Douglas Isbell
Headquarters, Washington, DC                           May 7, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1547)

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

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-32

SPACE SCIENCE UPDATE TO SHOW HOW TO FEED A BLACK HOLE

     New visible and infrared images of Centaurus A, the nearest
active galaxy to Earth, are the focus of the next Space Science
Update.  These images, obtained by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope,
are providing astronomers with unique insights about the
supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center, which is actively
"feeding" due to a recent galactic collision.

     The press briefing will be held at 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday,
May 14, at NASA Headquarters.  Participants will include:

Dr. Ethan J. Schreier
Astronomer and associate director for operations,
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD

Dr. Alessandro Marconi
Astronomer, Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Florence, Italy

Dr. Anne Kinney
Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD

Dr. Bruce Margon
Astronomy professor and former chairman of the Astronomy Department,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Dr. Dave Leckrone
Senior project scientist, Hubble Space Telescope Project, NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

     The Space Science Update will originate from the NASA
Headquarters Auditorium, 300 E St., S.W., Washington, DC.  It will
also be carried live on NASA TV with two-way question-and-answer
capability for reporters covering the event from participating
NASA centers, including the Johnson Space Center in Houston, site
of the media workshop on the International Space Station.

     NASA Television is broadcast on the GE-2 satellite, located
on Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, vertical
polarization, frequency 3880.0 Mhz, audio 6.8 MHz.  Live audio of
the broadcast will be available on voice circuit at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center, FL, on 407/867-1220.