WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration will celebrate the 45th annual Earth Day April 17-22 with a variety of live and online activities to engage the public in the agency’s mission to better understand and protect the planet.

The agency uses the vantage point of space to increase understanding of the planet, improve lives and help safeguard the future by developing new ways to observe and study Earth’s interconnected natural systems with long-term data records. The agency shares this unique knowledge, and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing.

Earth Day in the Nation’s Capital

The national Public Earth Day celebration will take place on the Washington Monument grounds on Friday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT, and Saturday, April 18, from noon to 5 p.m. It is sponsored by the Earth Day Network and will feature NASA exhibits, hands-on activities, demonstrations and views of Earth from space.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will appear on stage at 3 p.m. on April 18 during the Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day event.

Then on Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., NASA will have Hyperwall and Science Gallery exhibits, hands-on activities and demonstrations at the Union Station main hall at 40 Massachusetts Ave., N.E. NASA scientists will give talks April 22 at the Hyperwall stage following the opening ceremony at 11 a.m., featuring NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan and John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

‘Our Planet Earth’ Exhibition

Then on Thursday, April 16 through May at Dulles International Airport, there will be A Gate AeroTrain Station display of striking large-format satellite images that reveal Earth’s natural beauty and demonstrate how NASA uses data from its fleet of Earth-observing satellites to study our home planet.

NASA #NoPlaceLikeHome Social Media Event

On Wednesday, April 22, NASA encourages people all over the world to step outside and celebrate environmental awareness through social media online. Share photos or videos of your favorite places or sights on Earth.

Post your images to Twitter, Instagram, Vine or Google+ using the hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome, or to the event groups on Facebook and Flickr. Check in on Earth Day to see what people around the world are sharing.

For details on how to participate, click here.

Google+ Hangout: Global Environmental Education

On Wednesday, April 22, from 10 to 11 a.m., the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program celebrates its 20th anniversary on Earth Day with an online conversation with GLOBE scientists and educators around the world. GLOBE, supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, engages students and the public worldwide in collecting scientific data to advance our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. To join the hangout, click here.

NASA Center Activities

On April 18 and 19, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 43063 North 10th St. West, City Park, Lancaster, California, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center will provide an exhibit at the Poppy Festival featuring the #NoPlaceLikeHome social media activity, displays on NASA aeronautics, scientific research and pilot autographs.

On April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 230 R.T. Jones Road, Mountain View, California, NASA’s Ames Research Center will provide an exhibit on Earth science research at the U.S. Army Reserve’s 63rd Regional Support Command Earth Day Fair free family event.

For more information about NASA’s Earth science activities, click here.