Universe Today - May 17, 2001 |
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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. May 17, 2001 - Issue #435 http://www.universetoday.com info@universetoday.com An HTML version including pictures is available at: http://www.universetoday.com/html/misc/today.html For information on unsubscribing or changing your email address, check the bottom of this newsletter. ************************************** A quick note from Fraser... A big congratulations to Bernd Ziegler of Germany who was the 3 millionth person to download SETI@home. If you haven't got this program gobbling up all your free computer resources yet, check it out at: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu Fraser Cain Publisher Universe Today ************************************** -- UNIVERSE TODAY STORY SUMMARY -- * Parts of Comet are Missing * Earth Nears Closest Approach to Mars * Sixth X-40A Test is Successful PARTS OF COMET ARE MISSING ------------------------- After working through the photographs and data uncovered about Comet Linear gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have learned a tremendous amount about the composition and destruction of comets. But there's also a bit of a mystery here, as the scientists can't account for billions of kilograms of missing mass that disappeared as Comet Linear broke up last July. One possiblity is that when it broke up, the comet exploded into fragments too small to be seen by telescope - this idea lends credibility to the theory that some comets are nothing more than loosely gathered piles of icy rubble. Original Source: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/14/pr.html Internet Coverage: http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/05/17/comet.puzzle/index.html http://www.msnbc.com/news/574203.asp http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/comet_linear_010517-1.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/hubble.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/astronomy.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/astronomy.html EARTH NEARS CLOSEST APPROACH TO MARS ------------------------- Astronomers are in for a treat next month as the Earth nears its closest point with the planet Mars; the nearest the two planets will have been for 12 years. On June 21, the two planets will only be 68 million km apart, and the Red Planet will show tremendous detail to Earth-based observers - even small-telescope owners will be able to see details on the surface, including clouds, surface features and ice caps. To see Mars, look before sunrise approximately 30 degrees above the Southern horizon. Original Source: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast15may_1.htm Internet Coverage: http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/05/17/mars/index.html http://www.cosmiverse.com/space05170101.html Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/mars.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/mars.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/mars.html SIXTH X-40A TEST IS SUCCESSFUL ------------------------- The X-40A prototype was successfully tested for the sixth time yesterday when it was dropped from a helicopter at an altitude of over 4,500 metres and then maneuvered back to land at Edwards Air Force Base. The X-40A is an 85-percent scale model of the X-37; a prototype vehicle designed for the US Air Force to test future space vehicle technologies. Original Source: http://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/NEWSROOM/news/releases/2001/01-176.html Internet Coverage: http://www.cosmiverse.com/space05170102.html http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0105/17x40a/ Similar Stories: http://www.universetoday.com/html/topics/airforce.html Related Sites: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/military.html Related Books: http://www.universetoday.com/html/books/nasa.html ------------------------- To unsubscribe from this newsletter, just reply with only the subject line "UNSUBSCRIBE !*EMAIL*!". If you just want to change your address, just reply to this email with a quick note on what your old and new email addresses are. It's actually a bit of a manual process. :-) All contents copyright (c) 2001 Universe Today |