Tuesday, 11 January 2005: 11:30 AM
Science Communication Efforts in Space Weather: Benefits and Challenges of the "Weather" Analogy
Research programs in both the space weather and terrestrial weather realms have education & public outreach programs integrated into them. Communication efforts associated with space weather both benefit and are compromised by analogies to terrestrial weather. One example is the common use of terms like "storm" and "wind". This paper will summarize the benefits and challenges of the terrestrial weather analogy in the extensive science communication efforts of the Space Weather Outreach Project (SWOP) at the Space Science Institute. This multi-faceted project has included the design, development, and tour of a space weather traveling exhibit, public talks and teacher workshops at exhibit host sites, development of a Family Guide to the Sun for informal learning environments, and an innovative public website with well-acclaimed interactives (e.g. "Magneto Golf"). SWOP has been jointly supported by research divisions of both NSF and NASA. The SWOP PI is author Dusenbery.
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