Margo Thornton
2025 Limited Opportunity Seed Grant Awardee
Project Description
NASA Stargazing Series
The NASA StarGazing Series (NSGS) aims to bridge the information gap between NASA’s scientific discoveries and under-resourced community college students by combining social media engagement and in-person outreach events. Building on the success of the NASA Community College Symposium (NCCS), the project will foster curiosity, connect students to research opportunities, and increase awareness of less-publicized areas of space science. The project consists of two main components: Ambassadors of the Cosmos (AOTC) and NSGS Events. AOTC is a social media platform on Instagram that will share engaging content about NASA missions, such as Saturn’s hexagonal north pole and gravitational wave targets, while also promoting STEM careers. This content will be developed by astronomy student volunteers at San Diego State University (SDSU), who will conduct mini-research projects to highlight space science discoveries.
The NSGS Events will feature a series of interactive activities and stargazing opportunities designed to engage both students and the general public. Each event will include a keynote presentation by a NASA Subject Matter Expert (SME), sharing insights into their work and career journey. Interactive stations such as the Space Swag Station will offer Jeopardy-style trivia games with mission-themed giveaways like stickers and infographics, while Feel the Cosmos in 3D will allow participants to explore 3D-printed models of galaxies, exoplanets, and star clusters. At the Ask an Astronomer Anything (AAA) station, attendees can ask astronomy experts about space science and career pathways. Additionally, the Stargazing Station will feature two eVScopes operated by SDSU astronomy students, allowing attendees to view celestial objects and download images as keepsakes from The Space Vault.
The NSGS events will be piloted at the Fleet Science Center’s Fleet After Dark series before expanding to larger collaborations with the Pacific Beach Run Club and Beach Movie Night to reach a broader audience. Promotional efforts will include social media campaigns, flyers, and partnerships with the NASA Community College Network (NCCN) to maximize attendance and engagement. By combining social media storytelling with hands-on astronomy experiences, the NASA StarGazing Series aims to inspire curiosity, increase scientific literacy, and connect diverse communities with opportunities to participate in space exploration.
Target Audience Age
| 0-4 | 5-10 | 11-14 | 14-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-99 |
NASA Division
Astrophysics
Grant Status
Learning Context
Digital Learning
Neighborhood /
Community
Informal /
Out of School
Home / Family
Citizen Science
Formal Education
SME Bio
Our goal is to ignite curiosity, showcase the wonders of space science, and connect students with opportunities to shape the future of space exploration.
Margo Thornton
NASA Stargazing Series Co-PI
PhD Student
University of New South Wales
Margo Thornton is a PhD student in Astrophysics at the University of New South Wales. Her academic journey includes research on circumbinary planets during her master's at San Diego State University, where she also served as Lead Teaching Associate in the Department of Astronomy. Passionate about inspiring women in STEM, she is committed to engaging the public with the wonders of astronomy.
SciAct Team
NASA Community College Network description
The NASA Community College Network (NCCN) at the SETI Institute proposes an initiative to bring NASA science subject matter experts (SMEs) and NASA science resources into the classrooms of the nation’s community college system. There are over 1000 U.S. public, accredited, degree-granting two-year institutions in the U.S. and of these, over 700 offer courses in astronomy, often to students from under-served populations, many of them the first in their families to go to college at all.
