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Launch

 

Hello space science fans,   What's new at:   http://spacescience.nasa.gov  :

A new study of images from Mars Pathfinder (has it really been two years?) has revealed a number of dust devils.  Story and short "movie" at http://explorezone.com/archives/99_09/08_dust_devils.htm	A troupe of four galaxies imaged by HST is performing an intricate dance, orchestrated by the mutual gravitational forces acting between them.  A pretty picture at http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1999/31/index.html
The discovery of a new type of low-surface-brightness reflection nebula around aging stars has provided important clues about how stars lose mass and form planetary nebulae.  Live 5 billion years and watch the sun do it! http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/uiu-ntp090799.htm	Dr. Anne Kinney, currently with the Space Telescope Science Institute, has been appointed our Science Program Director for the Astronomical Search for Origins & Planetary Systems. I'll get a bio posted ASAP  on our Senior Personnel page at: http://spacescience.nasa.gov/ossbios.htm
Recent observations have confirmed that magnetic fields are a critical component controlling when and how stars form. http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/uiuc-mfg090799.html	On Mars, there is a white rock mound covering over 200 square kilometers. According to a team of researchers in Scotland and Turkey, the mound looks like those built by bacteria over 3 billion years ago here on Earth. http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990904/newsstory12.html
Uranus' 20th moon found - the third discovered this year.   This is almost becoming routine!  http://www.space.com/science/astronomy/uranian_moons.htm	Liquid water found in a second meteorite - by the same researcher who announced the first discovery last month.  Watch out for this long url: http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/astronomy/news/1999/solarsys/ 990907.html
The near-term shuttle launch schedule (including the launch date of the next Hubble servicing mission) has not yet shaken out.  The shuttle folks are still wrestling with wiring problems; obviously, safety is a paramount concern.  Story at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/shuttle_wiring990903.html	Finally, a couple things I haven't posted yet but bear watching:  Mars Climate Orbiter will be arriving at the Red Planet and going into orbit on September 23; you can follow that at http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/orbiter/
Cassini Moon images show camera is in top form - Cassini did some useful things while it was slingshotting past earth.  Story at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/99/csmoonimagead.html