NASA Daily News Summary For Release: Sept. 29, 1999 Media Advisory m99-201 Summary: BRAIN CANCER SURGERIES SUCCESSFUL USING SPACE-AGE PROBES Video File for Sept. 29, 1999 ITEM 1 - 1999 ANTARCTIC OZONE "HOLE" NEARS PEAK ITEM 2 - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGES OF GRAND VIEW OF THE BIRTH OF "HEFTY" STARS IN 30 DORADUS ITEM 3 - EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS: COLLAPSED STRUCTURE SIMULATION ITEM 4 - CHANDRA DISCOVERS X-RAY RING AROUND COSMIC POWERHOUSE IN CRAB NEBULA(replay) ******** LIVE TELEVISION EVENTS THIS WEEK: September 30, Thursday 6:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Light Emitting Diodes Live Shots - MSFC ********** BRAIN CANCER SURGERIES SUCCESSFUL USING SPACE-AGE PROBES Surgeons have used a special lighting technology, developed by a Wisconsin company to conduct plant research in space, in two successful operations to treat brain cancer on Earth. For the treatment technique, a surgeon uses tiny pinhead-size Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) -- a source releasing long light waves--to activate light-sensitive, tumor-treating drugs. Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Michael Braukus 202/358-1979. Contact at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL: Steve Roy 205/544-0034. For full text, see: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/1999/99-111.txt ---------- If NASA issues additional news releases later today, we will e- mail summaries and Internet URLs to this list. Index of 1999 NASA News Releases: http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1999/index.html ******* Video File for Sept. 29, 1999 ITEM 1 - 1999 ANTARCTIC OZONE "HOLE" NEARS PEAK The latest images from NASA show the depleted region of ozone commonly known as the ozone "hole" has continued to grow and will likely reach its peak 1999 size during the next two weeks. Scientists are closely monitoring ozone levels in Antarctica after observing record low levels of ozone in 1998. The Antarctic "ozone hole" develops each year between late August and early October. Contact at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD: Lynn Chandler 301/286-5562. Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: David E. Steitz 202/358-1730. Digital Images are available on the Web at: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/~gshirah/toms/ Item 1a - 1999 ANTARCTIC OZONE "HOLE" EMERGES AND EVOLVES TRT :36 New images from NASA show the depleted region of ozone commonly known as the "ozone hole" is again emerging over Antarctica. The latest images show that region of depleted ozone exceeds 9 million square miles (21 million square kilometers). Lower concentrations of ozone are shown in purple. Higher concentrations in yellow and red. The Antarctic "ozone hole" develops each year between late August and early October Item 1b - AN UNUSUAL SIDEKICK TRT :25 Scientists also observed a smaller region of depleted ozone that evolved outside of the primary ozone "hole" between Sept. 17 and Sept. 20. Such "mini-holes" are not unusual in this area in August, but this one was unusually large and unusually late. "Mini-holes" form when vertical motion brings ozone-poor air up into the stratosphere where ozone is normally high. Item 1c - 1998 OZONE "HOLE" LARGEST EVER TRT :25 The 1998 Antarctic ozone "hole" was the largest ever observed. Data from the satellites show that ozone depletion reached a record size of 10.5 million square miles (27.3 million square kilometers) on Sept. 19, 1998. Scientists believe the unusually cold stratospheric temperatures contributed to the record size of the "hole." Item 1d - OZONE TRENDS TRT :14 Yearly comparison of ozone levels in Antarctic. NASA and NOAA instruments have been measuring Antarctic ozone levels since the early 1970s. Large regions of depleted ozone began to develop over Antarctica in the early 1980s. Though ozone "holes" of substantial size and depth are likely to continue to form during the next few years, scientists expect to see a reduction in ozone losses as levels of ozone-destroying Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are gradually reduced. Item 1e - HOW OZONE PROTECTS TRT :16 Ozone protects the Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. The ozone molecule is split into one free oxygen atom and one molecule of ordinary oxygen. The free oxygen usually reacts with another oxygen molecule to reform the ozone molecule. Item 1f - OZONE DESTRUCTION TRT :33 Scientists say this year's abnormally cold Antarctic winter contributed to the ozone "hole" by activating more destructive chlorine. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) lead to destruction of the protective ozone molecules located in the stratosphere. Chlorine atoms liberated from CFCs steal oxygen atoms, thus destroying the protective ozone molecule. One chlorine atom can destroy many thousands of ozone molecules over its lifetime in the stratosphere. The ozone "hole" appears because of the normally very cold Antarctic winter conditions. Item 1g - STRATOSPHERE ANIMATION TRT :09 Most atmospheric ozone is found in the stratosphere--in a thin layer six to 18 miles above the Earth's surface. The term "ozone hole" is used to describe a large area of intense ozone depletion that occurs over Antarctica during late August through early October and typically breaks up in late November. Ozone is a molecule that shields life on Earth from the harmful effects of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. Item 1h - TOMS SATELLITE TRT :24 The measurements were obtained this year using the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument aboard NASA's Earth Probe (TOMS-EP) satellite. Item 1i - OZONE SCIENTISTS - B-ROLL TRT :33 Scientists and others have a keen interest in ozone depletion, given that the increased amounts of ultraviolet radiation that reach the Earth's surface because of ozone loss have the potential to increase the incidence of skin cancer and cataracts in humans, harm some crops, and interfere with marine life. ITEM 2 - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGES OF GRAND VIEW OF THE BIRTH OF "HEFTY" STARS IN 30 DORADUS Images taken in infrared and visible light by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope recount a vivid story of the turbulent birthing process of massive stars. Contact at Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD: Donna Weaver 410/338-4493. Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Donald Savage 202/358-1547. Digital images are available on the Web at: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1999/33/pr-photos.html Item 2a - VIDEO ZOOM OF STILL IMAGES OF THE TRT :23 30 DORADUS NEBULA The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed intense bursts of starbirth in 30 Doradus within the Large Magellanic Cloud. Here radiation from massive stars incubates thousands of fledgling stars hidden in dust clouds and columns like those of the Eagle Nebula. (Animation: Bryan Preston) Item 2b - STILL IMAGES and SOURCES TRT :15 Large Magellanic Cloud (Credit: Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory, Edinburgh and David Malin) Item 2c - 30 DORADUS REGION TRT :15 (Credit: Anglo-Australian Observatory/Royal Observatory, Edinburgh and David Malin) Item 2d - HST WFPC2 CAMERA MOSAIC OF VISIBLE LIGHT IMAGES TRT :15 OF THE 30 DORADUS NEBULA (Credit: NASA and John Trauger and James Westphal (California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA)) Item 2e - HST NICMOS INSTRUMENT INFRARED VIEWS OF TRT :15 30 DORADUS EAST AND WEST FIELDS (Credit: NASA and Nolan Walborn (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD) and Rodolfo Barba (La Plata Observatory) Item 2f - INTERVIEW TRT :15 Dr. Nolan Walborn (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD) Dr. Walborn comments on the significance of the observation. ITEM 3 - EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS: COLLAPSED STRUCTURE TRT 3:46 SIMULATION B-roll shows rescue teams working their way through a simulated collapsed structure to rescue a simulated victim. In observance of Earthquake Preparedness Month, news reporters are invited to participate in a Collapsed Structure Simulation on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. Contact at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA: Michael Mewhinney 650/604-3937, 604-9000. Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Michael Braukus 202/358-1979. ITEM 4 - CHANDRA DISCOVERS X-RAY RING AROUND COSMIC TRT :15 POWERHOUSE IN CRAB NEBULA(replay) Observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Telescope have revealed something never seen before: a brilliant ring around the Crab Nebula. This may provide clues to the puzzle of how the cosmic generator, a pulsating neutron star, energizes the nebula, which still glows brightly almost 1000 years after the explosion. Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Donald Savage 202/358-1547. Contact at Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD: Ray Villard 410/338-4707. Digital images are available on the Web at: http://chandra.nasa.gov ********** Unless otherwise noted, ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN. ANY CHANGES TO THE LINE-UP WILL APPEAR ON THE NASA VIDEO FILE ADVISORY ON THE WEB AT ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt WE UPDATE THE ADVISORY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. The NASA Video File normally airs at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and midnight Eastern Time. NASA Television is available on GE-2, transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz. Refer general questions about the video file to NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC: Ray Castillo, 202/358-4555, or Elvia Thompson, 202/358-1696, elvia.thompson@hq.nasa.gov During Space Shuttle missions, the full NASA TV schedule will continue to be posted at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/nasatv/schedule.html For general information about NASA TV see: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/ ********** Contract Awards Contract awards are posted to the NASA Acquisition information Service Web site: http://procurement.nasa.gov/EPS/award.html ********** The NASA Daily News Summary is issued each business day at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern time. Members of the media who wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from this list, please send e-mail message to: Brian.Dunbar@hq.nasa.gov ********** end of daily news summary