 Science Makes Music:
Winters are cold in Nazareth, PA, home of
the world-famous Martin Guitar company.
So cold, in fact, that for a few months out of the year, no guitars are
manufactured for fear that the cold weather will cause cracking of the special
finish that gives Martin Guitars their unique sound.
Now, however, NASA researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center are working
with the guitar builder to see if Aerogel,
the space-age insulator used on the Mars rover, and as a critical component
of an upcoming comet return mission, might be just the remedy for the cold
Pennsylvania winters.
Contact: Dr. David Noever
at (205) 544-7783 for more information.
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 Measuring the Size of the Universe:
What kind of yardstick do you need to determine
the size of the Universe? Using detailed ground-based observations of the
"cosmic microwave background" from regions of the sky around distant
galaxies, and then combining these observations with data from the soon
to be launched Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility, astronomers from NASA/Marshall
hope to unlock one of the most pressing questions in science today: How
big is the Universe, how fast is it expanding, and what is its ultimate
fate?
Contact: Dr. Marshall Joy
at (205) 544-3423 for more information.
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 Hot Summer in the City:
Summer may be over, but higher temperatures
will still on the minds of many this winter at the Kyoto Conference to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. While global
warming is, obviously, a global problem, it may have its roots partly in
local urban development. Scientists at NASA/Marshall are continuing their
study of a fly-over of Atlanta this summer, in which they studied the "Urban
Heat Island" effect, where buildings, concrete, and other features
of urbanization cause a measurable and sometimes significant rise in the
local temperature. Understanding the Urban Heat Island has far-reaching
implications for sustainable urban development, urban health-related issues,
and the contribution of local heating to global warming.
Contact: Dr. Dale Quattrochi
at (205) 922-5887 or Dr. Jeff
Luvall at (205) 922-5886 for more information.
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 Gamma Rays From Thunderstorms
We're all familiar with what goes on below
the clouds during a thunderstorm - heavy rains, spectacular lighting, and
sometimes destruction caused by severe winds or tornadoes. Using space-based
sensors designed to explore the most distant objects in the Universe, scientists
are learning that what comes out of the top of a thunderstorm is
as spectacular and intense as what comes out the bottom.
Using the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), scientists at NASA/Marshall
have observed blasts of high-energy gamma-rays coming from regions of the
Earth where severe thunderstorms are in progress. Gamma rays are usually
detected from extremely hot and energetic objects in the Universe, or from
radioactive decay. The production of these gamma-ray events and their possible
relation to upward-moving lighting, "blue jets," and "red
sprites" still remains a great mystery.
Contact: Dr. Gerald Fishman
at (205) 544-7691, or Dr.
Robert Mallozzi at (205) 544-0887 for more information.
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