Universe Today - October 8, 1999

Universe Today - October 8, 1999

the
U N I V E R S E
T O D A Y

Space Exploration News From Around the Internet, Updated Every Weekday.
October 8th, 1999 - Issue #108
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Upcoming SpaceWatch Episode

Even before NASA started its Astrobiology Institute earlier this year,
the idea that there might be life elsewhere in the universe had begun
to move from the realm of science fiction to the that of science fact.
Few are better qualified to lay out the whole picture than Time Magazine
senior science writer Michael D. Lemonick. In his latest book, Other
Worlds, Lemonick gives a detailed account of new discoveries from Mars
and Jupiter's moon Europa, as well as breakthroughs deep-space observing
from observatories around the world. At 8PM (ET) on Thursday,
October 7th, Limonick discuss of all this and more, including the
newest developments and projections for the future of this
fascinating field!

Check it out at: http://www.spacewatch.com

**************************************
Space News from SpaceDaily.com for today

Cometary Puzzle Points To Distant "Planet"
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/comet-99b.html

Possible Pluto Debris Spotted
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/pluto-99c.html

A Galatic Wide Dark Secret
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/bigbang-99l.html

World's Largest Impact Found In South Africa
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/spaceguard-99g.html

Ground Scope Spys Asteroid Moon
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/asteroid-99j.html

Trimble Expands GPS Standards For Geographic Information System
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/gps-99z.html

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-- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY --

* China Working on New Launch Facility
* Historic Launch Pad Will be Demolished
* Asteroid Could Strike Earth in 2042
* Asteroid Discovered to Have a Moon
* Hubble Gazes at Galactic Bulges
* Mars Hammered by Meteorites
* Faulty Electronics Delay Titan Launch
* Possible Discovery of 10th Planet
* Shuttle Launch Delayed Again
* Leader Named to Investigate Climate Orbiter Mishap
* Recalculations Downgrade Asteroid Threat


CHINA WORKING ON NEW LAUNCH FACILITY
------------------------
Chinese space officials may be developing plans for a new satellite
launching facility on a small island in the South China Sea. Near to
the equator, the facility will enable rockets to launch 7-12% more
payloads than the country's other cosmodromes: at Xichang,
Jiucuan, and Taiyuan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_465000/465620.stm


HISTORIC LAUNCH PAD WILL BE DEMOLISHED
------------------------
One week from now, Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral will be
demolished to make room for Lockheed Martin's new Atlas V rockets.
The Complex is significant, as it was the launch facility for the
Viking spacecraft to Mars and Venus. Using 81 kilograms of high
explosive, engineers will collapse the 90 meter tower in under 60
seconds, and then another month to haul the equipment away.

http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9910/05/bc.us.spacedemolition.ap/index.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/319695.asp


ASTEROID COULD STRIKE EARTH IN 2042
------------------------
Discovered on September 14th, Asteroid RM45 has an extremely small
chance of striking the Earth in 2042 or 2050 - a probability of less
than one in one-hundred-million. Although the chance is quite small,
astronomers have put it on the list of potentially hazardous objects,
and will continue to measure its orbit carefully.

http://explorezone.com/archives/99_10/05_asteroid_1999_rm45.htm
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/10/05b.html


ASTEROID DISCOVERED TO HAVE A MOON
------------------------
Astronomers have discovered a moon orbiting the asteroid 45 Eugenia,
using the giant France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea. This is the first
picture of an asteroid and moon using a ground-based telescope. With a
moon, astronomers can determine the mass and density of the asteroid.

http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9910/06asteroid/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_467000/467043.stm
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9910/07/bc.space.asteroid.reut/index.html
http://explorezone.com/archives/99_10/06_asteroid_euginia.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/100799/asteroid.sml
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/asteroid-99j.html


HUBBLE GAZES AT GALACTIC BULGES
------------------------
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers from the University of
Nottingham and Columbia University are attempting to learn more about
the evolution of spiral galaxies. Hubble allowed the astronomers to peer
through galactic dust and haze into the core of distant galaxies, enabling
them to determine the true colour and age of the stars in the core.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/hubble991006.html
http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9910/06hubble/index.html
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9910/06/hubble.pictures/index.html
http://explorezone.com/archives/99_10/06_hubble_bulges.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/100799/hubble.sml
http://www.msnbc.com/news/319992.asp
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/10/06c.html


MARS HAMMERED BY METEORITES
------------------------
Using photos of Martian rocks taken by the Mars Pathfinder as a guide,
NASA scientists are attempting to simulate the damage done to the surface
of Mars by meteorites. The scientists smashed small rocks into larger
boulders in the laboratory, and found they were able to mimic the damage
done to Martian rocks.

http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9910/06rockchips/index.html


FAULTY ELECTRONICS DELAY TITAN LAUNCH
------------------------
Although a Titan 2 carrying a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)
satellite was originally scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base
in late October, Air Force officials have decided to push the launch back
to December due to faulty electronics.

http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/10/06a.html


POSSIBLE DISCOVERY OF 10TH PLANET
------------------------
Recent research gathered teams of scientists in the US and England hints
that a large object, nearly a half light-year away, could be a 10th
planet orbiting the sun. The scientists believe that giant planet, or
possibly a brown dwarf, disrupts the orbit of comets as it slowly
orbits the sun. It's impossible to see the object visually with
current telescopes.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/planet991007.html
http://www.astronomynow.com/breaking/9910/07mystery/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_467000/467572.stm
http://explorezone.com/archives/99_10/07_new_planet.htm
http://www.msnbc.com/news/320182.asp
http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/comet-99b.html


SHUTTLE LAUNCH DELAYED AGAIN
------------------------
The launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery to repair the failing Hubble
Space Telescope has been delayed until December 2nd. This will give
teams ample time to repair the shuttle's damaged wires and valves.
Endeavour's next launch has been delayed until January.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/284079.asp
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/10/07c.html


LEADER NAMED TO INVESTIGATE CLIMATE ORBITER MISHAP
------------------------
Arthur G. Stephenson, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
has been appointed to the head of a committee investigating the loss
of the Mars Climate Orbiter two weeks ago. Their initial findings are
due November 3rd.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/100799/mars_investigation.sml


RECALCULATIONS DOWNGRADE ASTEROID THREAT
------------------------
Further calculations of Asteroid RM45 have downgraded the possibility
that it will hit the planet in 2042 or 2050 to almost zero. The object
was discovered on September 14th and had almost no chance of striking
the Earth, but the discovery team performed additional observations and
determined that it will miss the Earth by a wide margin.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/319598.asp
http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/10/07d.html

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