Location:
United States

Description:
The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) will play a critical role in NASAís Earth Science Enterprise by monitoring the distribution of aerosols and trace gases in the upper atmosphere, from Earth orbit. The long-term data provided by SAGE III will enable atmospheric scientists to assess possible influences of human activities and natural events and the Earth climate system and other atmospheric processes such as ozone depletion. SAGE III is planned for launch in late 1999. Two additional SAGE III sensors are planned for launch within the next several years, one of which will be placed on the International Space Station. This combination of SAGE III instruments should provide critical measurements well into the next century.

The SAGE III outreach program has selected a project that will help students in grades 9-12 develop hands-on skills in working with scientific equipment. It will also give students experience in collecting, analyzing, and reporting scientific data. The project involves collecting atmospheric data using a small hand-held instrument, a sun photometer. Students can build a sun photometer from inexpensive parts available at Radio Shack. This small hand-held device measures intensity of direct sun light, and can be used to determine attenuation of sun light caused by aerosols and gases in the Earth's atmosphere. The sun photometer is a simplified version of the satellite-based SAGE III instrument, and the measurement concept is basically the same as that of SAGE III.

URL:
http://www-sage3.larc.nasa.gov/solar/

Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LARC)

Cost:
Free

Contact:
David C. Woods, Mail Stop 475, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton VA 23681-0001; Phone: (757) 864-2672; Fax: (757) 864-2671; Email: d.c.woods@larc.nasa.gov  or   Susan C. Walters, Mail Stop 475, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 757 864-5879; Fax: 757 864-2671; Email: s.c.walters@larc.nasa.gov

Education Level:
Kindergarten-Grade 4
Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12

Subject:
Aerosols
Atmosphere
Climate
Global Environmental Change
Greenhouse Effect
Ozone
Remote Sensing
 

Program type:
Research Program
Student Enrichment

Date Added to teachearth.com:
5/1/00