[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Excerpts from "CCNet 106/2001 - 11 October 2001"
------- Forwarded Message
From: Peiser Benny <B.J.Peiser@livjm.acdot uk>
To: cambridge-conference <cambridge-conference@livjm.acdot uk>
Subject: CCNet 106/2001 - 11 October 2001
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 12:34:37 +0100
CCNet 106/2001 - 11 October 2001
================================
"University of Arkansas researchers are seeking a few good asteroids
for a space mission, and they need information about these planetary
bodies from scientists who study them to determine which ones make
the best-suited candidates for the study. "With improved technology,
we are swamped with the discovery of near-Earth asteroids," said Derek
Sears, director of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Center for Space and Planetary
Sciences. "What we need now is some ground-based data to help select
possible asteroids for this mission." The mission, dubbed Hera after
the mother of the Three Graces, would send a spacecraft to three
near-Earth asteroids, collect material from them and return it to Earth
for research purposes. The researchers plan to propose the mission to
NASA within the next 12 months."
UniSci, 10 October 2001
[...]
(3) ARKANSAS RESEARCHERS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD ASTEROIDS
UniSci, 10 October 2001
(4) LEONID METEORS LIKELY TO STORM THIS NOVEMBER
Space Daily, 10 October 2001
[...]
(8) RAS MEETING ON EARTH'S SPACE ENVIRONMENT
Peter R Bond <100604.1111@compuserve.com>
[...]
====================================================================
(3) ARKANSAS RESEARCHERS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD ASTEROIDS
>From UniSci, 10 October 2001
http://unisci.com/stories/20014/1010013.htm
University of Arkansas researchers are seeking a few good asteroids for a
space mission, and they need information about these planetary bodies from
scientists who study them to determine which ones make the best-suited
candidates for the study.
"With improved technology, we are swamped with the discovery of near-Earth
asteroids," said Derek Sears, director of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Center for
Space and Planetary Sciences. "What we need now is some ground-based data to
help select possible asteroids for this mission."
The mission, dubbed Hera after the mother of the Three Graces, would send a
spacecraft to three near-Earth asteroids, collect material from them and
return it to Earth for research purposes. The researchers plan to propose
the mission to NASA within the next 12 months.
Leon Gefert of NASA's Glenn Research Center has calculated about 60 possible
trajectories for the mission, where the spacecraft would follow a path to
collect samples from the three asteroids and then return to Earth.
>From this data, Sears and his colleagues have created a "hot list" of
asteroids that appear more than once in these trajectories, and now they are
seeking information about them.
The researchers need spectral information to determine which trio of
asteroids might prove most scientifically interesting, and information about
the asteroids' orbits around the sun to determine the most efficient travel
path to keep fuel expenditures low.
Other information essential to the mission includes the asteroid's size,
shape and rotation state. This will help determine where the spacecraft
might land on the asteroid and how it would obtain sample material, Sears
said.
The researchers are also combing international databases containing
information about known near-Earth asteroids for information pertinent to
their mission.
Sears presented his request for information at a recent meeting of the
Meteoritical Society in Rome. - By Melissa Blouin
Related website:
"Hot List" and more information on project
[Contact: Derek Sears, Melissa Blouin]
Copyright ) 1995-2001 UniSci. All rights reserved.
====================================================================
(4) LEONID METEORS LIKELY TO STORM THIS NOVEMBER
>From Space Daily, 10 October 2001
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/leonid-01a.html
by Roger W. Sinnott
Sky & Telescope
Cambridge MA - Oct 1, 2001
If predictions by the world's top meteor experts hold up, early on the
morning of November 18th skywatchers in North America can expect to see
their most dramatic meteor shower in 35 years. These meteors, called Leonids
because they appear to radiate from the constellation Leo (the Lion), will
signal the collision of Earth with streams of fast-moving dust particles
shed by Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
In the November 2001 Sky & Telescope -- the magazine's 60th-anniversary
issue -- meteorologist Joe Rao assesses the predictions provided by three
teams of specialists. Rao concludes that two dramatic displays called
"meteor storms" appear likely.
A burst lasting perhaps two hours is expected in the predawn hours of
November 18th for observers throughout most of North and Central America.
The maximum rates should occur at 5:00 a.m. EST (corresponding to 4:00 a.m.
CST, 3:00 a.m. MST, 2:00 a.m. PST). With no moonlight spoiling the view, the
storm may briefly generate anywhere from several hundred to 1,000 or 2,000
meteors per hour for observers with clear, dark skies.
An even bigger storm arrives 8 hours later for viewers rimming the
far-western Pacific Ocean. Because these locations are on the other side of
the International Date Line, this peak occurs before dawn on November 19th.
Several thousand meteors may streak across the sky for an hour or so
starting at 3:30 or 4:30 a.m. in eastern Australia (depending on location);
2:30 a.m. in Japan; and 1:30 a.m. in western Australia, the Philippines, and
eastern China.
Meteors create momentary "shooting stars" when flecks of interplanetary dust
strike Earth's atmosphere at high speed. The Leonids, which are one of a
dozen or so annual meteor showers caused by cometary dust, arrive at a
blistering 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second -- the fastest known.
Typically showers produce one meteor every few minutes, though often there
are bursts and lulls. Two years ago the Leonids briefly peppered the skies
over Europe and the Middle East with up to 2,500 meteors per hour. In 1966
lucky observers in the southwestern United States gaped in awe for 20
minutes as Leonid meteors fell at the rate of 40 per second!
