NASA Digest, Vol 56, Issue 17

	January 29, 2018  MEDIA ADVISORY M18-017 Space Exploration Educators to Speak with NASA Astronaut Aboard Space Station Teachers from across the nation will speak with a NASA astronaut living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 9:35 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 1. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. The teachers, who are attending the 24th Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC) at Space Center Houston, will make the call to Expedition 54 astronaut Joe Acaba aboard the space station, posing questions about life aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans, and doing science in space.                       Acaba arrived at the space station Sept. 12 on his third space mission, and is scheduled to return to Earth in February. SEEC members are leaders in space exploration education throughout the nation. Some 580 teachers are expected to be on-site at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, for the downlink. Media interested in attending the event should contact Ed Ellingson via email at eellingson@spacecenter.org or phone at 281-244-2157. The event will take place at Space Center Houston, 1601 NASA Parkway. Linking teachers directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA's Year of Education on Station, which provides extensive space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators. Follow the astronauts on social media: https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts/ See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:  https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation/
	Press Contacts Sean Potter Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 sean.potter@nasa.gov Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov

	January 29, 2018  MEDIA ADVISORY M18-020 NASA Television to Air Live Coverage of Upcoming Rare Lunar Eclipse Sky-gazers are in for a rare treat Wednesday, Jan. 31, when three celestial events combine to create a super blue blood moon. NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of the celestial spectacle beginning at 5:30 a.m. EST. Weather permitting, the broadcast will feature views from the varying vantage points of telescopes at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; and the University of Arizona's Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory. This event offers a rare opportunity to see a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appears about 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon will pass through Earth's shadow and take on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The total phase of the eclipse will last 1 hour and 16 minutes. The whole process will take more than four hours. If skies are clear, the U.S. West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii will have the best view of totality, from start to finish. For the eastern U.S. and Canada, a clear view will be limited as the Moon sets and the Sun rises during the early stages of the eclipse. The last total lunar eclipse occurred Sept. 27-28, 2015. The next total lunar eclipse visible across North America will occur Jan. 21, 2019. The Jan. 31 eclipse is the third in a series of supermoons in December 2017 and January 2018. Watch the Supermoon Trilogy video. Follow the event online at: https://moon.nasa.gov Join the conversation on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/NASAMoon
	Press Contacts Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov