vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Thirsty? Have a comet! | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Asteroids contain some water too, so they may have contributed. 
How can we find out?


 There are still lots of comets in the solar system. The Kuiper Belt is a big region of icy objects, including comets, out beyond the orbit of Neptune. Another region with even more comets is the Oort Cloud. This region is way, way out there. It is about 30 - 50 times farther away than the Kuiper Belt. Comets from either region sometimes go "off course." When they do, they sometimes end up in the inner solar system near Earth. 

 Comet Hartley 2 looks a little like a peanut. It's about 1.25 miles (2 km) long. It probably contains more than enough water to quench your thirst after eating a ton of peanuts!
 A telescope called the Herschel Space Observatory recently made an interesting discovery about a comet. Herschel studied Comet Harley 2 in infrared light. Infrared is a kind of light we cannot see, but we may feel as heat. 
Herschel can point toward a comet and analyze the water molecules in the fuzzy cloud of mist—or coma. This cloud is from the comet's ice boiling off its surface as it gets heated by the Sun. 

But not all water is alike. There are two different types, or "isotopes" of water. One is called "heavy water" and the other is called "light water." Our ocean has a certain proportion of heavy water to light water.

Herschel found that Hartley 2 has half as much heavy water as other comets studied so far. And the proportion of heavy water to light water in this comet matches Earth's ocean! Hartley 2 is from the Kuiper Belt. All the other comets whose water "signatures" have been studied so far come from the Oort Cloud. 

Scientists are surprised at this finding. They didn't think the Kuiper Belt comets were a source of our ocean. They need to study a lot more comets to be more certain. 
But isn't it exciting to discover the possible source of our precious water? It's like an accidental gift from space!
Mars Exploration Science Goals - NASA Science
One reason for this difference is that the Mars crust doesn't move the way it does on Earth, so the total volume of lava piles up into one very large volcano.This evenly layered rock photographed by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows a pattern typical of a lake-floor sedimentary deposit not far from where flowing water entered a lake.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSThe Magnetism of Mars Gives Clues to the Planet's Interior and MoreThe discovery of large areas of magnetic materials on Mars indicates that the planet once had a magnetic field, much as Earth does today. Because magnetic fields in general shield planets from many forms of cosmic radiation, this discovery has important implications for the prospects for finding evidence of past life on the Martian surface. Study of the ancient magnetic field also provides important information about Mars' past interior structure, temperature, and composition. The presence of magnetic fields also suggests that Mars was once more of a dynamic Earth-like planet than it is today.Rocks on Mars Can Tell Us About the Planet's History and Its Potential for Harboring LifeOf fundamental importance are the age and composition of different types of rocks on the Martian surface. Geologists use the age of rocks to determine the sequence of events in a planet's history. Information about rock composition tells them what happened over time. Particularly important is identifying rocks and minerals formed in the presence of water. With an ongoing series of Mars orbiters, landers, and rovers, with increasingly sophisticated tools, we are helping to answer numerous questions, such as what other materials might be trapped in rock with information about Mars' history, and how different rock types are distributed on the surface.Featured VideoSeeking Signs of Life in Ancient Martian RocksNASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is caching rock samples for a future mission to collect and return to Earth. For Mars 2020 Deputy Project Scientist at NASA-JPL Katie Stack Morgan, studying rocks is not only important in the search for ancient life, but it’s also a hobbyCredits: NASA 360Watch VideoNASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is caching rock samples for a future mission to collect and return to Earth.
Activities for Students – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Plan, design, and build your own mission to the Red Planet and tag along for the ride as NASA lands a rover on Mars!TAGS:MarsMissionsPerseveranceCuriosityLearn About MarsPlan Your MissionDesign Your SpacecraftLaunch Your MissionLand on MarsMars HelicopterHelicopterIngenuityMars Sample ReturnRoversSpacecraft

Try it!
Make a volcano with baking soda, vinegar and play dough. Then, add multiple layers that you can investigate like a NASA scientist.

