A Spaceship With a Sail?

NASA has designed a spacecraft that moves through space with a solar sail.  Picture an unmanned spacecraft with a rectangular gold metallic sail that is 100 feet square.  Photons from the sun moving through space hit the sail and move the spacecraft.  NASA launched the NanoSail-D and deployed its sail over the U.S. in low orbit in January.  Here is a link with a great picture of what the spacecraft probably looks like.

Through March 7^th, the spacecraft moving through space can be seen with the naked eye (no telescope needed)!  To help you see NanoSail-D, NASA has partnered with SpaceWeather.com to provide tracking maps (click here) so you know when to look up in the sky.  In Chicago, we will be looking north/northwest at 6:30 pm today.  SpaceWeather.com is hosting a photo competition with prizes up to $500.  Go to http://www.nanosail.org/ to learn more about the contest.