A new NASA-UAF collaboration offers a creative way to explore the wonders of the Sun and its impact on our planet.
📍 United States, Alaska
A stunning new coloring book, “Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun-Earth System in Color,” has been released in partnership between NASA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Featuring twenty-eight full-color pages, the book is designed to engage students and adults alike, offering a fun and interactive way to learn about complex scientific concepts. The book’s illustrations and accompanying facts cover ten key themes, from the Sun’s magnetic field and solar wind to the mesmerizing aurora borealis and eclipses, all while explaining how the Sun influences Earth. The book's design specifically targets grades 6-12 and adults, offering a bridge between scientific understanding and artistic expression.
The creation of this unique coloring book was a truly collaborative effort, involving teams from NASA, Oregon State University, the UAF International Arctic Research Center, and the Geophysical Institute’s outreach and design teams. Crucially, the project incorporated the knowledge of 13 Alaska Native language speakers, ensuring the inclusion of solar terms in seven Indigenous languages, alongside a comprehensive glossary of scientific terms. This integrated approach recognizes and celebrates Alaska’s rich linguistic diversity, aiming to promote further learning and engagement with these languages.
Lynda McGilvary, leading the Geophysical Institute’s education outreach team, emphasized the project’s significance, stating, “It leveraged the strengths of each organization in a way that resulted in something that will support the goal of increasing America’s heliophysics literacy one coloring page at a time.” The coloring book represents a tangible outcome of NASA’s long-standing relationship with UAF, demonstrating a commitment to scientific advancement, community engagement, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
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NASA UAF ColoringBook ScienceEducation Heliophysics Alaska SpaceScience STEM