Saturn's Vanishing Rings

Saturn's Vanishing Rings

The planetary jewel of our solar system, Saturn, has bedazzled astronomers for centuries. Named for the Roman god Saturnus, its rings make it one of the most breathtaking sites in the galaxy. However those rings are disappearing, at least, for a little while.

Four hundred years ago, Galileo spotted Saturn and made the first recorded discovery of her rings. He immediately wrote to his patrons saying "I found another very strange wonder, which I should like to make known to their Highnesses…." Unluckily for him though, the rings immediately began disappearing and vanished only a year after he had found them.

What Galileo didn’t know was that this happens every 14 or 15 years, and is known as “ring plane crossing.” Essentially, as Saturn moves around the sun it periodically orbits so that its rings are precisely edge on to Earth. Because they are so thin – relatively speaking – they thus began invisible to us.

Amateur and professional astronomers all across Earth are currently seeing a narrowing of Saturn’s rings. Efrain Morales Rivera and his backyard telescope in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico have captured images (see above). "The rings have narrowed considerably in the last year," he reports. "The Cassini division (a dark gap in the rings) is getting hard to see."

Wadly for Galileo, he stopped viewing Saturn when the rings disappeared. For him, that is bad luck, because at such times as the possibility of discovering extra Saturnian moons or even faint outer rings increase.In addition, it is also a good time to get a look at the unusually blue north pole of Saturn. In 2005 the Cassini – Huygens spacecraft flew over the northern hemisphere and found that the skies, unlike the golden clouds of the rest of the planet, were cloudless and a deep blue like Earth’s. Only Cassini has been able to see this, but now, thanks to the ring plane crossing, the northern hemisphere won’t be obscured by the rings."

Now that Saturn's rings are only open 8 degrees, we can finally view its northern hemisphere's beautiful teal blue colored belts and zones, which really did look blue through my 10-inch telescope," reports Dan Petersen of Racine, WisconsinOver the next months Saturn’s rings will continue to disappear, and will vanish entirely on the 4th of September, 2009.

If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on

Digg, Reddit, or StumbleUpon.
Thanks!

Herbal Teas

“and the fruit thereof
shall be for meat,
and the leaf thereof
for medicine.”
– Ezekiel 47:12

Herbal Teas

HERBAL TEAS are pure, simple and delicious ways to stay healthy and revitalize from the inside out. They are the most gentle, natural and beneficial way to absorb the healing properties of herbs. A cup of hot or iced tea has the power to soothe and relax, while also delivering herbal healing agents to the bloodstream. Through teas, herbal healing agents are delivered within the body more quickly than capsules, tinctures or infusions.

As with any herb or medication, caution should be practiced. Herbs should never be used as substitutes for a doctor’s prescription. If you are being treated for any illness and are taking prescription medication, seek the advice and consent of your doctor, prior to taking herbs. Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not take herbs without a doctor’s consent.

There are thousands of different herbal tea varieties. Each offers healing properties unique to the specific blend. Below is a partial listing of available herbal teas, and their associated healing properties:

BLACK: Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

BLACKBERRY: Astringent for cleansing, Fevers, Source of Vitamin A, B-Complex and Citric and Mal ic Acids.

CHAMOMILE: Muscle aches, Strains, Pains, Bladder, Burns, Nausea, Skin Softener, Calming, Tranquilizing.

CRANBERRY: Urinary Tract Infections, Source of Vitamin C, Coli Fighter, Immunity.

DANDELION: Anemia, Constipation, Digestion, Water Retention, Weight Control, Detoxifier, Urinary Tract.

DONG QUAI: Builds “Chi” Energy, Digestion, Disease Resistance, Heart and Blood, Liver, Muscles, Nerves, PMS.

ECHINACEA: Skin Toner, Immunity, Iron for blood, Calcium for bones and teeth, Silica for tissue repair.

ELDER: Chest and Upper Respiratory Conditions, Colds, Coughs, Flu, Throat and Mouth infections, Skin.

EYE BRIGHT: Eye Conditions (tired, dry, inflamed), Nose, Throat, Hay fever, Bronchial Irritations.

GINGER: Circulation, Colds, Chills, Heart, Blood Pressure, Strokes, Nausea, Weight Control, Digestion.

GINKO: Circulation, Headaches, Memory Loss, Anxiety, Allergies, Asthma, High Blood Pressure, Heart, Stroke.

