New findings about starbirth in the early universe —
findings that could overturn current theories if verified —
will be presented in a Space Science Update at 2:00 p.m. EST
Tuesday, Jan. 8.

The event will be held in the James E. Webb Auditorium at
NASA Headquarters, 300 E St. SW, in Washington. The findings
being released are the result of new research on the deepest
views of the Universe ever taken by NASA’s Hubble Space
Telescope.

Panelists include:

* Dr. Kenneth M. Lanzetta, associate professor of physics
and astronomy at the State University of New York at Stony
Brook

* Dr. Lisa Storrie-Lombardi, astronomer at the SIRTF Science
Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.

* Dr. Bruce Margon, associate director for science at the
Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore

* Dr. Anne Kinney, panel moderator and director of the
Astronomy and Physics Division in the Office of Space
Science, NASA Headquarters.

Editor’s note: the following paper will be published in the Astrophysical Journal:

  • 6 November 2001: The Star Formation Rate Intensity Distribution Function–Implications for the Cosmic Star Formation Rate History of the Universe, Kenneth M. Lanzetta, et al, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

    “Because our measurements neglect the effects of obscuration by dust, they represent lower limits to the total star formation rate density. Our analysis suggest that star formation in the very early universe may have occurred at a much higher rate than is generally believed and that cosmological surface brightness dimming e ects cannot be ignored when interpreting statistical properties of the high-redshift galaxy population.”

    • A bus for reporters covering the American Astronomical
    Society’s Winter meeting in Washington will depart from the
    Washington Hilton and Towers at 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW,
    at 1:30 p.m. EST, for NASA Headquarters, and return to the
    hotel following the SSU at about 3:20 p.m.

    Information about the bus schedule and location will be
    available in the AAS Newsroom at the Hilton when the meeting
    opens Jan. 6.

    The briefing will be carried live on NASA Television with
    two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering
    the event from participating NASA centers.

    NASA TV is broadcast on the GE-2 satellite, Transponder 9C,
    at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical polarization,
    frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast
    will be available on voice circuit at NASA’s Kennedy Space
    Center, Fla., by calling 407/867-1220, 1240 and 1260.