+      .     *       .   .      .     +           .     .     +
    .   .     .  db     .   .        .     .     .    +      +   .      .
  +   .   .    .d88b .    .     +    .  ,d    .   . .    .    .    .   .
   .   .    .  d8'`8b  +   .   .   .    88     .   +    .    .   . +    .
    .    +    d8'  `8b   . ,adPPYba, MM88MMM 8b,dPPYba,  ,adPPYba,   .   .
 .    .   .  d8YaaaaY8b .  I8[   ."" . 88  . 88P' . "Y8 a8" .   "8a *  .
   +   . .  d8""""""""8b    `"Y8ba,   .88.   88  +   .  8b     . d8  .  +
    .     .d8'  +   . `8b  aa  . ]8I   88,  .88    *    "8a, . ,a8"  + .
 .    .   d8'    .   + `8b `"YbbdP"' + "Y888 88  .    .  `"YbbdP"'  . .  .
    .    d8' +     . .      *  .. .     ..   .    +       .   .     . .  .
 *     .d8'  . T H E    A R M C H A I R    A S T R O N O M E R   .   +  . 
 .    +     .     +     ..   .   .      .     +        *     .    .     +


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
///  VOLUME I, NUMBER 7                                      JULY 1995  ///
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I N   T H I S   I S S U E

The parenthetical reference numbers at the beginning of each line in the
table of contents can be used to search ahead for any particular article of 
interest. Note that the subject lines will vary from those shown in the
table of contents, so just use the numbers for your searches.

(-01-) COLUMN	From the Editor: The Countryside 
(-02-) LETTERS	What the Readers Have to Say
(-03-) COLUMN 	This Month in Astronomy                  
(-04-) COLUMN 	The Software Page
(-05-) COLUMN 	The Net Surfer           
(-06-) COLUMN 	Planetarium News 
(-07-) HISTORY	Mayan Astronomy
(-08-) NAS	Honeymoons and Opposition
(-09-) PHYSICS	Dust Rings and Magnetic Fields
(-10-) EVENTS	Interplanetary Bicycle Ride
(-11-) ASTRONET	More on Vesta: A Science Background
(-12-) NASA	Hubble Probes Stellar H-Bomb
(-13-) NASA	New Civil-Military Satellite
(-14-) USENET	Indian Scientists Eye Solar Power Station in Space
(-15-) S&T	Saturn's Rings, The Little Star that Could, Hot Water
(-16-) ASTRONET	The Jupiter Impact: A Shoemaker-Levy 9 Followup
(-17-) ASTRONET	Enchanted Skies Star Party
(-18-) USENET	Woodpeckers Damage Shuttle
(-19-) 		Subscription and Other Pertinent Information

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-01-)	FROM THE EDITOR: THE FUTURE OF THE U.S. SPACE POLICY

As the movie "Apollo 13" hit the theatres recently, the ol' "future of
the U.S. space policy" issue came up again on the sci.space.policy 
newsgroup. The big question is: if this movie doesn't do well in the
theatres, does it mean that the general public is apathetic about space
exploration? I'd like to address this question, if I may.

First, I have not yet seen the movie, so I cannot comment on its visual
impact, scripting, casting, or any issues of quality. I have read a few
reviews, and they are mixed so far. But, despite any failings in its
production quality, it is an account of an almost tragic event in the 
history of our space program, and as such its popularity (i.e., profits)
could be used as a reasonable measure of the public's awareness and
support of our space program.

So if it does poorly, does it mean that the future of space exploration
is doomed? Is there not even a _chance_, however slim, of a Trek-like 
(or Babylon 5-like if you prefer) future? I think not. However unaware 
and unsupportive the U.S. population is of our space program, we will 
continue to support _some_ form of a space policy. 

Again, as a note for those of you who have requested an HTML-formatted 
e-zine: most articles that appear in _The Armchair Astronomer_ are 
archived in my Web pages. Turn your browser to 
"http://lalaland.cl.msu.edu/~vanhoose/astro.html"
to see the product. It's pretty nice for something I do in my spare time.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this issue and take a stop by the Web page.

Sincerely,

- Todd
  30 June 1995

DID YOU KNOW. "In the United States many people say that the summer 
season begins with Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. But the
'official' summer begins more than three weeks later with the 'Summer' 
Solstice. I put the word summer in quotes because it shows our 
Northern Hemisphere bias. In the Southern Hemisphere the same date 
marks the Winter Solstice. So I prefer to call it the June Solstice. 
This year it is precisely at 2:35 p.m. on June 21 MDT." (From NAS)

perihelion \per-i-he.le-*n\ n : the point nearest the sun in the 
  orbit of a planet, comet, or man-made satellite. From Greek _peri_
  meaning around + helios meaning sun. Pl. -lions or -lia.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-02-)	T H E   L E T T E R S   P A G E 

     Reader contributions and comments are welcome. They will be posted 
      here whenever possible. Send your thoughts to astro@gdl.msu.edu.

	Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 20:45:12 -0400
	From: Darg01@aol.com
	Subject: Re: #3(3) ASTRO: The Armchair...

	Thanks for latest version.  Really look forward to this now.

Glad to hear it!


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-03-)	T H I S   M O N T H   I N   A S T R O N O M Y  -  J U L Y

      Every month this column will try to prepare readers for upcoming
       astronomical events both up in the sky and down on the ground. 
      If you know of an event that should be posted here,  please send
                         mail to astro@gdl.msu.edu. 

3 JUN marks the 30th ANNIVERSARY of the GEMINI 4 launch. NASA'S 100TH 
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT is scheduled for 8 JUN*; flight STS-70 will be
aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. On 19 JUN, Stanford University 
will host the 3-day MARS TOGETHER CONFERENCE, which will discuss the 
history and potential future of Mars. 

