from multiple satellites. By measuring the time it took for the signals to travel from each satellite to the receiver, the receiver can calculate its distance from each satellite. Trilateration: With distance measurements from at least four satellites, the GPS receiver can determine its precise location on Earth's surface using a mathematical process called trilateration. Trilateration involves intersecting spheres (representing the distances from each satellite) to pinpoint the receiver's location. Calculating Position: Once the receiver knows its distance from each satellite and their precise locations in space, it can calculate its latitude, longitude, altitude, and the exact time. User Display: The GPS receiver then displays your location and can provide navigation instructions, track movement, and more. In summary, GPS works by measuring the time it takes for signals from multiple satellites to reach a receiver and using that information to calculate the receiver's precise location on Earth. This technology has a wide range of applications, from navigation to tracking and surveying

The Sun's heat influences the environments of all the planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, and comets in our solar system. How does a big ball of hydrogen create all that heat? Learn all about it in this video!

Our solar system has eight very different and very special planets. Which one is farthest from the sun? Which one has the most moons? Find the answers to these questions and make a cool wearable planet mask with this fun activity!

We launch satellites and spacecraft into space by putting them on rockets carrying tons of propellants. The propellants give the rocket enough energy to boost away from Earth’s surface. Because of the pull of Earth’s gravity, largest, heaviest spacecraft need the biggest rockets and the most propellent.

Scientists and engineers brief media on the failure of NASA's Glory mission to reach orbit. Telemetry indicated the fairing, the protective shell atop the Taurus XL rocket, did not separate as expected about three minutes after the 5:09 a.m. EST launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Friday.