Douglas Space and Science Foundation

08/25/2026

Boost classroom participation and learning with STAR Camp's in-classroom STEM field trips!! This is an incredible opportunity for elementary AND Jr high schools everywhere! Not only do these field trips keep students engaged and excited, but they also teach students about any of the 12+ topics you choose from! From principles of flight to Astronaut training, there are so many topics you can choose from.

Want STAR camp in your school/classroom this upcoming school year? Submit a field trip request for STAR camp today! Submit requests and find more information here: douglassciencecenter.org/classroom-experiences.html

08/24/2026

THIS WEEK in astronomy milestones:
August 24, 2006 — Pluto reclassified
On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally adopted a new definition of a planet. Under that definition, Pluto was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet. WE love Pluto, and SHE was not demoted, just reclassified. :)

August 28, 1993 — Galileo flies past asteroid Ida
NASA's Galileo spacecraft flew past asteroid 243 Ida on August 28, 1993. The images eventually revealed something extraordinary: Ida had its own moon, Dactyl, the first moon ever discovered orbiting an asteroid.

August 25, 2003 — Spitzer launched
On August 25, 2003, NASA launched the Spitzer Space Telescope, designed to observe the universe in infrared wavelengths.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL
Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Find info about STAR camp at
douglassciencecenter.org

08/23/2026

CALLING ALL TEACHERS!! 🗣🗣🗣 STAR Camp is offering in-classroom field trips for K-6 schools!! This is an incredible opportunity for elementary schools everywhere! Not only do these field trips keep students engaged and excited, but these field trips truly help kids learn about any of the 12+ topics you choose from! From principles of flight to Astronaut training, there are so many topics you can choose from.

Want STAR camp in your school/classroom this upcoming school year? Submit a field trip request for STAR camp today! Submit requests and find more information here: douglassciencecenter.org/classroom-experiences.html

Any questions? Leave them down in the comments!

Find info about STAR camp at douglassciencecenter.org

08/22/2026

08/21/2026

Lots of Astronomy Milestones have happened this week in History! Read these and impress your friends and family's with them!

August 18, 1868 — Helium was discovered
During a total solar eclipse, French astronomer Pierre Janssen noticed an unusual yellow spectral line in the Sun's light. English astronomer Norman Lockyer independently observed the same thing and realized it represented an element that had never been identified on Earth. He named it helium, after Helios, the Greek Sun god.

August 20, 1977 — Voyager 2 launched
NASA launched Voyager 2 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Despite its number, it actually lifted off 16 days before its twin, Voyager 1 (Voyager 1 was placed on a faster path and overtook it later). Voyager 2 went on to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Its discoveries fundamentally changed our understanding of the outer Solar System.

August 17, 1877 — Phobos discovered
Asaph Hall discovered Phobos, one of Mars's two moons, at the U.S. Naval Observatory. He discovered its sibling, Deimos, only six days earlier.

Photo credits: Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/KSC, Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/KSC, Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Find info about STAR camp at douglassciencecenter.org

08/20/2026

“By about age 12, I would prefer to stay up and watch the stars than go to sleep. There was just nothing as interesting in my life as watching the stars every night.”
- Vera Rubin

Vera Rubin was an incredible astronomer and an amazing inspiration! Follow along for more quotes like this!

Photo credits: Creator:NASA Goddard

Find info about STAR camp at douglassciencecenter.org

08/18/2026

New Blog Post!!! Meet the new marketing director! (It's me)Access our blog page at douglassciencecenter.org/blog!

Find info about STAR camp at douglassciencecenter.org

08/18/2026

Myth Vs Fact! Myth: Stars in constellations are close together. Fact: Although stars in constellations appear close to us, they're often separated by tens or hundreds of light-years! In reality, stars vary in type, age, brightness, and size, which makes it pure chance that we see them in groups that we call constellations.

Did you know this? Tag your friends who might not know!

Find info about STAR camp at douglassciencecenter.org

08/17/2026

James Webb Space Telescope has taken NEW images of NGC 2392: The Lion Nebula! The Eskimo Nebula, also known as the Clown Face Nebula, Lion Nebula, or Caldwell 39, is a bipolar double-shell planetary nebula. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1787. The nebula's shape and formation resemble a lion's head surrounded by its mane.

Photo Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Find info about STAR camp at douglassciencecenter.org