GINSENG: Energy Enhancer, Sexual Vigor, Muscle & Skin Tone, Stress, Nervousness, Immunity, Antioxidant.

GREEN: Powerful Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

HYSSOP: Respiratory System Cleanser, Asthma, Allergic Reactions, Bronchitis, Chest Congestion, Rheumatism.

KAVA KAVA: Mildly sedating, Calming, Mood swings, Relax muscles, Anxiety, Tension, Emotional stress.

LAVENDER: Anxiety, Tension, Headaches, Nervousness, Infectious Diseases, Fevers, Purify, Skin antiseptic.

LEMON BALM: Natural Antihistamine, Allergies, Asthma, Digestive Disorders, Stress, Nervousness.

OOLONG: Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

PAPAYA: Digestive Health, Heart, Lymph System, Weight Loss, Gastrointestinal Distress, Water Retention.

PLANTAIN: Blood, Colds, Deobstruent, Fungal Infections, Lungs, Mucous Infections, Poison Ivy, Skin, Venoms.

RASPBERRY: Nutrition, Female Reproductive System, Kidneys, Urinary Tract.

ROOIBOS (RED BUSH): Healing, Antioxidant, Hay fever, Asthma, Eczema, Insomnia, Headaches, Nervousness.

SAGE: Healing, Antioxidant, Anti-aging, Antibiotic, Digestive Remedy, Respiratory Infections, Night Sweats.

SASSAFRAS: Cleansing, Removes toxins out of blood, Anodyne for pain relief.

ST. JOHN’S WORT: Antidepressant, Immunity, Menses, Menopause, Neuralgia, Nerve pains, Inflammation.

THYME: Infections, Colds, Flu, Viral, Bronchial Dilator, Skin Infections, Urinary tract, Kidney, Mouth and Throat.

WHITE: Most Powerful Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

1st Hiking Map of Mars

Pull on your backpack!!

Scientists using data from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft have produced the first 'hiker's maps' of Mars.

These topo maps give detailed height contours and names of geological features in the Iani Chaos region; the maps could become a standard reference for future Martian research.

The contour lines are superimposed upon high-resolution images of Mars, taken by the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard Mars Express.

The map is a fascinating document of an unknown area. To me, it's a work of art, a thing of beauty and mystery and almost religious awe. It reminds me of the early maps of the European explorers in the new world.

Today, there are no remaining white spaces of the maps of our planet. The white space is our "new world" of space exploration -an necessary component I suspect for the DNA-coded curiosity and imagination of the human species.

“Longevity Genes” Solve Centenarian Paradox

     Scientists have long been baffled as to why some people live so much longer than others. Diet and exercise account for some of it, but researchers have found that genetics also factor heavily into the equation, and that long life is somewhat hereditary as it is with the ancient bristlecone pine shown left that was alive when Caesar ruled Rome.

     However, centenarians are known to have just as many—and sometimes even more—harmful gene variants compared with those who die much younger. So what is the secret advantage? That’s a question the experts have been eager to find an answer to.

     Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have finally unlocked the secret behind the paradox. They were able to identify specific favorable “longevity genes” that offer protection from the harmful effects of “bad genes”. The discovery could lead to new drugs that protect against age related diseases.

     “We hypothesized that people living to 100 and beyond must be buffered by genes that interact with disease-causing genes to negate their effects,” says Dr. Aviv Bergman, a professor in the departments of pathology and neuroscience at Einstein and senior author of the study, which appears in the August 31 issue of PLoS Computational Biology.

     To test the hypothesis, Dr. Bergman and his colleagues examined individuals enrolled in Einstein’s Longevity Genes Project, initiated in 1998 to investigate longevity genes in a selected population: Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews. They are descended from a founder group of just 30,000 or so people. So they are relatively genetically homogeneous, which makes it easier to associate traits (in this case, age-related diseases and longevity) with the genes that determine them.

     Participating in the study were 305 Ashkenazi Jews more than 95 years old and a control group of 408 unrelated Ashkenazi Jews. (Centenarians are so rare in any human population—only one in 10,000 people live to be 100—that “longevity” genes probably wouldn’t turn up in a typical control group.)

     All participants were grouped into cohorts representing each decade of lifespan from the 50’s on up. Using DNA samples, the researchers determined the prevalence in each cohort of 66 genetic markers present in 36 genes associated with aging.

     As expected, some disease-related gene variants were as prevalent or even more prevalent in the oldest cohorts of Ashkenazi Jews than in the younger ones. And as Dr. Bergman had predicted, genes associated with longevity also became more common in each succeeding cohort.

     “These results indicate that the frequency of deleterious genotypes may increase among people who live to extremely old ages because their protective genes allow these disease-related genes to accumulate,” says Dr. Bergman.

     The Einstein researchers were able to construct a network of gene interactions that contributes to the understanding of longevity. In particular, they found that the favorable variant of the gene CETP acts to buffer the harmful effects of the disease-causing gene Lp(a).

     If future research confirms that a single longevity gene can buffers against multiple disease-causing genes, then drugs that mimic the action of the gene could protect against a variety of cardiovascular disease and other age-related ailments.

Space 'CaCa"?

Did You Know?" Daily Discovery

Estimates vary, but the U.S. Geological Survey reports at least 1,000 million grams, or roughly 1,000 tons of material and debris enters the atmosphere every year from outer space and makes its way to Earth's surface.

ain't that "HOT SHI(F)T " or not....? =)

Wikipedia Moves into Top 10

Wikipedia Moves into Top 10

As a seminal benchmark, Wikipedia's move into the top ten U.S. websites underscores the power and validity of the Web 2.0 principle: people are the algorithm. The volunteer-powered content of the online encyclopedia, with its more than 5 million articles in more than 200 languages, is now the largest single source of knowledge in history. Wikipedia is already ranked in the top ten list of most popular Web sites globally, has been quickly gaining popularity in the U.S. It's also the world's fourth most recognzied brand.

In January of last year, Wikipedia sites ranked in the 33rd spot with 18.3 million unique visitors. By July, it had climbed to the 18th spot on the list with 28.1 million unique visitors, and in November it ranked 12th with 39.1 million unique visitors, according to comScore.

 

FROM ICEHOUSE TO HOTHOUSE....

FROM ICEHOUSE TO HOTHOUSE:

MELTING ICE AND RISING CARBON DIOXIDE CAUSED CLIMATE SHIFT

Three hundred million years ago, Earth's climate shifted dramatically from icehouse to hothouse, with major environmental consequences. That shift was the result of both rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and the melting of vast ice sheets, new research by University of Michigan paleoclimatologist Christopher Poulsen shows.

Poulsen will discuss his findings in a symposium titled "Geosystems: Climate Lessons from Earth's Last Great Icehouse" at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco.

The changes occurred during the period of Earth's history when the continents were consolidated into a single supercontinent, Pangaea. Toward the end of the Paleozoic Era, tropical regions of Pangaea became much warmer and drier, winds in the region shifted direction, and tropical flora drastically changed. At the same time, atmospheric carbon dioxide increased and the enormous ice sheets that blanketed Gondwana---the landmass that eventually broke up to become present-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, India and Australia---began disappearing.

"There's lots of evidence for large changes in climate and vegetation, but there's been no clear hypothesis for why those changes occurred," said Poulsen, who is an assistant professor of geological sciences. A few notions have been floating around: some researchers have suggested that the uplifting or erosion of mountain chains might have caused the climate shift; others think the motion of the plates that make up Earth's outer layer played a role. But Poulsen had a different idea. "I wondered whether the melting of the Gondwana ice sheets and/or the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide could explain these documented climate and vegetation changes," he said.

Poulsen and coworkers used theoretical climate models to experiment with different combinations of carbon dioxide concentrations and glaciation.

"The modeling simulations showed that as Gondwana deglaciated and carbon dioxide rose, the tropics became more arid and the vegetation was fried and replaced with desert," Poulsen said. "Our results also showed that deglaciation and rising carbon dioxide contributed about equally to the observed climate and vegetation changes."

In addition, the model, which relied on estimates of carbon dioxide concentrations, produced more warming than geological evidence actually indicates. This may suggest that carbon dioxide didn't rise quite as much as has been estimated, Poulsen said.

Poulsen is cautious about applying his conclusions to current climate concerns.

"The climate change I'm studying happened a long time ago, so you have to be a little careful, but certainly this work shows there is a very strong connection between carbon dioxide increase and warming," he said. "Another interesting aspect is that for a long time people have thought that the tropics aren't really susceptible to large climate changes. This work shows that the tropics are susceptible."

article- http://umich.edu/~newsinfo/