News Headlines for April 2000

Winds Delay Launch Again For the second day in a row, high wind forced NASA today to delay the launch of space shuttle Atlantis on a mission to repair the international space station. Brushfires in the Sky Stargazers around the globe were treated to an unexpected and rare display of red-colored aurora on April 6-7, 2000 after a vigorous interplanetary shock wave passed by Earth. This story includes a gallery of more than 40 images showing the northern lights over Europe and parts of the United States as far south as Florida. Chandra shows new way to measure cosmic distances Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, a team of scientists has attacked one of astronomy’s oldest and thorniest problems, determining the distance to a cosmic object. Buran Ends Its Days As Theme Park Attraction The NEAR Shoemaker has directed a four-movie marathon, all starring an asteroid it orbits millions of miles from Earth. NEAR scientists released the first of the new flyby films of the potato-shaped space rock on Friday. Astronomy as an Art Form See also: Happy Birthday to Hubble The Hubble telescope has been aimed at a galaxy or planet or nebula 271,000 times in ten years. Galileo Gets Close-Up Images of Jupiter's Moons See also: Close-up on Jupiter's moons , Images reveal perils, oddities of Jupiter's inner moons and Spacecraft snaps close-ups of a lava flow on Io The Galileo spacecraft, having braved Jupiter's lethal radiation belts, has captured high-resolution images of three of the planet's four innermost moons -- Thebe, Amalthea and Metis. Interstellar Dust in the Wind - Like an excited kid hoping to snag a fly ball at a professional baseball game, NASA's Stardust spacecraft has extended its high-tech "catcher's mitt" to collect a valuable space souvenir -- a batch of interstellar dust particles. NASA releases new asteroid flyover movie The NEAR Shoemaker has directed a four-movie marathon, all starring an asteroid it orbits millions of miles from Earth. NEAR scientists released the first of the new flyby films of the potato-shaped space rock on Friday. SETI group deploys prototype telescope An organization searching for signs of advanced alien life unveiled a prototype this week of what could become one of the world's largest radio telescopes. Amateurs Reach for the Stars Amateur astronomers attended a unique meeting in mid-April to learn about high-energy astrophysics and how they can participate in it. World's Largest Astronomical Observatories Now Accessible over Internet A new high-performance Internet connection announced on April 18th will transform the ability of astronomers to access world-leading telescopes located on the peak of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. Cassini Survives the Asteroid Belt NASA's Cassini spacecraft, currently en route to Saturn, has successfully completed its passage through our solar system's asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The Cosmos Is Coming Researchers at Microsoft are working on an ambitious Internet database that will make the data from a massive survey of the cosmos available to anyone with a Web browser. The project is the first in a series of initiatives to bring to the public "virtual telescopes" that scientists are saying will herald perhaps the greatest revolution in the history of astronomy. Mars Express on target and forging links with Japan Mars Express on target and forging links with Japan Progress on building the Mars Express spacecraft is proceeding according to plan. "We are following our schedule," Rudi Schmidt, Mars Express project manager, said last week at a science working team meeting attended mainly by scientists who are building payload instruments. XMM-Newton seen high over Europe Teamwork by an amateur astronomer and a retired member of the European Space Agency has resulted in the first picture of XMM-Newton seen from the Northern Hemisphere. ESA's new X-ray observatory - launched on 10 December 1999 and now going through the calibration phase of its science instruments - had already been snapped on 11 January by Australian amateur Gordon Garradd. Universities battle to build the biggest telescope Call it a major case of telescope envy. Harvard and other major universities around the world are battling for bragging rights over who has the biggest telescope. Magnetic 'bubble' in distant galaxy A giant magnetic "bubble" measuring 3,000 light-years across has been discovered in a nearby galaxy. Astronomers say that nothing similar has ever been seen before. "Death Star," Understanding Low-Mass Stars When low-mass stars called red supergiants die, they fade away on a wimpy wind -- or so scientists have thought, but new research suggests that these stars, in fact, may die with a bang and not with a whimper. Ancient Leftovers May Provide Clues To Early Life Researchers are turning their attention to the culinary habits of microbes in their search for a few chemical "crumbs" of evidence of ancient, remote, and even extra-terrestrial life. Hubble could smash distance record See also: Scoping for Distant Objects What could be by far the most distant object ever seen in the Universe may have been detected by the Hubble Space Telescope. Spacecraft moves within 62 miles of asteroid NEAR Shoemaker moved this week to an orbit about 62 miles (100 km) from the asteroid Eros, allowing the robot ship to take the closest pictures yet of the irregularly shaped space rock. Space Folk Sing the Blues The United States is the most dominant power in space so it may come as some surprise that the folks who provide the underpinnings to that dominance are singing the blues. Cosmonauts boost Mir's orbit See also: New funding for Mir sparks further concerns for its future The crew of the Russian space station Mir is settling in after raising the station's orbit and checking it for airtightness, a news agency reported. Faraway Quasar Spotted See also: The farthest object in the universe , Astronomers see further than ever and Astronomers spot most distant object ever Astronomers peering across the universe have spotted the most distant object ever observed, a quasar 26 (!?) billion light-years away. Drilling to a better understanding of Mars and the world beyond See also: NASA develops a drill for the future NASA scientists have come up with an ingenious invention that would not only help us explore asteroids, planets and the like, but would also help surgeons maneouvre their way around the human body. NASA leaders take heat for Mars failures Looking for someone to blame for the loss of four Mars planetary probes last year, House Republicans on Wednesday signaled they will hold NASA managers accountable for the multiple failures. Hubble, Chandra reveal a nova of many colors Images from different telescopes -- including NASA's two premier space observatories -- have been combined to create a multifaceted view of a supernova remnant, astronomers said this week. Is there a 'Face on Mars?' Take a closer look Explore the puported "artificial" features in the Cydonia region of Mars -- including the "Face on Mars" -- with this interactive tour. High Energy Astrophysics for Everybody A group of volunteer scientists is converging on Huntsville for an out-of-this-world meeting -- the High Energy Astrophysics Workshop for Amateur Astronomers. Amateur astronomers will learn how to communicate and participate in the sort of cutting-edge astrophysics normally reserved for professionals. More money triggers Mir confusion See also: New funding for Mir sparks further concerns for its future The fate of the Mir space station seems a little more secure following statements by the Russian premier Vladimir Putin that his government has reversed last year's decision to abandon it. Where's the Edge? Will humans always be confined to the Solar System? Not if NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Program has a say in the matter! Find out how scientists are working to turn science fiction into standard practise with new and innovative ways to reach the stars. Snowball Earth It would have been a miserable time to have been on this planet. About 2.4 billion years ago, the Earth was so cold that even coastal areas near the equator had glaciers, according to recent research. Wormholes take on a new dimension See also: Dreaming Distant Voyages New calculations suggest that wormholes large and stable enough to allow intergalactic travel really can exist. Space -- the final frontier ... for making money See also: Broadcasts from the final frontier Don't laugh, it could happen sometime sooner than you think. Or how about ads in space, or Russian cosmonauts introducing the week's Top Ten pop videos, maybe an astronaut flipping the coin at the kickoff of the Super Bowl, or even a ``3rd Rock From the Sun''-type sitcom set above the Earth? MSSS Serves A Slice Of Mars See also: Martian mysteries at poles The layered terrains of the Martian polar regions are among the most exotic planetary landscapes in our Solar System. The layers exposed in the south polar residual cap, provide a vivid detail of the climate history of Mars over the last 100 million years or so. Increasing Evidence That Europa Lives NASA officials managing last week's First Annual Conference on Astrobiology were surprised to see 600 scientists and over 20 journalists turnout to discuss the possibility of life (even primitive life) on other worlds NASA selects new Mars manager A spectacular morning launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery ten years ago, on April 24, 1990, ushered in a new golden age of astronomy. The payload in Discovery's cargo bay, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, was released by the crew into Earth orbit the next day and the Universe hasn't looked the same since. NASA selects new Mars manager Spurred by criticism over failed missions, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has chosen scientist Firouz Naderi to head a newly formed Mars program aimed at improving future robotic explorations. Martian mysteries at poles See also: New Global Surveyor images reveal exotic Martian landscape The poles of Mars, among the most exotic planetary landscapes anywhere in our Solar System, have been revealed in unprecedented detail by the images taken by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). Scientists scan auroral data Astronomers all over the Northern hemisphere are analysing their data and images of last weekend's magnificent auroral display and geomagnetic storm. It is said to be the best for well over a decade. Taking the pulse of a cosmic mystery Astronomers around the world are focusing on a mysterious pulsing light in the Big Dipper, trying to figure out whether it’s a newly active black hole or a neutron star. One of the strangest things about it is its location, observers say. First Light for ASTROVIRTEL Project Astronomical data archives increasingly resemble virtual gold mines of information. A new project, known as ASTROVIRTEL aims to exploit these astronomical treasure troves by allowing scientists to use the archives as virtual telescopes. Mission control pioneer guided NASA to glory Out there in middle America, where hard work and love of country prevail, Gene Kranz had his beginnings. NASA exec suggests some ways to build a better shuttle The next generation of space shuttles may utilize such futuristic technologies as magnetic levitation launchers, self-healing thermal parts and solar powered propulsion systems. Air-breathing rocket test series completed; new tests begin See also: Review: A testament to courage, the minds that made the U.S. space program and Catching up with the heroes of Apollo 13 Out there in middle America, where hard work and love of country prevail, Gene Kranz had his beginnings. NEAR Science Update Tucked in amidst the many thousands of images, infrared, x-ray and gamma ray spectra, there is another data set garnered in the 200 km orbit that deals with an entirely different aspect of the nature and history of Eros - its magnetic field. Skywatchers marvel at light show See also: Solar shock wave causes surprise aurora display Skies across Europe and North America have been lit up with a spectacular display of the Northern Lights. Soviet rocket blast left 48 dead Twenty years after the event, a Russian TV station has shown pictures of an accident at a Soviet cosmodrome in which nearly 50 people died. Astronomy Day kicks off this weekend Devoted stargazers will share their love of astronomy with the general public on Saturday as clubs, science museums, observatories and other organizations around the world celebrate Astronomy Day. The Planet That Wasn’t Really See also: Star mistaken for planet A sighting that scientists thought to be the first directly observed planet outside our solar system may not be that at all, NASA reports. Ulysses feels the brush of a comet's tail Ulysses, the joint ESA/NASA spacecraft, has added comet spotter to its list of talents. Two papers published in Nature today report that on 1 May 1996, the spacecraft flew through the tail of comet Hyakutake whose nucleus was more than 3.5AU (one AU equals the Sun-Earth distance) away at the time. "This makes it the longest comet tail ever recorded", says Geraint Jones from Imperial College, London who is a member of one of the two instrument teams that made the discovery. Astronomers give a boost to radio Radio astronomers are using off-the-shelf satellite dishes as a proving ground for a new telescope system that could boost their power to communicate with interplanetary probes, study distant planets - and search for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations as well. The first real-world testbed for what’s shaping up as a decade-long effort is due to be switched on April 19. Did the Vikings make a telescope? Sophisticated lenses made nearly a thousand years ago may have allowed the Vikings to build a telescope. Hubble postage stamps to be unveiled On April 10, five new commemorative postage stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service will be unveiled in a ceremony at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, to celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope's 10th anniversary. NASA’s new Mars challenges NASA’s double disappointment at Mars has left the space agency "stuck between a rock and a hard place," with precious little time for overhauling an effort that could eventually cost billions of dollars. The secrets of Europa’s slushy seas Planetary scientists have a hunch that the building blocks of life just might lurk within an ocean on Europa, a moon of Jupiter. The problem is, that ocean is completely sealed off beneath miles and miles of icy crust. Or is it? Astrobiology Science Conference to explore origins, life in the universe See also: Astrobiology: A down-to-earth view Two years ago, NASA took a chance and launched a new field of research christened "Astrobiology" with a bold Nobel laureate at the helm and about $10 million for research. This week, at the first ever Astrobiology Science Conference, NASA organizers were surprised when 600 scientists - three times as many as expected - showed up. How the next space telescopes will unveil the dark ages of the Universe For current astronomers, the 'darkest' epoch of the universe is the time when the first galaxies started to form and evolve: no instrument today can peer into that era. Unveiling it will be the task of the next giant space-and ground-based telescopes, which will provide different pieces of information to complete the jigsaw at last. Russia Heads Back to Mir See also: Mir rescue mission blasts off and Lawmakers, officials question Russia's ability to fund Mir After eight months of orbiting Earth unoccupied, the Mir is about to have some new tenants - two cosmonauts who blasted off Tuesday on a mission to bring the troubled space station back to life. Defending Our Planet An Arizona telescope is scouring the skies for asteroids and comets that might be on a collision course with Earth. While not as dramatic as Hollywood movies, an early warning could give Earthlings enough time to somehow divert an oncoming rock. Observing with Integral More than 80 astrophysicists from all over the world travelled to the small town of Les Diablerets in the Swiss Alps to learn how to use ESA's Integral satellite, once it is in orbit, to gather powerful gamma-radiation coming from distant objects in the Universe. A gamma-ray telescope is very different from a normal optical telescope. NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft moving in for better look at asteroid See also: NEAR Shoemaker Moving In for a Better Look at Eros The true nature of the asteroid Eros becomes a bit clearer - literally - as NASA's NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft moves into a lower orbit this weekend. Dramatic Change Coming In View Of The Universe Astronomers looking at the very cold, far-infrared universe have barely glimpsed what's there. They've had to make do with imaging systems that survey the cosmos a few pixel points of light at a time. NASA reaction to failures wrong, scientist says The man who took NASA back to the moon with a low-budget spacecraft after a 25-year hiatus fears the nation's civilian space agency is taking the wrong steps in reacting to the failures of two high-profile Mars missions. Flying success for space 'lifeboat' Nasa's prototype "flying lifeboat" has flown through its most stringent test so far, though not without a bumpy landing. Sun has strange 'spin cycle' See also: Sun's layers rotate at different speeds, researchers find and The pulse of the Sun's dynamo Scientists have discovered that two parallel layers of gas deep beneath the Sun's surface are speeding up and slowing down in a co-ordinated way. Planets for Dessert See also: Planets line up for early April spectacle Next Thursday, April 6, three planets and the thin crescent Moon are going to put on a memorable after-dinner sky show when the quartet converge inside a circle 9 degrees across. The grouping is just the prelude to a grander alignment of planets on May 5, 2000. Is doom at hand, as many mystics assert? Astrobiology: A down-to-earth view The word 'astrobiology' may summon up images of boldly going in search of Vulcans or even more exotic aliens. You might think it has to do primarily with Mars, or Europa, or planets around other suns. But the fact is, Topic A in the rapidly growing field of astrobiology is good old Planet Earth. NASA Chief Takes Blame NASA Administrator Dan Goldin is taking the blame for last year’s botched Mars missions, saying he pushed too hard, cut costs and made it impossible for spacecraft managers to succeed.

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