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Stargazers Eagerly Await "Super Blue Blood Moon" On January 31

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Stargazers Eagerly Await "Super Blue Blood Moon" On January 31

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By Kim Bussing on January 29, 2018 Hal Harris

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Blood moon (Photo Credit: maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com CCO public domain)

On January 31, millions of stargazers around the globe will witness what promises to be a spectacular total lunar eclipse. While the celestial event is always special, what makes Wednesday's particularly noteworthy is that it coincides with both a blue moon and a supermoon. Hence the moniker "super blue blood moon." According to NASA, the lunar trifecta is the first of its kind in 35 years and will not occur again until 2037.

For those in need of a little refresher, blue moon is the name given to the second full moon in a single calendar month. A supermoon, on the other hand, occurs when the moon reaches its closest distance to Earth in its orbit and therefore, appears a little bigger and brighter than usual. According to NASA, the satellite will be just 223,068 miles away from our planet (compared to the average distance of238,855 miles), a few hours before the eclipse, on January 30.

Image Credit: NASA.gov

Though the Blue Moon and supermoon are intriguing, the star of Wednesday's show is the total lunar eclipse. As you are probably aware, the moon does not emit any light - it merely reflects the light from the sun. Therefore, when our planet gets in between the two, its shadow falls on the moon, resulting in what we refer to as a lunar eclipse.

The phenomenon does not occur every month because the plane of the moon's orbit is slightly tilted in relation to that of Earth's. Hence, the satellite is not always in perfect alignment with the Earth and sun, which in addition to a full moon, is necessary for a total eclipse to occur. Unlike solar eclipses, which can only be seen from specific places, lunar eclipses are visible from any place that is on Earth's nightside when they occur. They also do not require special glasses to view.

Total lunar eclipse (Photo Credit:Skyandtelescope.com)

According to experts, the January 31 event will be visible to North America, Alaska, and Hawaii residents before sunrise, while those in the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia, and New Zealand will be able to observe it during moonrise. Unfortunately, much of South America, Africa, and Europe will miss out since it will be daytime when the moon passes through the Earth's shadow.

Within the US, a majority of East Coast residents will only be able to observe a partial lunar eclipse that will occur just before dawn at about 6:48 am ET. The West Coast will be more fortunate. NASA's Gordon Johnston says, "Weather permitting, the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii will have a spectacular view of totality from start to finish." However, those interested in viewing the eclipse will have to wake up early. For Honolulu residents, totality will begin at 2:51 am local time, while for those in Anchorage, it starts at 3:51 am. Californians will be able to see it at a slightly more palatable 4:51 a.m. PT, with the best viewing between 5 a.m. PT and 6 a.m. PT.

Image Credit: skyandtelescope.com

Sarah Noble, a program scientist at NASA headquarters, says since the moon's orbit is well understood, the January 31 event has no scientific significance. However, the expert asserts, "Anything that keeps people interested in science and makes them realize science is important is a good thing." Johnston agrees, and urges those fortunate enough to be able to see the eclipse to "set their alarm early and go out and take a look."

Resources: mashable.com,phys.org, vox.com

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Stargazers Eagerly Await "Super Blue Blood Moon" On January 31

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On January 31, millions of stargazers around the globe will witness what promises to be a spectacular total lunar eclipse. While the celestial event is always special, what makes Wednesday's particularly noteworthy is that it coincides with both a blue moon and a supermoon. Hence the moniker "super blue blood moon."

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St. Louis Zoo Welcomes Eight Adorable Cheetah Cubs

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St. Louis Zoo Welcomes Eight Adorable Cheetah Cubs

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By Kavi Dolasia on January 15, 2018 Hal Harris

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Photo Credit: stlzoo.org

With fewer than 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild, the addition of even a single cub is hailed as a victory. Hence, you can only imagine the excitement caused by the January 3, 2018 announcement of the birth of eight cheetahs at the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which manages 12 cheetah conservation facilities - including the one at the St. Louis Zoo - this is the first time such a large, healthy litter has been born. Previously recorded births have averaged between three to four cubs.

Photo Credit: stlzoo.org

The adorable five female and three male cubs were born to Bingwa and nine-year-old Jason at the zoo's River's Edge Cheetah Breeding Center on November 26, 2017. Bingwa is from Wildlife Safari, an animal park in Winston, Oregon, while Jason hails from the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Florida. Though both animals are on loan to the zoo, it is uncertain when, or if, they will be returned to their respective homes.

