White House Hosts Astronomy Night
President Barack Obama is hosting a second White House Astronomy Night.
The event Monday will bring together scientists, astronauts, engineers and visionaries from the astronomy and the space industry fields who will share their experiences with students and teachers as they spend the evening gazing at the stars and the moon from the South Lawn.
The event is being held to promote the importance of a STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — education.
Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old boy, who was recently suspended from school when a teacher mistook his homemade clock for a bomb has also been invited to the event.
The White House says more than 80 national parks, observatories, schools, museums and astronomy clubs have been inspired by Astronomy Night to organize their own stargazing events.
The first White House Astronomy Night was held in 2009. President Obama told middle school students then “There are a lot of mysteries left and there are a lot of problems for you students to solve. And I want to be a president who makes sure you have the teachers and the tools that you need to solve them.”