8 Dec -2.2 06:17:27 SW 44
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Firewood - as easy as 1,2,3
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Saturday, December 5, 2009
GEMINID METEOR FORECAST:
Mark your calendar. The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th when Earth passes through a stream of debris from extinct comet 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids have been intensifying in recent years, and 2009 could be the best year yet. Forecasters expect 140+ meteors per hour under the dark skies of a new Moon.
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Friday, December 4, 2009
Evidence of life on Mars lurks beneath surface of meteorite, Nasa experts claim
Nasa scientists have produced the most compelling evidence yet that bacterial life exists on Mars.
It showed that microscopic worm-like structures found in a Martian meteorite that hit the Earth 13,000 years ago are almost certainly fossilised bacteria. The so-called bio-morphs are embedded beneath the surface layers of the rock, suggesting that they were already present when the meteorite arrived, rather than being the result of subsequent contamination by Earthly bacteria.
“This is very strong evidence of life on Mars,” said David Mackay, a senior scientist at the Nasa Johnson Space Centre , who was part of the team of scientists that originally investigated the meteorite when it was discovered in 1984.
In a 1996 study of the sample, Dr Mackay and others argued that the microfossils were evidence of life, but sceptics dismissed the claims, saying that similar-shaped structures might not be biological. The new analyses, the product of high resolution electron microscopy, make a strong case for the Allan Hills 84001 Meteorite having carried Martian life to Earth. The microscopes were focused on tiny magnetite crystals present in the surface layers of the meteorite, which have the form of simple bacteria. Some argued that these could be the result of a carbonate breaking down in the heat of the impact.
The new analyses show that this is very unlikely to have resulted in the kinds of structures seen in the rock. Close examination suggested that about 25 per cent of the crystal structures were chemically consistent with being formed from bacteria.
“We feel vindicated. We’ve shown the alternate explanation is absolutely incorrect, leading us back to our original position that these structures are formed by bacteria on Mars,” Dr Mackay said.
Dennis Bazylinski, an astrobiologist from the University of Nevada who peer-reviewed the findings, said: “Until now I was on the fence but this paper has really thrown out the non-biological explanation.” However, he added that the study was not a “smoking gun” for life on Mars. “One meteorite is never going to answer such a complex question,” he said.
According to scientists, the meteorite was broken off the surface of Mars by the impact of an asteroid, and reached Earth after floating through space for about 16 million years. It landed in Allan Hills in Antarctica. Scientists were able to trace the meteorite back to Mars, as its chemical composition matched the relative proportions of various gases measured in observations of the atmosphere of Mars made by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970s.
The meteorite also preserves evidence of liquid water on Mars, suggesting that the planet may have had more suitable conditions for life to develop in the past. The investigation was published in the November issue of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, the journal of the Geochemical and Meteoritic Society. Nasa is expected to announce the findings formally on Monday.
The team has also been studying two other Martian meteorites — Nakhla, which landed in Egypt in 1911, and Yamato 593, which was found by a Japanese expedition to Antarctica. In research due to be published shortly, the scientists claim that both of these fossils also show evidence of microbial life.
Bill Clinton, then the US President, said of the research in 1997: “It speaks of the possibility of life. If this discovery is confirmed, it will surely be one of the most stunning insights into our Universe that science has ever uncovered. Its implications are as far-reaching and awe-inspiring as can be imagined.”
source....
It showed that microscopic worm-like structures found in a Martian meteorite that hit the Earth 13,000 years ago are almost certainly fossilised bacteria. The so-called bio-morphs are embedded beneath the surface layers of the rock, suggesting that they were already present when the meteorite arrived, rather than being the result of subsequent contamination by Earthly bacteria.
“This is very strong evidence of life on Mars,” said David Mackay, a senior scientist at the Nasa Johnson Space Centre , who was part of the team of scientists that originally investigated the meteorite when it was discovered in 1984.
In a 1996 study of the sample, Dr Mackay and others argued that the microfossils were evidence of life, but sceptics dismissed the claims, saying that similar-shaped structures might not be biological. The new analyses, the product of high resolution electron microscopy, make a strong case for the Allan Hills 84001 Meteorite having carried Martian life to Earth. The microscopes were focused on tiny magnetite crystals present in the surface layers of the meteorite, which have the form of simple bacteria. Some argued that these could be the result of a carbonate breaking down in the heat of the impact.
The new analyses show that this is very unlikely to have resulted in the kinds of structures seen in the rock. Close examination suggested that about 25 per cent of the crystal structures were chemically consistent with being formed from bacteria.
“We feel vindicated. We’ve shown the alternate explanation is absolutely incorrect, leading us back to our original position that these structures are formed by bacteria on Mars,” Dr Mackay said.
Dennis Bazylinski, an astrobiologist from the University of Nevada who peer-reviewed the findings, said: “Until now I was on the fence but this paper has really thrown out the non-biological explanation.” However, he added that the study was not a “smoking gun” for life on Mars. “One meteorite is never going to answer such a complex question,” he said.
