Thursday, January 1, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
International Year of Astronomy 2009
With 2009 just over the horizon, stargazers around the world are busy preparing for the International Year of Astronomy. A staggering 135 nations are collaborating to bring the universe closer to Earth. Events and activities will take place over the coming 365 days and beyond in a spectacle of cosmic proportions.
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) has been launched by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the theme, "The Universe, yours to discover." Thousands of IYA2009 events are described on the national websites, as well as on www.astronomy2009.org, and a few of the global projects are listed here.
The official IYA2009 opening ceremony will take place in Paris on January 15-16, 2009. It will feature keynote speakers, including nobel laureates, and live video feeds to scientists working in remote locations. Many nations are holding their own opening ceremonies in January and February, showing their dedication to the year. But events will begin before then. Don't be surprised to see telescopes on the streets on New Year's Day. The IYA2009 Solar Physics Group has been busy planning a grand worldwide campaign with over 30 countries involved at more than 150 venues.
"The Cosmic Diary" is an example of a global activity occurring during 2009, with the release of its official web site on New Year's Day. The project concerns the daily lives of full-time astronomers. More than 50 bloggers, professionals from over 35 countries and employed by organizations such as ESO, NASA, ESA, and JAXA have already begun producing content, writing about their lives, the work they conduct, and the challenges they face. The public can see what being an astronomer is really like and how groundbreaking research is conducted. Another project, "365 Days of Astronomy," will publish one podcast per day over the entire year. The episodes will be written, recorded, and produced by people around the world.
"100 Hours of Astronomy," another IYA2009 cornerstone project, is a worldwide event taking place from April 2-5, 2009, with a wide range of public outreach activities including live webcasts, observing events, and more. One of the key goals of "100 Hours of Astronomy" is to have as many people as possible look through a telescope, just as Galileo did for the first time 400 years ago.
The "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) cornerstone project is an exhibition arranged by IYA2009 that will bring large-scale astronomical images to a wide public audience in non-traditional venues such as public parks and gardens, art museums, shopping malls, and metro stations. Over 30 countries around the world are currently in the development phase of FETTU projects, many with multiple locations. Some 15 countries plan to begin FETTU exhibitions within the first month of 2009, ranging in size from 25 to over 100 images on display. FETTU will be introduced to the global community at the opening ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in January 2009.
"The World at Night" is an IYA2009 special project that is producing and bringing to the public a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world's landmarks with the sky in the background. "The World at Night" is preparing more than 30 exhibitions and educational events around the world.
One of IYA2009's aims is to raise awareness of light pollution and how the beauty of the night sky is progressively being drowned out, particularly over urban areas. The project "Dark Skies Awareness" is tackling these issues head-on in a practical, inclusive manner. One way in which it is doing this is by holding star-counting events where the public is encouraged to see how many stars in a particular area of the sky are actually visible from their location. When compared with data from truly dark sites, the results are often very surprising! The "How Many Stars" event will run from January 2009.
A list of event highlights is available on the official IYA2009 website, www.astronomy2009.org/highlights. From there it is also possible to contact the National Nodes, responsible for organizing local events in the many participating countries.
IYA2009 seeks to involve the public in its activities, and to this end amateur astronomers have been called upon to help organize and run events. So many people across the globe are already involved, they have formed the world's largest astronomy network. Catherine Cesarsky, IAU President, says: "135 countries have committed themselves to the Year, all pulling together toward the common aim of making astronomy accessible to the public. IYA2009 will reinforce the links between science education and science careers, stimulating a long-term increase in student enrolment in the fields of science and technology and an appreciation for lifelong learning."
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) has been launched by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the theme, "The Universe, yours to discover." Thousands of IYA2009 events are described on the national websites, as well as on www.astronomy2009.org, and a few of the global projects are listed here.
The official IYA2009 opening ceremony will take place in Paris on January 15-16, 2009. It will feature keynote speakers, including nobel laureates, and live video feeds to scientists working in remote locations. Many nations are holding their own opening ceremonies in January and February, showing their dedication to the year. But events will begin before then. Don't be surprised to see telescopes on the streets on New Year's Day. The IYA2009 Solar Physics Group has been busy planning a grand worldwide campaign with over 30 countries involved at more than 150 venues.
"The Cosmic Diary" is an example of a global activity occurring during 2009, with the release of its official web site on New Year's Day. The project concerns the daily lives of full-time astronomers. More than 50 bloggers, professionals from over 35 countries and employed by organizations such as ESO, NASA, ESA, and JAXA have already begun producing content, writing about their lives, the work they conduct, and the challenges they face. The public can see what being an astronomer is really like and how groundbreaking research is conducted. Another project, "365 Days of Astronomy," will publish one podcast per day over the entire year. The episodes will be written, recorded, and produced by people around the world.
A couple enjoys watching the night sky. TWAN/Babak A. Tafreshi [View Larger Image]
The "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) cornerstone project is an exhibition arranged by IYA2009 that will bring large-scale astronomical images to a wide public audience in non-traditional venues such as public parks and gardens, art museums, shopping malls, and metro stations. Over 30 countries around the world are currently in the development phase of FETTU projects, many with multiple locations. Some 15 countries plan to begin FETTU exhibitions within the first month of 2009, ranging in size from 25 to over 100 images on display. FETTU will be introduced to the global community at the opening ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in January 2009.
"The World at Night" is an IYA2009 special project that is producing and bringing to the public a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world's landmarks with the sky in the background. "The World at Night" is preparing more than 30 exhibitions and educational events around the world.
One of IYA2009's aims is to raise awareness of light pollution and how the beauty of the night sky is progressively being drowned out, particularly over urban areas. The project "Dark Skies Awareness" is tackling these issues head-on in a practical, inclusive manner. One way in which it is doing this is by holding star-counting events where the public is encouraged to see how many stars in a particular area of the sky are actually visible from their location. When compared with data from truly dark sites, the results are often very surprising! The "How Many Stars" event will run from January 2009.
A list of event highlights is available on the official IYA2009 website, www.astronomy2009.org/highlights. From there it is also possible to contact the National Nodes, responsible for organizing local events in the many participating countries.
IYA2009 seeks to involve the public in its activities, and to this end amateur astronomers have been called upon to help organize and run events. So many people across the globe are already involved, they have formed the world's largest astronomy network. Catherine Cesarsky, IAU President, says: "135 countries have committed themselves to the Year, all pulling together toward the common aim of making astronomy accessible to the public. IYA2009 will reinforce the links between science education and science careers, stimulating a long-term increase in student enrolment in the fields of science and technology and an appreciation for lifelong learning."
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Ironic Death of Marie Curie
Sadly, the very thing that gave Marie Curie everlasting life in our history books is what ultimately killed her. In the late 1890s, both Marie and her husband Pierre began suffering various ailments. Marie suffered several cataracts (now a known side effect of radiation) and eventually succumbed to anemia related to radiation in her bone marrow.
After her death, Marie's family donated her lab journals to the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, where they still reside. Some of these papers were so radioactive, they required years of decontamination before anyone could handle them.
After her death, Marie's family donated her lab journals to the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, where they still reside. Some of these papers were so radioactive, they required years of decontamination before anyone could handle them.
College Students Find Comfort In Their Pets During Hard Times
A new study suggests that college students may handle stressful situations better if they have a pet.
Research has already shown that pets can improve the quality of life for people who are aging or those who are chronically ill. But researchers at Ohio State University recently found that many college students may also benefit from owning a cat or a dog.
A survey of students at a large university and other adults in the area found that nearly a quarter of college students surveyed believed their pets helped them get through difficult times in life. Students who chose to live with at least one dog, one cat, or a combination of the two were less likely to report feeling lonely and depressed; something they directly attributed to their beloved pet.
These findings highlight how even younger, healthier young adults can benefit from living with our four-legged friends, said Sara Staats, lead author of the study and professor emeritus of psychology at Ohio State’s Newark Campus.
Brain Starvation As We Age Appears To Trigger Alzheimer's:Improving Blood Flow To Brain Is Preventive Strategy
A slow, chronic starvation of the brain as we age appears to be one of the major triggers of a biochemical process that causes some forms of Alzheimer's disease.
A new study from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has found when the brain doesn't get enough sugar glucose -- as might occur when cardiovascular disease restricts blood flow in arteries to the brain -- a process is launched that ultimately produces the sticky clumps of protein that appear to be a cause of Alzheimer's.
Robert Vassar, lead author, discovered a key brain protein is altered when the brain has a deficient supply of energy. The altered protein, called elF2alpha, increases the production of an enzyme that, in turn, flips a switch to produce the sticky protein clumps. Vassar worked with human and mice brains in his research.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Rings of Uranius
The rings of Uranus were discovered on March 10, 1977,
by James L. Elliot, Edward W. Dunham, and Douglas J. Mink.
Two additional rings were discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft,
and two outer rings were found in 2003–2005 by the Hubble Space Telescope.
A number of faint dust bands and incomplete arcs may exist between the main rings.
The rings are extremely dark—the Bond albedo of the rings' particles does not exceed 2%.
They are likely composed of water ice with the addition of some dark radiation-processed organics.
The majority of Uranus's rings are opaque and only a few kilometers wide.
The ring system contains little dust overall; it consists mostly of large bodies 0.2–20 m in diameter.
The relative lack of dust in the ring system is due to aerodynamic drag from the
extended Uranian exosphere—corona.The rings of Uranus are thought to be relatively young,
at not more than 600 million years.
The mechanism that confines the narrow rings is not well understood.
The Uranian ring system probably originated from the collisional fragmentation of a
number of moons that once existed around the planet. After colliding,
the moons broke up into numerous particles, which survived as narrow and optically dense rings
only in strictly confined zones of maximum stabilty.
by James L. Elliot, Edward W. Dunham, and Douglas J. Mink.
Two additional rings were discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft,
and two outer rings were found in 2003–2005 by the Hubble Space Telescope.
A number of faint dust bands and incomplete arcs may exist between the main rings.
The rings are extremely dark—the Bond albedo of the rings' particles does not exceed 2%.
They are likely composed of water ice with the addition of some dark radiation-processed organics.
The majority of Uranus's rings are opaque and only a few kilometers wide.
The ring system contains little dust overall; it consists mostly of large bodies 0.2–20 m in diameter.
The relative lack of dust in the ring system is due to aerodynamic drag from the
extended Uranian exosphere—corona.The rings of Uranus are thought to be relatively young,
at not more than 600 million years.
The mechanism that confines the narrow rings is not well understood.
The Uranian ring system probably originated from the collisional fragmentation of a
number of moons that once existed around the planet. After colliding,
the moons broke up into numerous particles, which survived as narrow and optically dense rings
only in strictly confined zones of maximum stabilty.
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