Oct 8 1992
From The Space Library
Hubble Space Telescope scientists announced that Hubble has used a natural "zoom lens" it discovered in space to photograph an otherwise invisible distant galaxy and to chart concentrations of the mysterious dark matter that controls the fate of the universe. The astronomers said that the telescope was actually seeing a phenomenon known as a gravitational lens, which occurs when the gravitational field of a massive object bends light rays from a more distant source. They regarded the ability to discern in detail the structure of the distant magnified object as a major breakthrough in observing techniques. (W Post, Oct 9/92; UPI, Oct 8/92; NY Times, Oct 9/92; NASA Release 92-87 and 92-168)
NASA's Pioneer 12 spacecraft fell out of radio contact with Earth as the craft, dipping lower and lower with each orbit, faced the prospect of a slow and fiery death in Venus' atmosphere during the next few days. Launched in 1978 on a radar-mapping mission planned to last only 15 months, the craft worked nearly perfectly for 14 years, using radar to make a crude topographic map of 93 percent of Venus' surface. (AP, Oct 9/92; UPI, Oct 8/92; W Times, Oct 9/92; The Sun, Oct 9/92)
NASA announced that astronomers using a new NASA satellite had detected a powerful, exotic object 2 billion light-years beyond the Milky Way Galaxy. The radiation source was observed by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Spacecraft launched on June 7. (NASA Release 92-169)
David Williamson, Jr., 62, retired Assistant Administrator for Special Projects with NASA, died at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. (W Post, Oct 9/92)
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