* This flight has been postponed due to circumstances beyond the control
  (and foresight) of NASA engineers and planners. See article -18- for 
  more information.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-04-)	T H E   S O F T W A R E   P A G E

      The Software Page is a place for announcements and reviews of
     new astronomy-related software (both commercial and shareware).
    If you have a product that would like to be reviewed or promoted
   in this column or if you have a review of a package that you would 
       like to share, please send e-mail to astro@gdl.msu.edu.

From: Ramshorn@ix.netcom.com (Robert Swarts)
Subject: New Product Release

                     JULIAN AND AZI-MOUTH
                        ASTRO UTILITIES

Ramshorn at Yamhill proudly announces its latest astronomical utilities. 
Azi-Mouth is a right ascension/declination to altitude/azimuth 
converter, You input your latitude and longitude, and then Azi-Mouth 
updates itself from your computer clock at an interval that you specify. 
While there are many coordinate conversion programs available, Azi-Mouth 
is the only one that speaks the resulting coordinates to you, freeing 
you to operate your telescope rather than your computer. It also has a 
convenient dark mode display that enables you to view your monitor from 
up to 50 feet away, should you choose to, without ruining your night 
vision. Furthermore, it can run in the background, freeing your computer 
for other uses during your observing session while still allowing you to 
hear the spoken coordinates at your telescope. Azi-Mouth comes with a 
data base containing all 110 Messier objects, a number of bright stars 
(for calibration purposes), and planetary entries. You can add as many 
additional objects as you wish. For those who do not have a sound board, 
Microsoft?s SPEAKER.DRV is bundled with the software. This enables most 
(but not all) PC-compatible computers to produce sound from their 
built-in speaker.

Julian is an astronomical timepiece displaying Julian date and sidereal 
time at 0 hours, Greenwich, on the specified observation date; and 
standard (Std Time), local mean (LMT), local sidereal (LST), and 
universal times (UT) at the current instant. It reads your location from 
the Azi-Mouth initialization file, and updates itself from the computer 
clock at the specified interval. It can be optionally set to ?float? 
continuously above any other programs you may have running.

Both programs are Windows-based and sold as a unit for $26.95 postpaid 
anywhere in the world. A demonstration diskette can also be provided for 
$5.00, $3.00 of which is refundable against your order for a working 
version. Send check or money order to:

                   Ramshorn at Yamhill
                   22571 NW Roosevelt
                   Yamhill, OR 97148

Pre- and post-sales support is avaliable via E-mail at 
Ramshorn@ix.netcom.com

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-05-)	T H E   N E T - S U R F E R  

   This column explores the frequently uncharted waters of the Internet
      in search of sites, files, web pages and anything else that is
            related to the study and application of astronomy. 

From: sak@bookshop.co.uk
Subject: Astronomy books on the Internet

The Internet Bookshop stocks a large number of Astronomy books by   
publishers including OUP and Philip's. Our databases are updated daily   
and include all titles published in the UK. We have excellent   
international ordering facilities. 
 
http://www.bookshop.co.uk/

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-06-)   P L A N E T A R I U M   N E W S 

     This column will discuss the latest and greatest news for all the
     planetarium mavens out there.  If you have any, please send it to
                              astro@gdl.msu.edu.


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-07-)	Date: Jun 5 18:37 UTC
	Subject: HST Views Saturns Rings Edge-On
	From: NASA Space News

HUBBLE CAPTURES RARE EVENT AS SATURN'S RINGS APPEAR EDGE-ON

In one of nature's most dramatic examples of "now-you-see-them,
now-you-don't," NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured images of Saturn
on May 22, 1995 as the planet's magnificent ring system turned edge-on
as viewed from Earth.  This event occurs about every 15 years.

This observation will be used to determine the time of ring-plane
crossing and the thickness of the main rings, to search for as yet
undiscovered satellites and to help better determine the rate at which
Saturn "wobbles" about its axis in a process known as polar
precession.

The image and two others (two three-panel images showing Saturn at
three different times around ring-plane crossing, one of which is
labeled with names of satellites and times of observation) will be
available electronically via the Internet in GIF and JPEG format and
may be accessed on Internet via anonymous ftp from ftp.stsci.edu in the
/pubinfo directory.
                                     GIF            JPEG
PRC95-26a  Before and during RPC  gif/SatRPC1    jpeg/SatRPC1
PRC95-26b  Saturn during RPC      gif/SatRPC3    jpeg/SatRPC3
PRC95-26c  Labeled                gif/SatRPC3L   jpeg/SatRPC3L

The same images are available via World Wide Web from URL:
"http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/SaturnRPC.html", or via links in
"http://www.stsci.edu/public.html".

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-08-) 	Larry Charles Sessions 
	Subject: North American Skies for June 1995

HONEYMOONS AND OPPOSITION

[Having recently become engaged to be married next June (Good Lord that
is now just about one year away now!) I though the first story here was
particularly salient. -Ed.]

HONEY MOON. As suggested by Guy Ottewell, the origin of the term
"Honeymoon," and the tradition of getting married in June may be
connected. The Full Moon in June is low in the sky, thus giving it a 
more yellow or honey golden appearance due to the thicker layers of 
air through which its light must pass. This may have been seen as a 
reminder of the honey wine (mead) that newlyweds drank each day for 
a month in some countries of Europe. Maybe, maybe not, but it makes 
a nice connection.

"FULL JUPITER". In May it was Pluto, but in June it is Jupiter that 
is in "opposition" (at 5:00 a.m. MDT on Thursday, June 1). This 
means that the planet will be roughly opposite the sun in the sky,
rising at sunset and setting at sunrise. This is analogous to the
situation with a Full Moon.  Unlike tiny, faint Pluto, Jupiter is a
marvelous sight in even a small telescope. Its four largest moons
are visible in even a good pair of binoculars (although not always
at the same time).

	For subscription information on North American Skies, contact
	ab027@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu or explorer@filebank.com.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-09-)	From: physnews@aip.org (AIP listserver)
	Subject: PHYSICS NEWS UPDATE #222 (04/17/95)

A CIRCUMSTELLAR DUST RING has been observed by the Cosmic Background 
Explorer (COBE) satellite during its survey of the sky. Computers'
simulations of the motion of asteroidal dust particles moving toward the 
sun had shown that the presence of the Earth helps to trap some of the 
particles in a circumsolar ring in which the Earth is embedded; the 
disposition of dust would be denser beyond the Earth's orbit than inside 
of it. Previously, the "zodiacal light" (reflected sunlight) from the 
dust had been seen by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), but 
COBE's observations are fuller and more unequivocal.  
(W.T. Reach et al., Nature, 6 April 1995.)

INTERGALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELDS are probably very weak but
may well influence galaxy formation.  These fields might be
primordial or might arise from magnetized plasma expelled by
galaxies.  R. Plaga of the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany
suggests that the fields between the galaxies can be detected through
their influence on gamma ray bursts reaching the Earth.  According to
Plaga, fields as weak as 10**-24 gauss would delay the arrival of
some gamma-ray photons by a measurable amount.  He believes that
it might be possible to extract such information from gamma-burst
data of the type recorded by the Gamma Ray Observatory.  (Nature,
30 March 1995.)

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-10-)	From: Sheldon Schafer 
	Subject: INTERPLANETARY BICYCLE RIDE

INTERPLANETARY  BICYCLE RIDE

The longest and fastest bicycle ride in the Solar System 

JULY 15 & 16, 1995
Peoria, Illinois

Sponsored by: Illinois Valley Wheelm'n, Lakeview Museum of Arts & 
Sciences, Peoria Astronomical Society, Peoria Academy of Sciences

Follow the orbits of planetary explorers through the "Worlds Largest 
Model of the Solar System".
  
What is the Community Solar System? Lakeview Museum's Community Solar 
System is a model of the sun and nine planets, where size and distance 
are represented on the same scale. While models of the solar system may 
be common, virtually all of these either show only relative sizes or 
relative distances to the same scale if any attempt is made at all to be 
accurate. (Frequently such models only show the relative order of the 
planets from the sun). In any case, the impression is created that our 
solar system is much smaller and the planets much closer than they 
actually are, and a correct understanding of the vastness of space is 
totally lost. Since the space between the planets is enormous relative 
to the sizes of the planets, few models exist in the world which show 
the true scale of our solar system, since they would need to be miles 
across.  The purpose of this project was to create a real physical 
model (spread across 60 miles of Central Illinois), true to scale, with 
true three dimensional models of each of the planets of our solar 
system. In addition to the planets, there are over 80 Unnamed Comets of 
the Kuiper Bellt located throughout the World, including Germany, 
Denmark, Norway, Russia, Japan, Ecuador, Chile, and Antarctica.

The model is recognized as the world's largest with entries in the 1993 
and 1994 and 1995 editions of The Guinness Book of Records. For more 
information and photographs, see the July, 1993 issue of Sky and 
Telescope (page 99-100)  or the March 1995 issue of Discover Magazine 
(page 42-45). 

A RIDE FOR EVERY LEVEL
Depending on your planetary destination, there are options for every 
member of your family, for riders of all ages and abilities. 
For Example:

Jupiter - Saturn - Jupiter  (Rock Island Trail)  1.4 Billion miles (10 mi.)
Jupiter - Uranus - Jupiter (Rock Island Trail)   3.6 Billion miles (25 mi.)
Jupiter - Neptune - Jupiter (Rock Island Trail)  6.4 Billion miles (45 mi.)
Sun - Pluto - Sun (City, Trail, County roads)    13.0 Billion miles (90 mi.)
Sun-Mercury-Venus-Earth-Mars-Jupiter-Saturn-Sun 
         Sunday Morning Ride(City streets)       3.9 Billion miles (27 mi)
Century option into the Kuiper Comet Belt        14.0 Billion miles (100mi)

For a registration form  (early fee $14/rider, $35/family), please send 
a stamped, self addressed envelope to:

Interplanetary Bicycle Ride
Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences
1125 West Lake Avenue
Peoria, Il   61614 - 5985

or E-mail to sls@bradley.bradley.edu

REPRINTED FROM ASTRONET, ISSUE 13. 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT resource@rahul.net.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-11-)	From: Ron Baalke 
	Subject: More on Vesta: A Science Background

                            SCIENCE BACKGROUND

                         "ASTEROID OR MINI-PLANET?
                 HUBBLE MAPS THE ANCIENT SURFACE OF VESTA"

VESTA: THE SIXTH TERRESTRIAL PLANET?

Vesta is the most geologically diverse of the large asteroids and the 
only known one with distinctive light and dark areas--much like the 
face of our Moon. Previous ground-based spectroscopy of Vesta 
indicates regions that are basaltic, which means lava flows once 
occurred on its surface. This is surprising evidence that the 
asteroid once had a molten interior, like Earth does.

One possibility is that Vesta agglomerated from smaller material that 
includes radioactive debris (such as the the isotope Aluminum-26) 
that was incorporated into the core. This radioactive "shrapnel" 
probably came from a nearby supernova explosion. (In fact a 
supernova might have triggered the birth of our solar system.) This 
hot isotope may have melted the core, causing the asteroid to 
differentiate: heavier, dense material sank to the center while 
lighter rock rose to the surface. This is a common structure for the terrestrial planets. After Vesta's formation, molten rock flowed onto 
the asteroid's surface. This happened more than four billion years 
ago. The surface has remained unchanged since then, except for 
occasional meteoroid impacts.

One or more large impacts tore away some of the crust exposing a 
deeper mantle of olivine, which is believed to constitute most of the 
Earth's mantle. Some of the pieces knocked off Vesta have fallen to 
Earth as meteorites, which show a similar spectral fingerprint to 
Vesta's surface composition.

