SESDA II Staff Involved In A Cosmic Mystery
January 9, 2009
ARCADE instrument picture
Puzzling results from a 2006 GSFC balloon experiment supported by SESDA II staff members Paul Mirel and Paul Cursey, were announced at a recent meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
The balloon-borne instrument named ARCADE, which stands for the Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission was launched from a NASA facility in Texas, and flew to the edge of space at an altitude of 120,000 feet. Instead of recording the faint signal from the first generation of stars as expected, ARCADE discovered strong, unexpected radio emission which has left astronomers scratching their heads.
The news of this discovery has been reported worldwide, including the New York Times and other major news outlets.
For more information, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/science/space/08star.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2009/arcade_balloon.html