Photo Credit: stlzoo.org

Coincidentally, the name "Bingwa" means "champion" in Swahili, a title the four-year-old female cat has undoubtedly lived up to in recent months. Earlier this year, she gave birth to a litter of seven cubs. Unfortunately, only one survived. However, the recently born eight cubs, that now weigh about 3 to 4 pounds each, have survived the crucial, early months and appear to be well on their way to becoming healthy adults.

Photo Credit: stlzoo.org

Zoo officials, who are closely monitoring the precious animals, say that Bingwa is an "exemplary mother," who has "quickly become adept at caring for her very large litter of cubs - grooming, nursing, and caring for them attentively." Though it will be several months before the adorable cubs will make their public debut, fans can keep up with their progress, and learn more about cheetah conservation efforts, by visiting the zoo's website - www.stlzoo.org.

Resources: www.stlzoo.org

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St. Louis Zoo Welcomes Eight Adorable Cheetah Cubs

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With fewer than 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild, the addition of even a single cub is hailed as a victory. Hence, you can only imagine the excitement caused by the January 3, 2018 announcement of the birth of eight cheetahs at the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri.

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//www.tweentribune.com/article/tween56/frizzy-haired-orangutan-may-be-new-great-ape/

There's a New Species of Orangutan and It's Already in danger - Gizmodo

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http://www.ourlittleearth.com/2017/09/earthquake-in-mexico/

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http://www.ourlittleearth.com/2017/11/earthquake-strikes-iran-iraq-border/

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Australian Scientists Hope The Giant Triton Snail Will Help Save The Great Barrier Reef

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Australian Scientists Hope The Giant Triton Snail Will Help Save The Great Barrier Reef

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Hal Harris

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Great Barrier Reef (Photo Credit: Kyle Tayor CC. by 2.0 via Flickr)

Over the past 30 years, Australia's Great Barrier Reef has experienced a 50 percent loss in coral. Though part of the decline is being attributed to the warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change, about half of the damage is due to the proliferation of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS). The deadly predators can devour as much as 53 square feet (five square meters) of live coral annually.

Native to the region, the starfish - which grow as big as 32 inches across, have over 21 arms, and are covered in poisonous spikes - are beneficial in small numbers. They help keep faster-growing coral reef in control, allowing slower growing colonies to form. However, the recent population explosion, combined with two consecutive years of coral bleaching, is destroying the reef at an unprecedented rate.

Crown of thorns starfish eating live coral (Photo Credit: http://waittfoundation.org)

The starfish population is currently being controlled with bile salt solutions or ordinary household vinegar. However, this is a tedious process that requires dive teams to inject each specimen individually. Now, Australian marine scientists are hoping to get some help from a natural COTS predator - the Pacific or giant triton, snail. Named after the Greek god Triton - son of Poseidon and god of the sea - it is one of the world's largest sea snails, reaching lengths of up to two feet! The marine gastropods are so good at hunting down the starfish that even their scent is enough to send the sea stars scampering. Unfortunately, the endangered giant tritons, which have been hunted down for their beautiful shells, are hard to find. Also, since they only consume a few starfish a week, it would take an army of snails to make a difference.

To try to increase the snails' numbers by breeding them in captivity, researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences went in search of them. It took them two years to find just eight specimens, but the effort was worth it given that over the past month, they have produced over 100,000 tiny larvae. The researchers hope to learn more about the lifecycle of these elusive marine creatures as they grow and release them once they are old enough to prey on the COTS. Cherie Motti, leader of the triton breeding program, says, "If we can have a natural predator doing the job for us [killing the starfish], it will be the best outcome." Hopefully, the researchers will be successful in their endeavor.

Giant Triton snails feeding on a crown of thorns starfish (Photo Credit: Australian Institute of Marin Science)

Besides creating thousands of jobs and adding over $50 billion to the country's economy, the Great Barrier Reef is also crucial to the local ecosystem. As you may know, the brightly colored calcium carbonate structures are a symbiosis, or partnership, between coral polyps and zooxanthellae. The polyps provide a home for the single-celled organisms in exchange for food and the vivid color we have come to love. In addition to sheltering the zooxanthellae, the strong corals help protect the shoreline from storms and floods. The polyps, which use calcium ions and dissolved carbon dioxide to form the calcium carbonate skeletons, also help reduce the level of the toxic gas in the oceans. Hence, it is imperative to do all we can to save these delicate structures.

Resources: aims.gov.au, earthtouchnews.com,phys.org.

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Australian Scientists Hope The Giant Triton Snail Will Help Save The Great Barrier Reef

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Over the past 30 years, Australia's Great Barrier Reef has experienced a 50 percent loss in coral. Though part of the decline is being attributed to the warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change, about half of the damage is due to the proliferation of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS).

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www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2017/hubbles-cosmic-search-for-a-missing-arm

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https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/Goddard/2017/hubbles-bubbles-in-the-tarantula-nebu

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www.sciencealert.com/nasa-new-horizons-flyby-campaign-name-next-object-mjolnir

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www.dogonews.com/2017/11/15/help-nasa-nickname-this-remote-space-object

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The Large Magellanic Cloud is home to one of the largest and most intense regions of active star formation known to exist anywhere in our galactic neighborhood - the Tarantula Nebula.

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https://www.dogonews.com/2017/11/20/video-of-the-week-76017-dominoes-chain-reaction-sets-new-guinness-world-recordhttps://www.dogonews.com/2017/11/20/video-of-the-week-76017-dominoes-chain-reaction-sets-new-guinness-world-record

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https://www.dogonews.com/2017/11/21/new-york-restaurant-takes-thanksgiving-indulgence-to-a-new-level-with-a-76000-dollars-feasthttps://www.dogonews.com/2017/11/21/new-york-restaurant-takes-thanksgiving-indulgence-to-a-new-level-with-a-76000-dollars-feast

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Joshua Ward

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Radical Islamist militants converted the Al Rawdah Mosque in Egypt's northern Sinai peninsula from a scene of prayer to a slaughterhouse on Friday. Jihadis detonated an explosive device and shot revellers dead as they left the compound, which the gunmen had surrounded. In all, at least 235 people were left dead and 130 injured, according to state media.

No group had claimed responsibility as of Friday morning, but the region has been plagued with a Sunni insurgency against Egyptian security forces, Christians and pilgrims for years. But why did Muslims take aim at their fellow Muslims on the holiest day of the week in what was the deadliest extremist attack in Egyptian history?

The beliefs of those inside the mosque, and those laying siege to it, hold the clues.

Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now

The mosque, located some 40 kilometers west of the provincial capital of el-Arish, was hosting Sufi Muslim worshippers, according to Al-Arabiya news channel and local sources speaking to Reuters.

The Islamic State militant group (ISIS), which has established a local affiliate in the region, known as the 'Sinai Province,' will be the main suspect in the deadliest attack on Egyptian soil since its downing of a Russian jet in October 2015 that killed all 224 people on board.

And for hardline salafis, or members of ISIS who follow an ultraconservative brand of Islam, sufi Muslims are heretics.

Sufi Islam is a branch of the religion that worships saints and shrines, behavior that ISIS considers to be idolatrous. In the same way that the group's brutal jihadis view Egypt's Coptic Christian community with hate, and revile the Shiites of Iran and Iraq, they detest the mystical sufi branch of Islam.

The Sinai peninsula hosts both ultraconservative Sunni Muslims and Sufi Muslims, providing an arena for those to be targeted.

ISIS has targeted the Sinai's Sufi population regularly in the past, including the grisly beheading of a top Sufi cleric in the region, Sheikh Suleiman Abu heraz.

Elsewhere in South Asia and Middle East, the group has attacked sufis, their mosques, their shrines and their gatherings. In 2014, they destroyed several sufi Muslim shrines and tombs in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor.

In February, an ISIS suicide bomber attacked one of the most revered Sufi shrines in the world, Sehwan Sharif, located in the southern Sindh Province of Pakistan, killing 80 people and wounding more than 250.

Pakistan may be the country where Sufi Muslims have been most frequently targeted, by radical Islamists not only aligned to ISIS but also to the Pakistani Taliban. Attacks include the 2010 bombing of the tomb of Data Ganj Bakhsh, a shooting at the shrine of a sufi saint in Karachi, and the assassination of Sufi singer Amjad Sabri last year.

Sufism's followers pledge allegiance to the strand of Islam because it can offer them proximity to God, but for jihadis these followers deviate from the prescribed religious path of Islam, particularly the veneration of tombs.

