Scientist for a Day
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Main: Contest Overview
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Robert T. Mitchell, Cassini program manager, with students from Shirley Avenue Elementary School in Reseda, Calif. The students participated in the pilot edition of Cassini Scientist for a Day in the Fall of 2005. |
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International Cassini Scientist for a Day is a IYA2009 Special Project. |
Cassini Scientist for a Day is an essay contest designed to give students a taste of life as a scientist.
Students study three possible targets that the Cassini spacecraft can image during a given time set aside for education. They are to choose the one image they think will yield the best science results and explain their reasons in an essay.
The next opportunity reserved for this educational activity was Oct. 11, 2009. The spacecraft imaged all three targets: Target 1: Saturn & Rings; Target 2: Tethys & Rings and Target 3: Titan
To celebrate the International Year of Astronomy, this 8th edition of the contest is open to all nations and educational organizations. Each country and/or educational organization is encouraged to run the contest either following our guidelines or customizing them to fit their needs.
These organizations are tasked to collect and judge the essays, and to send the winning entries to the Cassini Outreach Team. Winners and their classmates will be invited to participate in a web-based videoconference with Cassini scientists.
UPDATE: Nov. 16, 2009
The eighth edition of the Cassini Scientist for a Day contest is complete. Congratulations to the winners of our contest. Inside these pages, meet the authors whose essays were judged best in the country as reviewed by Cassini team members. Then look behind the scenes at their entries, and see what it took to come out on top.International contests had later deadlines, and are evaluating their entries.
Students who participated in Cassini Scientist for a Day contest asked scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., questions about Saturn, its magnificent rings and the mysterious moons in its orbit, including Titan and Tethys — targets for the latest edition of the essay contest.
The event has been recorded, and is available on Ustream.
+ Watch the Webcast (63 minutes)
To be notified of all contest updates, send an e-mail to:
scientistforaday@jpl.nasa.gov
(Please write "Add me to the mailing list" in the subject field.)
