Planetary science education in Arizona and around the country will get a boost from a collaboration between Tucson’s Planetary Science Institute and NASA.
The private Planetary Science Institute is getting money from NASA to help students use NASA data to make solar system discoveries. Tucson digital media firm Interface Guru is part of the national collaboration that includes research, government and educational organizations involved in planetary science.
Students and citizen scientists will use data from CosmoQuest, a virtual research facility located at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. There, planetary scientists will be encouraged to include their findings.
The Planetary Science Institute also will lead a national effort to increase the number of astronomy related school and regional science fair projects.
The institute reports that fewer than one percent of science fair projects are about planets, even in places like Tucson with prominence in astronomy and planetary exploration and research.