Images Dated 11th November 2002

Artwork of space junk colliding with a satellite

Space junk collision. Artwork of space junk colliding with a satellite. The impacting debris here is a sliver of metal, and the collision has dislodged one of the satellite's solar panels. Space junk is the debris left in orbit by the hundreds of space missions which have taken place since the late 1950s. It mainly consists of old, dead payloads, burned out rocket bodies and operational debris such as optics covers and deployment equipment. It poses a serious threat to future missions due to the high risk of collisions. Even a small collision could severely damage space hardware, as here, and a collision on an inhabited space station could even prove fatal

© JULIAN BAUM/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Computer artwork of a black hole against starfield

Black hole. Computer artwork representing a black hole against a starfield. A black hole is a super- dense object, thought to form from the collapse of a huge star. Due to their incredible mass, the gravitational field around them is so strong that not even light may escape from their "surface". The point at which light can no longer escape from the object is called the event horizon. Although there is no definite proof of the existance of black holes, several strong candidates have been found in the form of large stars with small, dense companions which emit X-rays. It is thought that matter from the star falls towards the black hole, emitting X-rays before being pulled in

© Mehau Kulyk/Science Photo Library

Granja Viana 500 Kart Race: Tony Kanaan won the event covering 746 laps with team mates Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello

Tony Kanaan (BRA) won the event covering 746 laps with team mates Felipe Massa (BRA) and Rubens Barrichello (BRA).
Granja Viana 500 Kart Race, Granja Viana Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 10 November 2002

© Sutton Motorsport Images