For Release: 1:00 p.m. (EDT) April 2, 2001
Blast from the Past: Farthest Supernova Ever Seen Sheds Light on Dark
Universe
Gazing to the far reaches
of space and time, NASAs Hubble Space Telescope identified the farthest
stellar explosion ever seen, a supernova that erupted 10 billion years ago. By
examining the glow from this dying star, astronomers have amassed more evidence
that a mysterious, repulsive force is at work in the cosmos, making galaxies
rush ever faster away from each other.
For a live discussion of
this discovery, tune into NASA's Space Science
Update "Blast
from the Past" at 1pm (EDT) on April 2. To see the show on your computer
using RealPlayer, click on the "Space Science Update" link on the
toolbar.
Credits: NASA, Adam Riess (Space
Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD)