J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241
j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute,
Baltimore
410-338-4514
villard@stsci.edu
WASHINGTON -- NASA will host a Science
Update Thursday, May 31, at 1:00 p.m. EDT to discuss new Hubble Space Telescope
observations that allow astronomers to predict with certainty the next major
cosmic event to affect our entire galaxy, sun, and solar system.
The news conference will be held in NASA
Headquarters' James E. Webb Auditorium at 300 E St. SW in Washington and be
shown live on NASA Television and on the agency's website.
It has been known for a long time that
the Andromeda galaxy is approaching us. Because of uncertainties in Andromeda's
motion, it has not been possible to determine whether the Milky Way will have a
head-on collision or glancing blow with the neighboring galaxy billions of
years in the future. Hubble's precise observations will settle this question.
The briefing participants are:
-- Roeland van der Marel, astronomer,
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
-- Sangmo Tony Sohn, astronomer, Space
Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
-- Rosemary Wyse, professor, Physics and
Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
-- John Grunsfeld, Associate
Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington
Media can attend the event or ask
questions by phone. For dial-in information, reporters must send an email
listing their name, phone number and media affiliation to
j.d.harrington@nasa.gov by noon on May 31.
Following the news conference, the
panelists also will host a web chat at 3 p.m. to answer questions from the
general public. Participate by visiting http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/M31_collision_chat.html.
For NASA TV downlink information,
schedules and links to streaming video, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
For more information about NASA's Hubble
Program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/hubble.
- end -
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment