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Scientist for a Day challenges students in grades 5-12 to think like scientists. Examine real spacecraft images of Uranus’ moon Miranda, Neptune’s moon Triton, and Pluto’s moon Charon. Choose the destination you think would be the best place to return with another spacecraft to learn even more about these amazing worlds. Support your choice in an essay of no more than 500 words.

This year's essay contest topics are three moons in the outer solar system: Uranus's moon, Miranda; Neptune's moon, Triton; and Pluto's moon, Charon.

Which of these three moons inspires you to explore further? What excites you about what we’ve learned so far? What do you hope we’ll find if we return to these places? If you like, you can even tell us which science instruments you would put on the next spacecraft to help us learn even more.

The 2019-20 essay contest is sponsored by the Radioisotope Power Systems program. This is the group at NASA that develops the power technology that enables spacecraft to explore the planets and moons of the outer solar system. For more information about Radioisotope Power Systems, visit https://rps.nasa.gov

2019-2020 Topics

Topic 1

Miranda

Topic 1

Miranda

This moon of Uranus looks like it is pieced together out of many different types of ice and rock. 

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Topic 2

Triton

Topic 2

Triton

This moon of Neptune has a surface that resembles a cantaloupe, and geysers erupting nitrogen gas.

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Topic 3

Charon

Topic 3

Charon

This moon of Pluto is mostly covered by water ice, it has steep cliffs and a giant canyon near its equator. 

more
Topic 1

Miranda

This moon of Uranus looks like it is pieced together out of many different types of ice and rock. 

more
Topic 2

Triton

This moon of Neptune has a surface that resembles a cantaloupe, and geysers erupting nitrogen gas.

more
Topic 3

Charon

This moon of Pluto is mostly covered by water ice, it has steep cliffs and a giant canyon near its equator. 

more
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Congratulations 2018-2019 Winners!

André Estrada Palacino
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Mexico Winner, Grade 7-8, Target: Europa
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Carmina Denisse Ramirez Castillo, Mary Carmen Sanchez Hernan
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Mexico Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Europa
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Jung Ho Kim
Grade 9-12
2018-19 South Korea Finalist, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
Read the Essay
Seonmin Ko
Grade 9-12
2018-19 South Korea Finalist, Grade 9-12, Target: Enceladus
Read the Essay
Siwoo Kim
Grade 9-12
2018-19 South Korea Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Enceladus
Read the Essay
Yukyung Katie Kim
Grade 5-6
2018-19 South Korea Winner, Grade 5-6, Target: Enceladus
Read the Essay
Yuna Lee
Grade 9-12
2018-19 South Korea Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Titan
Read the Essay
Anastasia Grigore, Denisa Maria Băieșu
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Enceladus
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Daria Cristina Bugeac
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Titan
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Daria Dobran
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Europa
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Frangopol Eraleea, Pantelimon Antonia, Nemeș Vlad, Nicolau I
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Enceladus
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Tudor Curtu
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Romania Winner (Tie), Grade 7-8 - Target: Titan
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Oana Teodora Mirea
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Romania Winner (Tie), Grade 7-8 - Target: Europa
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Ruxandra Sofronie, Vlad Carasel, Maria Neagoie, and Andrei C
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Romania Winner (Tie), Grade 7-8 - Target: Europa
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Ruxandra Icleanu
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Enceladus
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Tudor Gabriel Mocioi
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Titan
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Alex Stefan Balint
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Romania Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Europa
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Dara Georgescu
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Romania Winner (Tie), Grade 7-8 - Target: Titan
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Victor Pakawis Nakmontanakum
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Thailand Winner - Target: Europa
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Aylin Akinal
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Turkey Winner - Target: Enceladus
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Doga Seckin
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Turkey Winner - Target: Europa
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Klaris Gül
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Turkey Winner - Target: Titan
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Venezuela Grade 5-6, Enceladus
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Venezuela Winner - Grade 5-6, Enceladus
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Soyoung Cho
Grade 7-8
2018-19 South Korea Winner, Grade 7-8, Target: Titan
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André Felipe Lessmann
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Enceladus
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Murtaza Ghazi
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Belgium Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
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Felipe Elias Bordalo
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan (Tie)
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Karam Mhanna
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Lebanon Winner, Grade 5-6, Target: Enceladus
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Layan Jaber
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Lebanon Winner, Grade 5-6, Target: Europ
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Thiago Stresser Jacomite
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan (tie)
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Grade 9-12
2018-19 Ethiopia Winner - Target: Europa
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Tito Garcia
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Nicaragua Winner - Target: Titan
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Nelly Dimitrova
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Bulgaria Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Enceladus
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Samiha Rahman
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Bangladesh Winner - Target: Titan
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Aneliya Stanislavova
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Bulgaria Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Enceladus
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Teodor Tinkov
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Bulgaria Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Enceladus
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Mohammed Ayman and Ahmed Hassan
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Saudi Arabia Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Enceladus
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Nouran Alyousif
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Saudi Arabia Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Enceladus
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Shazia Iqbal
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Saudi Arabia Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Enceladus
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Hareem Fatima, Adin Fatima, Sarah Kaiser
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Saudi Arabia Winner, Grade 9 - Target: Titan
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Alaa Khalid Siddiqui
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Saudi Arabia Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Europa
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Rayan Pierre Khoury
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Lebanon Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Titan
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Kamal Nour
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Lebanon Winner, Grade 9-12, Target: Europa
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Amelie Asfour
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Lebanon Winner, Grade 7-8, Target: Titan
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Serine Eido
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Lebanon Winner, Grade 5-6, Target: Titan
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Tashvi Aneja
Grade 5-6
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Europa
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Aditya Shankar
Grade 9-12
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
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A.R. Siva Piriyan
Grade 7-8
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Enceladus
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Harshit Gupta
Grade 5-6
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Titan
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Anusha Saini
Grade 7-8
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Europa
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Niharika Navin
Grade 9-12
2018-19 India (Southern) Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Europa
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Aparna RVM
Grade 9-12
2018-19 India (Southern) Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
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Kumari Anushka
Grade 7-8
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Titan
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Nisha Kumar
Grade 9-12
2018-19 India (Southern) Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Enceladus
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Sanjay Sarkar
Grade 5-6
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Enceladus
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Sourav Kumar
Grade 9-12
2018-19 India Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Europa
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Pragun Dwivedi
Grade 5-6
2018-19 India (Northern) Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Titan
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Benjamin Allmendinger Tilson
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Kenya Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Titan
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Murtaza Ghazi
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Belgium Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
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Mariana Vasconcelos Lima
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Titan
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Victor Melati Brito
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Europa
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Nicolas Kayamori Huschak
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Europa
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Pedro César Brito
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Europa
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Raiane Pessanha da Silva and Maria Eduarda de Souza Ribeiro
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Enceladus
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Daniel Farani, Gabriel Andrade, Leonardo H. L. Nascimento
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Brazil Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Titan
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Melan Mohammed Shifa
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Ethiopia Winner
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Emma DeSalle
Grade 5-6
Evidence also shows that there is a global ocean of liquid water underneath Enceladus' surface. Scientists studying this moon's orbit have determined that it has a tiny wobble as it orbits Saturn.
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Carlota Suárez, Clara Perez, Clarisa Perez,Roberto Fernandez
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Venezuela Winner (Tie), Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
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Reese Washington
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Canada Winner, Grade 5-6 - Target: Europa
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Shanelle Felipe
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Canada Winner, Grade 7-8 - Target: Titan
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Suzanne Uraiqat
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Canada Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Titan
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Michael Cheng
Grade 9-12
2018-19 Canada Winner, Grade 9-12 - Target: Enceladus
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David Gough
Grade 9-12
Despite having a significant amount of evidence for a vast liquid ocean beneath the surface of Europa, little is known about the Jovian moon. For example, the cracks in the ice, thought to be a result of geological activity due to the ocean, contain a mysterious red substance.
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Kaia Hayashida, Sarah Morgan
Grade 7-8
The hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor are of great significance because they are a source of energy and nutrition for bacteria. Scientists have detected the presence of hydrogen in the plume given off by Enceladus. This is key because the hydrogen produced by hydrothermal vents could serve as an energy source for any microbes living there.
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Ramesh Pattar
Grade 5-6
I am excited about recent discoveries of Titan by the Cassini space probe. Many include evidence of a subsurface ocean of water and ammonia and also the rivers of methane are filled regularly by rain from hydrocarbon clouds.
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Sinchana Keshav
Grade 7-8
If I could send another spacecraft back to Titan, I would want to learn about life on Titan. I want to know what it would be like living there if we ever get the opportunity to.
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Joseph Mathew
Grade 5-6
There are many benefits of exploring Europa. We could build an outpost on this moon where we can refuel our spacecraft by converting the water to liquid hydrogen and oxygen which rocket fuel is made of.
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Shaunak Kapur
Grade 7-8
Liquids allows transportation of key substances within structures, all the way from microscopic cellular level to complex planetary systems. And water being a universal solvent is the best liquid to sustain life. Further, the tectonic plate movement and possibility of volcanic activities could supply nutrients to subsurface life in the ocean.
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Samuel Quintero, Andrés Rozonzew, and Juan Camilo Osorio
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Columbia Winner, Grade 5 - Target: Titan
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Shantanu Thorat
Grade 9-12
Most of our understanding of life is restricted to just terrestrial organisms. This preconceived notion of life leads us to use Earth’s parameters as the criterion for determining an exoplanet’s habitability.
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Alejandro Villa and Juan Pablo Montoya
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Columbia Winner, Grade 5 - Target: Enceladus
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Emiliana Bedoya, Thomás Vélez, and Isaías Jaramillo
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Columbia Winner, Grade 6 - Target: Titan
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Elizabeth Barstein, Susan George, Dana Jung, Namitha Sethuraman
Grade 9-12
Although we can never be certain life will be discovered, further exploration of Enceladus will give us a deeper understanding of characteristics necessary to sustain life.
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Venezuela, Grade 9-12, Titan
Grade 9-12
Venezuela, Grade 9-12, Titan
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Venezuela, Grade 7-8, Enceladus
Grade 7-8
Venezuela, Grade 7-8, Enceladus
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The Cool Scientists
Grade 9-12
Venezuela, Grade 9-12, Enceladus
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Xose Pablo Flores Zueck, Luciano Villanueva Ruiz, Carlo Vill
Grade 5-6
2018-19 Mexico Winner, Grade 5-6, Target: Titan
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André Estrada Palacino
Grade 7-8
2018-19 Mexico Winner, Grade 7-8, Target: Europa
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Browse all Scientist for a Day Winners ›

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