According to scientists, the meteorite was broken off the surface of Mars by the impact of an asteroid, and reached Earth after floating through space for about 16 million years. It landed in Allan Hills in Antarctica. Scientists were able to trace the meteorite back to Mars, as its chemical composition matched the relative proportions of various gases measured in observations of the atmosphere of Mars made by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970s.
The meteorite also preserves evidence of liquid water on Mars, suggesting that the planet may have had more suitable conditions for life to develop in the past. The investigation was published in the November issue of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, the journal of the Geochemical and Meteoritic Society. Nasa is expected to announce the findings formally on Monday.
The team has also been studying two other Martian meteorites — Nakhla, which landed in Egypt in 1911, and Yamato 593, which was found by a Japanese expedition to Antarctica. In research due to be published shortly, the scientists claim that both of these fossils also show evidence of microbial life.
Bill Clinton, then the US President, said of the research in 1997: “It speaks of the possibility of life. If this discovery is confirmed, it will surely be one of the most stunning insights into our Universe that science has ever uncovered. Its implications are as far-reaching and awe-inspiring as can be imagined.”
source....
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Bizarre calf mutilations found on Colorado ranch
A creepy string of calf mutilations in southern Colorado has a rancher and sheriff's officials mystified.
Four calves were found dead in a pasture just north of the New Mexico state line in recent weeks. The dead calves had their skins peeled back and organs cleared from the rib cage. One calf had its tongue removed.
But rancher Manuel Sanchez has found no signs of human attackers, such as footprints or ATV tracks. And there are no signs of an animal attack by a coyote or mountain lion. Usually predators leave pools of blood or drag marks from carrying away the livestock.
Two officers from the Costilla County Sheriff's Office have investigated the mutilations but say they don't know what's killing the calves.
"There's nothing really to go by," said Sanchez, who's ranched for nearly 50 years. "I can't figure it out."
A spokesman for the sheriff's office told The Pueblo Chieftain that investigators doubt a person butchered the calves because there is no blood at the scene.
"I've butchered a cow before and I know what kind of a mess it leaves," Sgt. James Chavez said.
Some in the area believe the mutilations are the work of aliens. An area UFO chaser, Chuck Zukowski of Colorado Springs, has been to the Costilla County pasture to investigate.
He told the paper there have been other unexplained calf mutilations in the area, including three in March. One of the other calves, found dead on a ranch near Trinidad, had its ears removed, Zukowski said.
"We're trying as much as we can to find a pattern," said Zukowski, who runs a UFO Web site called ufonut.com.
Sanchez said he has sold off his 32 remaining calves out of fear more would be mutilated. He hasn't decided how he'll manage the remaining 40 animals in his herd.
"It's a big loss for a small rancher," he said.
source....
Four calves were found dead in a pasture just north of the New Mexico state line in recent weeks. The dead calves had their skins peeled back and organs cleared from the rib cage. One calf had its tongue removed.
But rancher Manuel Sanchez has found no signs of human attackers, such as footprints or ATV tracks. And there are no signs of an animal attack by a coyote or mountain lion. Usually predators leave pools of blood or drag marks from carrying away the livestock.
Two officers from the Costilla County Sheriff's Office have investigated the mutilations but say they don't know what's killing the calves.
"There's nothing really to go by," said Sanchez, who's ranched for nearly 50 years. "I can't figure it out."
A spokesman for the sheriff's office told The Pueblo Chieftain that investigators doubt a person butchered the calves because there is no blood at the scene.
"I've butchered a cow before and I know what kind of a mess it leaves," Sgt. James Chavez said.
Some in the area believe the mutilations are the work of aliens. An area UFO chaser, Chuck Zukowski of Colorado Springs, has been to the Costilla County pasture to investigate.
He told the paper there have been other unexplained calf mutilations in the area, including three in March. One of the other calves, found dead on a ranch near Trinidad, had its ears removed, Zukowski said.
"We're trying as much as we can to find a pattern," said Zukowski, who runs a UFO Web site called ufonut.com.
Sanchez said he has sold off his 32 remaining calves out of fear more would be mutilated. He hasn't decided how he'll manage the remaining 40 animals in his herd.
"It's a big loss for a small rancher," he said.
source....
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
"GHOST SHIP" PICTURES: Gold Rush-Era Wreck Found
The "ghost ship" of the Yukon is a specter no more.
Recently photographed for the first time, the gold rush-era sternwheeler A.J. Goddard was discovered sitting upright and remarkably intact in a lake in the Yukon Territory, Canada, in July 2008.
Like an early 20th-century snapshot, "everything is just like it was when it went down in that late October storm in 1901," said project leader John Pollack, a nautical archaeologist and National Geographic Society Waitts grantee.
