GLAST - Exploring the Universe

June 3, 2008 on 7:39 am | In Space |

Gamma Rays aren’t just for The Incredible Hulk anymore. No, now we’re using them to explore the universe with this great monstrosity:

 

Cool, huh? The GLAST or Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope will launch “no earlier than June 3 during a window that runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. EDT” according to the NASA Website. 

Here’s what NASA says about it:

GLAST: Exploring the Extreme Universe

NASA’s Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is a powerful space observatory that will open a wide window on the universe. Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light, and the gamma-ray sky is spectacularly different from the one we perceive with our own eyes. With a huge leap in all key capabilities, GLAST data will enable scientists to answer persistent questions across a broad range of topics, including supermassive black-hole systems, pulsars, the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for signals of new physics.

The mission is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership, developed by NASA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, along with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what this baby can do. Some of you know I used to make my living as a chemist. I worked with gamma radiation (one of the reasons I wanted to get out of that field - plus the fact that chemists have a generally shorter life expectancy than most other professions) in biological assays. Vastly different from what this GLAST will be doing, of course, but in order to do that job, I had to study up on radiation and the physics of the different kinds of particles I’d be working with. My first few weeks “on the job” were spent in an empty office — reading. No joke. I got the job fresh out of college, reported to duty for my first day, and was parked in an empty office right next to the PhD who was to be my boss with a stack of books on radiation.

The only thing that saved me was the fact that before swithing my major to chemistry, I’d spent two years as a physics major. The reson I left that program had more to do with the faculty at my college than anything else. The entire physics department had heavy accents from all different places and although I’m very good with accents (I’m the daughter of a European immigrant), I couldn’t understand half these people! LOL. The chemistry department was much more intelligible. And at that point in my life, I was fascinated by the molecular workings of biological systems.

But enough of that… watch for more info on the GLAST launch. I’ll try to post any news I stumble accross here on the blog (for those of you who care). Geeks of the world - unite!