A PIECE OF VESTA FALLS TO EARTH

In October 1960, two fence workers in Millbillillie, Western 
Australia, observed a fireball heading toward the ground, and pieces 
of the fallen meteorite were found ten years later. The fragments 
stood out from the area's reddish sandy soil because they had a shiny 
black fusion crust, produced by their fiery entry through Earth's 
atmosphere.

Unlike most other meteorites, this sample can be traced to its parent 
body, the asteroid Vesta. The meteorite's chemical identity points to 
Vesta because it has the same unique pyroxene spectral signature. 
Pyroxine is common in lava flows, meaning that the meteorite was 
created in an ancient lava flow on Vesta's surface. The structure of 
the meteorite's mineral grains also indicates it was molten and then 
cooled. The isotopes (oxygen atoms with varying number of neutrons) 
in the specimen are unlike the isotopes found for all other rocks of 
the Earth, Moon and most other meteorites.

The meteorite also has the same pyroxene signature as other small 
asteroids, recently discovered near Vesta, that are considered chips 
blasted off Vesta's surface. This debris extends all the way to an 
escape hatch region in the asteroid belt called the Kirkwood gap. 
This region is swept free of asteroids because Jupiter's 
gravitational pull removes material from the main belt and hurls it 
onto a new orbit that crosses Earth's path around the Sun.

The Australian meteorite probably followed this route to Earth.  It 
was torn off Vesta's surface as part of a larger fragment. Other 
collisions broke apart the parent fragment and threw pieces toward 
the Kirkwood gap, and onto a collision course toward Earth. 
Meteorites found in other locations on Earth are probably from Vesta 
too.

THE OBSERVATION

Ben Zellner (Georgia Southern University), Alex Storrs (Space 
Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, MD), Ed Wells (Computer 
Sciences Corporation, Bethesda, MD), Rudi Albrecht (European 
Southern Observatory in Garching bei Munchen, Germany) and 
collaborators used Hubble's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 
(WFPC 2) to collect images of Vesta in four colors of light between 
November 28 and December 1, 1994. At the time Vesta was 156 million 
miles (252 million km) from Earth. In late December 1994, when 
Vesta was 10 million miles (16 million km) closer to Earth than a 
month earlier, HST's Faint Object Camera made even higher 
resolution images. These results are complemented by infrared 
observations made on December 11, by Olivier Hainaut and colleagues 
with an adaptive- optics camera on the European Southern 
Observatory's 3.6-meter telescope in Chile. By combining Hubble and 
ESO observations astronomers will be able to produce a geochemical 
map of an asteroid's surface.

REPRINTED FROM ASTRONET, ISSUE 13. 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT resource@rahul.net.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-12-)	Date: May 22 21:08 UTC
	Subject: HST Probes Stellar H-Bomb
	From: NASA Space News

HUBBLE PROBES THE WORKINGS OF A STELLAR HYDROGEN-BOMB

Peering into the heart of two recently exploded double-star systems,
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has surprised researchers by finding that
the white dwarf stars at the heart of the fireworks are cooler and spin
more slowly than expected.

"This calls for revision of theory," said Prof.  Edward Sion of
Villanova University, Villanova, PA.  "Though these extremely faint
explosive white dwarfs have been known about for 30 years, Hubble
allows astronomers to observe them directly for the first time and
provide observational evidence to test theories."

Each dwarf -- incredibly dense, burned-out stars that have collapsed to
the size of Earth -- is in a compact binary system, called a
cataclysmic variable, where its companion is a normal star similar to
but smaller than the Sun.  The stars orbit each other in less than
three hours and are so close together the entire binary system would
fit inside Earth's Sun.  This allows gas to flow from the normal star
onto the dwarf where it swirls into a pancake-shaped disk.

When the disk of gas periodically collapses onto the white dwarf, it
unleashes a burst of kinetic energy, called a dwarf nova outburst,
equivalent to 100 million times the explosive energy of all the
warheads which were in U.S. and Soviet arsenals at the peak of the Cold
War.  Once dumped onto the dwarf's surface, hydrogen accumulates until
it undergoes thermonuclear fusion reactions that eventually trigger the
classical nova explosion, which is 10,000 times more energetic than the
dwarf nova outburst.  After the detonation the "fueling" of the white
dwarf starts again.

Sion and co-investigators studied the two best known cataclysmic
variables, VW Hydri, and U Geminorum.  Hubble was used to make
spectroscopic observations of the dwarf novae just days after their
eruption, before another gas disk formed and obscured direct
observation of the white dwarf.

The biggest surprise is that the spin rates of the white dwarf stars,
as measured by Hubble (slightly less than four minutes for U Geminorum,
and approximately once a minute for VW  Hydri) are so slow there should
be violent collisions where the  gas disk crashes onto the slower
moving white dwarf surface.  Since the predicted x-rays from the hot
(several hundred thousand to a million degrees Celsius, or greater)
colliding gas has never been observed, astronomers thought that the
white dwarf was spinning as fast as the disk, so that contact between
the disk and surface was less violent.  However, the Hubble results
contradict this conclusion.

"Despite the fact that several million years of accumulating the
swirling gas disks should spin-up the white dwarfs, we just don't see
it," said Sion.  "Perhaps other mechanisms might be at work to carry
away rotational momentum, removing the spin."

Their Hubble observations have also provided the first direct
measurements of the cooling of the white dwarfs in response to the
heating by the dwarf nova explosion.  The researchers found that, even
though the gaseous disk heats the white dwarf star surfaces by
thousands of degrees Kelvin, this is still well below  the predicted
heating, according to standard theory.

"Somehow this energy is dissipated across the dwarf's surface, rather
than  being concentrated at the zone where the disk crashes," said Sion.

