Eclipses of the moon occur twice a year, on average. Each
eclipse is visible only on the half of the Earth turned towards the moon at the
time the Earth's shadow falls on the moon.
There will be a partial eclipse of the moon on New Year's
Eve, Dec. 31. Because of its timing, it will not be visible in North and South
America, but will be visible over most of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The event will also mark the second full moon of the month
in North America, thereby garnering the title of "blue
moon." Unless unusual atmospheric circumstances come into play — such
as widespread dust from a volcano — the moon will not be blue, however.
Since it is a partial eclipse, the moon will just brush
past the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, never becoming totally immersed.
It will, however, be deep enough into the shadow that shading and reddish color
should be visible.
Even though the eclipse isn't visible for most of us in
North America, it's still possible to enjoy this event through astronomy
simulation software like Starry
Night. An armchair skywatcher can use this software to view the eclipse
from any point on Earth.
Here's how the eclipse will play out (these times will be
the same for most of western Europe and central Africa):
As the sun sets in the southwest, the full moon rises in
the northeast. At 6:17 p.m. local time Friday the moon begins to enter the
Earth's shadow, though it is undetectable at first. At 7:52, the moon enters
the darkest part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra. Maximum eclipse is at
8:23, and the moon leaves the umbra at 8:53. The last traces of the shadow are
gone by 10:28.
Observers in other parts of the Old World will have to make
adjustments for their local time zones. Australians may catch a glimpse of the
eclipse just before moonset at dawn on Jan. 1. Again, the eclipse is not
visible from the Americas.
Vote:
The Best Moon Images
More Night Sky Features from Starry
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Moon Facts
This
article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the
leader in space science curriculum solutions.
Original Story: Partial Lunar Eclipse and Blue Moon New Year's Eve
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Sunday, February 21, 2010
Party under a blue moon this new year eve!
New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) Take out some time from new year eve revelry Thursday and look at the sky to catch a glimpse of a rare celestial phenomenon - a blue moon. A partial lunar eclipse will also be observed early Jan 1, 2010.
The full moon on Thursday will be a 'blue moon'.
A blue moon has nothing to do with the colour of the moon but when two full moons occur within the same month, the second full moon of the month is called a 'blue moon', a term used metaphorically to describe the rarity of an event, as in the idiomatic expression -- once in a blue moon.
'Most years have twelve full moons, but since a lunar cycle is 29.5 days, we wind up with almost 11 leftover days. Eventually the days add up, and we have two full moons in a single month -- like we do this month,' said N. Rathnasree, director of the Nehru Planetarium here.
A blue moon comes every two-and-a-half years on an average, but this will be the first time since 1990 that it will coincide with new year's eve. The event will not happen again till 2028.
The lunar eclipse will begin at 12.22 a.m. and end at 1.24 a.m. Friday. However, the partial eclipse will not be visible with the naked eye, Rathnasree said.
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The full moon on Thursday will be a 'blue moon'.
A blue moon has nothing to do with the colour of the moon but when two full moons occur within the same month, the second full moon of the month is called a 'blue moon', a term used metaphorically to describe the rarity of an event, as in the idiomatic expression -- once in a blue moon.
'Most years have twelve full moons, but since a lunar cycle is 29.5 days, we wind up with almost 11 leftover days. Eventually the days add up, and we have two full moons in a single month -- like we do this month,' said N. Rathnasree, director of the Nehru Planetarium here.
A blue moon comes every two-and-a-half years on an average, but this will be the first time since 1990 that it will coincide with new year's eve. The event will not happen again till 2028.
The lunar eclipse will begin at 12.22 a.m. and end at 1.24 a.m. Friday. However, the partial eclipse will not be visible with the naked eye, Rathnasree said.
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Scientists find 280-million-year-old reptiles` preserved last meal
Washington, December 29 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have found insect parts stuck between the teeth of two Paleozoic reptiles, which makes it the last meal for the 280 million year old reptiles.
According to a report in Discovery News, Lead author Sean Modesto, a Cape Breton University biologist, and his team discovered the insect parts after analyzing the remains for the reptiles, which were found in a hilly, and now mostly deserted, part of Oklahoma.
The discovery strongly suggests that the pre-Dinosaur Era equivalent of today's lizards feasted on insects, and it's the first known evidence for this behavior among vertebrates.
The prehistoric reptiles represent a new, as of yet unnamed, species that lived 280 million years ago.
"We envision the new acleistorhinid reptile as feeding primarily on small invertebrates, but also, as perhaps occasional opportunities arose, preying upon tetrapods that were small enough to swallow whole," according to Modesto and his colleagues.
"The compelling evidence of insectivory in this fossil reptile provides strong support for the hypothesis that the origins and earliest stages of higher vertebrate evolution are associated with relatively small terrestrial insectivores," said the researchers.
"We can conclude, therefore, that the subsequent diversification of Palaeozoic amniotes and the rise of small and large omnivorous, herbivorous and predatory forms arose from these modest beginnings," they added. (ANI)
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According to a report in Discovery News, Lead author Sean Modesto, a Cape Breton University biologist, and his team discovered the insect parts after analyzing the remains for the reptiles, which were found in a hilly, and now mostly deserted, part of Oklahoma.
The discovery strongly suggests that the pre-Dinosaur Era equivalent of today's lizards feasted on insects, and it's the first known evidence for this behavior among vertebrates.
The prehistoric reptiles represent a new, as of yet unnamed, species that lived 280 million years ago.
"We envision the new acleistorhinid reptile as feeding primarily on small invertebrates, but also, as perhaps occasional opportunities arose, preying upon tetrapods that were small enough to swallow whole," according to Modesto and his colleagues.
"The compelling evidence of insectivory in this fossil reptile provides strong support for the hypothesis that the origins and earliest stages of higher vertebrate evolution are associated with relatively small terrestrial insectivores," said the researchers.
"We can conclude, therefore, that the subsequent diversification of Palaeozoic amniotes and the rise of small and large omnivorous, herbivorous and predatory forms arose from these modest beginnings," they added. (ANI)
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The 12 most popular articles of 2009
London, Dec 29 (ANI): 2009 may have been a year of recession and climate change worries, but a new list shows that people were also concerned with how to decode ancient languages and the nature of female ejaculation.
According to New Scientist, here are the 12 most popular articles of 2009:
1. Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe
Normal storms are bad enough, but a solar storm could be really disastrous. The fiercest release balls of plasma from the sun's surface, and if one of them was to hit the Earth's magnetic field our power grids would be wiped out, our modern technological society would be shut down overnight, and it would take months or even years to repair the damage - during which time millions of people would die.
2. Our world may be a giant hologram
It may sound absurd, but there is plenty of theoretical physics that strongly suggests the entire universe is an enormous cosmic hologram, man. The idea has floated around for years, but now there is real evidence. A German experiment looking for gravitational waves has picked up some inexplicable noise, and it could be a clue to the underlying nature of the cosmos.
3. 13 more things that don't make sense
Way back in 2005 we published 13 things that don't make sense. But the mysteries just kept on coming, so this year we went back to the subject and published 13 more.
4. Clever fools: Why a high IQ doesn't mean you're smart
George W. Bush has an IQ well above average, but even his admirers have a low opinion of his intellect. And he's not alone: many apparently "smart" people act foolishly a lot of the time. To understand this, we have to go beyond IQ, to RQ - a test of people's rationality.
5. 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
A skeleton was exhumed from a grave in Venice with a brick in its mouth. To most people this would seem inexplicable, but to experts in the folk beliefs of the Middle Ages it sends a clear message: the people who buried this woman thought she was a vampire who would spread plague.
6. Decoding antiquity: Eight scripts that still can't be read
Throughout history, civilisations have invented hundreds of writing systems, but most have fallen into disuse. These dead scripts tantalise us: we know that they're writing, but what do they say? This feature took a tour of the world's undeciphered scripts, and it outperformed the female ejaculation feature (above), which was published in the same week. Readers, take a bow: you are all clearly very high-minded.
7. Porn in the USA: Conservatives are biggest consumers
A survey of receipts from an adult entertainment provider found little variation in porn use between the US states, but there was a slight trend for Republican-voting states to buy more. However, many readers pointed out a flaw: the study could not identify the individuals buying the porn, so it was not clear which inhabitants of the red states were buying the extra porn.
8. Everything you always wanted to know about female ejaculation
There is plenty of evidence that some women can ejaculate during orgasm. Evolutionary biologist Sharon Moalem took readers through the science and considered what the mysterious fluid might be for.
9. Seven things that don't make sense about gravity
From everyday mysteries to more abstract ones: what exactly is gravity, why does it only pull and never push, and could we find a way to counter it? Gravity may keep our feet firmly on the ground, but when it comes to our understanding of it, we're still drifting.
10. Ten mysteries of you
We take them for granted, but there are plenty of aspects of humanity that seem to defy explanation. Why do we blush when it gives away that we're lying, why do we make art and what on earth are teenagers for? This feature tried to get to the bottom of all these questions.
11. Human sex from the inside out
From the sublime and profound to the, well, less philosophically challenging. In this experiment, a courageous couple had it off in an MRI scanner. The images were knitted together to make a video, which to our surprise was rather popular.
12. Seven questions that keep physicists up at night
At a physics festival in Canada in October, leaders in the field spent 10 days pondering the biggest questions about the universe.
During a panel discussion, they were all asked to answer one simple question: "What keeps you awake at night?" Apparently they all sleep very soundly, but nevertheless they have seven big conundrums on their minds. (ANI)
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According to New Scientist, here are the 12 most popular articles of 2009:
1. Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe
Normal storms are bad enough, but a solar storm could be really disastrous. The fiercest release balls of plasma from the sun's surface, and if one of them was to hit the Earth's magnetic field our power grids would be wiped out, our modern technological society would be shut down overnight, and it would take months or even years to repair the damage - during which time millions of people would die.
2. Our world may be a giant hologram
It may sound absurd, but there is plenty of theoretical physics that strongly suggests the entire universe is an enormous cosmic hologram, man. The idea has floated around for years, but now there is real evidence. A German experiment looking for gravitational waves has picked up some inexplicable noise, and it could be a clue to the underlying nature of the cosmos.
3. 13 more things that don't make sense
Way back in 2005 we published 13 things that don't make sense. But the mysteries just kept on coming, so this year we went back to the subject and published 13 more.
4. Clever fools: Why a high IQ doesn't mean you're smart
George W. Bush has an IQ well above average, but even his admirers have a low opinion of his intellect. And he's not alone: many apparently "smart" people act foolishly a lot of the time. To understand this, we have to go beyond IQ, to RQ - a test of people's rationality.
5. 'Vampire' discovered in mass grave
A skeleton was exhumed from a grave in Venice with a brick in its mouth. To most people this would seem inexplicable, but to experts in the folk beliefs of the Middle Ages it sends a clear message: the people who buried this woman thought she was a vampire who would spread plague.
6. Decoding antiquity: Eight scripts that still can't be read
Throughout history, civilisations have invented hundreds of writing systems, but most have fallen into disuse. These dead scripts tantalise us: we know that they're writing, but what do they say? This feature took a tour of the world's undeciphered scripts, and it outperformed the female ejaculation feature (above), which was published in the same week. Readers, take a bow: you are all clearly very high-minded.
7. Porn in the USA: Conservatives are biggest consumers
A survey of receipts from an adult entertainment provider found little variation in porn use between the US states, but there was a slight trend for Republican-voting states to buy more. However, many readers pointed out a flaw: the study could not identify the individuals buying the porn, so it was not clear which inhabitants of the red states were buying the extra porn.
8. Everything you always wanted to know about female ejaculation
There is plenty of evidence that some women can ejaculate during orgasm. Evolutionary biologist Sharon Moalem took readers through the science and considered what the mysterious fluid might be for.
9. Seven things that don't make sense about gravity
From everyday mysteries to more abstract ones: what exactly is gravity, why does it only pull and never push, and could we find a way to counter it? Gravity may keep our feet firmly on the ground, but when it comes to our understanding of it, we're still drifting.
10. Ten mysteries of you
We take them for granted, but there are plenty of aspects of humanity that seem to defy explanation. Why do we blush when it gives away that we're lying, why do we make art and what on earth are teenagers for? This feature tried to get to the bottom of all these questions.
11. Human sex from the inside out
From the sublime and profound to the, well, less philosophically challenging. In this experiment, a courageous couple had it off in an MRI scanner. The images were knitted together to make a video, which to our surprise was rather popular.
12. Seven questions that keep physicists up at night
At a physics festival in Canada in October, leaders in the field spent 10 days pondering the biggest questions about the universe.
