Discover
/
Article

Ultraviolet astronomy enters the eighties

SEP 01, 1980
A decade of observations by Earth‐orbiting satellites has led to the discovery of compact, hot components in many stellar systems and extended coronas surrounding our Galaxy and others.
Stephen P. Maran
Albert Boggess

Ultraviolet astronomy, once the province of instrumentalists, has become an accessible and necessary technique for all astronomers. In the first three years after the 1972 launch of the Copernicus satellite about 100 astronomers used its ultraviolet‐spectrometer data, outnumbering by a factor of ten the core group of Princeton University scientists who superintended the instrument. In the first two years of observational programs with the most recent ultraviolet satellite, the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), this involvement of non‐experimenters has mushroomed, with more than 500 scientists participating.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. A. Boggess et al., Nature 275, 372 (1978).https://doi.org/NATUAS

  2. 2. A. J. Willis (ed.), The First Year of IUE, University College London (1979).

  3. 3. R. D. Chapman (ed.), The Universe at Ultraviolet Wavelengths: The First Two Years of IUE, NASA, Washington, in press (1980).

  4. 4. P. S. Conti, R. McCray, Science 208, 9 (1980).https://doi.org/SCIEAS

  5. 5. L. Spitzer, Jr., Astrophys. J. 124, 20 (1956).https://doi.org/ASJOAB

More about the authors

Stephen P. Maran, Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Albert Boggess, Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Related content
/
Article
The ability to communicate a key message clearly and concisely to a nonspecialized audience is a critical skill to develop at all educational levels.
/
Article
With strong magnetic fields and intense lasers or pulsed electric currents, physicists can reconstruct the conditions inside astrophysical objects and create nuclear-fusion reactors.
/
Article
A crude device for quantification shows how diverse aspects of distantly related organisms reflect the interplay of the same underlying physical factors.
/
Article
Events held around the world have recognized the past, present, and future of quantum science and technology.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1980_09.jpeg

Volume 33, Number 9

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.