July 3, 2015

An astronaut, a NASA astrophysicist and members of the astronomy club from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland took to the back lawn of the White House for a Girl Scouts campout hosted by Michelle Obama on Tuesday night.
Using telescopes provided by the Goddard Astronomy Club, 50 Girl Scouts from Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia and Oklahoma learned about the constellations and watched Venus and Jupiter converge in the night sky. The Girl Scouts also gazed at the Moon and Saturn with President Barack Obama and the first lady, who joined the girls in camp sing-alongs.
Astronaut Cady Coleman spoke to the Girl Scouts about NASA’s telescopes in space, and astrophysicist Amber Straughn helped point out constellations and celestial objects scouts could see with the telescopes.
“I always love teaching elementary school kids more about astronomy,” said Allison Evans, vice president of the Goddard Astronomy Club. “They aren’t afraid to ask really good questions and unreservedly exclaim things like ‘I can see it! Wow!’ You could hear them discussing what they saw even after leaving the telescopes.”
This was the first ever campout held at the White House, and it took place as part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! program. As part of this anti-childhood obesity campaign, the Girl Scouts spent the evening participating in outdoor activities like rock wall climbing, stargazing and orienteering that earned them new outdoor badges.

Image: (Bottom) President Barack Obama speaks with Joseph Novotko, Senior Systems Engineer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center at the first-ever White House Campout with Girl Scouts as part of the Let's Move! Outside initiative on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 in Washington, DC. NASA provided telescopes and led a stargazing activity with scientists and astronaut Cady Coleman in attendance.