Lost in space: Obama, stargazing guests

By Alexander C. Hart

In a brief diversion from terrestrial concerns, President Obama turned his eyes to the cosmos Wednesday night as he hosted 150 middle-school students for an evening of stargazing and science at the White House.

With moon rocks, meteorites and 20 telescopes on the South Lawn as backdrop, Obama told the crowd:

"As long as we've been around, we've been trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe. Don't let anybody tell you that there is knowledge that is beyond your reach."

Alluding to an event earlier in the day, when he presented the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, Obama asked: "Which one of you is going to come back here to claim your prize? Are you going to find a new star or a cure for a new disease?"

Several students raised their hands and shouted, "Me!"

Obama introduced two 15-year-olds as examples: One had discovered a supernova, the other a pulsar.

The astronomy night, part of an effort to stir interest in science, included stars on the ground as well as in the sky. Among them: astronauts Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon; Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space; and John Grunsfeld, known as the "Hubble repairman" for all the upgrades and repairs he has made to the space telescope.

(President Barack Obama , above, watches as first lady Michelle Obama looks through a telescope to star gaze n the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) See the full report on the White House stargazing in Tribune newspapers and here in the Swamp:)

Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama peered through a telescope at twin stars in the constellation Lyra, 160 light-years away. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles.

"That's really far away," the president said.

Then students took advantage of the cloudless night and peered through the telescopes at Jupiter, the moon and stars. They could also watch a 3-D video tour of the universe, showing under an inflatable white dome with NASA's logo.

Ride also participated in a Web chat. She encouraged students to study, warning them not to "believe that you have to be brilliant to get into science." She told parents and teachers that it was easy to get kids excited "if you can show them connections to the real world."

This is the International Year of Astronomy, which will culminate in January, the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first observation of Jupiter with a telescope, when he discovered its four largest moons.

People around the world are being encouraged to look at Jupiter and our own moon this month. NASA, as part of a water-hunting mission on the moon, is crashing a probe into the lunar surface Friday morning; it will be shown live on the Internet.

The White House event comes a month after a panel told Obama that NASA didn't have nearly enough money to complete its goals, which include returning astronauts to the moon by 2020 and later sending a manned mission to Mars. In a summary report, the Human Space Flight Plans Committee said that NASA would need at least $3 billion a year beyond its current $18.69 billion to fulfill its goals.

Obama appointed the panel, which includes Ride, to review the George W. Bush administration's Vision for Space Exploration, analyze NASA's agenda and explore alternatives.

The panel is expected to deliver a final version of the report in the next few months.