• 4:00-5:00 pm Discovery Station
  • 5:15-6:45 pm Lecture and Q&A
  • 6:30-8:30 pm Observatory Open

Tree cover is an important element of the urban environments that play an increasingly larger role in ecosystem processes. Urban forests change as trees grow, die, and are replaced. Learn how satellite data is used to make reliable observations about urban tree cover variability and why it matters to urban residents, and explore how these same data are used to map changes in tree cover within the District of Columbia from 1984-2004.

Smithsonian's Stars lectures are suitable for ages 13 and up.

The Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series is made possible by a grant from NASA.

Here we see an image of the Baltimore/D.C. area taken with the Landsat satellite on March 27, 1998. For over 26 years, Landsat images have been used to help urban planners understand where growth is taking place and help geographers evaluate how different urban planning programs effect population growth and land use.

How to attend

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

6th St. and Independence Ave SW. Washington, DC 20560
Planetarium