EdLI - Bringing NASA to Bethpage

Former NASA Consultant Kevin Manning recently visited Clare McCarthy’s third grade class at the Bethpage School District’s Charles Campagne Elementary School.

Mr. Manning worked with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, NASA’s specially designed telescope that can detect X-ray emission by orbiting above the Earth. He shared some unbelievable pictures, footage, and stories of outer space while teaching children about astronomy and the universe.

Mr. Manning also brought with him a telescope and described the sizes of planets as well as their orbit cycles. He led students in a hands-on exercise to better understand how the Earth moves in a 24-hour period, by instructing them to stand up and spin once. Mr. Manning also described how the sun, planets, and small bodies known as comets, asteroids, and meteoroids make up the Solar System, which he explained is located within the Milky Way galaxy - one of about 20 that are in the Local Group.

Campagne students also had the opportunity to view a video footage of the moon and learn about other components of the universe.