White House Astronomy Night
In 2010 the White House and the Office of Science and Technology Policy organized a similar event with help from Hofstra University, this time held on the National Mall.
The New Moon: Water, Exploration, and Future Habitation, written in 2014 by Arlin Crotts, observed this event and the inclusion of NASA's Lunar Electric Rover in the First inauguration of Barack Obama reflected an emphasis on the importance of science education.
[5] Over twenty such telescopes were placed on the South Lawn of the White House in addition to displays of Moon rocks, meteorites, and presentations of the Solar System.
[6] Bolyard accomplished this through analysis of observations while a member of the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, an initiative aimed at allowing youth access to the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope through joint cooperation between West Virginia University and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
[11] The director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA, Dr. Paul Hertz, attended to talk about astronomy at his institution and to provide information to youth about his field of expertise.
[12] Astronomy Magazine came and staff passed out hand-outs, and groups in attendance to support the event included: the American Geophysical Union, the International Dark-Sky Association, the Carnegie Institution, and Georgetown University.
[12] Instructors dressed as historical figures from astronomy including: Caroline Herschel, Tycho Brahe, and Johannes Kepler to educate children about the field.
[15][16] Obama Administration staff urged him to attend Astronomy Night,[15][16][17] with Press Secretary Josh Earnest calling the incident a "teachable moment" and Science Advisor John Holdren extending a formal invitation.
[24] Team members Chelsea Suddith, Katie Burns, Niles Butts, Andrew Heath, Cristian Ruiz, Cady Studdard and Evan Swinney were requested by the President to stand at the event and speak to the crowd about the rocketry accomplishments, which included achieving victory among contestants at the 2015 International Rocketry Challenge at the Paris Air Show.
[24] The students were able to meet celebrities who attended the event, including Bill Nye, and MythBusters co-hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage.
[25] Florida student Kiera Wilmot attended the event; she gained notice in the press two years prior, after being arrested and charged with a felony when her science project made a loud popping noise.
[26] After the bottle made a loud popping noise, Wilmot was removed from the class, placed in handcuffs, sent to a juvenile detention facility and faced charges of obtaining and utilizing a destructive device.
[26] At the time of her attendance at the White House Astronomy Night, Wilmot was a student at Florida Polytechnic University with a focus in mechanical engineering.
[26] The 2012 book Rising Above the Gathering Storm by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine cited the fact that the Obama Administration hosted the first White House Astronomy Night, as a reflection of the President's support for education in the STEM fields.
