Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from beak.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Sat, 8 Dec 1990 01:36:09 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sat, 8 Dec 1990 01:35:34 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #637 SPACE Digest Volume 12 : Issue 637 Today's Topics: Astro-1 Status for 12/03/90 [1200 CST] (Forwarded) Re: Laser Enhanced Optics Re: * SpaceNews 03-Dec-90 * Re: Good Bye (Quite possibly my last posting from this site) HST images Astro-1 Status for 12/04/90 [1223 CST] (Forwarded) Re: Astro-2 MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT Astro-1 Status for 12/05/90 [1200 CST] (Forwarded) Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription notices, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 4 Dec 90 23:58:52 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/03/90 [1200 CST] (Forwarded) Astro 1 Shift Summary #05 12:00 noon CST, December 3, 1990 1/11:10 MET Spacelab Mission Operations Control Marshall Space Flight Center During this 12-hour period (4 a.m. to 12 noon CST), the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) obtained data from the ultraviolet radiation found in the Earth's airglow. At noon, the team was attempting to obtain its first star target using the Astro's Star Tracker (AST), an element of the Image Motion Compensation System, which helps to steady the Instrument Pointing System (IPS), but which can also be used to acquire targets. For most of this 12-hour timeframe, the Astro crew dealt with difficulties in two of the three star trackers of the IPS. All four of the Astro telescopes were, at some point during this period, ready to complete activation or to take science (in order to complete activation, instruments like the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) require a focus-and-alignment sequence, which requires a properly functioning IPS). The crew generally followed the mission timeline in attempting to achieve the scheduled star targets, proceeding as far as possible within the limits of the IPS condition. The WUPPE, which was relying on the Dedicated Experiment Processor-B (DEP-B), a backup computer assigned specifically to that instrument, was "power recycled" at approximately 6:35 a.m. -- that is, shut down to reset various computer registers, then turned on again -- when software commands were sent to the experiment from the Spacelab Operations Control Center (SOCC). Within half an hour, the test lamp within WUPPE was on and had reached the proper temperature for calibration procedures by the crew. Payload Specialist Ron Parise reported good spectroscopy observations from the WUPPE, to the delight of the science team in the SOCC. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Dec 90 06:28:29 GMT From: usc!samsung!olivea!orc!inews!hopi!sstrazdu@ucsd.edu (Stephen Strazdus) Subject: Re: Laser Enhanced Optics In article RGC915@ALBNYVMS.BITNET (BOB CLARK) writes: > > I have an idea about how we could use lasers to detect the >degree of atmospheric distortion and was wondering if it seems >feasible. > We would locate a satellite in geosynchronous orbit above a major >ground telescope. Shine a laser down to the mirror. We know how the >light from the laser should look so any deviation from this must be >caused the air distortion. (Explanation deleted) > Sound plausible? The object you are observing would need to be in the same direction as the satellite. Even if the satellite doesn't actually occult the object, you would still be drastically limiting what you could observe. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Strazdus | sstrazdu@hopi.intel.com | Insert your favorite .sig here. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Dec 90 00:23:24 GMT From: att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: * SpaceNews 03-Dec-90 * In article <1990Dec5.132743.15342@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> newman@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Bill Newman) writes: >Newton certainly killed the 2-body gravitational problem, but many >aspects of the many-body problem were better understood 200 years >after his death than at his death... I didn't say that nothing was added for 200 years, only that what was added was incremental improvements and refinements of his work, rather than anything new and major. -- "The average pointer, statistically, |Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology points somewhere in X." -Hugh Redelmeier| henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ Date: 6 Dec 90 05:17:31 GMT From: boreal.rice.edu!jsd@rice.edu (Shawn Joel Dube) Subject: Re: Good Bye (Quite possibly my last posting from this site) In article <114321@philabs.Philips.Com>, rfc@briar.Philips.Com (Robert Casey) writes: |> I'm afraid that this may be my last posting. Philips is having layoffs, and I |> might get canned..... This brings up a question. How many people subscribe to this newsgroup??? I'm curious to know. Just EMail a small letter and I'll post a total count in about a week. -- rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr r ___ _ "...but then there was the r r /__ | \ possibility that they were r r ___/hawn |__\ube LaRouche democrats which, of r r jsd@owlnet.rice.edu course, were better off dead." r rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 90 22:00:49 GMT From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!zardoz.cpd.com!dhw68k!ofa123!rick@ucsd.edu (Rick Ellis) Subject: HST images On Jay Travisano writes: JT> There have been a number of requests for Internet access to HST images. JT> It should be noted that all data from HST is proprietary for up to one JT> year, property of the scientists who propose the given observations. There are a number of HST images available for FTP at NSSDC. -- Rick Ellis