星期一晚上，美国总统奥巴马对聚集在白宫南草坪上的数十名学生说，他们可能在未来20年中参加首次火星之旅。
这是白宫第二次举行航天之夜活动，奥巴马总统招待了来自美国各地的学生、教师、宇航员、工程师和航天爱好者。奥巴马和与会者们一起通过一架高倍望远镜观看夜空，并与美国顶尖科学家会面。
奥巴马强调，他的政府致力于鼓励更多的年轻人钻研科技、工程和数学。他说，鼓励新一代探索、发明、创造和发现。
阿哈马德·默哈迈德也参加了白宫航天之夜活动。默哈迈德是得克萨斯州的学生，他曾把一个自制钟表带到学校，被误认为是炸弹，结果他被逮捕。
奥巴马亲自邀请默哈迈德到白宫作客，并请他务必带上那个“酷酷的钟”。
U.S. President Barack Obama told dozens of students gathered on the South Lawn of the White House Monday night that they could be the ones participating in the first missions to Mars within the next two decades.
The president hosted students, teachers, astronomers, engineers and space enthusiasts from across the country for the second-ever White House Astronomy Night. Obama joined the attendees in stargazing through a high-powered telescope, holding genuine space artifacts and meeting the nation's top scientists and astronauts.
Obama emphasized his administration's efforts in preparing more young people to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly referred to as STEM.
Among the guests Monday was Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas teenager arrested for bringing his homemade clock to school where it was mistaken for a bomb.
The president had personally invited Ahmed to the White House and told him to bring his "cool clock."
