[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 0 - 10:33:47 ]
Today's QuestChat with Astronomer Sten Odenwald will begin in just 25 short minutes! Be sure to have your questions ready!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 1 - 10:44:40 ]
When Sten was a boy... "I was in love with dinosaurs, human anatomy, ancient Egypt, chemistry sets, electronics, microscopes, collecting rocks, collecting and 'pickling' animals in glass jars, raising gopher snakes, hamsters, rabbits, salamanders, lizards...all of this before I was 11 years old. It was thrilling to learn something new, with no care at all about whether it was practical or 'not cool' to be that curious."

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 2 - 10:45:39 ]
When Sten was 10... "...my Papa showed me the stars one night. I can honestly say I had never paid them any attention at all until that night. Within a year I had my own telescope, was building a telescope, and had read every book in my school and public library on astronomy. I had a ravenous appetite for space and read science-fiction books by the score, over 100 novels during my peak year in 9th grade!"

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 3 - 10:48:04 ]
Think about all the things you LOVE to do and how you might use one of those things to get involved in a career in science :-)

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 5 - 11:04:06 ]
RE: [CharlotteMary-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Well Hello there Mr.Odenwald
Hi!! How are you all doing? Are you ready for some fun??

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 6 - 11:05:34 ]
RE: [CharlotteMary-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Well Hello there Mr.Odenwald
Hi Charlotte and Mary! Glad you could make it today :-) Send in your questions to Sten as he is ready to type!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 13 - 11:10:52 ]
RE: [Lara-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Does the type of star affect the rate in which it spins
Yes...in many ways. A huge red giant star spins very slowly because it used to be a star like the sun spinning once every month or so, but like an ice scater it now is 100 times larger and must spin, probably, once every year or longer....pulsars are compact stars and spin 100s of times a second...same principle.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 20 - 11:12:33 ]
RE: [JasmineLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] During your work life, did you ever want to change your career?
Yes...Sometimes you hit periods when the work is so redious and unrewarding you really want to bail out. But the longer you stay in the career, the less this becomes a realistic option. Other times, you are having such a good time you cant imagine doing anything else...its like any other career.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 23 - 11:13:54 ]
RE: [Bennett-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Do you like your job?
Yes, because I love exploring new ideas and hearing about new discoveries every week .Stuff you never hear about in the newspapers. Mostly I like telling other people about new things we have discovered.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 25 - 11:14:34 ]
Question from Yash/Montessori School/Corona, CA: What is the flame shape object near T Tauri?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 26 - 11:14:44 ]
RE: [DeanHaggard/LTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] How do you prepare for observing the stars?
Thats a very complicated question and it all depends on what kinds of instruments you are going to use and the kinds of data you are looking for. I cant give you a 'standard' answer.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 30 - 11:15:34 ]
RE: [Bennett-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Tell me something about The Orion Constilation?
Oh...the stars in it are only about 50-70 million years old. Betelgeuse will become a supernova within the next million years.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 35 - 11:17:06 ]
RE: [Lara-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Do we know for sure that the universe is endless?
We are getting very close to an answer to this. It all depends on whether the cosmological constant is big or small. If it is big, we will have a universe that will expand forever, but where space is at all times finite.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 38 - 11:17:39 ]
Question from Ashley/Montessori School/Corona, CA: In the old open star cluster Messier 67, why is the star shaped like a diamond?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 40 - 11:18:16 ]
RE: [Anna-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] When will habitation on mars be possible? Is there a hole on top of the North Pole, that is being guarded for extraterrestrial life forms? Can you get the school a real photograph of the North and South Pole?
We will probably make it to mars in the next 40 years or so, but we will have to live inside a pressurized dome or underground living quarters.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 46 - 11:20:01 ]
RE: [ErikWeber/LTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] I know sunspot activity effects the particles in the ionosphere, but are there any other earth patterns it effects?
Sunspots and the solar activity they seem to trace may have some impact on the overall world climate. Solar activity also modulates the inflow of cosmic rays to the earth.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 47 - 11:20:02 ]
DEAR LEXINGTON STUDENTS: You are the only classroom on right now-- lucky you! However, you are swamping Sten with your questions :-) Please hold on for 5 minutes and let poor Sten catch up! He's typing as fast as he can! Thanks :-)

