Lunar material on loan to university
Samples of moon substances part of presentation, used in classrooms courtesy of NASA
Kailey Mezera
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Campus News
NASA has loaned the Department of Geology samples of lunar material, which will be shown and correlated into a presentation and certain classes.
The presentation will be at 8 p.m., Saturday Nov. 21 at Hobbs Observatory at Beaver Creek Reserve. The event is free and open to the public.
One of the topics that assistant professor of physics and astronomy Elisha Polomski will be talking about is how miniscule dust grains can, over a long period of time, eventually turn into planets.
"It's very appropriate (to connect the lunar samples with the presentation)," Polomski said. At the presentation they will be looking at rocks from the moon and "looking at the evolution of dust throughout the universe," she said.
The lunar samples on loan are on microscope slides, samples the size of thumbnails, and a clear plastic disk that contains small lunar rocks, visiting assistant professor Beth Johnson said.
Sophomores Josh Dewitt and Christine Huggett, both elementary education majors, have had the opportunity to see and hold the lunar samples.
"It's kind of surreal that those came from the moon," Dewitt said.
Johnson and professor Paul Thomas are working together in each other's classes to talk to their students about the moon samples, the formation of the moon and what the samples show of how the moon is related to the Earth, among other things, Johnson said.
"It's a good opportunity for people from different departments to work on something so cool," Johnson said.
"The community at large can see them at the event," Johnson said, adding the audience will have the opportunity to look at the lunar samples through a microscope and have the chance to hold them in their hands.
Polomski will also be discussing her own research and a description of an observing run on Mauna Kea in Hawaii at a major telescope there, according to a university press release.
Johnson said she has a long history with NASA and borrowing the samples in the past. She said she was working in a new place and wanted to borrow the lunar samples again.
Lending out these lunar samples is part of NASA's education and outreach program.
"It goes back to NASA's commitment for education," Johnson said.
"It's cool to know that teachers have the capability to get rocks from the moon on loan from NASA," Dewitt said. "I didn't know they could even do that."
Huggett said that loaning samples "would definitely be a cool thing to get a hold of for future students (of hers)."
Although she's borrowed samples in the past, Johnson said it's an exciting opportunity for her again.
"I'm still like a kid in a candy store with them (lunar samples)," she said. "I wanted my students to have the same joy, to hold the moon in their hands."
The presentation will be at 8 p.m., Saturday Nov. 21 at Hobbs Observatory at Beaver Creek Reserve. The event is free and open to the public.
One of the topics that assistant professor of physics and astronomy Elisha Polomski will be talking about is how miniscule dust grains can, over a long period of time, eventually turn into planets.
"It's very appropriate (to connect the lunar samples with the presentation)," Polomski said. At the presentation they will be looking at rocks from the moon and "looking at the evolution of dust throughout the universe," she said.
The lunar samples on loan are on microscope slides, samples the size of thumbnails, and a clear plastic disk that contains small lunar rocks, visiting assistant professor Beth Johnson said.
Sophomores Josh Dewitt and Christine Huggett, both elementary education majors, have had the opportunity to see and hold the lunar samples.
"It's kind of surreal that those came from the moon," Dewitt said.
Johnson and professor Paul Thomas are working together in each other's classes to talk to their students about the moon samples, the formation of the moon and what the samples show of how the moon is related to the Earth, among other things, Johnson said.
"It's a good opportunity for people from different departments to work on something so cool," Johnson said.
"The community at large can see them at the event," Johnson said, adding the audience will have the opportunity to look at the lunar samples through a microscope and have the chance to hold them in their hands.
Polomski will also be discussing her own research and a description of an observing run on Mauna Kea in Hawaii at a major telescope there, according to a university press release.
Johnson said she has a long history with NASA and borrowing the samples in the past. She said she was working in a new place and wanted to borrow the lunar samples again.
Lending out these lunar samples is part of NASA's education and outreach program.
"It goes back to NASA's commitment for education," Johnson said.
"It's cool to know that teachers have the capability to get rocks from the moon on loan from NASA," Dewitt said. "I didn't know they could even do that."
Huggett said that loaning samples "would definitely be a cool thing to get a hold of for future students (of hers)."
Although she's borrowed samples in the past, Johnson said it's an exciting opportunity for her again.
"I'm still like a kid in a candy store with them (lunar samples)," she said. "I wanted my students to have the same joy, to hold the moon in their hands."
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