Internet: rick@ofa123.fidonet.org Compuserve: >internet:rick@ofa123.fidonet.org BBS: 714 939-1041 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 5 Dec 90 00:50:49 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/04/90 [1223 CST] (Forwarded) Astro 1 Mission Report #16 12:23 p.m. CST, December 4, 1990 2/11:33 MET Spacelab Mission Operations Control Marshall Space Flight Center "We had some last minute excitement at the control center this morning," Astro Mission Manager Jack Jones began his press briefing at 9:30 a.m. CST today. "It appears at this time we have a good healthy payload. All the instruments are up and working, and all the pointing systems appear to be pointing nominally at this time. Eliminating any unforeseen events, I think we're off and ready to go. There may be some minor refinements, but I believe we're in the mode to start getting science." Spacelab operators had stayed busy during the night bringing up the Instrument Pointing System and its optical sensor package which provide automatic pointing to target stars for the three Astro ultraviolet telescopes. After early difficulties loading software into the star trackers, a misloaded computer patch had put the system back at "square zero," according to Jones. But efforts to reload the system proceeded much more quickly the second time, and by the time of the briefing, Jones reported that the IPS was in the "automatic fine track mode, working very stably now." Also at the briefing, Broad Band X-Ray Telescope principal investigator Peter Serlemitsos showed "first light" spectra for his independently-mounted telescope, taken of the star Capella around 6 a.m. CST. Asked if the instrument would be making discoveries not possible with previous telescopes, Serlemitsos replied, "We did not work for the last ten years to say 'me too.' We are putting up an instrument that does observations for the first time." He pointed out that the X-ray telescope would have better resolution and observe across wider energy bands than any before it. In addition, co-observations of the same targets in both the ultraviolet and X-rays would multiply the discoveries. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Dec 90 12:33:29 GMT From: mcsun!unido!mpirbn!p515dfi@uunet.uu.net (Daniel Fischer) Subject: Re: Astro-2 In article <1176@inews.intel.com> sstrazdu@hopi.intel.com (Stephen Strazdus) writes: >Is there an Astro-2 flight in the works for the Space Shuttle? I would >imagine the instruments used in Astro-1 are not going to be thrown away >after a 10 day mission. Are they? [...] In SCIENCE of 1 June, Lennard Fisk was quoted on that. He explained that of the initially planned at least 8 ASTRO missions all but the first one were abandoned, but that a slight chance remained that Astro-2 might be returned to the manifest. Don't blame the astronomers for building expensive telescopes that are to fly for ten days only: when it all started 12 years ago, NASA told them that there would be a shuttle launch per week and they'd get plenty of flights. That, of course, seemed more interesting to the community than to have just one unmanned satellite like IUE or the Soviet ASTRO - there would be chances for improvements and repairs after each flight, and then there would be already the next one. Now, of course, everyone on the mission would have preferred to fly the ASTRO scopes IUE-style... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Dec 90 01:29:01 MST From: std_oler%HG.ULeth.CA@vma.cc.cmu.edu (Cary Oler) Subject: MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT X-St-Vmsmail-To: ST%"space+@andrew.cmu.edu" -- MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ALERT -- DECEMBER 04, 1990 Potential Impact Forecast Flare Event Summary -------- MAJOR ENERGETIC EVENT SUMMARY Region 6397 (N09E45) has been throwing some unexpected surprises at us lately. It has been abnormally active considering the relatively weak magnetic gradients which have been observed in the region. At 02:03 UT on 04 December, Region 6397 spawned an M6.6/1F major flare at a solar position of N08E56. This event was accompanied by a 310 s.f.u. Tenflare. There were no significant radio bursts or shock-related frequency sweeps observed from this event. The flare duration was a respectable 39 minutes. This flare produced a moderate intensity SID/SWF at 01:57 UT on 04 December, which ended at approximately 02:36 UT. Frequencies up to about 17 MHz were noticably absorbed during this period over sunlit portions of the earth. This flare was associated with minor VHF enhancements. Considering the lack of complexity in this group, it is almost surprising it managed to spawn such an energetic x-ray flare. The region is more active than it apparently should be, by observing the data which has been collected on the region thus far. It has not grown significantly over the past 24 hours, nor has its magnetic gradients changed much. It is therefore, difficult to predict what this region may do next. Aside from the major M6.6/1F Tenflare which occurred early on the 4th, Region 6397 also managed to produce a class M1.8/1B flare at 14:39 UT on 04 December. This flare, located at N08E51, lasted for 38 minutes and was not accompanied by any significant radio emissions. If Region 6397 continues to behave as it has over the past several days, it could conceivably erupt with another major flare. The Space Environment Services Center expects this region to continue to produce M-class flare activity with a slight risk of another major flare over the next 3 to 5 days, depending on whether it detensifies or not. Flare probabilities for the next 72 hours (ending 07 December) follow: Flare Probability Type 24hr 48hr 72hr -------------- ---- ---- ---- Class M Flare 60% 60% 60% Class X Flare 20% 20% 20% Proton Flare 05% 05% 10% Flare activity will likely