NASA Earth Science Exhibits Open in Smithsonian Museum (Forwarded)

Grey Hautaluoma/Erica Hupp
Headquarters, Washington April 11, 2006
(202) 358-0668/1237

Randall Kremer
National Museum of Natural History, Washington
(202) 633-0817

RELEASE: 06-182

NASA EARTH SCIENCE EXHIBITS OPEN IN SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM

NASA has announced two new exhibits, "Atmosphe Change in the Air"
and "Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely," opening April 15 at the
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington. The
exhibits, part of the museum's "Forces of Change" series, feature
scientific data from NASA and other agencies on the Earth's changing
climate.

Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.,
contributed movies, interactive computer data, and stunning satellite
images to launch the two exhibits.

"Atmosphe Change in the Air" focuses on the Earth's atmospheric
composition and chemistry. The latest results from NASA's Aura
satellite, the third in series of large Earth-observing satellites,
are featured.

Ernest Hilsenrath, atmospheric scientist at NASA Headquarters,
Washington, said, "The 'Atmosphere' exhibit highlights the research
NASA is conducting to better understand the connection between
atmospheric composition and climate change. We hope this exhibit will
enhance the public's awareness of how unique our atmosphere is and
the impact humans can have on our global environment."

Visitors can learn about these changes through several movies. The
first movie takes the viewer from space through the solar system,
highlighting the atmospheres of each planet. It ends on Earth in
Washington, D.C. with a zoom in to the National Mall. The second
movie is a lighthearted description of oxygen's tendency to oxidize,
or react with other molecules, which is how fires, rust and the ozone
in air pollution are generated. Ground-level ozone also acts as an
oxidizer and is harmful to human and ecosystem health. A third movie
takes the viewer on a journey over 20 years to see how the ozone hole
over Antarctica has changed.

The exhibit features an interactive computer, where visitors learn how
changes in oxygen, carbon dioxide and ozone amounts can affect the
Earth. Visitors see how carbon dioxide and ground-level ozone are
associated with fossil fuel combustion and affect the air we breathe.
Ozone near the Earth is a pollutant and a component of smog. Ozone
high in the atmosphere protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful
ultraviolet radiation. Amounts of this ozone have been in decline due
to the release of ozone-destroying chemicals.

Satellite images from NASA's Aura satellite show visitors how
pollution travels around the world. The images show how great dust
storms crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans can affect air
quality far from their sources. The exhibit also includes specimens
from the museum's paleobiology and meteorite collections.

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
both contributed information to "Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely,"
the second exhibit in the "Forces of Change" gallery. This exhibit
shows how a changing climate has affected Arctic temperatures, sea
ice and area life.

Much of the data and material for the images were provided by
scientists at NASA and those in academia whose research is supported
by NASA. "Satellite capabilities provide an important perspective for
understanding how the Arctic is changing," said Dr. Waleed Abdalati,
head of the Cryospheric Sciences Branch at Goddard, who reviewed
materials for the exhibit. "By providing new views of the entire
Arctic against the backdrop of the larger Earth system, we provide a
new appreciation and context for how this cold and remote region fits
into the global picture."

NOAA offered support for the exhibit and worked closely with the
Smithsonian Institution to frame the content and develop specific
topics and materials. The exhibit also explores how changes in the
Arctic are monitored by scientists and polar residents. Visitors will
see the challenges scientists face while working in extreme
conditions and some of the technology that helps gather critical data
to monitor changing conditions.

Visitors will also see objects from the Smithsonian's anthropology
collections, photographs, scientific data such as the Arctic
temperature record from 1900 to the present day, and a 2-3 minute
video, "Eyewitness to Change." The video takes visitors to the Inuit
community of Sachs Harbour in the Canadian Arctic. Residents discuss
climate changes and how they have affected their lives. The exhibit
is also funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

For more information about this exhibition the Web, visit:
http://www.mnh.si.edu/

For more information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home