ASTRONOMERS MEASURE MASS OF A SINGLE STAR -- FIRST SINCE THE SUN (STScI-PR04-24)

FOR RELEASE: 10:00 am (EDT) July 15, 2004

CONTACT:
Donna Weaver
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD
(Phone: 410-338-4493; E-mail: )

Pam Frost Gorder
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
(Phone: 614-292-9475; E-mail: )

Andrew Gould
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
(Phone: 614-292-1892; E-mail: )

David Bennett
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
(Phone: 219-631-8298; E-mail: )

PRESS RELEASE NO.: STScI-PR04-24

ASTRONOMERS MEASURE MASS OF A SINGLE STAR -- FIRST SINCE THE SUN

Astronomers have directly measured the mass of a single star -- the
first time such a feat has been accomplished for any solitary star other
than our own Sun. The measurement has been done on a small red star
located some 1,800 light-years from Earth. Knowing the masses of stars
is important in understanding stellar evolution.

Andrew Gould (Ohio State University), David Bennett (University of Notre
Dame) and David Alves (Goddard Space Flight Center) report these results
in a paper to appear in the Astronomical Journal.

To see and read more, please visit:
http://hubblesite.org/news/2004/24
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/starmass.htm

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is operated by
the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
(AURA), for NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight
Center, Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project
of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space
Agency (ESA).

To receive STScI Inbox Astronomy: News Alert messages, visit
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/mailing.php or send an e-mail
to . Leave the subject line blank, and
type the word SUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. The system
will respond with instructions on how to confirm your subscription.
Once you follow the instructions, you will receive news alerts as
they are issued. Alerts will be sent to the e-mail address you use
to subscribe. To unsubscribe, send e-mail to .
Leave the subject line blank, and type the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the
body of the message. Please unsubscribe using the email account that
you used to subscribe to the list.