The Hubble results also show that the proportion of chemical elements
in the dwarfs' atmospheres is significantly different from the observed
proportions in the Sun's atmosphere.  This is probably due to the fact
that heavier elements falling onto the dwarf are pulled quickly below
the surface layers by the dwarf's enormous gravitational field and
turbulence associated with the accumulation of the gas disk.

Further Hubble observations by the team during 1995-96 will attempt to
resolve these mysteries.  Their work appears in the May 10 and May 20
issues of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.  The research team
includes E.M. Sion and Min Huang, Villanova University; Paula Szkody,
University of Washington; Ivan Hubeny, NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center, Greenbelt, MD.; and Fuhua Cheng, University of Maryland.

The Space Telescope Science Institute is operated by AURA (the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.) for NASA,
under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation
between NASA and the European Space Agency.

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Images and a video deepicting this event are available
to media representatives by calling NASA's Broadcast & Imaging Branch
at 202/358-1900.  NASA photo numbers are:  Color - 93-HC-375; B&W -
93-H-401.

Artist conception can be accessed on the Internet:

Image files in GIF and JPEG format may be accessed on Internet via
anonymous ftp:

GIF:  "ftp://ftp.stsci.edu/pubinfo/gif/DiskIllus.gif"
JPEG: "ftp://ftp.stsci.edu/pubinfo/jpeg/DiskIllus.jpg"

The same images are available via World Wide Web from
"http://www.stsci.edu/EPA/Latest.html", or via links in
"http://www.stsci.edu/public.html".

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-13-)	Date: Jun 1 19:49 UTC
	Subject: New Civil-Military Satellite
	From: NASA Space News

AGENCIES ESTABLISH NEW CIVIL-MILITARY SATELLITE PROGRAM

The Clinton Administration has taken a major step toward combining the
country's military and civilian weather satellite programs into a
single system -- a move that is expected to save American taxpayers up
to $300 million through 1999, with additional savings through the life
of the program.

Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown, Secretary of Defense William J.
Perry, and NASA Administrator Daniel S.  Goldin signed a formal
agreement on May 26, establishing the agencies' roles and
responsibilities in support of the new system and implementing a
Presidential Decision Directive that was signed last year.

"Combining these programs was a key recommendation of Vice President
Gore's National Performance Review," said Under Secretary of Commerce
for Oceans and Atmosphere, D.  James Baker.  "The new program will
result in a major reduction of acquisition, operational and facilities
costs."

Currently four U.S. polar-orbiting satellites are used to collect
operational, meteorological, oceanographic, climatic and space
environment data.  Two satellites are provided and operated by the
Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), and two by the Department of Defense's Defense
Meteorological Satellite Program.  The new combined program will
consist of three satellites.  The first satellite under the new system,
called the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
System (NPOESS), is expected to be launched in 2006.

To acquire and operate the NPOESS, the Department of Defense, NASA and
NOAA have established an Integrated Program Office.  James T. Mannen, a
retired Air Force Colonel with extensive experience in space programs,
was named director of the office on May 30.

The signing of the agreement by the three agencies represents a
tangible and significant step forward in interagency cooperation --
merging operational military and civilian systems, while still
satisfying each agency's critical mission requirements and doing so at
reduced cost to American taxpayers.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-14-)	From: abdutta@icaen.uiowa.edu (jit)
	Subject: Indian Scientists Eye Solar Power Station in Space
	Date: 31 May 1995
	Newsgroup: sci.space.news

Indian Scientists Eye Solar Power Station in Space

By Lalitha Vaidyanathan

Bombay, May 30 (PTI) Indian scientists are thinking of setting up a 
first-ever solar power station (SPS) in the space to rid the nation of 
the never ending power cuts, once for all.
      
The dream project, still on the drawing board, can mitigate the 
perennial shortage of engergy because sunlight will be available to the
station for almost 24 hours with the shadow period being less than 12
minutes near midnight, when power demand is the least. A ground based 
system will get direct sunlight at the most for twelve hours.

According to air Cmd (Retd) R Gopalaswami, the intensity of sunlight in 
the space will be much more where it does not have to pass through the 
earth's biosphere. He says India and the usa will be the primary 
partners in this venture, with other world industries helping with 
collaborative technology development.

The initial objective, he says, would be designing and construction of 
high efficiency, heavy lift aerospace planes and construction of large 
space/ground based photovoltaic power stations.

Experts, at a meeting held in Bangalore recently to discuss the mission
requirement, said for establishing the SPS, they would need heavy lift 
space launchers, with a performance better than the current world's 
best space launch vehicle.
     
Gopalaswami, an hyperplane specialist, says the mission is an 
affordable megaproject for a borderless world. He says the satellite 
solar power station was first conceived inthe USA but was not 
commercialised then, essentially because of non-availability of heavy 
lift space cargo launch vehicles capable of low-cost launch operations.
In 1988, at the 38th conference of international astronatical
federation, India presented a new aerospace vehicle design concept for
a heavy lift space launcher called "hyperplane".
      
"This design in the last few years had been closely reviewed by India 
and Russia and also several leading aerospace companies in the USA. 
Today, the hyperplane design has become a practical reality", he says.

"Hyperplane" design introduced an "aerobic" principle by which the 
spaceplane takes off horizontally from any airport like a conventional 
aircraft launch vehicle with payload fractions of 15-20 per cent a 
feat not imaginable in the 1970's.
      
India's aerobic design space launch vehicle 'hyperplane' has been
internationally declared as feasible and described as 'true aerospace
plane', says Mr R M Vasagam, director, advanced technoloy and planning
of department of space, Bangalore.
      
Air Cmde Gopalaswami says a solar power station in space would
have lot of advantages over a ground solar power station. Firstly waste 
heat from electric power generation would be dissipated into the space 
instead of the earth's biosphere and its life would exceed 30 to 40 
years. Also weight of SPS would be hundred times less than that of 
equivalent ground based system because it will operate at 'zero' 
gravity. The station in space will not be subjected to damaging effects 
of rain, hailstorm, snow, atmospheric corrosion, windstorms, tornado or
earthquakers either. Another important aspect is that the sabotage of
an SPS would be virtually impossible.
      
Gopalaswami says technical feasibility and commercial viability of SPS
programme has already been established worldwide. But still technical 
practicality of construction in space is yet to be established and 
thermal stresses on SPS due to sudden occultation by earth shadow may 
pose significant design problems.
      
Another disadvantage may be that international jurisdiction could
become a problem. He says radio frequency interference due to microwave
transmission will be an international issue requiring resolution. But 
overall the advantages of the SPS may overcome the drawbacks of the 
cherished project.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-15-)	From: sgoldman%cfa4.DECNET@cfa.harvard.edu 
	      (Sky & Telescope Magazine)
	Subject: S&T News Bulletin - May 27

SATURN'S THIN RINGS

Earth's first of three passages through the plane of Saturn's rings 
occurred as predicted on May 21st, and astronomers around the globe were 
watching. Giant reflectors like the 10-meter Keck telescope, took images 
as the rings tilted edge-on. According to Imke de Pater of the 
University of California at Berkeley, images with the Keck telescope 
taken just before and after the ring-plane crossing reveal several small 
moonlets within the rings. If you observe Saturn right now you're not 
likely to see much except the planet's distinctly flattened ball. Saturn 
rises only a few hours before dawn, so it's not particularly well placed 
for viewing. If you have a good-size telescope you might try to watch 
the planet's larger satellites play tag. Tethys, Dione, Rhea, and Titan 
are undergoing eclipses and occultations by Saturn and one another. A 
complete observing guide for Saturn's ring crossings begins on page 68 
of SKY & TELESCOPE's May issue.

NEW SMALL STAR

A new low-mass star has been found, just tipping the scales to allow
thermonuclear reactions. Using a coronagraph to block the light from 
the star Gliese 105A -- a dwarf star 27 light-years away -- David A. 
Golimowski of Johns Hopkins University and three Caltech colleagues 
discovered a 16th-magnitude star only 3.3 arcseconds from it. While the 
companion was expected on the basis of observed wobbles in the 
primary's proper motion, the companion, dubbed Gliese 105C, evaded 
detection by other high-resolution techniques. While this star's 
characteristics are not known to high certainty, its provisional 
near-infrared brightness suggests a mass at most 10 percent above the 
minimum required to sustain nuclear fusion. The star's physical 
quantities will become better known as astronomers follow the 60-year 
orbit of this possibly substellar component.

SOLAR HOT WATER
    
Need some hot water? You might find some on the Sun, of all places. 
This week in the journal Science, Lloyd Wallace of Kitt Peak National 
Observatory and other astronomers reported confirming the presence of 
water on the Sun. Analysis of some unusual infrared sunspot spectra led 
the astronomers to conclude that the odd absorption lines they were 
seeing came from water vapor. The astronomers were able to reproduce 
the spectral signature by heating samples of water in a laboratory to 
1,500 deg. Celsius. Sunspots, which have lower temperatures than the 
surrounding solar atmosphere, are cool enough to allow oxygen and 
hydrogen to combine. While this water is hardly a resource to be 
capitalized upon, it does suggest that other interesting chemistry is  
possible in the solar atmosphere.

REPRODUCED FROM SKY & TELESCOPE'S NEWS BULLETIN MAY 26, 1995   

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-16-) 	Subject: The Jupiter Impact: A Shoemaker-Levy 9 Followup
	Date: 31 May 1995
	From: Ron Baalke 

The Galileo Messenger
May 1995 

A Comet's Fiery Dance at Jupiter
By Scott Bowdan

Scientists are still piecing together the details of what happened when 
comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in July 1994. The final 
data playback from Galileo, covering onboard observations of comet 
fragments R and W, was completed in late January of this year.

Collision events have thus far been divided into three phases: The 
incoming comet fragment first hits the Jovian atmosphere and heats up 
(the "meteor" phase), then explodes into a fireball of extremely hot 
gas (the "fireball" phase, see figure). The gas backflushes out the 
tunnel cleared by the incoming fragments, and the gas and debris 
expand, rise, and cool, forming the plumes seen above the Jupiter limb 
by the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observers. Then the 
plume ejecta--a mix of cometary and atmospheric material--fall back 
toward the planet, heating the atmosphere and producing intense thermal 
emissions (the "splash" phase).

Images from Galileo's Solid-State Imaging (SSI) camera show both the 
flash of the comet fragments colliding with the Jovian atmosphere and 
the initial hottest phase of the resultant explosions and fireballs. 
The latest SSI returns confirmed a characteristic brightness profile in 
the meteor and early fireball phases for fragments K, N, and W: peak 
brightening at 0.56-5m (green) and 0.889-5m wavelengths was observed 
less than 10 seconds after initial detection, then the object faded for 
some 20 seconds, until contact was lost. In addition, initial peak 
brightness pulses for K, N, and W were within a factor of 2 of each 
other. Given such a similarity in brightness profiles among these 
events, it is still a mystery as to why there are significant 
differences in the longer lasting effects observed from Earth.
  
Based on data from Galileo's Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) 
(see figure), we know that the super hot fireballs associated with 
fragments G and R lasted about 1 minute (before cooling sufficiently to 
be invisible to NIMS). We also know (from NIMS) that the plume ejecta 
began falling back into the atmosphere about 6 minutes later, getting 
brighter and brighter for the 3 minutes observed. Ground-based data 
indicate that the total splash phase for each of the two fragments 
lasted about 10 minutes, with peak brightness at a wavelength of 4.38 
5m reached at about 5 minutes after initial detection. The 6-minute 
flight time implies that the ejecta exploded out of the atmosphere at 
a minimum vertical velocity of 4.3 km/s, with particles reaching at least
a 380-km vertical height.

The similarity in the G and R event timelines--confirmed by ground-based  
observations--is surprising since the G fireball was four times brighter 
than the R fireball, and the G splash was about twice as intense as R's. 
(Based on an assumed comet density of 1 g/cm, fragment G must have been 
at least 150 meters in diameter prior to impact.) The time similarity 
suggests that the ejecta flight time was determined by fireball and plume 
physics, not by observational geometry or the mass of the incoming comet 
fragments.

Preliminary analysis of NIMS spectra suggests that the splash material
contains OH, which could be the hot remnants of water (HO) molecules 
from the vaporized comet or from Jupiter's presumed water clouds, as 
well as CH, which may indicate atmospheric methane or comet-derived 
hydrocarbons as the emitting source. These preliminary findings may also 
offer an explanation as to why the immense black patches are persisting 
in Jupiter's high atmosphere. The black patches may be composed of 
micrometer-sized carbon particles derived from comet or atmospheric 
materials, which would linger for about 1 year from the beginning of the 
splash period--acting much like volcanic dust in Earth's stratosphere. 
Another possibility is that the patches contain sulfur that erupted from 
a lower cloud layer of condensed ammonium hydrosulfide.
  
Further analysis of the available data--perhaps supplemented by new
information from Galileo as it nears the Jovian system--should help 
answer many of the questions that remain about comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 
and its fiery destruction at Jupiter.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-17-) 	From: dfinley@newshost.aoc.nrao.edu (Dave Finley)
	Subject: Enchanted Skies Star Party
 
**************************************************************************
*                              Second Annual                             *
*                       ENCHANTED SKIES STAR PARTY                       *
*                          September 21-24, 1995                         *
*                           Socorro, New Mexico                          *
**************************************************************************
 
 The Second Annual Enchanted Skies Star Party is a four-day astronomical   
 event featuring nighttime observing, daytime lectures by professional and
 amateur astronomers, vendor displays, door prizes, friendly competitions 
 and opportunities to tour many of the astronomical and other scientific 
 centers of the Rio Grande Research Corridor.  The early autumn schedule 
 takes advantage of the year's best viewing conditions under New Mexico's 
 clear, unpolluted skies.  It also provides usually pleasant, mild 
 temperatures for both night and daytime outdoor activities.

 AN EVENT BUILT ON SUCCESS 

 The First Annual Enchanted Skies Star Party in 1994 established this 
 event as a unique opportunity for amateur astronomers. Observers from 
 13 states enjoyed great observing, a well-received series of lectures, 
 and the small-town friendliness of Socorro, home to the National Radio 
 Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope.

 In response to requests from attendees, the 1995 event is expanded to 
 four days to allow more observing, an out-of-town, dark-dark-sky night 
 at a Southwestern ranch, and more opportunity for interaction with our
 professional and amateur speakers and with our vendors.

 TOURS AND ATTRACTIONS:

 Socorro is an ideal place from which to visit a number of fascinating
 facilities and places. These include observatories and scientific
 facilities, as well as a wide variety of attractions appealing to many
 different interests.  The astronomical attractions include the Very 
 Large Array (VLA) radio telescope (a tour will be provided for 
 participants); Apache Point Observatory and the National Solar 
 Observatory, near Alamogordo; the International Space Hall of Fame, in 
 Alamogordo; and the General Nathan Twining Observatory, near Belen. 
 The general-interest attractions include the New Mexico Mineral Museum 
 on the campus of New Mexico Tech in Socorro; Waldo Mine; Bosque del 
 Apache National Wildlife Refuge; Fort Craig, the historical section of 
 Socorro; and the renowned New Mexico Tech golf course. Just over an 
 hour's drive away in Albuquerque, you can visit the New Mexico Museum 
 of Natural History and the National Atomic Museum, as well as a number 
 of other attractions.
 
 >>>   Join us for a long weekend of astronomical fun under the    <<<
 >>>                  Enchanted Skies of New Mexico!               <<<   
 
 FOR MORE INFORMATION; 
 
             The Enchanted Skies Star Party
             P.O. Box 743-I
             Socorro, NM  87801
             (505) 835-0424 

REPRINTED FROM ASTRONET, ISSUE 15. 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT resource@rahul.net.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-18-)	WOODPECKERS DAMAGE SHUTTLE

	From: jgreen@trumpet.aix.calpoly.edu (James T. Green)
	Organization: Martian Militia
	Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle,sci.space.policy
	Subject: Woodpeckers on the Space Shuttle
	Date: 1 Jun 1995 17:32:28 -0700

I just heard on the news that the Space Shuttle is facing a new 
problem. As it's woodpecker nesting season in Florida, the birdies 
are pecking 4" diameter holes in the foam insulation of the 
external fuel tank. They don't want to launch with these holes in 
the insulation so there are technicians in "cherry pickers" 
patching up the holes while the shuttles are on the pad (I believe 
there are two on the pad awaiting launch now). What they are doing 
about keeping the fowl vermin away from pecking more holes I don't 
know.

I think it's rather funny myself :-).

(begin Woody Woodpecker voice)

     Ha ha ha ha ha!

(end Woody Woodpecker voice)

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

	From: hancock@Trade-Zone.msfc.nasa.gov (T. Hancock)
	Organization: New Technology Inc.
	Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
	Subject: Re: Woodpeckers on the Space Shuttle's ET
	Date: 2 Jun 1995 15:17:06 GMT

Have you seen the NASA approved, plastic Owls, now mounted all 
over the pad?  

Bettercheaperfasternonlethal approach, until launch.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

	From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
	Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
	Newsgroups: sci.space.news
	Subject: STS-70 Launch Delayed
	Date: 2 Jun 1995 14:53:04 -0700

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N95-36

NASA MANAGERS DELAY LAUNCH OF DISCOVERY, ATLANTIS DATE NOT SET

NASA managers have decided to delay the launch of Space Shuttle 
Discovery on Mission STS-70 in order to make repairs to foam 
insulation on the vehicle's external fuel tank. Earlier this 
week, technicians at Launch Pad 39-B discovered that 
woodpeckers had inflicted about six dozen small holes in the 
insulation material.