The five crewmen's boots, kicked off in haste as they abandoned ship, were found on the deck. Fresh firewood was still in the boiler, and cooking pots and other utensils were scattered about. Axes lay on deck where the men, in a last-ditch effort, had tried to cut away the boat they'd been towing.
But once water started sloshing over the iron steamship's deck, "this thing went down like a submarine," Pollack said. Three of the men drowned.
Finding such a well-preserved wreck is unprecedented in the Yukon, Pollack added. "This is about as good as it gets."
source....
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Post Your Community Calendar Event Here
If you have an event to add to our community calendar, post it here.
full Moon passes through Taurus
The full Moon passes through Taurus tonight. Its brightest star, Aldebaran, is a little to the lower right of the Moon in early evening, with the small dipper-shaped Pleiades star cluster to the upper right of the Moon.
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Hundreds of birds seem to mourn deaths of fellow ravens
Ravens have feelings, too, at least judging from an eerie scene Tuesday morning on Minnie Street in east Fairbanks.
After two ravens roosting on top of a power transformer were electrocuted, hundreds of ravens showed up within a minute or two and started silently circling overhead and perching in nearby trees.
Rod Stephens, owner of Rod’s Saw Shop across the street, saw the scene play out before his eyes after a man pulled into the shop and reported seeing sparks flying on top of the transformer.
“I walked out there and there were all these birds just circling. There were ravens in all the trees,” he said. “It was weird.”
Stephens estimated the number of ravens at “a couple hundred.”
“It was like that movie, ‘The Birds,’” he said. “I walked out and wasn’t sure if they were going to start dive-bombing me.”
One of the electrocuted ravens had fallen to the ground and the other was still caught in the wires and transformer, Stephens said.
Ben Brees, a computer technician at Geek City across the street from Stephens’ shop, was driving to work when he saw what he described as “a vortex of ravens circling” next to the computer store.
“I could see them a half-mile away,” Brees said. “It was a funnel of black birds. I pulled up to the building right as they were circling.”
The birds only hung around for a few minutes before flying off, Stephens said.
“They said their respects and moved on,” he said.
There were no power outages reported as a result of the birds being electrocuted, said Corinne Bradish, spokeswoman for Golden Valley Electric Association.
It’s not uncommon for squirrels and birds to get electrocuted while perching on or crossing electrical wires, power poles and transformers, Bradish said. The company notifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whenever ravens are killed, she said.
Travis Booms, the nongame biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks, wasn’t surprised to hear ravens had been electrocuted. More ravens are probably electrocuted in Fairbanks than people think, he said.
“They’re the same size as a lot of raptors that we know get electrocuted on a regular basis, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if ravens get electrocuted on a pretty regular basis,” he said.
The fact that incident attracted dozens of other ravens to the scene intrigued Booms.
“I’ve never heard of ravens holding funerals,” he said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the birds that got zapped were still alive and were acting erratically. That would attract the attention of other ravens.”
source....
After two ravens roosting on top of a power transformer were electrocuted, hundreds of ravens showed up within a minute or two and started silently circling overhead and perching in nearby trees.
Rod Stephens, owner of Rod’s Saw Shop across the street, saw the scene play out before his eyes after a man pulled into the shop and reported seeing sparks flying on top of the transformer.
“I walked out there and there were all these birds just circling. There were ravens in all the trees,” he said. “It was weird.”
Stephens estimated the number of ravens at “a couple hundred.”
“It was like that movie, ‘The Birds,’” he said. “I walked out and wasn’t sure if they were going to start dive-bombing me.”
One of the electrocuted ravens had fallen to the ground and the other was still caught in the wires and transformer, Stephens said.
Ben Brees, a computer technician at Geek City across the street from Stephens’ shop, was driving to work when he saw what he described as “a vortex of ravens circling” next to the computer store.
“I could see them a half-mile away,” Brees said. “It was a funnel of black birds. I pulled up to the building right as they were circling.”
The birds only hung around for a few minutes before flying off, Stephens said.
“They said their respects and moved on,” he said.
There were no power outages reported as a result of the birds being electrocuted, said Corinne Bradish, spokeswoman for Golden Valley Electric Association.
It’s not uncommon for squirrels and birds to get electrocuted while perching on or crossing electrical wires, power poles and transformers, Bradish said. The company notifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whenever ravens are killed, she said.
Travis Booms, the nongame biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks, wasn’t surprised to hear ravens had been electrocuted. More ravens are probably electrocuted in Fairbanks than people think, he said.
“They’re the same size as a lot of raptors that we know get electrocuted on a regular basis, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if ravens get electrocuted on a pretty regular basis,” he said.
The fact that incident attracted dozens of other ravens to the scene intrigued Booms.
“I’ve never heard of ravens holding funerals,” he said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the birds that got zapped were still alive and were acting erratically. That would attract the attention of other ravens.”
source....
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