Speech At The Avi Kwa Ame One Year Anniversary! To Commemorate This Special Milestone And To Reflect

I had an amazing time presenting and sharing the wonders of our solar system through a solar telescope at the Bunkerville Library today!

As part of the Summer Challenge Program, we explored the sun's surface, learned about solar flares, and discovered how our incredible star impacts our everyday lives.

It was fantastic to see both kids and adults so engaged and enthusiastic about astronomy. Your curiosity and questions made the event truly special!

Thank you to everyone who came out and participated. Don’t forget to keep looking up and stay curious. The universe has so much to offer!

Our morning was truly magical as we gathered with over 500 enthusiastic people, including many kids, to witness the partial solar eclipse event! 🔭🌞✨ Through the telescope, we marveled at the beauty of the sun's dance in the sky and were delighted to spot some sun spots! 🌟☀️ What an incredible experience of nature's wonders! 🌌🔭 #SolarEclipse #AstroAdventures #SunSpotSpectacular 🌒✨

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I spent a truly inspiring morning at Career Day sharing the wonders of space exploration and the groundbreaking opportunities of the Artemis program at the Luna base with children of all ages Their enthusiasm was contagious as I showed them videos of eating, drinking, and doing gymnastics in Leo orbit! From kindergarteners to high school students, their dreams and curiosity about living and working on the Lunar Base were palpable. A huge thank you to the teachers and students for this unforgettable experience!

#CareerDay #ArtemisProgram #SpaceExploration #LunaBase #InspiringTheNextGeneration"

Today's adventure on Mt. Charleston was both breathtaking and brisk! We tackled the Upper Bristlecone Trail without success, so we try the Lower Bristlecone Trailhead. Despite our determination, we only made it a few miles before hitting some serious ice.

With temperatures at a chilly 28°F, it was a true standoff with Mother Nature, but she won this round. Even so, the views and the experience were worth every frozen step!

Today, I had going to Kizuna Japanese Spring Festival: Haru Matsuri, and it was absolutely amazing! 🌸

It was a true journey into Japanese culture, filled with incredible arts, activities, and performances. I shared a special moment with my mom during the Japanese Tea Ceremony, marveling at the meticulous beauty of this tradition. I also discovered something new—the refreshing ice yuzu tea, which I absolutely loved trying.

I love the calligraphic and origami, ikebana, taiko drumming, koto music, yosakoi dancing, martial arts, delicious food.

It was a day brimming with culture and joy!

Today, I was deeply honored by the Clark County Board of Commissioners for my work in educating our community about the wonders of the universe. I owe this recognition to the unwavering support of my family, friends, and the incredible organizations that have partnered with me over the years.

It's been an incredible journey fueled by curiosity and a passion for space. I am humbled by this recognition and committed to continuing my mission of promoting scientific literacy.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey, with special thanks to Commissioner Gibson and Commission District Liaison Blanca Vazquez for their incredible support and encouragement. Your enthusiasm makes all the difference.

Let's keep looking up and exploring the cosmos together!

What an great experience at the astronomy camp with over 200 young explorers!

We kicked off the day by setting up tents, firing up the BBQ, and indulging in delicious s’mores. As the sun began to set, the kids got their first glimpse through the telescope, watching the sun in all its glory.

Later that night, we dived into an Astronomy 101 session and embarked on a breathtaking constellation tour. Through my 8-inch telescope, they marveled at the Moon (they LOVED it!), Jupiter and its satellites, and the mysterious Mars.

With the Seestar, we explored deep-space wonders like M13, M42, M81, and M82 bringing distant galaxies and nebulae to life.

To wrap up this magical night, we lit floating lights, sending glowing lanterns into the sky—just like stars finding their way home.

This night was more than just stargazing, it was an adventure beyond Earth, sparking curiosity and awe in every child.

Last night's Lunar eclipse was a reminder of nature's wonders.

Despite the stormy weather and rain, the skies eventually cleared in time, allowing us to witness the Moon's incredible transformation. It's a beautiful lesson in patience and acceptance sometimes the most breathtaking moments come after the storms.

It gets dark enough to see Star around the Moon.

Epic Journey Across America!

We passed through the majestic mountains of Colorado, the vast plains of Kansas, the lush Hoosier forests, and the breathtaking Appalachian scenery. Every moment was an adventure, filled with awe-inspiring landscapes and unforgettable experiences.

Here's to new beginnings and the road ahead!

From the high deserts of Nevada to the rolling hills of Virginia, we made an incredible trek! In just 3 days, we covered 2,311 miles in 37 hours and 26 minutes of just driving, witnessing the diverse beauty of this country.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s flight harness is transferred from the mock-up structure to the spacecraft flight structure.

Your Body is Wired Like a NASA Space Telescope. Sort Of.

If our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope were alive, its nervous system would be the intricate wiring, or “harness,” that helps different parts of the observatory communicate with one another. Just like the human body sends information through nerves to function, Roman will send commands through this special harness to help achieve its mission: answering longstanding questions about dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets, among other mind-bending cosmic queries. 

Roman’s harness weighs around 1,000 pounds and is made of about 32,000 wires and 900 connectors. If those parts were laid out end-to-end, they would be 45 miles long from start to finish. Coincidentally, the human body’s nerves would span the same distance if lined up. That’s far enough to reach nearly three-fourths of the way to space, twice as far as a marathon, or eight times taller than Mount Everest! 

An aerial view of the harness technicians working to secure Roman’s harness to the spacecraft flight structure.

Over a span of two years, 11 technicians spent time at the workbench and perched on ladders, cutting wire to length, carefully cleaning each component, and repeatedly connecting everything together.  

Space is usually freezing cold, but spacecraft that are in direct sunlight can get incredibly hot. Roman’s harness went through the Space Environment Simulator – a massive thermal vacuum chamber – to expose the components to the temperatures they’ll experience in space. Technicians “baked” vapors out of the harness to make sure they won’t cause problems later in orbit.  

Technicians work to secure Roman’s harness to the interior of the spacecraft flight structure. They are standing in the portion of the spacecraft bus where the propellant tanks will be mounted.  

The next step is for engineers to weave the harness through the flight structure in Goddard’s big clean room, a space almost perfectly free of dust and other particles. This process will be ongoing until most of the spacecraft components are assembled. The Roman Space Telescope is set to launch by May 2027. 

Learn more about the exciting science this mission will investigate on X and Facebook. 

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