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Make a Volcano

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Make a Volcano

Make a volcano with baking soda, vinegar and play dough. Then, add multiple layers that you can investigate like a NASA scientist.TAGS:EarthGeologyVolcanoLavaDIYLearning SpaceEarth Dayen Españolvideo tutorialSurface OperationsMars Sample ReturnIo FlybyMarsRovers

Try it out!
Learn how to describe rock samples like a NASA scientist. Then, take a quiz to see if you can match edible rocks made of candy bars – and real rocks from Earth and space – to the correct description.

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Describe Rocks Like a NASA Scientist

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Describe Rocks Like a NASA Scientist

Learn how to describe rock samples like a NASA scientist. Then, take a quiz to see if you can match edible rocks made of candy bars – and real rocks from Earth and space – to the correct description.TAGS:AsteroidsCometsEarthEarth's MoonMarsMeteoriteMeteorsGeologyRocksMineralsQuizHalloweenSurface OperationsDARTMars Sample ReturnPsycheMoonsRovers

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Mars Exploration Science Goals - NASA Science
Monitoring the planet for this information over one full Martian year (687 Earth days) and repeated years helps us understand how Mars behaves over its seasonal cycle and guides us toward understanding how the planet changes over millions of years. The layered terrain of Martian polar regions also holds clues about the planet's past, much as a tree's rings provide a record of its history. When and how were these polar layers deposited? Was the climate of Mars ever like that of Earth? And if so, what happened to change the planet into the dry, cold, barren desert it is today? Our current missions are striving to answer those important questions.Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada gives a tour of the Curiosity Mars rover's new home in the “clay unit,” as well as other areas scientists are excited to visit. Find out what they could tell us about watery ancient Mars versus the dry Red Planet we see today. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/U of Arizona/JHUAPL/MSSS/USGS Astrogeology Science CenterCharacterize the Geology of MarsHow did Mars become the planet we see today? What accounts for the differences and similarities between Earth and Mars? Studying Mars' geology helps answer these questions.  We work to understand the relative roles of wind, water, volcanism, tectonics, cratering, and other processes in forming and modifying the Martian surface. For example, Mars hosts incredibly large volcanoes, which can be 10 to 100 times larger than those on Earth. One reason for this difference is that the Mars crust doesn't move the way it does on Earth, so the total volume of lava piles up into one very large volcano.This evenly layered rock photographed by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows a pattern typical of a lake-floor sedimentary deposit not far from where flowing water entered a lake.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSSThe Magnetism of Mars Gives Clues to the Planet's Interior and MoreThe discovery of large areas of magnetic materials on Mars indicates that the planet once had a magnetic field, much as Earth does today. Because magnetic fields in general shield planets from many forms of cosmic radiation, this discovery has important implications for the prospects for finding evidence of past life on the Martian surface.
NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details
Close-ups from the near encounter phases covered 20% of the surface. The spacecraft instruments measured UV and IR emissions and radio refractivity of the Martian atmosphere. Images showed the surface of Mars to be very different from that of the Moon, in some contrast to the results from Mariner 4. The south polar cap was identified as being composed predominantly of carbon dioxide. Atmospheric surface pressure was estimated at between 6 and 7 mb. Radio science refined estimates of the mass, radius and shape of Mars.

