White House hosting stargazing party tonight 10/7/09

www.whitehouse.gov...

"OSTP is a proud co-organizer of the event, which will bring the President together with 150 local middle-school students and two students (a middle-schooler and a high school student) who have already made notable astronomical discoveries. The event will highlight this Administration’s commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education."

[sarcasm] Didn't know that the white house was prime stargazing territory....something about light pollution...[/sarcasm]

Are there any special celestial events going on tonight?

[edit on 7-10-2009 by lucentenigma]

reply to post by lucentenigma

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Yea, those kids should just go home and play playstation instead and eat potato chips.

The stargazing is far from the point. It is getting kids in astronomy and sciences again. You don't have to be a football player to visit the WH.

These kids have made achievements in science.

Good for them! They deserve the trip. How dare Obama encourage kids to pursue science.

but yes, the light pollution is an issue, wonder if they can get around it.

reply to post by ufo reality

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Obama is just looking for someone else to blame.

On a more positive note, the weather at the White House at 8pm calls for crystal clear skies - 63 degrees - wind from the NW at 12 mph. Perfect for stargazing.

This is awesome!

Perhaps one of these brilliant kids will enlighten the President and provide him with an epiphany and the next morning he will decide to cease all wars and instead provide the money spent on war for space exploration and education for these brilliant young scientists.

If Obama wants to inspire kids then why doesn't he give NASA an ambitious goal? WE still don't know where he plans to take the country's space program... although the clues leave little HOPE.

Giving science students medals and stargazing with them is a good start.

Obama is just getting started for Christs sake! Why does everyone hammer him when he just got here less than a year ago.

I think Obama is a nice change and we will have to wait till the end of term(s) to see if the space program is better off than when he came.

[edit on 7-10-2009 by Wormwood Squirm]

reply to post by Wormwood Squirm

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It makes for a good photo op, but it won't be a persistent motivator for most of the country's kids, only those who get to experience it first hand. Now if they wanted to fire the czars and offer incentives for schools that will offer astronomy and telescope building classes, I'm all for it. No picture can do justice to the view or inspire a kid the way seeing Saturn's rings first hand can. I've seen that breathless moment of personal inspiration countless times when volunteering to help the girl scouts get their astronomy badge, and when I worked at a public observatory.

Additionally, I'm curious as to why they didn't time this a day later to capitalize on the LCROSS mission's big moment? It'll be difficult to see from the white house, and the early morning timing isn't convenient for a politician looking for attention, but you could at least tie the events together by doing it the night before to give more attention to our ongoing space exploration efforts.

[edit on 7-10-2009 by ngchunter]

Okay boys and girls, Think of all of these stars as Americans without health care insurance, and then imagine the costs to take care off all of these Americans, this is why we must have reform, it is why the economy is failing, it is why I brought you all here to star gaze with me. You need to convince your parents that health care reform is good for them and good for the country, spread the news to as many people as you can... I have prepared pages of information and talking points for each of you to take with you when you go, it is all self explanatory and includes easy to understand instructions on how to deal with health care nonsense and ignorance in your parents, others, even online and with friends of yours.

Thank you all again for coming.









[edit on 7-10-2009 by Walkswithfish]

Guess that means Michelle will have to postpone spending the tax payer money on her very expensive weekly White House Wednesday Night cocktail parties... at least for tonight. Or will the adults all be drinking booze and eating kobe beef platters while the kiddies look at the stars?

News story here
ATS thread here