Contact:

Donald Savage
Headquarters, Washington
Phone: 202/358-1547

Ray Villard
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
Phone: 410/338-4514

September 12, 2002 - NOTE TO EDITORS: N02-63

NEXT SPACE SCIENCE UPDATE REVEALS BLACK HOLES IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

The latest findings from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm for the first time that a previously undetected class of black holes has been found in an unlikely place -- implying black holes are more common than previously thought.

Astronomers from the two teams who discovered these black holes will announce their findings at a Space Science Update scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 17, at noon EDT. The Update will originate from the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St., S.W., in Washington and will be carried live on NASA TV with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the event from participating NASA centers.

Panelists include:
*Roeland Van Der Marel of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
*Karl Gebhardt of the University of Texas at Austin.
*Dr. Marcia Rieke, Professor of Astronomy in Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, Tucson.
*Dr. Steinn Sigurdsson, assistant professor in the Astronomy Department at Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
* Dr. Anne Kinney, director of the Astronomy and Physics Division in the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, and Panel Moderator.

NASA TV is broadcast on the GE2 satellite, Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast will be available on voice circuit at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 321/867-1220.

In addition, the Update will be webcast live on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov