Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of
our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief
explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2000 June 3
Explanation: Nine years ago the massive Compton Gamma Ray
Observatory, the second of NASA's space-based great
observatories, was deployed in low earth orbit. Lofted above the
protective atmosphere, Compton's instruments could explore the
extreme high-energy Universe in gamma rays -- photons with
100,000 times or more the energy of visible light. The premier
gamma-ray observatory far exceeded expectations for a two- to
five-year mission, but a recent gyroscope failure has prompted
NASA to decide to steer the satellite safely back into the
atmosphere. Illustrated above, the controlled re-entry will
occur early tomorrow, June 4th, in a remote area of the Pacific
Ocean, approximately 2,500 miles southeast of Hawaii. The re-
entry location, the largest area (about 10 million square miles)
devoid of any populated land available for the