Universe Today - October 18, 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. October 18, 2000 - Issue #325 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 ************************************** Okay, I got my Internet back. Everything's fine now... If you're at your computer right now, the Discovery astronauts are currently performing their fourth and final spacewalk of mission STS-92. Click this link to watch the spacewalk on your computer. http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/ntvweb.html Fraser ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Group Attempts to Save Pluto Express * Gamma Ray Burst Detected * Gemini Spots our Galaxy's Core GROUP ATTEMPTS TO SAVE PLUTO EXPRESS ------------------------- Representatives from the Planetary Society are traveling to Capitol Hill today to deliver 10,000 letters to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Sen. Bill Frist. The letters are from advocates of space exploration asking Congress to provide additional funds to the stalled Pluto-Kuiper Express project, so the mission can launch on time to get a valuable gravity assist with Jupiter, as well see the planet's atmosphere before it freezes. The estimated budget for the project expanded to $500 million, from the original $150 million allocated. Original Source: http://www.planetary.org/html/news/articlearchive/headlines/2000/plutoexpress-wash.html Internet Coverage: http://www.discovery.com/news/briefs/20001018/sp_reu_pluto.html http://www.foxnews.com/science/101700/pluto-kuiper.sml Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/pluto.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/spacesocieties.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/pluto.html GAMMA RAY BURST DETECTED ------------------------- Four different spacecraft (Ulysses, NEAR, Wind, and Bepposax) detected the afterglow of a giant gamma ray burst called GRB 000131, which occurred 11 billion light years away. Astronomers theorize that the burst was caused by a giant exploding star, 30 times the mass of our own sun. At their peak, bursts like this are by far the brightest emissions of gamma ray radiation in the sky, and provide valuable insight into the size and formation of the universe. Internet Coverage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_978000/978294.stm http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/10/18/space.gammaray.reut/index.html http://www.discovery.com/news/briefs/20001018/sp_gammaray.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/gammarays.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/astronomy.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/astronomy.html GEMINI SPOTS OUR GALAXY'S CORE ------------------------- Images taken by the recently constructed 8.1 metre Gemini telescope located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii show the core of our own Milky Way in unprecedented detail - providing an incredible view of the clouds of dust and gas surrounding the black hole at the centre of the galaxy. The images also contain an object which appears to be the bowshock created around a star as it plows through the dust and gas. Original Source: http://www.gemini.edu./project/announcements/press/2000-2.html Internet Coverage: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_976000/976972.stm http://www.spaceviews.com/2000/10/17c.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/astronomy.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/astronomy.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/astronomy.html ------------------------- To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE !*EMAIL*!". All contents copyright (c) 2000 Universe Today |