He said he had remained in touch with Pasko's lawyers, the ITAR-TASS news agency quoted him as saying.
Even if Federation Council lawyers decided that he is not entitled to act as Pasko's guarantor, he would write a letter of support for the journalist, Mironov said, describing the recent verdict as "unfair."
Only one of the 10 charges against Pasko was upheld, that of illegally attending a meeting of the Pacific Fleet's general staff and receiving information classified as secret, with allegedly the intention of passing it on to Japanese media.
Pasko was tried and acquitted on espionage charges in an earlier trial that ended in 1999, but found guilty of abuse of office for handing information about the alleged nuclear dumping to the Japanese media.
Both he and the prosecution appealed the decision, and the case was reopened last year.
He has already served nearly two years in jail while awaiting trial.
Earlier Thursday around 50 Pasko supporters picketed the headquarters of the security services, the FSB (former KGB), in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok where the reporter is being detained.
Police intervened and charged five protestors with disturbing the peace.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jun 2000 16:48:00 -0400
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 16:48:00 -0400
From: "STEPHEN P. MARAN"
To: simon@spacer.com
Message-Id: <000615164800.3280025d@eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: NRAO: Scientists Discover Sugar in Space
X-Spam-Rating: 209.85.120.230 1.6.2 0/1000/N
X-DPOP: DPOP Version 2.8b
X-UIDL: 961104435.19460
Status: U
THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL RADIO
ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY, IN SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO, AND IS FORWARDED
FOR YOUR INFORMATION. (FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY
THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.) Steve Maran, American
Astronomical Society
http://www.nrao.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2000
Contacts: Dave Finley, NRAO PIO
(505) 835-7302
dfinley@nrao.edu
Bill Steigerwald, NASA Goddard PIO
(301) 286-5017
wsteiger@pop100.gsfc.nasa.gov
NOTE: For graphics accompanying this release, see the Web version at:
http://www.nrao.edu/pr/sugar.html
Scientists Discover Sugar in Space
The prospects for life in the Universe just got sweeter, with the
first discovery of a simple sugar molecule in space. The discovery
of the sugar molecule glycolaldehyde in a giant cloud of gas and
dust near the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy was made by scientists
using the National Science Foundation's 12 Meter Telescope, a radio
telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona.
"The discovery of this sugar molecule in a cloud from which new stars
are forming means it is increasingly likely that the chemical precursors
to life are formed in such clouds long before planets develop around the
stars," said Jan M. Hollis of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, MD. Hollis worked with Frank J. Lovas of the University of
Illinois and Philip R. Jewell of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
(NRAO) in Green Bank, WV, on the observations, made in May. The
scientists have submitted their results to the Astrophysical
Journal Letters.
"This discovery may be an important key to understanding the formation
of life on the early Earth," said Jewell. Conditions in interstellar
clouds may, in some cases, mimic the conditions on the early Earth, so
studying the chemistry of interstellar clouds may help scientists
understand how bio-molecules formed early in our planet's history. In
addition, some scientists have suggested that Earth could have been
"seeded" with complex molecules by passing comets, made of material
from the interstellar cloud that condensed to form the Solar System.
Glycolaldehyde, an 8-atom molecule composed of carbon, oxygen and
hydrogen, can combine with other molecules to form the more-complex
sugars Ribose and Glucose. Ribose is a building block of nucleic acids
such as RNA and DNA, which carry the genetic code of living organisms.
Glucose is the sugar found in fruits. Glycolaldehyde contains exactly
the same atoms, though in a different molecular structure, as methyl
formate and acetic acid, both of which were detected previously in
interstellar clouds. Glycolaldehyde is a simpler molecular cousin to
table sugar, the scientists say.
The sugar molecule was detected in a large cloud of gas and dust some
26,000 light-years away, near the center of our Galaxy. Such clouds,
often many light-years across, are the material from which new stars
are formed. Though very rarified by Earth standards, these interstellar
clouds are the sites of complex chemical reactions that occur over
hundreds of thousands or millions of years. So far, about 120
different molecules have been discovered in these clouds. Most of
these molecules contain a small number of atoms, and only a few molecules
with eight or more atoms have been found in interstellar clouds.
"Finding glycolaldehyde in one of these interstellar clouds means that
such molecules can be formed even in very rarified conditions," said
Hollis. "We don't yet understand how it could be formed there," he
added. "A combination of more astronomical observations and theoretical
chemistry work will be required to resolve the mystery of how this molecule
is formed in space."
"We hope this discovery inspires renewed efforts to find even more
kinds of molecules, so that, with a better idea of the total picture,
we may be able to deduce the details of the prebiotic chemistry
taking place in interstellar clouds," Hollis said.
The discovery was made by detecting faint radio emission from the sugar
molecules in the interstellar cloud. Molecules rotate end-for-end, and
as they change from one rotational energy state to another, they emit
radio waves at precise frequencies. The "family" of radio frequencies
emitted by a particular molecule forms a unique "fingerprint" that
scientists can use to identify that molecule. The scientists identified
glycolaldehyde by detecting six frequencies of radio emission in what is
termed the millimeter-wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum
-- a region between more-familiar microwaves and infrared radiation.
