Universe Today - July 19, 2000 |
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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. July 19, 2000 - Issue #275 http://www.universetoday.com info@universetoday.com To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE !*EMAIL*!". An HTML version of this Newsletter is available at: http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Cause for Earth's Wobble Uncovered * NEAR Takes Closest Ever Pictures of Eros * Two New Mir Missions Announced for 2001 CAUSE FOR EARTH'S WOBBLE UNCOVERED ------------------------- Scientists have known about a strange wobble in the Earth's rotation since it was discovered by astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler back in 1891, but they've only recently uncovered what causes it. It turns out that changes in pressure at the bottom of the ocean as well as fluctuations in the atmosphere are to blame. Any stress applied to the surface of the Earth affects its spin. Internet Coverage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_839000/839627.stm http://www.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/07/18/earth.wobble.enn/index.html http://www.spacedaily.com/news/earth-00e.html NEAR TAKES CLOSEST EVER PICTURES OF EROS ------------------------- A short engine burn last week brought the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft to an altitude of just 35 km - close enough to take the most detailed pictures of Asteroid Eros so far. The latest images show fine detail on the asteroid's surface, including strangely-shaped boulders and minor impact craters. NEAR will spend the next 10 days at this altitude, and even get a little closer. Original Source: http://near.jhuapl.edu/news/flash/00jul14_1.html Internet Coverage: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/07/18/eros.upclose/index.html http://www.spacedaily.com/news/near-00zv.html http://www.spaceviews.com/2000/07/18a.html TWO NEW MIR MISSIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2001 ------------------------- Although it's currently empty, the financial backers for the Mir spacestation have plans to fill it again in 2001. The first mission will begin when businessman Dennis Tito begins his $20 million trip to the spacestation. He and two cosmonauts will join the two cosmonauts that will already be on board. Then Tito will return with the two original cosmonauts, leaving the relief crew on board to conduct an extended mission for the second half of 2001. Original Source: http://www.mirstation.com/news_news12.html Internet Coverage: http://www.msnbc.com/news/409875.asp http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mir-00zq.html http://www.spaceviews.com/2000/07/18c.html ************************************** EXCELLENT SPACE LINKS! Newsy Echoes on Science and Technology - http://www.geocities.com/raulnunes/ NEST shows the latest and hottest news about hundreds of subjects. Astronomy Club, Ahmedabad - http://www.astronomy-club.freeservers.com A platform independent, nonprofit, equal opportunity organization of individuals interested in carrying out activities in the field of Astronomy and allied sciences. Gravity Probe B - The Relativity Mission - http://einstein.stanford.edu/ Relativity gyroscope experiment developed by NASA & Stanford University to test two extraordinary, unverified predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Biospherics - http://www.biospherics.org/ addresses the science of Biospherics, closed systems and the Biosphere 2 experiment, 1991-1994. ------------------------- To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE !*EMAIL*!". All contents copyright (c) 2000 Universe Today |