Mars "Curiosty" landing on August 5

The Mars rover “Curiosity” will land on the red planet on Sunday August 5, 2012.  Here are some great ideas from NASA to get the kids (and adults) in your summer science program excited about this once in a life time event!

• Host a Mars Gazing Party

On August 5th 2012, viewers can observe Mars in the night sky with a telescope or with the naked eye. At sunset, Mars will sit low in the western sky just above the horizon. Viewers will be able to see the orange planet Mars in between Saturn and the bright star Spica. At this point in its orbit, Mars will be roughly 300 million miles away from Earth and the Curiosity Rover will be only hours away from arriving to this distant orange dot in the night sky.

• Get an overview of Mars

Basic Information on Mars

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mars

Mars Image Collection

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/

3D Images

http://mars3d.jpl.nasa.gov/

• Information about the “Curiosity” landing spot

Destination Gale Crater: August 5, 2012 at 10:31 pm PT

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=3852

Gale's Mount Sharp Compared to Three Big Mountains on Earth

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia15292-Fig2.html

National Parks as Mars Analog Sites

http://www.nps.gov/deva/parknews/mars-and-mojave.htm

• Videos

Curiosity Rover Animation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4boyXQuUIw

Building Curiosity: Landing System Drop Test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YasCQRAWRwU&feature=relmfu

Seven Minutes of Terror

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/videos/index.cfm?v=49

• Additional Information

Official Websites:

http://www.nasa.gov/mars

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html

• Tune in to live coverage of the "Curiosity" rover landing

NASA Media Services Information for Curiosity Rover Landing on 8/5/2012

Landing Coverage begins at 12:00 a.m. EST (9:00 p.m. PST) on the NASA TV Cable Channel:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv

Also, lesson plans and training are available at the following website: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/participate/marsforeducators/soi/

http://www.nasa.gov/mars has a Google map for displaying your Mars MSL events!

Happy space exploring, and stay curious!