Three satellites will present a show of lights
Early on Christmas morning, just before the faintest glimmerings of dawn over the Pacific, a group of scientists from the U.S., West Germany and Britain will begin their holiday celebrations by monitoring a unique experiment: the creation of the first man-made comet. A satellite orbiting some 70,000 miles above earth will release four canisters containing about 90 lbs. of barium and copper powder, worth $240,000. The powder will swell into a gaseous cloud 100 miles across that will glow pale yellow-green and then a dusky purple; as it expands, the cloud will grow a...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