Total research, development, launch, and support costs for the Mariner series of spacecraft (Mariners 1 through 10) was approximately $554 million.Alternate Names03837Mariner GMariner Mars 1969Mariner Mars 69BMariner7PL-691Furn:nasa:pds:context:instrument_host:spacecraft.mr7Facts in BriefLaunch Date: 1969-03-27Launch Vehicle: Atlas-CentaurLaunch Site: Cape Canaveral, United StatesMass: 411.8 kgNominal Power: 449 WFunding AgencyNASA-Office of Space Science Applications (United States)DisciplinesPlanetary ScienceSolar PhysicsAstronomyAdditional InformationLaunch/Orbital information for Mariner 7Telecommunications information for Mariner 7Experiments on Mariner 7Data collections from Mariner 7
 Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to:
 Dr. David R. Williams PersonnelNameRoleOriginal AffiliationE-mailDr. Robert F. FellowsGeneral ContactNASA HeadquartersDr. N. William CunninghamGeneral ContactNASA HeadquartersMr. Harris M. SchurmeierProject ManagerNASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryDr. John A. StallkampProject ScientistNASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryMr. Robert A. KennedyGeneral ContactNASA HeadquartersSelected ReferencesCollins, S. A., Mariner 6 and 7 pictures of Mars,
 NASA, SP-263, Wash., D.C., 1971.Stallkamp, J. A., and A. G. Herriman, Mariner Mars 1969 final project report, volume 3 - scientific investigations,
 JPL, Calif. Inst.
PDFs of Space Place activities | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Molecules are tiny structures that make up just about all matter—including you! Molecules themselves are made of atoms, the basic building blocks of matter.
Using just four kinds of atoms as building blocks, you can construct many different types of molecules. In this project, you will build models of some gas molecules. These kinds of gas molecules are part of the air. They are called greenhouse gases. 
Download Gummy Greenhouse Gases Activity PDF
View Gummy Greenhouse Gases Activity

Make Oreo Moon phases! Open up some Oreo cookies and scrape off the creme filling to make the four major phases of the Moon
Download Oreo Moon Phases Activity PDF
View Oreo Moon Phases Activity

"See" inside a closed box! Suppose someone shows you a box and says it contains a mysterious object. Figure out what's in the box without looking or touching and the object is yours!
The box has no lid, but is covered by a piece of paper so you can't see inside. You are allowed to poke small holes in the paper with a sharp, straight stick of some kind, like a knitting needle, but you can't peek inside. How would you discover what's in the box?.
Download Topographical Map Activity PDF
View Topographical Map Activity

Make a topographic map! Build your own mountain and make a topo map of it!
Download Topographical Map Activity PDF
View Topographical Map Activity

Solar System

Color these NASA Coloring Pages! Learn more about the planets in our solar system with these NASA coloring pages.
Find and print a planet coloring page PDF here.

Make planet masks! Learn more about the planets in our solar system with our planet mask activity.
Find and print a planet mask activity PDF here.

Make a comet on a stick! A comet is a chunk of ice, rock, and gas flying through space. When they get close to the sun, they heat up. We can see their glow and long tails. In this activity, you’ll make your own comet that can fly around the room!
Download Comet on a Stick Activity PDF
View Comet on a Stick Activity
NASA’s Curiosity Searches for New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water - NASA
It will take months to fully explore the channel, and what scientists learn could revise the timeline for the mountain’s formation.

The steep path NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took to reach Gediz Vallis channel is indicated in yellow in this visualization made with orbital data. At lower right is the point where the rover veered off to get an up-close look at a ridge formed long ago by debris flows from higher up on Mount Sharp.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UC Berkeley