Due to the critical role the insulation plays from a thermal 
standpoint during the Shuttle's launch and ascent, and the 
tank's re-entry into the atmosphere, it was determined that 
the damaged areas must be fixed prior to flight. After 
evaluating the location and nature of the areas in question, 
it was determined the repairs should be performed in the 
Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). This is due to access and 
environmental concerns at the launch pad.

Technicians will now begin preparations for Discovery's 
rollback to the VAB which may take place the week of June 5.  
The insulation repair work should take less than a week to 
complete. Upon completion of the insulation work, Discovery 
will be moved back to the launch pad for final vehicle 
preparations. The TDRS/IUS payload will be removed prior to 
rollback.

With the rollback decision on Discovery, Space Shuttle 
Atlantis on Mission STS -71, the first Shuttle-Mir mission, 
will probably be the next mission flown. The STS-71 mission 
is scheduled for launch during the third week of June. 

An official launch date is expected to be announced late next 
week. A launch date was not selected at the conclusion of 
today's Flight Readiness Review due to ongoing work aboard 
the Mir station that needs to be completed prior to Atlantis' 
arrival. The launch team at the Kennedy Space Center will 
continue vehicle processing work so that Atlantis will be 
ready for launch anytime on or after June 22.

Shuttle managers are considering various manifest options in 
terms of which mission will follow the STS-71 flight. There 
is a flight opportunity scheduled for mid-July and initial 
indications show another flight could be done in mid-August.

STS-71 is the first of seven planned Space Shuttle-Mir 
missions between 1995 and 1997, including rendezvous, 
docking and crew transfers, which will pave the way toward 
assembly of the international Space Station beginning in 
November 1997.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

[And probably the most interesting of all contributions to the
thread...]

	From: davida5625@aol.com (DavidA5625)
	Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
	Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
	Subject: Re: Woodpeckers on the Space Shuttle
	Date: 2 Jun 1995 21:25:19 -0400

Space Frontier Foundation News Release
Please contact: Rick Tumlinson @ (212) 387'7887 

         Space Group Congratulates Visionary Woodpeckers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The Space Frontier Foundation, a national 
space policy and media group, today congratulated several 
woodpeckers which have apparently been trying to make use of the 
space shuttle's external tanks, an activity not on the official 
NASA agenda. According to a Foundation spokesman, the creatures 
have demonstrated an awareness of the tank's value as habitats
that NASA has been unable to grasp.

According to Rick Tumlinson, the organization's President: 
"Recognizing that the huge space shuttle external tanks make good 
habitats shows that these birds are obviously smarter than the 
average NASA engineer." 

The Foundation has been fighting for years to force the US 
government to hand over the giant structures to those who would 
convert them into useful space facilities. Currently the twenty 
three story tall ETs, which these companies want to recycle as 
giant space facilities, are carried 98% of the way into space and 
are thrown away each time the shuttle flies - to burn up over the 
Pacific."

Stated Tumlinson: "By refusing to negotiate with a NASA 
bureaucracy which is usually hostile to innovative thinking and 
going straight to the bending metal (or in this case digging 
foam) stage, the little entrepreneurs have temporarily beaten the 
system." He continued: "They must be feeling the same type of 
excitement felt by the two firms who were given the green light 
to develop this idea at the end of the Reagan administration...
unfortunately, just as was the case with those firms, their joy 
will be short lived. We can be sure that just as in the case of 
those firms, NASA will do everything it can to run them off, up 
to and including assuring their demise."

As for the national good, he went on: "US private space firms can 
turn this government surplus into useful facilities and 
structures that could generate millions of dollars in profits and 
provide a huge additional volume for those who can't fit their 
projects on the Alpha station. These tanks are not a threat to 
the station as many NASA managers believe, they are an asset, and
can create the small town in space for which the government's 
Alpha can be the center. It's a disgusting waste to simply toss 
them away at a time when they should be looking for such 
leveraging ideas."

He concluded: "We wish these birds well, but we know they are 
doomed. It is a tradition at NASA that those who challenge the 
program are not welcome. Of course if they could get a civil 
service rating that would be another matter, in fact at that 
point they might be able to get few million dollars to do some 
paper studies (in their case they might opt for the trees and 
just skip the paper). For now we recommend they move north, as 
there's a lot of dead wood in Washington."
_________________________________________________
The Space Frontier Foundation is a grass roots organization of 
American citizens dedicated to opening the space frontier to 
human exploration and settlement as rapidly as possible.
_________________________________________________
For  general information on the Foundation call 1-800-78SPACE
Our E-Mail Address is OPENFRONTIER@DELPHI.COM

David Anderman
Space Activist
916/421-2621

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(-19-)	SUBSCRIPTION AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION 

_The Armchair Astronomer_ is edited and distributed electronically on
a monthly basis or whenever possible by Todd E. Van Hoosear. This is not 
an official publication of Michigan State University.

_The Armchair Astronomer_ compiles articles and commentaries on the study 
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Please direct all subscription requests and article submissions to:
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This compilation is copyright (c) 1995 Todd Ellis Van Hoosear. As copy-
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 _______________________________________________________________________
|                                                                       |
| "Reprinted with permission from _The Armchair Astronomer_. The editor |
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 _______________________________________________________________________

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If possible, individual articles will also be indexed at URL: http://lalaland.cl.msu.edu/~vanhoose/astro.html. 

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News from NASA is brought to you by the Microwave Subnode of NASA's 
Planetary Data System. Other news is compiled from posts to 
sci.space.news, from Jonathan's Space Report (jcm@urania.harvard.edu), 
from AstroNet, from North American Skies, and from other sources.
 
/////////////////////////////// END OF ISSUE /////////////////////////