More about the prospects for a Leonid storm appears in the November issue of
SKY & TELESCOPE. This issue marks the diamond anniversary of the monthly
magazine for amateur astronomers launched by Charles and Helen Federer in
November 1941. The Federers took on the challenge of merging THE SKY (which
had been published by New York's Hayden Planetarium) and THE TELESCOPE (then
published by Harvard College Observatory). Today the magazine is enjoyed by
some 250,000 skywatchers worldwide.
Roger W. Sinnott is Senior Editor for Sky & Telescope
Copyright 2001, SpaceDaily
====================================================================
(8) RAS MEETING ON EARTH'S SPACE ENVIRONMENT
>From Peter R Bond <100604.1111@compuserve.com>
ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
PRESS INFORMATION NOTE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 11 October 2001
Ref.: PN 01/29
Issued by:
Peter Bond,
RAS Press Officer (Space Science).
10 Harrier Close,
Cranleigh,
Surrey, GU6 7BS,
United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0)1483-268672
Fax: +44 (0)1483-274047
E-mail: 100604.1111@compuserve.com
RAS Web: http://www.ras.orgdot uk/ras/
MEETING DETAILS: http://www.mssl.ucl.acdot uk/www_seminar/roy.html
CONTACT DETAILS ARE LISTED AT THE END OF THIS RELEASE.
PLANET EARTH AND ITS PLACE IN SPACE
A Discussion Meeting on "Science and Applications of the space environment:
New Results and Interdisciplinary Connections"
at the Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1 5AG
16-18 October 2001
Planet Earth, the "third rock from the Sun", is a small world, vulnerable to
many potentially dangerous or catastrophic natural influences.
On 16-18 October, a meeting at London's Royal Society will bring together
experts on our Earth and its space environment to discuss new results and
links between different areas of study.
Members of the press are invited to attend the meeting free of charge,
though advance registration (to rer@mssl.ucl.acdot uk) would be appreciated.
THE PROGRAMME
Studies of the space environment cover many aspects of science, applications
and engineering, including exciting areas that are currently generating
intense interest for the media and the general public.
The main themes of the meeting are: Earth and planetary environments, the
Sun's influence on the Earth, hazards for Earth in space and spacecraft
technology. There is also a presentation about space debris, dust and
near-Earth objects.
Associated with this Discussion Meeting, the Foundation for Science and
Technology is organising a meeting on "Using space for the public good".
"There has been too little communication between the different disciplines
of space science, between those who 'look up' and those who 'look down', yet
their techniques and concepts are similar," said Professor Julian Hunt, one
of the organisers of the meeting. "We hope the conference helps overcome the
institutional, and funding barriers to these collaborations."
The meeting format will consist of invited talks for key topics, with poster
presentation sessions (including short plenary presentations) and panel
discussions to encourage wide participation.
The main topics of the meeting will be:
16 OCTOBER, 14:00 - 18:00.
Observation of the Earth and other planets: climate change, ocean and sea
bed studies, land use monitoring, Earth's atmosphere, lessons from other
planets
17 OCTOBER 09:30 - 12:40
The Sun-Earth connection and the space environment: understanding the Sun,
impacts on the near-Earth environment, the magnetosphere, Sun and climate,
space weather.
17 OCTOBER 14:00 - 17:30
Hazard warning and forecasting for Earth and space: magnetic storms and
severe weather forecasting, volcanoes, hydrology, air pollution.
18 OCTOBER O9:30 - 15:20 (INCLUDING LUNCH BREAK)
Space debris, dust and near-Earth objects.
Space and spacecraft technologies: communications, navigation, cryogenics in
space, advanced spacecraft technologies, technology benefits for science and
applications, software, formation flying, miniaturisation, the enabling role
of satellites.
The full programme can be seen at:
http://www.mssl.ucl.acdot uk/www_seminar/roy.html
NOTES FOR EDITORS.
The conference is organised by Professor Julian Hunt of University College
London and Professor Len Culhane of University College London's Mullard
Space Science Laboratory, assisted by Dr. Andrew Coates (also of MSSL-UCL).
The meeting is sponsored by Astrium, the British Antarctic Survey, the
British National Space Centre, the Council for the Central Laboratory of the
Research Councils, Eumetsat, the Natural Environment Research Council, the
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council and QinetiQ (formerly the
Defence Evaluation Research Agency).
CONTACTS:
Dr Andrew Coates
Mullard Space Science Laboratory/University College London
Holmbury St. Mary
Dorking,
Surrey,
RH5 6NT,
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1483-204145/274111
Fax: +44 (0)1483-278312
E-mail: ajc@mssl.ucl.acdot uk
Professor Len Culhane,
Mullard Space Science Laboratory/University College London
(same address)
Tel: +44 (0)1483-274111
E-mail: jlc@mssl.ucl.acdot uk
Professor Julian Hunt
Department of Space & Climate Physics,
University College London
Gower Street
London
WC1E 6BT
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20-7679-7743
E- mail: jcrh@ucl.acdot uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------
THE CAMBRIDGE-CONFERENCE NETWORK (CCNet)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The CCNet is a scholarly electronic network. To subscribe/unsubscribe,
please contact the moderator Benny J Peiser <b.j.peiser@livjm.acdot uk>.
Information circulated on this network is for scholarly and educational use
only. The attached information may not be copied or reproduced for
any other purposes without prior permission of the copyright holders. The
fully indexed archive of the CCNet, from February 1997 on, can be found at
http://abob.libs.ugadot edu/bobk/cccmenu.html
DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the articles
and texts and in other CCNet contributions do not necessarily reflect the
opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the moderator of this network.
------- End of Forwarded Message
To stop getting email from the 'meteorobs' list, use the Web form at:
http://www.meteorobs.org/subscribe.html