Then, this past weekend, the 3rd annual U.S. Science and Engineering Festival was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. For three days, April 25 to 27, the public was invited to explore over 3,000 hands-on activities and listen to scientists and engineers from around the country explain their research and show their applied science and engineering at the nation’s largest science festival. The festival aim was to excite young students about careers that rely heavily on science, technology, engineering, and math.
NASA was the anchor exhibit in the Aerospace Pavilion of the festival, with 30 different hands-on demonstrations. At the Landsat exhibit, participants explored a 8 ft. by 10 ft. Landsat mosaic of the Chesapeake Bay on canvas, on the floor. They identified familiar features and landmarks wondering, “Where’s my house?” That question was asked by nearly every visitor including NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.
Further Reading:
+ NASA Participation in the USA Science and Engineering Festival
+ USA Science & Engineering Festival

STELLA: A DIY Handheld Scientific Instrument
If you are looking for a do-it-yourself (DIY) handheld spectrometer, you need to meet STELLA. STELLA (Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment) is a portable scientific instrument developed by