The University of California and Caltech are designing a 30-meter telescope called the California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT) to study distant galaxies and star formation. The telescope will have a segmented primary mirror made up of 1,080 small hexagonal mirrors, and its cost is estimated to be around $500 million.
NASA has awarded four small businesses 90-day contracts to develop concepts and requirements for a potential backup capability to provide access to the International Space Station. The study aims to enhance the station's operational flexibility by launching within a week if primary delivery methods are unavailable.
The Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, opening a new era of astronomical research. With its record-breaking capabilities, scientists will be able to study the universe in unprecedented detail, making groundbreaking discoveries and advancing our understanding of the cosmos.
Researchers are studying zeolites, crystals that can produce more gasoline from a barrel of oil, reducing dependence on petroleum. In microgravity, larger crystals are grown, providing insights into their structure and potential for efficient fuel production.
The Hubble Space Telescope observed Comet Linear experiencing a violent eruption, spewing dust into space and increasing its brightness. The team believes this event may indicate that similar 'Mount Saint Helens' outbursts occur frequently on comets.
A team led by Dr. Charles Meegan is developing a new burst monitor to fly on the Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope, which will provide broad energy coverage for gamma-ray studies and help solve the nature of gamma-ray bursts.
A team of Boston University astronomers has captured new ground-based photos of Mercury's surface, revealing details similar to those on the Moon. The images, taken in August 1998, show bright craters and dark lunar mare-like markings, providing insights into Mercury's geology.
Nine companies have been selected to participate in a $15 million NASA Research Announcement effort titled the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Risk Reduction Definition Program. This research will explore possible Earth-to-orbit launch vehicles, in-space orbit transfer vehicles, and ground and flight operations.
The NASA Marshall Open House offers a daylong space adventure with interactive exhibits, including a Space Shuttle Pavilion, magnetic levitation track and International Space Station mockup. Meet astronauts, robots and celebrities, and participate in activities like the Astronaut Moon Bounce.
The Cangaroo II telescope detects gamma rays emitted by black holes and their surrounding electric and magnetic fields. Researchers aim to study the enormous effect of black holes on galaxy energy and evolution.
Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered that Barnard's Galaxy, an irregular dwarf galaxy, is significantly different from the Milky Way. Using images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, they found three star clusters within NGC 6822 to be of very different ages, with one cluster dating back 15 billion years.
A 6.5m telescope mirror is transported from the US to Chile's Atacama Desert, renowned for its stable and dry atmosphere, to conduct astronomical observations. The mirror will be installed as part of the Magellan Twin Telescope project at the Las Campanas Observatory, enabling studies of the Milky Way, star formation, and the universe.
NASA will unveil its future space transportation goals and programs at Space Transportation Day '99, aiming to lower launch costs and make interplanetary exploration feasible. The conference will cover various projects, including X-33 and X-34 rocket planes, as well as technologies for safer and more reliable operations.
NASA has selected 23 organizations to develop revolutionary space-based power generating systems that harness the Sun's energy for Earth and space. The selected teams will receive $6.4 million in funding to create commercially viable space solar power technologies.
Researchers believe that microflares, miniature solar flares, are the key to heating the sun's corona. These events release as much energy as 10 million H-bombs and are found near magnetic islands and extended loops. The study suggests that cooler microflares drive the heating in these areas.
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope has successfully observed a distant quasar candidate, confirming its status and providing insight into the universe's early evolution. The instrument will also enable detailed study of objects in and near the Milky Way with the addition of two new facility-class spectrographs.
Astronomers have detected the brightest optical celestial object ever recorded using a low-cost, automated telescope built from recycled lenses and hardware. The ROTSE-1 telescope captured optical emissions from a gamma ray burst while it was still arriving, providing new insights into the phenomenon.
The Hopkins University replaced a failed 24-inch telescope with a smaller one used for stargazing, ensuring the success of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The telescope was retrofitted with new optics and is now ready to contribute to the mapping of millions of galaxies.
Researchers using Hubble Space Telescope spot large dust particles in rings around three stars, suggesting planets may be forming. The observations reveal a critical early stage in planetary evolution, with the potential for millions of years of dust grain aggregation to form planets.
Scientists discuss ways to use lightweight materials like hydrogen, boron, and lithium for radiation shielding. Researchers also explore using composites and polyamide binders for efficient protection against space radiation.