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 48 - 11:20:13 ]
RE: [John-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] What frequencies come from deep space?
All of them.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 51 - 11:21:04 ]
RE: [Rachel-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] What hobbies do you have? How do they help you in your work?
I enjoy writing for the public..articles...books...stuff like that. This helps with educating the public about space and science.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 61 - 11:24:35 ]
RE: [BeccaSharerLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Who do you want to thank for helping you get to where you are today and why?
This may sound like very selfish thing to say, but I thank my own stubborness. Parents and friends may supply you with some social support, but at the end of the day, you have to rely on your own inner resolve and how badly you feel you want to be involved with a particular career.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 62 - 11:25:07 ]
RE: [Emily-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Do you like space?
I think space is incredably mysterious, and there are things about it that scare the bejeebers out of me!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 65 - 11:27:24 ]
RE: [ChrisBrelandLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] How do you want the world to respond to your work?
My research and discoveries are probably not as important as my committment to help others understand the physical world and not dismiss it as irrelevant. I guess I would like the 'world' to recognize my modest accomplishments in this area, and not so much my research, which in the grand scheme of things isn't that unique to who I am as an individual.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 66 - 11:28:09 ]
RE: [ErikWeber/LTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Have you ever had a chance to see pictures from or use the Hubble Space Telescope?
Oh yess..I visit the HST photo gallery every week to see whats new! Wonderful stuff!! But other satellites have their great imagery too!!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 67 - 11:28:10 ]
From Yash/Montessori School/Corona, CA: What is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 68 - 11:28:46 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] From Adam/Montessori School/Corona, CA: Why are the stars lined up in the star cluster galaxy?
Hmmm..im not sure I understand what you mean...do you mean a particular constellation?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 69 - 11:29:11 ]
RE: [flaby-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Were you ever a member of the Boy Scouts?!
yes...i was an Eagle Scout in 1969!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 70 - 11:29:39 ]
RE: [Yash4thgrade/MontessorischoolofCorona-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] Hi Sandy! This is Yash. My class and Miss Mock is busy so Im going to look up our questions ok.
Yash, that's great! I'm sooooo happy to see that you made it to Sten's chat! Fire away...

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 74 - 11:31:33 ]
RE: [JasmineLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Out of all the things you study in your career, what fascinates you the most?
Hmmm...that's a hard one. I think the thing that really gets me wondering is the nature of the vacuum 'state' as we call it in physics. It is actually another name for the gravitational field of the universe which isnt 'nothing' and this is just another name for space and time themselves...out of this gravitational field, came the Big BAng and everything we see around us. We still dont really know what gravitational fields are...but they are very very 'fundimental'

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 78 - 11:32:42 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] From Yash/Montessori School/Corona, CA: What is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?
Well... The Milky Way has a bunch of dwarf galaxies near it, but the closest I think are the MAgellanic Clouds ate about 170,000 light years or so. the Milky Way is actually eating them up!!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 82 - 11:34:15 ]
RE: [DanWorkman-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] What is your favorite constellation and why?
Well...I guess it would be Orion, but I have actually not thought about it very much. All the constellations are like jewelry boxes, and contain very wonderful stars, nebulae and galaxies.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 83 - 11:34:59 ]
RE: [Danny-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] What is your favorite planet?
I guess it would have to be jupiter...because of all the amazing things that are going on in its atmosphere and surroundings!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 85 - 11:35:30 ]
RE: [Seth-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] How old were you when you first were interseted in space???????
10 years old. before then I never even recall looking at the stars at night!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 88 - 11:37:04 ]
RE: [JasmineLeonardLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Up until the present time, what has been your greatest discovery?
My collegues and I spent the last 4 years searching for signs of ancient galaxies in the infrared light from deep space...and we have discovered it at last. Our paper will be in the Astrophysical Journal by November. It's a major finding in cosmology for those of us who study how galaxies were formed long ago.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 90 - 11:37:42 ]
RE: [BrandonFoleyLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Do you plan to be a part of the Mars mission
yes...i will be back here on earth watching it in the Internet with millions of other participants!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 92 - 11:38:42 ]
RE: [MattCarr/Ltms-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Did you ever dream of going to outerspace?
No...because it is too risky. A funny thing happens after you have children. You want to live a long life to enjoy them, and you avoid as many risks as you can that would shorten your life!!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 93 - 11:39:58 ]
RE: [WilliamConnerLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] At what point did you decide to become interested in astronomy?
When I was 10 years old my Papa showed me Orion, and the next day i started reading every book on space i could get my hands on at the school library. It was real intense!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 99 - 11:42:10 ]
RE: [Anna-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] How do you think the earth will be preservered after the ozone layer is destroyed because of pollution?
Yes...but dont write off the ozone layer so soon. It will continue to weaken for a few more decades or so, but we have begun to stop the pollution, and by late next century things will be Ok again...of course a few million people will have gotten a bout of skin cancer meanwhile. I was operated on last year for a small 1/4 inch cancerous tumor on my back! I now use SunBlock 2000!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 100 - 11:42:28 ]
RE: [TedPacholikLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Do you know of any other planets where people could live?
Nope...this is it!!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 102 - 11:43:34 ]
EVERYONE: THERE ARE ONLY 15 MINUTES LEFT IN TODAY'S CHAT WITH STEN! AND THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MANY OF THEM! IF YOU CAN STAND IT, PLEASE HOLD UP SENDING ANYMORE QUESTIONS. OTHERWISE, THERE IS NO GUARENTEE THAT YOUR QUESTIONS WILL GET ANSWERED. thanks :-)

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 103 - 11:43:39 ]
RE: [MatthewCarr/LTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] How old were you when you first got invovled with NASA?
I was 37 years old and had just finished my PostDoc when I was hired buy a company that does science/education work for nasa.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 104 - 11:44:08 ]
RE: [JohnBowmerLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] How long does it usually take to get back "To normal" after a space mission?
I dont know...im not an astronaut..perhaps a month?

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 105 - 11:44:24 ]
RE: [BeccaSharer/LTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Are any of your children or other family members interested in studying space?
No.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 107 - 11:44:52 ]
RE: [Neeraj4thgrade/MontessorischoolofCorona-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] How far away is the nearest galaxy?
That would be the Large Magellanic Cloud at about 170,000 light years.

BeccaMaryKatieandChrisLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl - 109 - 11:45:12 ]
Thankyou for chatting with us today : )

[ charlottemary-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl - 110 - 11:45:13 ]
Well Mr.Oldenwald...thank you for your time today to answer our questions. Thanks for your help.

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 112 - 11:45:36 ]
RE: [DanWorkmanLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Did you ever play in the band or orchestra?
No...but I corrected that deficiency my getting married to a musician who plays the piano wonderfully!

[ JasmineWadkinsLTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl - 113 - 11:46:07 ]
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH YOU!!! WE REALLY APPRECIATED AND ENJOYED THIS TIME WITH YOU!! GOODBYE!!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 114 - 11:46:42 ]
RE: [LaraBjork/LTMS-Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Thank you so much for letting us in here!!!
Hi everyone...sorry to see you all go all at once :< I hope my answers were what you were looking for!!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 115 - 11:46:53 ]
RE: [Mr.Salmons/LexingtonTraditionalMagnetSchl] Thank you for taking the to answer all of our questions.
Thanks for joining us today Mr. Salmons! Your kids asked LOTS of terrific questions!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 116 - 11:48:17 ]
If Mrs. Mock's students are still here (Yash, Neerja) you can still ask Sten a few more questions :-)

[ Yash4thgrade/MontessorischoolofCorona-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona - 117 - 11:51:13 ]
Thanks for answering our questions Sten we ll see you again!

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 118 - 11:52:26 ]
RE: [Yash4thgrade/MontessorischoolofCorona-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] Thanks for answering our questions Sten we ll see you again!
Ok...So long for now!!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 124 - 12:02:09 ]
EVERYONE: It's time to let Sten get back to work! Thank you for joining us. Be sure to let us know how we did by filling out the short chat survey at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys

[ StenOdenwald/Astronomer - 125 - 12:02:36 ]
RE: [Yash4thgrade/MontessorischoolofCorona-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] What do you think of the 2MASS photos?
Hi! Funny you should ask...I am actually working with 2MASS data in my research. the pictures of the infrared sky are spectacular, and let you see inside dense interstellar clouds to see stars being formed!!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 127 - 12:06:34 ]
RE: [YashNeeraj4thgrade/MontessorischoolofCorona-Mrs.Mock/MontessoriSchoolofCorona] Thanks Sten! When is your next chat? We would like to know!
The Quest Project is still trying to work out a summer chat schedule. Sten will not be chatting anymore during May. Check out our schedule in the next 2 weeks for a list of summer chats: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events