SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory):

sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

I am from an era when the children eagerly gathered around the

television, with the adults lurking in the background trying to

pretend they weren't just as excited, every time NASA launched

ANYTHING. I remember we'd plan finger food dinners so we could be in

the living room and not miss anything, or beg to skip school. When

Jules Bergman started talking, I would shush any of the younger

siblings who were squirming or causing trouble in the background.

You knew that the world was watching. That everyone you knew was glued

to their televisions or their neighbor's television, just like we were

to ours. I come from a large family, and the house wasn't big enough,

so we would scatter pillows on the floor and crowd in around the TV. I

can't describe what it felt like. The closest thing I can think of now

is the Olympics, but watching NASA rockets take off was ... bigger. It

was universal, it felt as big as the whole sky, it felt as if we ALL

were out there with the astronauts, and at the same time as if they

lived a life so different from anything we could ever possibly

imagine.

For decades now I have missed that. Missed watching the launches on

TV, missed the communal sense that HERE, *this* was important, this

was changing the world, this would make a difference, this was opening

a door to something very real and unimaginable. Instead of "Here be

Dragons" it was "Here be Miracles," with the sense that all of us

watching somehow joined in the miracle, were touched by it.

Now, you can relive those days, those dreams, that sense of community

and the world watching together. NASA is doing so much with social

media, I can't begin to describe it all here. But for a start, a very

faint start, you can watch the launch of the new satellite for

observing our Sun in Second Life on Astronomy 2009 tomorrow morning,

if the launch isn't rescheduled again. The weather has been funky this

week, as I'm sure you've noticed. :) If you are not a Second Life

afficionado, you can join on the the Twitter discussions or host a

launch party. Or at the very least you can watch the conversation in

Twitter with tools like TwitterFall. At least, you can, if you aren't

in another meeting, like I am supposed to be.

Here is the SL announcement from tonight about tomorrow.

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory):

sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

I am from an era when the children eagerly gathered around the

television, with the adults lurking in the background trying to

pretend they weren't just as excited, every time NASA launched

ANYTHING. I remember we'd plan finger food dinners so we could be in

the living room and not miss anything, or beg to skip school. When

Jules Bergman started talking, I would shush any of the younger

siblings who were squirming or causing trouble in the background.

You knew that the world was watching. That everyone you knew was glued

to their televisions or their neighbor's television, just like we were

to ours. I come from a large family, and the house wasn't big enough,

so we would scatter pillows on the floor and crowd in around the TV. I

can't describe what it felt like. The closest thing I can think of now

is the Olympics, but watching NASA rockets take off was ... bigger. It

was universal, it felt as big as the whole sky, it felt as if we ALL

were out there with the astronauts, and at the same time as if they

lived a life so different from anything we could ever possibly

imagine.

For decades now I have missed that. Missed watching the launches on

TV, missed the communal sense that HERE, *this* was important, this

was changing the world, this would make a difference, this was opening

a door to something very real and unimaginable. Instead of "Here be

Dragons" it was "Here be Miracles," with the sense that all of us

watching somehow joined in the miracle, were touched by it.

Now, you can relive those days, those dreams, that sense of community

and the world watching together. NASA is doing so much with social

media, I can't begin to describe it all here. But for a start, a very

faint start, you can watch the launch of the new satellite for

observing our Sun in Second Life on Astronomy 2009 tomorrow morning,

if the launch isn't rescheduled again. The weather has been funky this

week, as I'm sure you've noticed. :) If you are not a Second Life

afficionado, you can join on the the Twitter discussions or host a

launch party. Or at the very least you can watch the conversation in

Twitter with tools like TwitterFall. At least, you can, if you aren't

in another meeting, like I am supposed to be.

Here is the SL announcement from tonight about tomorrow.

The Voyager spacecraft on exhibit at NASM's Exploring the Planets Hall. For more, see: www.nasm.si.edu/etp/

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

The lower portion of Robert McCall's "The Space Mural - A Cosmic View" at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

www.nasm.si.edu/imagedetail.cfm?imageID=1423

Director of NASA's Heliophysics Division, Dr. Richard Fisher, introduces the SDO science team panel

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

SDO Science Panel, from left to right: Dean Pesnell, Alan Title, Philip H. Scherrer, Tom Woods, and Madhulika Guhathakurta. (Mosaic of two images.)

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

The Apollo Lunar Module at the National Air and Space Museum.

For more, see: www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal112/

Edwin Hubble in the Observing Cage of Mt. Wilson's 100-inch telescope (on loan from the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Mount Wilson Observatory). For more, see: www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal111/universe/etu_a_cage.htm

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Camilla holds a photo-op in front of Pioneer 10.

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Tweetup guests admire Robert McCall's "The Space Mural - A Cosmic View" at the National Air and Space Museum.

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Launch control room for the Apollo project.

Photos from the 02/11/2010 launch (and some from 2/10 before the wind cooperated) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These pics were taken by #sdoisgo tweetup-ers: @Blueskeyes207 @NASAblueshift @cburytales @briandgregory @acworkma @CatherineQ @NoisyAstronomer @SpaceManAndy @astrogerly @SpacePlumr @privong @NASA_SDO_Edu

Camilla posing in front of NASM's model of the space shuttle "Columbia."

my first rocket launch ever <3 i am in love

Painting in the lobby of NASA headquarters, titled, "God Bless Our Space Family." The plaque reads, "Presented to Our NASA Family From Your Columbia Recovery Partners in Lufkin, Texas, April 29th, 2003."

William Herschel's 20-foot telescope, on exhibit at NASM's Exploring the Univers Exhibition (On loan from the National Maritime Museum in London). For more, see: www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal111/universe/etu_a_hersche...