Summer 2000
Vol. 17, No. 1

Dear friends of the college,

W ith exam time recently completed here at Penn State--a time when our students were able to demonstrate how much new knowledge they absorbed during the spring semester--I find myself thinking about how much new knowledge you too will have absorbed after you read this issue of our magazine.  We have started something new with this issue that I hope you will find to be both enjoyable and informative.  We plan to include a feature section in this and future issues of the magazine.  In this issue, the focus is on the recent accomplishments of our faculty
and students in the areas of astrophysics and astronomy.
 

For those feeling some nostalgia for spring exam time, I thought you might enjoy participating in the end-of-semester spirit by taking a little pre-quiz to see how much you already know about some of your college's accomplishments in astrophysics and astronomy.  Don't worry . . . you'll get the answers along with the questions in this quiz.  I think the answers will make you feel Penn State proud.
 

Question:  Do you know who discovered the first planets outside our solar system?
Answer:  Alexander Wolszczan of Penn State--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know who the designed the world's largest optical telescope?
Answer:  Larry Ramsey of Penn State--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know who explained gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful known explosions?
Answer:  Peter Mészáros of Penn State--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know who in the last decade and a half has six times discovered the most distant quasar?
Answer:  Donald Schneider of Penn State--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know who designed and built one of the main instruments for Chandra, NASA "Great
Observatory" X-ray misson?
Answer:  Gordon Garmire of Penn State--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know the locations of the worldıs two leading centers for research in gravitational physics?
Answer:  The Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry at Penn State and the Max Planck Institute for
Gravitational Physics in Germany--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know what university was recently awarded the contract to build and operate a large
gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical satellite called "Swift"?
Answer:  Penn State--click here to learn more

Question:  Do you know which astronomy programs educate thousands of school children at Penn State each year?
Answer:  The Planetarium and AstroFest--click here to learn more.

Question:  Do you know what group is providing key theoretical and hardware support for the Large Gravitational Wave Experiment (LIGO) that will begin operations by 2001?
Answer:  Penn State's Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry--click here to learn more.
 

I hope you enjoyed the quiz.  Do let me know if you like our new feature section and if you have any suggestions for future topics.

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