Dec. 16, 2004

Donald Savage 
Headquarters, Washington 
(Phone: 202/358-1727) 

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

MEDIA ADVISORY: M04-205

NASA PLANS MEDIA BRIEFING ABOUT NEW GALAXIES

Astronomers will announce their discovery of unexpected galaxies at a 
listen-and-log on news briefing Tuesday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m. EST. The 
findings, from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer mission, are 
reshaping theories of galaxy formation, and may help explain how our 
own Milky Way formed. 

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.jpl.nasa.gov/media/galex-122104 

Briefing participants:

– – Dr. Zlatan Tsvetanov, program scientist, Galaxy 
Evolution Explorer, NASA Headquarters, Washington 
– – Dr. Tim Heckman, astronomer, Johns Hopkins University, 
Baltimore
– – Dr. Chris Martin, principal investigator, Galaxy 
Evolution Explorer, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 
Calif. 
– – Dr. Alice Shapley, astronomer, University of 
California, Berkeley

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer was launched April 28, 2003. Its mission 
is to study the shape, brightness, size and distance of galaxies 
across 10 billion years of cosmic history. The 50-centimeter-diameter 
(19.7-inch) telescope on board sweeps the skies in search of 
ultraviolet light sources. 

	
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