The conference will bring together over 100 principal investigators to discuss recent microgravity materials science research, including results from the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. Researchers will also preview plans for the International Space Station and its Materials Science Research Facility.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have identified crucial elements for successful international cooperation in future space programs. These include scientific goals, clear communication among teams, and regular assessments to ensure mission vitality.
Scientists plan to use stereo imaging to analyze the three-dimensional structures of the Sun's corona, which can help predict explosive events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares.
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey's unique telescope has achieved first light, demonstrating its capabilities to create a deep, high-resolution, multicolor digital map of the sky. The telescope will incorporate two spectrographs to provide information about the chemical composition and distances of celestial sources.
The UNC-CH physics and astronomy department has launched a new program called SOLAR, which allows North Carolina public school teachers and students to use and remotely control the Morehead Observatory telescope. The program offers students access to real scientific data and the opportunity to capture their own images of the universe.
The SOAR telescope, a state-of-the-art facility in Chile, will enable researchers to study the universe like never before. It will collect 3,400 times more light than the original telescope, allowing for observations of dimmer objects and stars at greater distances.
Researchers aim to address wave front errors caused by vibrations and thermal stresses in large space telescopes, affecting their clarity and focus. They've developed software-based solutions to detect and correct these aberrations, enabling better performance for space exploration.
The discovery of glowing hydrogen gas on Io, a moon of Jupiter, was made using the Hubble Space Telescope. The findings indicate that hydrogen may be concentrated at the poles in the form of hydrogen sulfide frost, which could be broken up into constituent hydrogen and sulfur atoms with glow.
Astronomers produce high-resolution images of Jupiter's auroras, revealing details about the planet's atmosphere and its moons. The new images, made possible by improved instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope, show comet-shaped swaths of light and a faint electromagnetic footprint from Ganymede.
Astronomers have found far more dwarf galaxies than expected in a survey of just 2% of data from the Parkes radio telescope. The discovery suggests that dwarfs may be 'crumbs' left over when bigger galaxies formed and could provide clues about the distribution of dark matter.
FORCAST, a new infrared camera, will be built at Cornell to image the universe in the infrared spectrum and study stars' neonatal environments. The instrument will fly aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and make observations that are impossible for ground-based telescopes.
Astronomers calculate that a gamma ray burst has expanded to 85 times the size of our solar system and is still growing. The detection uses the 'twinkling' effect in radio astronomy, where the point where twinkling stops allows for diameter measurement.
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a large crater on asteroid Vesta with an estimated diameter of 285 miles and 8 miles deep. The crater's impact debris is believed to be a source of special types of meteorites, including those found in Hawaii.
A new gamma-ray telescope will reveal new views of binary stars, black holes, and pulsars, shedding light on violent stellar explosions. The instrument, built by Columbia physicist Elena Aprile, will measure gamma rays between 300,000 to 30 million electron-volts, helping scientists understand element creation.
Astronomers studied comet Hale-Bopp with the Hubble Space Telescope, finding that its nucleus may be more complex than previously thought. The findings suggest that components like carbon disulfide ice are not contained within water, but rather in separate regions of the nucleus.
The Ocutech VES AutoFocus Telescope is the world's first self-focusing telescopic glasses for the visually impaired, developed by Dr. Henry Greene and his team. The device can help several million people in the US alone, providing improved vision and recognition of faces and objects.
The two miniature water worlds, designed by former Biosphere 2 crew members, have been safely transferred to the American space shuttle Atlantis for comprehensive testing of their effects on plants and animals in space. The experiments aim to provide insights into long-term human spaceflight and pharmaceutical research.
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope has taken its first look at the universe, demonstrating its novel design and paving the way for groundbreaking astronomical discoveries. The telescope's innovative design eliminates expensive features while tracking objects with precision, allowing for efficient and cost-effective large-scale observations.
The Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) is a fully robotic telescope that can track a given area of the sky for hours and detect objects 10,000 times fainter than other telescopes. KAIT will enable astronomers to conduct nightly studies of changing celestial objects remotely.
A delegation from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Project is meeting with South African astronomers to discuss collaboration on constructing a large astronomical telescope. The proposed telescope would be similar in design to the existing Hobby-Eberly Telescope, featuring an 11m primary mirror and 91 hexagonal segments.