Once the sedimentary layers of lower Mount Sharp had been deposited by wind and water, erosion whittled them down to expose the layers visible today. Only after these lengthy processes – as well as intensely dry periods during which the surface of Mount Sharp was a sandy desert – could the Gediz Vallis channel have been carved.
Scientists think the boulders and other debris that subsequently filled the channel came from high up on the mountain, where Curiosity will never go, giving the team a glimpse of what kinds of material may be up there.
“If the channel or the debris pile were formed by liquid water, that’s really interesting. It would mean that fairly late in the story of Mount Sharp – after a long dry period – water came back, and in a big way,” said Curiosity’s project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
That explanation would be consistent with one of the most surprising discoveries Curiosity has made while driving up Mount Sharp: Water seems to have come and gone in phases, rather than gradually disappearing as the planet grew drier. These cycles can be seen in evidence of mud cracks; shallow, salty lakes; and, directly below the channel, cataclysmic debris flows that piled up to create the sprawling Gediz Vallis ridge.
Last year, Curiosity made a challenging ascent to study the ridge, which drapes across the slopes of Mount Sharp and seems to grow out of the end of the channel, suggesting both are part of one geologic system.
Viewing the Channel Up Close
Curiosity documented the channel with a 360-degree black-and-white panorama from the rover’s left navigation camera.
All Mars Resources - NASA Science
Vote for your favorite to become "Image of the Week."View GalleryCuriosity Raw ImagesView the latest images taken by the Curiosity rover from Gale Crater.View GalleryMars Resources PackagesExplore this page for a curated collection of Martian resources, including activities that can be done at home, as well as videos, animations, printable graphics, and online interactives.Read MoreReturn to topThe National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.About NASA's MissionJoin UsHomeNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+MissionsHumans in SpaceEarth & ClimateThe Solar SystemThe UniverseScienceAeronauticsTechnologyLearning ResourcesAbout NASANASA en EspañolFollow NASAMore NASA Social AccountsNASA NewslettersSitemapFor MediaPrivacy PolicyFOIANo FEAR ActOffice of the IGBudget & Annual ReportsAgency Financial ReportsContact NASAAccessibilityPage Last Updated:yesterdayPage Editor:SMD Content EditorsResponsible NASA Official for Science:Dana Bolles
Humans to Mars - NASA
NASA is developing life support systems that can regenerate or recycle consumables such as food, air, and water and is testing them on the International Space Station.

 

Power

Like we use electricity to charge our devices on Earth, astronauts will need a reliable power supply to explore Mars. The system will need to be lightweight and capable of running regardless of its location or the weather on the Red Planet. NASA is investigating options for power systems, including fission surface power. 

 

Spacesuits

Spacesuits are like “personal spaceships” for astronauts, protecting them from harsh environments and providing all the air, water, biometric monitoring controls, and communications needed during excursions outside their spaceship or habitat. 

 

Communications

Human missions to Mars may use lasers to stay in touch with Earth. A laser communications system at Mars could send large amounts of real-time information and data, including high-definition images and video feeds.

 

Shelter

An astronaut's primary shelter on Mars could be a fixed habitat on the surface or a mobile habitat on wheels. In either form, the habitat must provide the same amenities as a home on Earth — with the addition of a pressurized volume and robust water recycling system. 

 

 
Featured Story

First CHAPEA Crew Begins 378-Day Mission

The inaugural CHAPEA, or Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, mission began Sunday, June 25, when the four-person volunteer crew…

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Science Objectives
Together with our partners, we will pioneer Mars and answer some of humanity’s fundamental questions: Was Mars home to microbial life? Is it today? Could it be a safe home for humans one day? What can it teach us about life elsewhere in the cosmos, or how life began on Earth? What can it teach us about Earth’s past, present, and future?

Learn More

On Mars, two modest-sized hills, dubbed Twin Peaks by scientists, to the southwest of Pathfinder’s landing site.NASA 

 

 
Featured Story

NASA Reviews Comments on Moon to Mars Objectives

NASA received more than 1,000 ideas from a variety of communities to its deep space exploration objectives in development that…

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Latest News
Discovery Alert: Webb Maps and Finds Traces of Water in an Ultra-hot Gas Giant's Atmosphere - NASA Science
Universe ExoplanetsThe Search for Life in the UniverseStarsGalaxiesBlack HolesThe Big BangDark Matter &amp; Dark EnergyThe Solar System The SunMercuryVenusEarthThe MoonMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto &amp; Dwarf PlanetsAsteroids, Comets &amp; MeteorsThe Kuiper BeltThe Oort CloudSkywatchingEspañol CienciaAeronáuticaCiencias TerrestresSistema SolarUniversoScience All NASA ScienceEarth SciencePlanetary ScienceAstrophysics & Space ScienceThe Sun & HeliophysicsBiological & Physical SciencesLunar ScienceCitizen ScienceAstromaterialsAeronautics ResearchHuman Space Travel ResearchExploreSearchSubmitNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+6 min readDiscovery Alert: Webb Maps and Finds Traces of Water in an Ultra-hot Gas Giant’s AtmosphereklwalboltMay 31, 2023ArticleWASP-18 b, seen in an artist concept, is a gas giant exoplanet 10 times more massive than Jupiter that orbits its star in just 23 hours. Researchers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study the planet as it moved behind its star. Temperatures there reach 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,700 C).NASA/JPL-Caltech (K. Miller/IPAC)There’s an intriguing exoplanet out there – 400 light-years out there – that is so tantalizing that astronomers have been studying it since its discovery in 2009. A year for WASP-18 b, one orbit around its star (slightly larger than our Sun), takes just 23 hours. There’s nothing like it in our solar system. In addition to observatories on the ground, NASA’s Hubble, Chandra, TESS, and Spitzer space telescopes have all observed WASP-18 b, an ultra-hot gas giant 10 times more massive than Jupiter.
Mission to Mars Student Challenge - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Educator Guide 

