Lift Off....December 2006 Mission of the Month: SPACE PARTY 1-2-3
This month, the NASA shuttle Discovery sets out for the International Space Station. As the astronauts take flight, why not make your own star trek? With CYFERnet's "Mission of the Month" Space Parties, it's easy to explore the universe without leaving home. Each activity teaches youth about the nightly happenings in the winter sky:
1) While peering through a telescope in the dead of winter has its place, there's a simpler (and warmer) way to see the cosmos. STELLARIUM sets your ground coordinates and presents a photo-realistic sky, complete with constellations, planets and nebulas.
2) If you've always wanted to go to infinity and beyond, here's your chance. CELESTIA lets you experience outer space in 3-D as you travel beyond our solar system, in any direction, and at any speed or moment in time.
3) Satellites move quickly, but the HEAVENS-ABOVE Web site can help you locate them. Just enter your ground location and receive orbital data on the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope and many others.
Take a break from the holiday mania and escape to another galaxy with a virtual trip into outer space--no spaceship or tuition fees required. Connect, accept your mission, and lift off today! Visit http://www.cyfernet.org/4htech/missions.html for complete details.