By Michael Banks

On Wednesday night US President Barack Obama hosted an astronomy night at the White House.

Obama, who today won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace, invited 150 school students, former astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Sally Ride, and Mae Jemison and NASA administrator Chalres Boldren and his deputy Lori Garver to the event on the South Lawn.

Astronomers spent all day setting up 20 telescopes in preparation for the party in the evening.

Obama was also joined by the first lady, Michelle Obama, and his science advisor, John Holdren.

Obama managed to get some education policy into his speech and talked about reinvigorating maths and science in schools.

“Galileo changed the world when he pointed his telescope to the sky,” Obama said to the youngsters, “and now it is your turn.”