 Solar System Bead Activity 
Students create a scale model of the solar system using beads and string.

 Science |
 
 1-6 |
 
 30-60 mins 

 Educator Guide 

 Whip Up a Crater 
Use baking ingredients to whip up a Mars-like crater as a demonstration for students.

 Science |
 
 1-6 |
 
 30-60 mins 

 Student Project 

 Make a Moon Crater 
Make craters like the ones you can see on the Moon using simple baking ingredients!

 Science |
 
 1-6 |
 
 30-60 mins 

 Student Video 

 Solar System Size and Distance 
How big are the planets and how far away are they compared to each other? Find out in this video about the scale of our solar system.

 Science |
 
 1-12 |
 
 1 min 

 Educator Guide 

 Exploring the Colors of Mars 
Students use satellite and rover images to learn about the various features and materials that cause color variation on the surface of Mars, then create their own “Marscape.”

 Science |
 
 2-5 |
 
 1-2 hrs 

 Educator Guide 

 Planetary Poetry 
In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.

 Science |
 
 2-12 |
 
 1-2 hrs 

 Student Project 

 Write a Poem About Space 
Are you a space poet, and you didn't even know it? Find out how to create your own poems inspired by space!

 Science |
 
 2-12 |
 
 1-2 hrs 

 Student Article 

 The Mars Rovers 
Read about and compare the rovers NASA has sent to Mars, from Sojourner to Perseverance.

 Technology |
 
 3-6 |
 
 30-60 mins 

 Student Article 

 Why Do We Care About Water on Mars? 
Using images of Mars, read about how NASA begin its search for water on the red planet.

 Technology |
 
 3-6 |
 
 30-60 mins 

 Student Article 

 All About Mars
Discovery Alert: Webb Maps and Finds Traces of Water in an Ultra-hot Gas Giant's Atmosphere - NASA Science
The amounts recorded in WASP-18 b’s atmosphere indicate water vapor is present at various elevations.The team obtained the thermal emission spectrum of WASP-18 b by measuring the amount of light it emits over NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRISS SOSS 0.85-2.8 um wavelength range, capturing 65% of the total energy emitted by the planet. WASP-18 b is so hot on the day side of this tidally-locked planet (the same side always faces its star, as the Moon to Earth) that water vapor molecules would break apart. The Webb Telescope directly observed water vapor on the planet in even relatively small amounts, indicating the sensitivity of the observatory.NASA/JPL-Caltech (R. Hurt/IPAC)‘‘It was a great feeling to look at WASP-18 b’s JWST spectrum for the first time and see the subtle but precisely measured signature of water,’’ said Louis-Philippe Coulombe, a graduate student at the University of Montreal and lead author of the WASP-18 b paper. ‘‘Using such measurements, we will be able to detect such molecules for a wide range of planets in the years to come!’’Researchers looked at WASP-18 b for about six hours with one of Webb’s instruments, the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), contributed by the Canadian Space Agency.‘‘Because the water features in this spectrum are so subtle, they were difficult to identify in previous observations. That made it really exciting to finally see water features with these JWST observations,’’ said Anjali Piette, a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Institution for Science and one of the authors of the new research.The discoverers: More than 100 scientists around the globe are working on early science from Webb through the Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program led by Natalie Batalha, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who helped coordinate the new research.