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 explains the idea that nuclear fusion is thought to be the mechanism by which virtually all of the elements around us are created. Topics include the proton-proton cycle, the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle, and endothermic reactions in supernova explosions. There is also a discussion of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), a spacecraft intended to study the origin and evolution ... 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 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 educational brief provides a description of the use of spectroscopy to identify elements in the stars, including a scientific explanation of bright line and dark line spectra, from an historical perspective. A list of links to additional information and images of atomic spectra is also provided. Full description.

This science brief introduces OMNIWeb, an internet-based data retrieval and analysis interface for near-Earth solar and geomagnetic data. A summary of solar and heliospheric physics, including basic terms, is also provided. Full description.

This tool was designed by NASA engineers to demonstrate and teach principles of microgravity and its relationship to science and math. Teachers may perform a series of demonstrations to provide a visual, physical connection between free-fall and microgravity conditions and to understand why certain experiments are performed under microgravity conditions. Full description.

The home page of the Astrophysics Science Division at Goddard Space Flight Center provides information on the division's research projects, missions, goals, and activities. Topics include the evolution of galaxies, stars, and planets; the diversity of worlds outside our solar system; the possibillity of life on those worlds; and astrophysics questions such as what powered the Big Bang, what is dark ... Full description.