NASA將宣布對暗能量的重要新發現

天文學家將於十二月十六日、下周二，在美東部時間下午一點召開一次媒體發布會，宣布由Chandra X射線太空望遠鏡得到的關於暗能量（dark energy）重要新發現。

所謂“暗能量”是一種神秘的物質，它對維係宇宙及星係處於目前的狀態有極其重要的作用，但我們沒有辦法直接觀測到它。當然，這些都是一種理論推測。

Chandra X射線望遠鏡於1999年7月23日發射。原定的設計壽命是五年，現在超期服役。

NASA發布的原文如下：





NASA to Announce New Findings on Dark Energy


WASHINGTON -- Astronomers will hold a media teleconference Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. EST to announce important new results on dark energy that were made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

The briefing participants are:
-- Alexey Vikhlinin, astrophysicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Mass.
-- William Forman, astrophysicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
-- David Spergel, theoretical astrophysicist, Princeton University

To participate in the teleconference, reporters must contact the Chandra press office at 617-496-7998 or via e-mail at [e-mail] before noon on Tuesday, Dec. 16, for dial-in information.

A video file about the discovery will air on NASA Television on Dec. 16. The teleconference audio will be streamed live on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio