In this lab activity students will use cloud cover data from five cities (real data from NASA's TRMM instrument) to prepare a data table and graph using any available software. After downloading the data from the S'COOL homepage, they will prepare a spreadsheet and graph, and write sentences describing the dependent and independent variables and describing each cloud group. The site features text, ... Full description.

This document provides an overview of the TOPEX/Poseidon spacecraft and mission. Topics include a description of the satellite and its instruments, the cooperative effort of the joint U. S. - French mission, and how TOPEX/Poseidon performs its measurements. Illustrations of the spacecraft and a link to additional information are also provided. Full description.

This educational brief provides an overview of the layers of the atmosphere, the effects of the solar wind upon them, and how these effects are mitigated by Earth's magnetic field. It also describes OMNIWeb, an internet-based data retrieval interface for obtaining datasets on solar energetic particles. Full description.

This educational brief provides an overview of the types of solar activity and their potential effects on Earth, along with brief descriptions of some spacecraft and instruments that are used to study solar acvtivity. Links to a glossary and to additional information are included. Full description.

This educational brief describes the nature and properties of the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets. Topics include the thickness and aereal extent of the ice sheets, volume of water contained in them, mass balance, and the mechanisms by which ice is lost from or accumulated by the ice sheets. Full description.

This educational brief describes the structure of Earth's magnetosphere, how it interacts with energetic particles emitted by the sun, and how it protects Earth from the effects of these particles. Short descriptions of NASA missions to study the magnetosphere, solar wind, and other particle emissions are included. Full description.

This educational brief provides an overview of solar activity, including a description of Earth's magnetosphere and of various solar phenomena such as the solar wind, Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), sunspots, solar flares, and others. A list of links to additional material is also provided. Full description.

This educational brief provides a summary of the historical development of our understanding of magnetism and magnetic fields, including a listing of many of the contributions of individual scientists. Links to additional information are embedded in the text. Full description.

This NASA educator guide tells the story of why it is important to observe celestial objects from outer space and how to study the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It features a set of hands-on activities and demonstrations which can be performed by teachers to reinforce the concept that Earth's atmosphere interferes with the passage of electromagnetic radiation and to investigate the properties and ... Full description.

This short biography of Copernicus describes his major contribution to science, the idea that the planets, including Earth, moved in orbits around the Sun. Links to additional information on related topics are embedded in the text. Full description.