US President Barack Obama is having a star party at the White House on Wednesday, the same day he awards the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

A White House advisory says that Wednesday evening, " the President and First Lady will host an event at the White House for middle-school students to highlight the President’s commitment to science, engineering and math education as the foundation of this nation’s global technological and economic leadership and to express his support for astronomy in particular—for its capacity to promote a greater awareness of our place in the universe, expand human knowledge, and inspire the next generation by showing them the beauty and mysteries of the night sky."

Organizers of the International Year of Astronomy helped push this event through. If you know of other sitting presidents who participated in astronomical events — other than the ever-popular chat-with-astronauts-in-space — please leave them in the comments thread below. Bill Clinton did go to the Arecibo telescope in June 2008, but of course long after he was out of office.