Music to my Ears

By Jim Gerard, NASA INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

A recent activity was offered titled "Music to my Ears" that asked students to compose new lyrics to songs to explain a STEM concept. The INSPIRE staff has been impressed by many of these submissions, and will occasionally post some here in the blog. Today we begin this feature with a couple of songs from Nicholaus Dettmer and Rebecca Bussard. Enjoy!

Home in the Sky
(Original Song: Home on the Range)
By Nicholaus Dettmer

Oh help me to learn, how the thrusters should burn,
In the air as we conquer all fears.
And of how I should be, free of all gravity,
When our final trajectory nears.

Home, here in the sky,
As the world down below lumbers by.
From our orbit we’ll wave, to the home of the brave,
And together the higher we’ll fly.

When I look up at night, algebraic delight,
See the dance of the planets and stars.
And I know in my heart, that someday I’ll take part,
In a NASA manned mission to Mars.

Home, here in the sky,
As the world down below lumbers by.
From our orbit we’ll wave, to the home of the brave,
And together the higher we’ll fly.

But for now while I yearn, many pages I’ll turn,
As I grow my STEM science command.
For I know there’s a goal, that inspires my soul,
Reaching heights not yet conquered by man.

Home, here in the sky,
As the world down below lumbers by.
From our orbit we’ll wave, to the home of the brave,
And together the higher we’ll fly.
______________________________________________

Hale-Bopp Comet
(Original Song: We Will Rock You)
By Rebecca Bussard

Seven years ago, when it was found
Flying with three tails, streaking through the sky, no way!
It had lots of argon, and sodium
Maybe even some deuterium!

Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp, Comet!
Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp, Comet!

 Noticed by two men, good men,
Working in their labs, gonna help with science that way!
They were called Hale and Bopp,they didn’t stop
Studied the comet known as Hale-Bopp!

Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp, Comet!
Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp, Comet!

Soaring through the great sky, our sky
Level of dust high, a magnitude of 10.5
Was named the Great Comet, because it met,
Expectations of its brightness that were set

Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp, Comet!
Hale-Bopp, Hale-Bopp, Comet!