Staff Reports
Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas is catching some heat after making some wild claims about astronomy at an event at Booker T. Washington High School in her Houston-area district. While the left constantly accuses conservatives of spreading misinformation about science, it seems they should take a closer look at their own party members.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee tells students the moon is a ‘planet made up mostly of gases’ https://t.co/eYrJHoxlJV pic.twitter.com/D7mjNUof5J
— New York Post (@nypost) April 9, 2024
During the event, Jackson Lee attempted to give a scientific explanation for the solar system’s workings, but it quickly became clear that she might need to brush up on her astronomy knowledge. She claimed that the moon releases energy at night, misunderstanding that it simply reflects light from the sun. Furthermore, she described the moon as a “complete rounded circle which is made up mostly of gases,” despite the fact that the moon is a solid celestial body.
Undeterred by her lack of accurate information, Jackson Lee continued to make bizarre claims, asserting that humans could live on the moon due to its gas composition and that the sun is “almost impossible to go near,” while the moon is “more manageable.” These statements directly contradict NASA’s scientific findings.
This isn’t the first time Jackson Lee has made headlines for her confusion about space. In 1997, she reportedly asked scientists whether the Mars rover had captured a photo of the American flag planted there by Neil Armstrong, seemingly forgetting that the flag was actually planted on the moon.
While the event at Booker T. Washington High School may have provided students with a memorable experience of viewing a solar eclipse, it’s doubtful that they’ll be using Jackson Lee’s astronomy lesson as a reference in their future studies. Hopefully, the next time she decides to delve into scientific topics, she’ll take some time to fact-check before sharing with impressionable young minds.
