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 * * * SKY & TELESCOPE's WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN - July 16, 2004 * * *

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Welcome to S&T's Weekly News Bulletin. Images, the full text of stories
abridged here, and other enhancements are available on our Web site,
SkyandTelescope.com, at the URLs provided below. (If the links don't work,
just manually type the URLs into your Web browser.) Clear skies!

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HUBBLE PANEL ENDORSES SERVICING MISSION

The stage is set for a showdown between NASA and the US Congress over the
future of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). On July 13th a congressionally
mandated panel of the National Research Council recommended that the space
agency keep open the option of sending another Space Shuttle crew to
service and upgrade the orbiting observatory. This contrasts starkly with
NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe's mid-January decision to cancel further
shuttle missions to the telescope because of concerns about risks to the
astronauts in light of last year's Columbia disaster.

O'Keefe's announcement was met with a tremendous outcry from astronomers,
members of Congress, and the public....

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1301_1.asp

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CASE CLOSED: CELESTRON AND MEADE END LITIGATION

The multi-year legal battles between telescope giants Meade and Celestron
have been mutually resolved. In an agreement announced on July 8th, each
of the longtime rivals acknowledges the validity of specific patents held
by its competitor. The settlement also calls for licensing agreements that
allow both companies to continue manufacturing telescopes that were
claimed to infringe on various patents, setting to rest earlier fears in
the astronomical community that one or both companies might have to stop
selling certain model telescopes....

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1299_1.asp

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2004 COMET AWARD WINNERS

Two Australians will share the sixth annual Edgar Wilson Award for amateur
comet discovery. According to IAU CIRCULAR 8372 issued by the Central
Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams last July 12th, the winners are Vello
Tabur (Wanniassa, Australian Capital Territory) for discovering C/2003 T3
and William A. Bradfield (Yankalilla, South Australia) for C/2004 F4. In
addition to the honor and prestige associated with the award, each winner
receives a plaque and a cash prize typically worth several thousand
dollars....

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/article_1300_1.asp

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEK'S SKY

* Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter are all visible to the west at dusk.
* Venus shines at magnitude -4.4 in the east at dawn.
* New Moon on Saturday, July 17th.

For details, see This Week's Sky at a Glance and Planet Roundup:

> http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/ataglance/

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NIGHT SKY MAGAZINE (Advertisement)

This new bimonthly magazine has been designed especially for entry-level
observers who want to enjoy and explore the stars. With its clear,
nontechnical writing and helpful tips, you'll be star-hopping across the
heavens in no time!

> http://NightSkyMag.com

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Copyright 2004 Sky Publishing Corp. S&T's Weekly News Bulletin is provided
as a free service to the astronomical community by the editors of SKY &
TELESCOPE magazine. Widespread electronic distribution is encouraged as
long as our copyright notice is included, along with the words "used by
permission." But this bulletin may not be published in any other form
without written permission from Sky Publishing; send e-mail to
permissions{at}SkyandTelescope.com or call +1 617-864-7360. More astronomy
news is available on our Web site at http://SkyandTelescope.com/news/.

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