Universe Today - December 16, 1999 |
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the U N I V E R S E T O D A Y Space Exploration News From Around the Internet, Updated Every Weekday. December 16th, 1999 - Issue #140 http://www.universetoday.com info@universetoday.com To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER". An HTML version of this Newsletter is available at: http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html ************************************** WHEN GALAXIES COLLIDE! An all-new DEEP SKY Live on Thursday at 8:00PM ET Galactic gridlock! Yale astronomy professor Jeff Kenney joins Michael and Andy for a talk about what happens when spinning galaxies get a little too close for comfort. Galaxy interactions are observable through the telescope and include complete mergers, clusters, and sometimes pass-throughs. They get bent, stretched, and broken up; it's a regular traffic jam up there. Don't miss this brand new DEEP SKY. http://www.spacewatch.com ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Astronomers See Reflected Light from Extrasolar Planet * Discovery is Ready to Fly * Searching for Meteorites in Antarctica * Next Generation of Space Telescope in Development ASTRONOMERS SEE REFLECTED LIGHT FROM EXTRASOLAR PLANET ------------------------- Until now, astronomers have detected planets around distant stars through a variety of indirect means, such as their gravitational impact around the star. But astronomers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland believe they've seen the light reflecting from a planet around Tau Bootis. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/planet991215.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_566000/566067.stm http://cnn.com/1999/TECH/space/12/15/science.planet.reut/index.html http://www.foxnews.com/science/121599/planet.sml http://www.msnbc.com/news/338119.asp http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/12/16a.html DISCOVERY IS READY TO FLY ------------------------- After a series of delays, the Space Shuttle Discovery is finally ready to embark on its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. If all goes as planned, the shuttle will launch from Cape Canaveral at 9:18pm EST, and return December 26th. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/shuttle991216.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_567000/567845.stm http://cnn.com/1999/TECH/space/12/16/shuttle.preview.01/index.html http://www.foxnews.com/science/121599/shuttle.sml http://www.msnbc.com/news/330873.asp http://www.spaceviews.com/1999/12/15a.html SEARCHING FOR METEORITES IN ANTARCTICA ------------------------- If you want meteorites, the frozen Southern continent is the place to go. Because of its low temperatures, Antarctica preserves meteorites which would normally corrode away. As well, movement of the ice pushes the rocks to the surface so they're easy to spot. And in snowfields, if you see something black, it can only be a meteorite. http://www.foxnews.com/science/antarctica/meteorites.sml NEXT GENERATION OF SPACE TELESCOPE IN DEVELOPMENT ------------------------- Although its images have dramatically increased our understanding of the universe, Hubble will only be the beginning of our foray into space-based telescopes. Next NASA plans to upgrade Hubble to increase its capabilities 10-fold or more. Hubble's successor - the Next Generation Space Telescope - will be able to see to the edge of the universe. http://www.msnbc.com/news/347094.asp ************************************** Space News from SpaceDaily.com for today Ariane Set To Launch First Hughes 702 Bird http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/hughes-702-99a.html Conan the Bacterium http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/life-99l.html Imaging The Shadow Of Nothing http://www.spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/blackhole-99b.html To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER". All contents copyright (c) 1999 Universe Today |