White House Astronomy Night

White House Astronomy Night (and alternatively Astronomy Night on the National Mall) is an event first organized by the White House in conjunction with the Office of Science and Technology Policy to motivate interest in astronomy and science education. The original White House Astronomy Night was held in 2009 on the South Lawn. In 2010 the White House and the Office of Science and Technology Policy organized a similar event with help from Hofstra University, this time held on the National Mall. Between 2010 and 2014 annual events took place at the National Mall with coordination between Hofstra University and federal agencies including: the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, NASA, and the National Science Foundation. In 2015 an event took place in June at the National Mall, and then back at the White House again on October 19.

The 2012 book Rising Above the Gathering Storm by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine noted the White House Astronomy Night indicated an emphasis by the Obama Administration towards support for education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM fields). The New Moon: Water, Exploration, and Future Habitation, written in 2014 by Arlin Crotts, observed this event and the inclusion of NASA's Lunar Electric Rover in the First inauguration of Barack Obama reflected an emphasis on the importance of science education.