The NRAO 12 Meter Telescope used to detect the sugar molecule
has been a pioneer instrument in the detection of molecules in space.
Built in 1967, it made the first detections of dozens of the
molecules now known to exist in space, including the important first
discovery of carbon monoxide, now widely used by astronomers as a
signpost showing regions where stars are being formed. The 12 Meter
Telescope is scheduled to be closed at the end of July, in preparation
for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, an advanced system
of 64 radio-telescope antennas in northern Chile now being developed by
an international partnership.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National
Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated
Universities, Inc.
###
For More Information:
Dr. Jan M. Hollis
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
Phone: 301-286-7591
e-mail: Jan.M.Hollis@gsfc.nasa.gov
Dr. Frank J. Lovas
Astronomy Department
University of Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Phone: 217-333-3090
e-mail: lovas@nist.gov
Dr. Philip R. Jewell
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Green Bank, West Virginia
Phone: 304-456-2301
e-mail: pjewell@nrao.edu
###
-----------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE RECEIVING PRESS RELEASES THAT ARE
FORWARDED TO THE NEWS MEDIA VIA THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY,
PLEASE REPLY ACCORDINGLY TO ANY INCOMING PRESS RELEASE, OR WRITE
TO hrsmaran@eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov.
From ???@??? Fri Jun 16 07:51:18 2000
Return-Path:
Delivered-To: spacer-com-simon@spacer.com
Received: (qmail 521 invoked from network); 15 Jun 2000 21:37:19 -0000
Received: from madhu.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.172.192)
by 209.85.120.230 with SMTP; 15 Jun 2000 21:37:19 -0000
Received: by eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov for simon@spacer.com;
Thu, 15 Jun 2000 17:35:23 -0400
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 17:35:23 -0400
From: "STEPHEN P. MARAN"
To: simon@spacer.com
Message-Id: <000615173523.32800262@eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: UNIVERSE 2000 MEETING, JULY 13-19 IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
X-Spam-Rating: 209.85.120.230 1.6.2 0/1000/N
X-DPOP: DPOP Version 2.8b
X-UIDL: 961106062.19478
Status: U
THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
OF THE PACIFIC, IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AND IS FORWARDED
FOR YOUR INFORMATION. (FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY
THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.) Steve Maran, American
Astronomical Society
www.aspsky.org
Media contact: John G. Watson (650) 604-1857
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 15, 2000
"UNIVERSE 2000" MEETS JULY 13-19
ANNUAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC MEETING TO TAKE PLACE IN
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
[Editors please note: Journalists are invited to attend all ASP
meeting events.]
San Francisco, Calif.-"Universe 2000," the 112th annual meeting of
the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), takes place in
Pasadena, CA, July 13-19,
For over one hundred years, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
the largest general astronomy society in the world, has worked to
explain the mysteries of the universe to students, teachers,
hobbyists and the general public. Its annual meetings bring together
professional and amateur astronomers, astronomy historians and
educators, science students and the general public.
The weekend of Saturday and Sunday, July 15-16, is devoted to
programs for the general public and amateur astronomers. The
"Universe 2000 EXPO" includes panel discussions, talks by leading
astronomers, hands-on activities for children, book signings, a
raffle for a telescope, a silent auction and an exhibit hall. Lecture
topics include "Einstein's Greatest Blunder," "The Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence" and "Searching for Extrasolar Planets."
Befitting the society's emphasis on science education, "Universe
2000" begins with "Universe in the Classroom: A Workshop on Teaching
Astronomy in Grades 3-12," meeting on Thursday and Friday, July
13-14. Designed for teachers, librarians, curriculum specialists and
youth group leaders, it is intended for teachers at all levels of
expertise. Topics include black holes, constellations and how to make
comets in the classroom.
College professors can benefit from "Cosmos in the Classroom:
Teaching Astronomy to College Non-science Majors," taking place
Monday through Wednesday, July 17-19. This symposium, designed for
those who teach introductory college astronomy, focuses on ways to
improve teaching and to put astronomy in a wider context.
A key activity is a three-day astrobiology research symposium, "From
Dust to Life: Surviving the First Billion years of the Solar System."
Meeting Monday through Wednesday, July 17-19, this science
sub-conference features experts addressing the physical and chemical
conditions that scientists consider important for the onset of life
out of the interstellar environment.
All programs take place at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 East
Green Street, Pasadena, CA, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., with the exception
of optional evening events, including an awards dinner featuring
television personality Bill Nye and tours of Griffith Observatory and
Mount Wilson Observatory.
Meeting sponsors include The Teaching Company, Astronomy Magazine,
the Griffith Observatory, Meade Instruments Corp., Mount Wilson
Observatory, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Planetary
Society. For complete details, including fees, visit
www.aspsky.org/meetings.html, call (415) 337-1100, FAX (415) 337-5205
or e-mail meeting@aspsky.org.
CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT:
"Universe 2000," the 112th annual meeting of the Astronomical Society
of the Pacific (ASP), takes place Thursday, July 13, through
Wednesday, July 19, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at the Pasadena Convention
Center, 300 East Green St., Pasadena, CA. A key activity is a weekend
expo for the general public featuring panel discussions and talks by
leading astronomers. Events also include a three-day research
symposium focusing on the development and survival of life in the
early Solar System, a two-day workshop for grade 3-12 teachers, and
such optional events as an awards dinner featuring Bill Nye and
observatory tours. For complete details, including fees, visit
www.aspsky.org/meetings.html or call (415) 337-1100.
# # # # #
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE RECEIVING PRESS RELEASES THAT ARE
FORWARDED TO THE NEWS MEDIA VIA THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY,
PLEASE REPLY ACCORDINGLY TO ANY INCOMING PRESS RELEASE, OR WRITE
TO hrsmaran@eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov.
From ???@??? Fri Jun 16 07:51:18 2000
Return-Path:
Delivered-To: spacer-com-simon@spacer.com
Received: (qmail 6361 invoked from network); 15 Jun 2000 21:46:05 -0000
Received: from achamp.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.172.208)
by 209.85.120.230 with SMTP; 15 Jun 2000 21:46:05 -0000
Received: by eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov for simon@spacer.com;
Thu, 15 Jun 2000 17:44:05 -0400
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 17:44:05 -0400
From: "STEPHEN P. MARAN"
To: simon@spacer.com
Message-Id: <000615174405.32800264@eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: SOLAR STORMS NEWS BRIEFINGS AVAILABLE BY PHONE & WWW
X-Spam-Rating: 209.85.120.230 1.6.2 0/1000/N
X-DPOP: DPOP Version 2.8b
X-UIDL: 961106062.19479
Status: U
THE FOLLOWING ADVISORY WAS RECEIVED FROM THE SOLAR PHYSICS DIVISION
OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR
INFORMATION. (FORWARDING DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE PARENT
SOCIETY.) Steve Maran, American Astronomical Society
Contact: Dr. Craig DeForest
Voice: 303-546-6020; FAX 303-546-6987
deforest@boulder.swri.edu
MEDIA ADVISORY June 15, 2000
THIRD ADVISORY: SOLAR PHYSICS MEETING AT LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA JUNE
18-22, 2000
CME ARRIVAL PREDICTION AND SOLAR FLARE BRIEFINGS AVAILABLE
BY CONFERENCE CALL AND WWW; COORDINATED VIDEO FEED VIA NASA TV
The two media briefings scheduled for next week during the AAS/SPD
meeting will be available to interested press via a combination of
audio (conference call) and visual aids (viewgraphs and video posted
on the WWW). To participate in any of the following activities,
please send email to Dr. Craig DeForest, AAS/SPD Press Officer.
I will then send you further instructions and contact information.
Details: The 2 scheduled press briefings are:
Monday, 19-Jun-2000, 9:00 AM PDT - Precise prediction method for
arrival of Earth-directed solar coronal mass ejections
Tuesday, 20-Jun-2000, 9:00 AM PDT - Discovery of the magnetic power
source for solar flares
Audio: Audio will be available through a conference call arranged by
the convention hall staff. You will provide a telephone number for
the conference operator to dial a few minutes before the conference.
Space is limited, so I must know ASAP which days you would like to
listen to the briefings.
Visual: Graphics and movie clips used in the briefings will be posted
to a site on the WWW. If you reserve a space in the conference call,
I will tell you the WWW address to point at in order to retrieve this
material. The material will not be available until the beginning of
each briefing.
Video: Both conferences will be accompanied by videofile from NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center, including interviews with the principal
scientists. The videofiles will be uplinked via NASA television at
9am, noon, 3pm,, 6pm, and 9pm PDT. NASA Television is available on
the GE-2 satellite, transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with
vertical polarization. Frequency is on 3880.0 megahertz, with audio
on 6.8 megahertz.
Please send e-mail on or before Saturday, June 17 to
deforest@boulder.swri.edu or phone me at 303-546-6020 (W) to make your
reservations. Remember to indicate which days you would like to
participate, and the phone number to dial. I leave for California on
Sunday morning, and will be more difficult to reach after that time.
The number for Caesar's Tahoe is 800-648-3353; to reach the press
room, ask for the "Solar Physics meeting press room", which is the
hotel's "Titus room".
----------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE RECEIVING PRESS RELEASES THAT ARE
FORWARDED TO THE NEWS MEDIA VIA THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY,
PLEASE REPLY ACCORDINGLY TO ANY INCOMING PRESS RELEASE, OR WRITE
TO hrsmaran@eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov.
From ???@??? Sat Jun 17 07:05:21 2000
Return-Path:
Delivered-To: spacer-com-simon@spacer.com
Received: (qmail 9848 invoked from network); 16 Jun 2000 16:18:10 -0000
Received: from stars.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.172.28)
by 209.85.120.230 with SMTP; 16 Jun 2000 16:18:10 -0000
Received: by eclair.gsfc.nasa.gov for simon@spacer.com;
Fri, 16 Jun 2000 12:16:10 -0400
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 12:16:10 -0400
From: "STEPHE |
Voyage of the Nano-Surgeons
Huntsville - Jan 15, 2002
Washington - Jan 11, 2002
