Universe Today - September 27, 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. September 27, 2000 - Issue #314 http://www.universetoday.com info@universetoday.com An HTML version of this newsletter including pictures is available at: http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html ************************************** What Fraser's Reading Nightwatch : A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe - Terence Dickinson This was the first astronomy book that I ever read - I got it for Christmas when I was 16 - and although I was always interested in space and science fiction, this book actually convinced me to start observing. I followed the instructions on how to buy a telescope and picked up a 4" Newtonian from a place in Vancouver. During the dark Hornby Island nights, I was out every night with Nightwatch and my army surplus flashlight with a red filter getting to know the constellations, and starting to pick out deep sky objects with my telescope. In addition to the scientific aspect, nothing impressed the young ladies more than finding their zodiac constellation in the sky. In recognition of his efforts for shy astronomy geeks everywhere, Terence (the author) was awarded the Order of Canada. This book is the cornerstone of my astronomy library. If you're looking to get a first book, or hook someone into the hobby, this is THE book to get. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1552093026/universetoday - Amazon USA link http://www.chapters.ca/Affiliates/ItemPage.asp?PRODUCTTYPE=1&AFFID=109676&ISBN=1552093026 - Chapters.ca Link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521627621/universetoday0b - Amazon.co.uk Link Fraser "Astrogeek" Cain Publisher Universe Today ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Fountains of Fire on the Sun * Japanese Rocket Launch Delayed * MirCorp Funds New Progress Launch FOUNTAINS OF FIRE ON THE SUN ------------------------- NASA released new images of solar coronal loops on the surface of the sun, the largest of which are 485,000 kms high, and would span the Earth 30 times. Taken by a sun observing satellite called TRACE (Transition Region and Coronal Explorer), the photos will help solar astronomers understand why the sun's atmosphere is a thousand times hotter than its surface. As gas emerges from the solar surface, it is heated and rises while flowing along the solar magnetic field, then cools and crashes back to the surface at more than 100 kilometers per second. Original Source: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/GSFC/SpaceSci/sunearth/tracecl.htm Internet Coverage: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/09/26/solar.fountains/index.html http://www.discovery.com/news/briefs/20000927/sp_trace.html http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/trace/photo1.sml http://www.msnbc.com/news/467948.asp http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0009/27trace/ Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/sun.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/solarastronomy.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/solarsystem.html JAPANESE ROCKET LAUNCH DELAYED ------------------------- The Japanese space agency suffered another setback this week when it postponed a satellite launch for the European Space Agency. The inaugural launch of the newly designed H2-A was originally supposed to occur in next February, but space officials have decided to postpone it indefinitely. The entire launch schedule is being redone from scratch. Japanese space officials were forced to detonate an H2 rocket last November when it failed to follow its proper flight path. Internet Coverage: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/09/27/apan.rocket.reut/index.html http://www.spacedaily.com/news/japan-h2a-00c.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/japanese.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/spaceexploration.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/spaceexploration.html MIRCORP FUNDS NEW PROGRESS LAUNCH ------------------------- MirCorp announced that it has funded the launch of a Progress unmanned supply vessel to dock with Russia's Mir spacestation. The new Progress will bring fuel, air, water, and power to Mir, allowing the station to fully controlled and operated. This will be the third mission funded by MirCorp, and it will be followed in early 2001 with the launch of businessman Dennis Tito who paid for a trip to the station. Original Source: http://www.mirstation.com/news_news16.html Internet Coverage: http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/missions/mir/news/2000/20000926.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/mir.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/russia.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/mir.html ------------------------- To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE !*EMAIL*!". All contents copyright (c) 2000 Universe Today |