Jan 14 1991
From The Space Library
NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), through its Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS), mapped the distribution of nitrogen throughout our galaxy. The COBE team reported this information at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Philadelphia. These all-sky measurements are unencumbered by atmospheric and instrument emission and enable astronomers to understand better the processes occurring throughout the Milky Way. Scientists can measure the wavelength of emissions from ionized nitrogen atoms, the total energy of the galaxy, and test other theories. FIRAS is one of three instruments aboard COBE, NASA's first satellite primarily designed for cosmological studies. The data were analyzed at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
Scientists at the Philadelphia astronomical conference discussed the implications of COBE findings to date as they affected the Big Bang theory, the evidence of star clusters, and other cosmic structures, which present theories do not explain. The new observations were welcomed as putting astronomical work on a more scientific footing.
Scientists at the Philadelphia conference also discussed the report of the findings of the Japanese Ginga (Galaxy) satellite, concerning a very powerful quasar output. The Japanese-American team spent a year verifying the measurements and believed that quasars lie at the center of certain galaxies and draw their power from black holes. It appeared that there might be more quasars and black holes than was previously believed.
In other conference discussions, German astronomers reported on the clustered quasars discovered by the Roentgen Satellite, or Rosat, designed and built by Germany and launched in June 1990 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. (NASA Release 91-6; W Post, Jan 15/91; UPI, Jan 14/91; NY Times, Jan 15/91; B Sun, Jan 15/91; AP, Jan 15/91; LA Times, Jan 15/91; NY Times, Jan 16/91; W Post, Jan 16/91; B Sun, Jan 16/91; LA Times, Jan 16/91; C Tnn, Jan 16/91; NY Times, Jan 22/91; W Post, Jan 21/91)
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