An <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000905e.php">8.6 magnitude earthquake</a> struck on 11 April 2012 off of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, followed by a strong aftershock. Earthquake motion was primarily horizontal. A tsunami warning was issued for the Indian Ocean, but was cancelled at 12:36 UTC. A tsunami was observed at 1 meter or less. Find out more about <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html">earthquake</a> and <a href="/earth/tsunami1.html">tsunami</a> processes. Check out the resources <a href="/teacher_resources/2011_AGU-NESTA_GIFT_Workshop.html">here</a>.<p><small><em>NOAA</em></small></p>This dramatic view of Jupiter's <a href="/jupiter/atmosphere/J_clouds_GRS.html">Great Red Spot</a> and its surroundings was obtained by <a href="/space_missions/voyager.html">Voyager 1</a> on Feb. 25, 1979, when the spacecraft was 5.7 million miles (9.2 million kilometers) from Jupiter. Cloud details as small as 100 miles (160 kilometers) across can be seen here. The colorful, wavy cloud pattern to the left of the Red Spot is a region of extraordinarily complex end variable wave motion.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>There are over 900 <a href="/the_universe/uts/megalith.html">rings of stone</a> located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is of course, <a href="/the_universe/uts/stonehenge.html">Stonehenge</a>. The stones of Stonehenge were put in place between 3,000 B.C and 2,000 B.C. by neolithic people.Some speculate that the site was built as a temple of worship of the ancient Earth deities. Some say it was used as an <a href="/the_universe/uts/stonehenge_astro.html">astronomical observatory</a> of sorts. Still others say it was a burial ground.<p><small><em> Image courtesy of Corel Photography.</em></small></p>March 2012 marks the first anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html">earthquake</a>, <a href="/earth/tsunami1.html">tsunami</a>, and resulting nuclear accident in Japan on <a href="/headline_universe/march112011earthquaketsunami.html">11 March 2011</a>. The tsunami did massive damage, wiping out entire villages and killing ~16,000 people, and leading to one of the most serious nuclear accidents in history. This image shows before and after photos of the area north of Sendai, where 10,000 people were lost.<p><small><em>Photos by <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?hp">GeoEye/EyeQ</a>.</em></small></p>This historic image is the first ever taken from a spacecraft in orbit about <a href="/mercury/mercury.html">Mercury</a>, the innermost planet of the solar system. Taken on 3/29/2011 by <a href="/space_missions/robotic/messenger/messenger.html">MESSENGER</a>, it shows numerous craters across the <a href="/mercury/Interior_Surface/Surface/surface_overview.html">surface</a> of the planet. Temperatures there can reach over 800°F because Mercury is so close to the Sun and rotates so slowly. MESSENGER entered orbit around Mercury earlier in March 2011.<p><small><em>NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington</em></small></p>Anti-crepuscular rays are beams of sunlight that appear to converge on a point opposite the sun. They are similar to crepuscular rays, but are seen opposite the sun in the sky. Anti-crepuscular rays are most frequently visible near sunrise or sunset. This photo of anti-crepuscular rays was taken at sunset in Boulder, Colorado. Crepuscular rays are usually much brighter than anti-crepuscular rays.<p><small><em> Image Courtesy of Carlye Calvin</em></small></p>

Welcome to Windows to the Universe - your portal to discovery! Explore the wealth of information available here to learn about the Earth and Space sciences and related topics in the humanities including mythology, art, poetry, and more.

Windows to the Universe is now offering on-site professional development workshops for teachers. Find out more about this opportunity here. Information about our upcoming workshops and events at the NSTA conference in Indianapolis is available under 2012 on our Teacher Resources/Workshops page.

Windows to the Universe is happy to make available summary results from a survey of Earth and space science educators we conducted from April through August of 2011. Summary survey results are available in two sets:

  • 726 active K-12 US teachers, including responses to 25 questions about demographics, teaching experience, subjects taught, technology use, classroom resources, and more.
  • 329 Windows to the Universe teacher users (307 from the US, 22 International), with responses to more than 50 questions on the above topics, as well as questions regarding their use of Windows to the Universe and associated capabilities.
Windows to the Universe Educator Member Subscribers have free access to these summary results - just login to your account to get access to them. If you're not a member, but would like to get access to both reports, you can join today to get access. Non-members can purchase access to our Survey Summary of Active US K-12 Teachers 2011 through our online store. Summary Survey results from 306 members of the National Earth Science Teachers Association to the same survey (with responses to over 50 questions) are also available to NESTA members on the NESTA website.

NEW Subscription Opportunities for Educators and their Students! - Classroom, School, and District Subscription Options.

Become a Windows to the Universe Member for special services, opportunities, and discounts!

  • No advertising!
  • Members only access to information about valuable special opportunities for classroom grants, professional development with travel and/or stipends, research grants, and more!
  • Personalize your experience with your own My W2U control panel!
  • Full access to a regularly updated calendar of Earth and Space Science Current Events and Opportunities
  • Full access to a regularly updated calendar of major Earth and Space Science Historical Events
  • Access to the Windows to the Universe Journal Tool, which you can use to create your own journals on the site
  • A 10% discount in our online store with mineral and fossil specimens, publications, classroom activities, jewelry, and household items.

Educator Members have free access to our PDF formatted student worksheets, classroom activity descriptions, and supplementary materials in our Teacher Resources Activities section - a $230 value, in addition to other benefits and services for Earth and space science teachers.

Partnerships are now available for scientists, programs, and organizations seeking effective and efficient Education and Outreach or Broader Impacts for their research activities!

Find out more about the project here. The website is available at three levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) using the navigation tabs at the top of each page, as well as in English and Spanish. We really appreciate your comments and suggestions. Thank you for your support!

Windows to the Universe Community

News

Opportunities

Upcoming W2U Events
Join Today - Benefits,
No Ads!
Special Offers for Teachers
Member Benefits
Teacher Newsletter
Partnership Opportunities

Video About Ocean Dead Zones

Oceanographers are using robotic undersea "gliders" to study "dead zones" in the seas. View this video from the National Science Foundation ...Read more
Brought to you by NSF

Cloud Formation and Weather Fronts

Weather fronts can cause clouds to form. Fronts occur when two large masses of air collide at the Earth's surface ...Read more
Brought to you by CMMAP

Hands-on Magnetism Activities

Try out some inexpensive, hands-on magnetism activities. Hands-on activities help learners gain a intuitive grasp of the complexities of magnetic fields ...Read more
Brought to you by CISM

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who lived between 1809-1882. He laid the foundations for the modern science of biology and changed how other scientists understood ...Read more

Saturn

Saturn, the second largest planet in our Solar System, is famous for its magnificent rings. This gas giant has many moons and is the 6th planet from the Sun ...Read more

Upcoming Earth & Space Science Historical Events

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)
Teacher Events Calendar (Educator    Members only)

Did you know?

Do you know what the Cairns of Clava and Newgrange have in common?

Buried Treasure!

Jupiter's Aurora

Jupiter's aurora is a very powerful source of energy. It produces much more power (about a million MegaWatts)...Read more

Shop Windows to the Universe

This beautiful amethyst pendant is available in our online store, along with other jewelry, minerals, fossils, classroom materials, and household items.

Generous sponsorship of Windows to the Universe is provided by the Hewlett Foundation, the American Geological Institute, the American Geophysical Union, the National Science Foundation, NASA, NCAR, and the CISM and CMMAP projects. NASA CMMAP AGU CISM NCAR Hewlett AGI NSF