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NASA Space Science Discoveries Featured at American Astronomical Society Winter Meeting

Donald Savage
Headquarters, Washington, DC                       January 5, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1547)


NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-1

NASA SPACE SCIENCE DISCOVERIES FEATURED AT AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL 
SOCIETY WINTER MEETING

       Several new findings from a number of NASA's space science 
missions and researchers will be presented in special sessions and 
press conferences at the upcoming Winter Meeting of the American 
Astronomical Society in Washington, DC, Jan. 6-10, at the 
Washington Hilton & Towers, 1919 Connecticut Ave., N.W.  Following 
are highlights of the NASA results to be announced at the meeting 
(embargoed until day and time noted).  More information can be 
obtained at the FTPs and URLs listed.

        On Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 11:30 a.m. EST, NASA Administrator 
Daniel S. Goldin will deliver a speech reporting on space science 
progress and will issue a challenge to astronomers concerning the 
origins of life in the Universe.  The Administrator will trace 
recent findings bearing on the origins of life in the Universe and 
stress the need for additional emphasis on the biological sciences.  
In addition, Dr. Wesley T. Huntress, Jr., NASA's Associate 
Administrator for Space Science, will be available for questions 
from reporters at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.  For specific press 
conference location, time and other winter meeting information, 
contact the AAS Press Room at 202/797-4534, starting 
Tuesday, Jan. 6.

     *  "OLD FAITHFUL" BLACK HOLE ERUPTS EVERY HALF HOUR:  
Scientists have observed a black hole in our galaxy which hurls hot 
gas outward in opposite directions in jets moving at nearly the 
speed of light.  The black hole pulls in fresh material from the 
surface of a nearby star, and then undergoes another disruption, 
repeating the sequence at half-hour intervals. (press briefing 9:30 
a.m. EST Jan. 7)
       FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/JAN_AAS/BH

    *  ONE OF GALAXY'S LARGEST STARS MAY BE TWINS:  X-rays studied 
by astronomers using NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer spacecraft 
lend strong support to a controversial new idea that one of the 
Galaxy's largest stars may be a double star system.  (Jan. 7)        
FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/JAN_AAS/TWINS

    *  HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGES OF JUPITER AND SATURN SHOW 
SPECTACULAR AURORAE:  Ultraviolet light images from Hubble's new 
Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) show northern and 
southern auroras of Jupiter and Saturn, at more than ten times the 
sensitivity and twice-to-five-times higher resolution than earlier 
cameras.  The resolution in these images is sufficient to show the 
"curtain" of auroral light extending several hundred miles above 
the planets' limbs.  (paper to be released Jan. 7)
           Jupiter Aurorae (STIS)  PRC98-04
           http://oposite.stsci.edu/1998/04
           Saturn Aurorae (STIS)  PRC98-05
           http://oposite.stsci.edu/1998/05

    *  TWO TEAMS PRESENT FINDINGS ON POSSIBLE PLANETARY FORMATION:  
New images of the visibly warped disk of matter around the star 
Beta Pictoris support the theory that nascent planets may be 
forming inside and perturbing the disk through their gravitational 
influence says one team, but another team says a passing star or 
companion brown dwarf may be the culprit.  (press briefing 9:30 
a.m. EST Jan. 8)
      FTP://PAO.GSFC.NASA.GOV/newsmedia/JAN_AAS/DISK
             http://oposite.stsci.edu/1998/03

    *  TWO TEAMS PROVIDE NEW DATA ON POSSIBLE FATE OF UNIVERSE:  
Two teams of astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope present 
measurements of high-redshift supernovae, indicating the Universe 
does not have enough matter to stop its expansion, and so may go on 
forever, never collapsing.  (paper to be released Jan. 8)
http://oposite.stsci.edu/1998/02

    *  COBE DATA REVEALS "FOSSIL" INFRARED BACKGROUND GLOW TO 
UNIVERSE:  Astronomers announce the first definitive detection of a 
background infrared glow across the sky produced by dust warmed by 
all the stars that have existed since the beginning of time.  The 
discovery of this "fossil" infrared radiation puts a limit on the 
total amount of energy released by all the stars in the Universe 
since the Big Bang. (press briefing 8:15 a.m. EST Jan. 9) 
http://oposite.stsci.edu/1998/01

    *  PREVIEW OF THE FEBRUARY TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN:  NASA 
solar and eclipse experts discuss where and when to see it, science 
experiments including the role of Galileo near Jupiter, advice on 
safe viewing & photography.  (press briefing 9:30 a.m. EST Jan. 10)  
Information, animation and images from NASA available at the AAS 
and via NASA TV Videofile Jan. 12.

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