NASA Hosts Planet-ruling Tweetup in California's Silicon Valley

NASA will give 100 of its Twitter group an insider look at its planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft and the agency's Ames Research Center on Feb. 11 in Moffett Field in California. For the first time, NASA's Twitter followers are being invited to Ames to learn about terrestrial discoveries from Kepler and the science flights of NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft.

The Tweeps also will get behind-the-scenes access to NASA's research center in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Attendees will tour the center and speak with NASA officials, managers and scientists. "This Tweetup will give candidates and those who follow along online another look at the diverse ways NASA is pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research," said Stephanie Schierholz, social media manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Tweetup registration opens at 1 p.m. EST on Jan. 5 and closes at 1 p.m. on Jan. 10.

NASA will accommodate 100 active Tweeps randomly selected from those who sign up online. Additional registrants will be placed on a waiting list. Those who cannot listen the Tweetup can follow along via Web coverage, encompasses tweets and live streaming.