California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Virtual News Briefing: Spitzer Uncovers Planets' Violent Past

Note To Editors

Intro

Note To Editors

Press Release

Visuals

Bios

Fact Sheet

October 14, 2004

Astronomers will present new findings about how planets are built during a listen-and-log-on news briefing Monday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (1 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time). The discoveries were made using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Reporters should call the Media Relations Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., at (818) 354-0344 for participation information.

Images and graphics supporting the briefing will be posted online at the start of the briefing at http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/041018telecon/.

Briefing participants:

• Dr. Jonathan Gardner, Spitzer Space Telescope program scientist, NASA Headquarters, Washington
• Dr. George Rieke, Spitzer Space Telescope scientist and astronomy professor, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
• Dr. Scott Kenyon, senior scientist, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass.

The Spitzer Space Telescope's state-of-the-art infrared detectors pierce the dense clouds of gas and dust that enshroud many celestial objects, including distant galaxies; clusters of newborn stars; and planet forming discs around stars. JPL manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.

Whitney Clavin (818) 354-4673
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

 
Don Savage (202) 358-1727
NASA Headquarters, Washington

jpl2004-256