HIGH BRIDGE - Borough resident Theresa Moody from the New Jersey Astronomy Center (NJACE) at Raritan Valley Community College has been selected for a special NASA program for educators.

The Astronomy Educator/Program Manager will participate in NASAs Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which will become a flying classroom for educators in the next few months.

As a SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador, Moody will join one of 12 two-person teams representing educators from 10 states. Each will be paired with a professional astronomer to observe first-hand how airborne infrared astronomy is conducted. After their flight opportunities, Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors will take what they learn back to their classrooms and into their communities to promote science literacy.

SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP jetliner fitted with a 100-inch effective diameter telescope.

The aircraft flies at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet above the water vapor in the Earths atmosphere, and collects data in the infrared spectrum.

Moody and her teacher partner, Margaret Holzer of Chatham High School, will participate in the SOFIA flight during the week of May 10.

Holzer and Moody will co-design a variety of investigations on Light and the electromagnetic spectrum.

These investigations will be designed to integrate the new Science and engineering practices as described in Next Generation Science Standards and will draw on existing NASA resources and investigations.

Once designed, Holzer will implement these new investigations into her high school classroom and Moody will include them in workshops offered at NJACEs Science Education Institute.

SOFIA offers educator teams unprecedented access to infrared astronomers and the unique capabilities of an airborne observatory, said John Gagosian, SOFIA program executive at NASA Headquarters. Previous Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors teams have witnessed SOFIAs world-class astronomical science and have used this experience in hundreds of science, technology, engineering and math teaching opportunities throughout the United States.

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High Bridge resident and RVCC official chosen to participate in NASA program for educators