$30,000 NASA Contest

NASA engineers want to squeeze as much power as possible from the wing-like solar arrays on the International Space Station, and the agency has launched a software contest to make it happen, officials announced today (Jan. 17).

NASA to Host Dec. 3 Teleconference About Voyager Mission

NASA will host a media teleconference at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST) on Monday, Dec. 3, to discuss the latest findings and travels of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft.

Name That Asteroid! - Contest

NASA / Goddard / University of Arizona

Contest extended to December 31, 2012!

OSIRIS-REx is going to fly to an asteroid and bring back some pieces. Right now, the asteroid's name is 1999 RQ36, but we think students can do better!  The Planetary Society, MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, and the University of Arizona are asking students around the world to suggest better names for the asteroid.

Enter by December 2, 2012 December 31, 2012to have a chance to name a piece of the solar system!

The contest is open to kids under the age of 18.  To enter, parents or teachers must fill out an online entry form with the proposed name and a short explanation of why that name is a good choice. 

Asteroids can't be named just anything, of course.  The International Astronomical Union governs the naming of big and small objects in the solar system, and they have guidelines on how to name near-Earth objects like 1999 RQ36.

For more information visit: http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/contests/osirisrex/

Name That Asteroid Contest (Grades K-12)

Students worldwide have an opportunity to name an asteroid from which an upcoming NASA mission will return samples to Earth. Scheduled to launch in 2016, the mission is called the Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx. The competition is open to students under age 18. Each contestant can submit one name, up to 16 characters long. Entries must include a short explanation and rationale for the name. The contest deadline is Dec. 2, 2012. 

For contest rules, guidelines, and application visit: http://planetary.org/name. 

For more information about the OSIRIS-REx mission, visit: http://osiris-rex.lpl.arizona.edu.

Source: NASA

Negative Space 2012 - Contest

This is an Advanced level contest

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Negative space can be a place your mind retreats to when things aren't going well, but in this contest, we will use negative space in a much more positive way.

Many successful photographs have a subject that stands out. Using negative space, you can accentuate an interesting subject. Patterns and texture are ok to use as long as they don't detract from your main focus.

In this contest, you are to accentuate your subject by using empty space. To do that, the background should be monotonous and boring yet also complement the subject as in 'Fog's Gate' by mangoslushy

NOTE: Quality will be strictly enforced in this contest. So please bring us your best and don't be offended if your picture is disqualified.

Important Notice:

All entries must abide by the the entry requirements as stated in the FAQ.

A full list of editing allowances and restrictions can be found here

Dark Matter Contest Enlists the Masses - offering prizes of $12,000, $5,000 and $3,000

This Hubble Space Telescope composite image shows a ghostly "ring" of dark matter in the galaxy cluster Cl 0024+17.
CREDIT: NASA, ESA, M.J. Jee and H. Ford (Johns Hopkins University) 

The nature of dark matter has stumped astronomers for decades, so now they're turning to the masses for help.

2013 Space Foundation International Student Art Contes

More Information on http://www.spacefoundation.org

Space art competition for kids

More art and science are colliding! The Lunar and Planetary Institute is hosting the Humans in Space Youth Art Competition. Kids from anywhere in the world ages 10 – 18 are encouraged to express their feelings about human spaceflight using "…visual, literary, musical and video artwork".

I’m a big supporter of scientific art, and I think this is a great idea. If you’re that age, or know someone who is, let them know! The deadline for submitting the work is midnight U.S. Central Standard Time, November 15, 2012. The website has the details.

NASA Space Settlement Contest

This annual contest, co-sponsored by NASA Ames and the National Space Society (NSS) is for all students up to 12th grade (18 years old) from anywhere in the world. Individuals, small teams of two to six, and large teams of seven or more are judged separately. Entries are also grouped by age/grade of the oldest contestant for judging. The age groups are 7th and under, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th. The grand prize is awarded to the best entry regardless of contestant age. Students develop space settlement designs and related materials. These are sent to NASA Ames for judgement. Submissions must be received by March 15, 2013. For more detail: http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/Contest/