remain elevated for the remainder of this week due to Region 6397's level of activity. The return of old Region 6368 on 11 or 12 December may increase the risk for M-class flaring even further. By that time, Region 6397 will be approximately half-way to the western limb. However, it is distinctly possible that Region 6368 has stabilized now (or even died on the far side of the sun). We won't know until 11 or 12 December. POTENTIAL TERRESTRIAL IMPACT FORECAST The major flare of 04 December is not expected to have a terrestrial impact. Its lack of association with shock-related frequency sweeps and small-size (in addition to the rather poor trajectory for any mass ejections) seem to indicate that the risk for a terrestrial impact from this event is small. It will, however, require close monitoring as it nears the solar meridian. If it grows or increases in magnetic complexity, the risk for PCA and proton activity will increase, particularly as it crosses over to the western solar hemisphere (which it will do in about 4 days - by 08 December). There is a strong risk for potentially frequent SID and SWF activity over the next 3 to 5 days (at least). M-class flare activity should provide approximately 1 to 2 potential SID/SWF-capable flares per day. SID durations could exceed 50 minutes. SWF affected frequencies could exceed 15 MHz on the sunlit hemisphere of the earth. There is likewise, a moderate probability for associated VHF enhancements from some of the minor and/or potential major flare activity over the next several days at least. Geomagnetic activity is not expected to increase as a result of the recent major flare. However, a well positioned coronal hole will likely begin affecting geomagnetic and auroral activity over the next 2 to 3 days (05 to 07 December). Radio propagation conditions may deteriorate over middle and high latitudes during this period. Low latitudes are not expected to be seriously affected. Effects from this coronal hole should diminish by 07 or 08 December. ** End of Report ** ------------------------------ Date: 6 Dec 90 03:35:31 GMT From: trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Subject: Astro-1 Status for 12/05/90 [1200 CST] (Forwarded) Astro-1 Shift Summary Report #11 12:00 noon CST, Dec. 5, 1990 2/11:10 MET Spacelab Mission Operations Control Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL During the period 4 a.m. to 12 noon CST, much high quality data were taken by the Astro-1 instruments. Toward the end of the work shift for Alternate Payload Specialist (APS) John-David Bartoe in the payload control room, he voiced up to the crew some promising statistics, indicating that our science acquired has been increasing at a good rate each shift. And, he said, he expected those numbers to continue to rise. A smiling Mission Scientist Dr. Ted Gull concurred at a later briefing to news media, saying that the mission was going well and the instruments were obtaining data the science teams had hoped to receive from the beginning. Early within this time period, an interstellar polarization probe was successfully completed by the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE), the primary instrument for the observation. The purpose was to study the polarized light of the interstellar medium -- the great volume of space filled with hydrogen and tiny grains of dust. The target was a star which acted much like a flashlight, illuminating the interstellar medium to allow the WUPPE to study its polarization effects. WUPPE was primary observer as well for the Canis Majoris, a possible binary star with a strong stellar "wind" that continues to erode its mass. As a powerful polarized ultraviolet source, EZ Canis Majoris provided excellent science for the WUPPE team. According to downlink information, the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) obtained good data in the observation of globular cluster M79, although some drift by the Image Motion Compensation System may have slightly degraded the information. (Final science results will not be known until the UIT -- in effect, a camera taking pictures aboard the orbiter but keeping its film -- lands on Earth next week.) The UIT was definitely successful, according to collateral data received, in observing M87, a giant elliptical galaxy 41 million light-years from Earth. Because the galaxy is a high priority target for the UIT team, Payload Specialist Ron Parise joked from on orbit that had he not obtained M87, "the PI would have fired me." (The PI is a principal investigator, or chief scientist, for a particular science experiment.) APS Bartoe voiced back to Parise, with a laugh, "You're right about that." Throughout this timeframe, the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) locked on to the various stellar objects and beamed live television of its target-acquisition images to the Spacelab Operations Control Center. Even for those targets in which HUT was not the primary instrument, it nonetheless obtained good data for the HUT science team. The Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT) also had a happy day. The science team noted that the instrument was continuing to receive excellent data from its scheduled targets, except when certain attitudes too near the line of sight with the Sun prompted focusing upon alternate targets. In all cases, however, excellent data was being returned to the BBXRT team. Among the targets viewed during this timeframe was a quasi stellar object (popularly, a "quasar"). At approximately noon, the WUPPE was able to complete the observation of the Sanduleak star, another stellar object to act as a distant "beacon" to reveal polarization effects within the interstellar medium between Sanduleak and our solar system. ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V12 #637 *******************