On September 14, Goddard celebrated International Observe the Moon Night with a community event. Telescopes and informational booths were set up to inspire and educate the nearly 500 participants who attended.

Outreach specialist Michael Taylor manned the Landsat table, working alongside other communications and public engagement staff in the Earth Science section of the event. He drew in both kids and adults with a light-up moon  and a hands-on activity that used the STELLA DIY handheld spectrometer to measure the spectral signatures of images and leaves. He explained that Landsat turns to the moon each month to calibrate its sensors.

Once he established Landsat’s connection to the moon, Taylor presented an intro to remote sensing. Taylor prompted participants to interpret Landsat images, asking them to consider what information was being portrayed by false-color images. He showed Landsat images of vegetation in Las Vegas, Mount St. Helens, and a burn scar. After participating in these activities, attendees could flip through the Landsat Benefits book and take home booklets about the electromagnetic spectrum.

Children were excited by the hands-on activities, while adults showed genuine interest in remote sensing. Many were particularly drawn to Landsat’s role in monitoring agriculture and plant health on Earth. Taylor said that the bulk of attendees were surprised to learn that Landsat was calibrated using the moon, and that the moon’s lack of atmosphere made it a great reference point for calibration. They walked away with a greater understanding of how Landsat works and its importance for monitoring changes on the Earth’s surface.