During a panel discussion, they were all asked to answer one simple question: "What keeps you awake at night?" Apparently they all sleep very soundly, but nevertheless they have seven big conundrums on their minds. (ANI)
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How to keep stem cells `forever young`
Washington, Dec 29 (ANI): A new study explores ways to successfully keep stem cells 'forever young' during implantation by slowing their growth, differentiation and proliferation.
"The successful storage and implantation of stem cells poses significant challenges for tissue engineering in the nervous system, challenges in addition to those inherent to neural regeneration," said Dr. Ellis-Behnke, co-author. "There is a need for creating an environment that can regulate cell activity by delaying cell proliferation, proliferation and maturation. Nanoscaffolds can play a central role in organ regeneration as they act as templates and guides for cell proliferation, differentiation and tissue growth. It is also important to protect these fragile cells from the harsh environment in which they are transplanted."
According to Ellis-Behnke, advancements in nanotechnology offer a "new era" in tissue and organ reconstruction.
Thus, finding the right nano-sized scaffold could be beneficial, so researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a 'self-assembling nanofiber scaffold' (SAPNS), a nanotechnology application to use for implanting young cells.
"Fine control of the nanodomain will allow for increased targeting of cell placement and therapeutic delivery amplified by cell encapsulation and implantation," Ellis-Behnke said.
The researchers created the scaffold to provide a substrate for cell adhesion and migration and to influence the survival of transplanted cells or the invasion of cells from surrounding tissue.
The SAPNS they developed appear to slow the growth rate and differentiation of the cells, allowing the cells time to acclimate to their new environment.
"That delay is very important when the immune system tries attacking cells when they are placed in vivo," Ellis-Behnke said.
By manipulating both cell density and SAPNS concentration, the researchers were able to control the nanoenvironment surrounding PC 12 cells (a cell line developed from transplantable rat cells that respond to nerve growth factor), Schwann cells (glial cells that keep peripheral nerve fibers alive) and neural precursor cells (NPCs) and also control their proliferation, elongation, differentiation and maturation in vitro.
They extended the method to living animals with implants in the brain and spinal cord.
The researchers concluded that the use of a combination of SAPNS and young cells eliminated the need for immuno-suppressants when cells were implanted in the central nervous system.
The study has been published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation. (ANI)
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"The successful storage and implantation of stem cells poses significant challenges for tissue engineering in the nervous system, challenges in addition to those inherent to neural regeneration," said Dr. Ellis-Behnke, co-author. "There is a need for creating an environment that can regulate cell activity by delaying cell proliferation, proliferation and maturation. Nanoscaffolds can play a central role in organ regeneration as they act as templates and guides for cell proliferation, differentiation and tissue growth. It is also important to protect these fragile cells from the harsh environment in which they are transplanted."
According to Ellis-Behnke, advancements in nanotechnology offer a "new era" in tissue and organ reconstruction.
Thus, finding the right nano-sized scaffold could be beneficial, so researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a 'self-assembling nanofiber scaffold' (SAPNS), a nanotechnology application to use for implanting young cells.
"Fine control of the nanodomain will allow for increased targeting of cell placement and therapeutic delivery amplified by cell encapsulation and implantation," Ellis-Behnke said.
The researchers created the scaffold to provide a substrate for cell adhesion and migration and to influence the survival of transplanted cells or the invasion of cells from surrounding tissue.
The SAPNS they developed appear to slow the growth rate and differentiation of the cells, allowing the cells time to acclimate to their new environment.
"That delay is very important when the immune system tries attacking cells when they are placed in vivo," Ellis-Behnke said.
By manipulating both cell density and SAPNS concentration, the researchers were able to control the nanoenvironment surrounding PC 12 cells (a cell line developed from transplantable rat cells that respond to nerve growth factor), Schwann cells (glial cells that keep peripheral nerve fibers alive) and neural precursor cells (NPCs) and also control their proliferation, elongation, differentiation and maturation in vitro.
They extended the method to living animals with implants in the brain and spinal cord.
The researchers concluded that the use of a combination of SAPNS and young cells eliminated the need for immuno-suppressants when cells were implanted in the central nervous system.
The study has been published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation. (ANI)
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Genetic variants linked to disturbances in lipid metabolism identified
London, Dec 29 (ANI): Scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen claim to have identified certain genetic variants that appear to be linked to disturbances in the lipid metabolism.
Some of these common human gene variants are already known to be risk factors for diabetes mellitus.
Lead researcher Professor Karsten Suhre and his team identified variants in nine different genes, which could be associated with disturbances in the lipid metabolism.
They have succeeded for the first time in associating variants in the well-known diabetes risk genes MTNR1B and GCKR with changes in the metabolism.
"The results of our study bring us a decisive step closer in our search for markers for the early detection and therapy of serious metabolic diseases such as diabetes," Nature magazine quoted Suhre as saying.
The variants identified in the study usually cause differences in the metabolization of important lipid building blocks of the body.
The findings have been published in journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)
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Some of these common human gene variants are already known to be risk factors for diabetes mellitus.
Lead researcher Professor Karsten Suhre and his team identified variants in nine different genes, which could be associated with disturbances in the lipid metabolism.
They have succeeded for the first time in associating variants in the well-known diabetes risk genes MTNR1B and GCKR with changes in the metabolism.
"The results of our study bring us a decisive step closer in our search for markers for the early detection and therapy of serious metabolic diseases such as diabetes," Nature magazine quoted Suhre as saying.
The variants identified in the study usually cause differences in the metabolization of important lipid building blocks of the body.
The findings have been published in journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)
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Evidence suggests chocolate was relished in St. Augustine during the 1500s
Washington, December 29 (ANI): Archaeologists have found a whisk known as molinillo in a plastic container inside the storerooms at St. Augustine's Government House in the US, which suggests that chocolate may have been made and eaten in St. Augustine in the 1500s.
According to a report in the St. Augustine Record, the whisk is a slender wooden stick with a carved knob on one end.
"It shows a probable connection to Mexico or Central America that St. Augustine had," said City Archaeologist Carl Halbirt. "It's evidence for the presence of the chocolate drink (in St. Augustine)," he added.
The cacao bean, the basis for chocolate, was originally grown from rainforest trees and used in Central America and Mexico as currency.
For thousands of years, chocolate was known as a drink rather than as candy.
Archaeologists found the molinillo in a well during a dig on the south side of St. Augustine.
Halbirt said that the finding of the molinillo as well as pits of oyster, clam shells and animal bone shows the area may be associated with street vendors or a feasting place.
That well and the water in it are the reason the wooden stirrer survived.
The structure of wood would normally disintegrate; the water kept that from happening and preserved the stick.
For now, the stirrer, light in weight and about five inches long, is in a plastic bag filled with a solution that keeps it from disintegrating.
Researchers speculate that the stirrer ended into the well by a Spanish merchant sipping a cup of hot chocolate, who might have knocked the whisk into the well.
In his digging, Halbirt found another reminder of chocolate's role in St. Augustine, a gold strip that was once atop a box of candy.
The words "Utopian Chocolate" are on the strip of real gold.
"We found that while digging," Halbirt said, holding up the delicate strip. "Maybe it dropped off a box of candy, or maybe someone just threw away the box once it was empty," he added. (ANI)
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According to a report in the St. Augustine Record, the whisk is a slender wooden stick with a carved knob on one end.
"It shows a probable connection to Mexico or Central America that St. Augustine had," said City Archaeologist Carl Halbirt. "It's evidence for the presence of the chocolate drink (in St. Augustine)," he added.
The cacao bean, the basis for chocolate, was originally grown from rainforest trees and used in Central America and Mexico as currency.
For thousands of years, chocolate was known as a drink rather than as candy.
Archaeologists found the molinillo in a well during a dig on the south side of St. Augustine.
Halbirt said that the finding of the molinillo as well as pits of oyster, clam shells and animal bone shows the area may be associated with street vendors or a feasting place.
That well and the water in it are the reason the wooden stirrer survived.
The structure of wood would normally disintegrate; the water kept that from happening and preserved the stick.
For now, the stirrer, light in weight and about five inches long, is in a plastic bag filled with a solution that keeps it from disintegrating.
Researchers speculate that the stirrer ended into the well by a Spanish merchant sipping a cup of hot chocolate, who might have knocked the whisk into the well.
In his digging, Halbirt found another reminder of chocolate's role in St. Augustine, a gold strip that was once atop a box of candy.
The words "Utopian Chocolate" are on the strip of real gold.
"We found that while digging," Halbirt said, holding up the delicate strip. "Maybe it dropped off a box of candy, or maybe someone just threw away the box once it was empty," he added. (ANI)
ANIFind the Meanings of the English Words?.. Visit.. http://thesmsboss.com
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