That distinction ultimately means that wherever Sufis remain in the Middle East, the sect will remain at risk from bloody massacres like the one witnessed in the town of Bir al-Abd on Friday.

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After the Sinai massacre, why are Muslims killing Muslims?

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Radical Islamist militants converted the Al Rawdah Mosque in Egypt's northern Sinai peninsula from a scene of prayer to a slaughterhouse on Friday. Jihadis detonated an explosive device and shot revellers dead as they left the compound, which the gunmen had surrounded. In all, at least 235 people were left dead and 130 injured, according to state media.

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Joshua Ward

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Source: AFP via Getty Images

Militants armed with guns and explosives stormed a crowded mosque in Egypt's restive northern Sinai on Friday, killing at least 235 people and wounding 109 others in the deadliest single attack in the country in recent memory.

The scale of the assault and the choice of target -- people gathered for Friday prayers at a mosque frequented by Sufi Muslims -- stunned the nation, drew international condemnation and triggered air raids by Egypt's military. Attacks on mosques are rare in Egypt, but Sufis are considered heretics by jihadist movements such as Islamic State.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which took place west of the seaside city of Arish. But the Sinai Peninsula, a triangular piece of land bordering Israel, the Gaza Strip and the Suez Canal, has been the main battleground in the government's fight against local militants who've declared allegiance to Islamic State. Islamic State-Sinai Province has killed hundreds of police and soldiers in recent years. Over the past 12 months, it has turned its guns increasingly on civilians, with attacks on churches packed for Christmas and Easter prayers, and now on Muslim worshipers.

"This is a shift in the tactics of the terrorists," said Hossam El-Rifai, a member of parliament for northern Sinai. "An attack on civilians at Friday prayers is not something we have been used to seeing."

'Brutal Force'

While the violence isn't seen as threatening the stability of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's government, it has devastated the tourist industry, a vital pillar of an economy that's struggling back to life after years of political upheaval.

El-Sisi made a televised statement vowing to avenge the dead and restore stability. He also said that those who supported, financed or incited the attack would face justice. "We will respond to this act with brutal force," El-Sisi said.

Overnight, the army said it launched airstrikes that destroyed some of the vehicles used by the attackers as well as hitting jihadist hideouts containing weapons and ammunition stores. The armed forces are continuing to comb the area, according to a statement on the army's Facebook page.

The attack is the biggest of its kind in recent memory. The last comparable assault took place in 2015, when the local Islamic State affiliate bombed a Russian passenger plane carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, killing 224 people.

'Horrible and Cowardly'

The militants have waged a campaign against Coptic Christians that saw most of that community flee northern Sinai earlier this year. Violence has spilled over to major cities like Cairo and Alexandria too, with attacks on churches.

U.S. President Donald Trump called the attack "horrible and cowardly" in a Twitter posting and later called El-Sisi to offer condolences.

"This represents the scary prospect that the list of targets they are willing to pursue is growing," said Timothy Kaldas, non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. "It is hard to know, however, if they were targeted because they were Sufis or because they were perceived to be collaborating with the government."

As prayers were finishing up on Friday, militants in four vehicles drove up to the Rawda mosque, set off an improvised explosive device outside the building and opened fire on people praying inside and those that sought to flee, a senior security official based in north Sinai said. Locals took up weapons to help thwart the attackers, the official said.

Roads Blocked

The suspects fled as security forces arrived, but not before setting vehicles on fire and blocking the road to prevent survivors from fleeing and slow the arrival of emergency services. Foreign media access to northern Sinai is restricted, but state television showed orange ambulances lined up and rescue workers tending to casualties on stretchers. Other images showed dead bodies inside the mosque, covered in blankets.

The mosque is known to be frequented by Sufis, who adhere to a mystical variant of Islam. It's also on the main highway that runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast toward the Gaza Strip, so it draws in passers-by and local residents, particularly for Friday prayers.

The Sinai jihadists have attacked Sufi shrines with increasing frequency over the past year and have kidnapped and killed Sufi preachers, posting images of the executions online. Islamic State-Sinai Province has issued videos and statements vowing to eradicate Sufis, accusing them of apostasy.

El-Sisi's Credibility

A former army chief, El-Sisi overthrew President Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2013 following mass protests against his one-year rule. He went on to win a presidential election on a promise to crush Islamist groups. The Brotherhood has since been outlawed, with thousands of its members jailed or exiled, while El-Sisi has stepped up war on jihadist groups in northern Sinai.

The president said Egypt would not back down from that policy after the attack. "Egypt is facing terrorism on behalf of the entire region and the aim behind what is happening is to stop us from confronting terrorism," he said.

Egypt has helped broker a reconciliation between Palestinian factions and sought the help of Hamas to control the movement of militants and weapons between Gaza and Sinai. It's also joined a Saudi-led effort to isolate Qatar, partly on the grounds of its alleged support for Islamist groups.

Plans to open the Gaza border for a few days this week were postponed after the attack and raised broader questions about the effectiveness of El-Sisi's security strategy.

"The attack will, over the medium-term, damage El-Sisi's credibility as the figure that can protect Egypt, particularly if the security situation does not markedly improve," Hani Sabra of political risk analyst Alef Advisory said in a note. "And it probably won't."
- With assistance by Tarek El-Tablawy, Donna Abu-Nasr, Alaa Shahine, and Dana Khraiche

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Egypt Suffers Worst Attack as 235 Killed in Mosque Assault

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Militants armed with guns and explosives stormed a crowded mosque in Egypt's restive northern Sinai on Friday, killing at least 235 people and wounding 109 others in the deadliest single attack in the country in recent memory.

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Joshua Ward

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ryan ward

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Ryan ward

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Houston Astros world series win after Hurricane Harvey

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Houston Astros world series win after Hurricane Harvey

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Ryan Kely

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The Houston Astros baseball team made history on Wednesday night with their first ever World Series title, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1. For the city of Houston, still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, sporting success offered a welcome respite for many fans.

Houston was flooded and many people lost everything in the record-breaking hurricane that made landfall just nine weeks ago. But Harvey's aftermath has helped to strengthen the bonds between the team and the local community.

Although the team was forced to play some home games away from Houston, players helped with relief efforts and earlier this season, players wore jerseys emblazoned with the logo "H Strong" in a tribute to the city.

The hashtag #HoustonStrong was trending on Twitter on Wednesday night, with people using the hashtag more than 78,000 times.

The exciting World Series also offered some respite for Puerto Ricans in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The Astros fielded three players from Puerto Rico and shortstop Carlos Correa dedicated the win to those affected by Hurricane Maria in his native Puerto Rico, while outfielder Carlos Beltran has raised more than $1m for Puerto Rico disaster relief.

The team's first tweet after winning the Word Series was retweeted more than 50,000 times.

The hashtag #EarnedHistory was popular on Twitter, reflecting the team's own motto for the 2017 season - "Earn It".

Off the internet, the Astros' success sparked off wild celebrations in Houston city centre on Wednesday night. Thousands of fans converged to rejoice.

However, the series was marred by the Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel after he made a racist gesture towards Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish in a game.

In the final match of the series, he tipped his helmet to Darvish in their first encounter since the incident as an apology for his behaviour. He has been banned for five games next season.

The Astros' celebrations was a raucous affair but for Steve Sparks, a former Astros player and club radio commentator, it was a night to remember.

He was doing live radio during the post-match celebrations in the dressing room - leading many to speculate that his interviewing style might have been influenced by post-match drinks.

Los Angeles Dodgers' celebrity fans including The West Wing star Rob Lowe and US TV host Ellen DeGeneres were gracious in defeat, tweeting their congratulations to the Astros.

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Astros win after Harvey: Online reaction

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The Houston Astros baseball team made history on Wednesday night with their first ever World Series title, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1. For the city of Houston, still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, sporting success offered a welcome respite for many fans.

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world series victory provides much needed cheer in hurricane Ravaged Houston 

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world series victory provides much needed cheer in hurricane Ravaged Houston 

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Ryan Kelly

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Image Credit: sportsformulator.com

Houston residents, recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, finally have something to cheer about - a World Series victory. Thousands of fans lined up on the city streets on Friday, November 3 for a parade celebrating the Houston Astros who won the baseball championship with a resounding 5-1 score against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh game. What makes the much-needed win even more special is that it is the first time the 56-year-old team has brought home the coveted trophy.

The victory caps the incredible turnaround of the Astros, who hit a new low in 2011 when they lost 106 of the 162 games in the regular Major League Baseball season. Things did not get any better over the next three years with the team losing a combined 310 games. In 2015, some brilliant draft picks and front-office algorithm strategies, led them to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. While last year did not go as well, 2017 has been a stellar year from the start. The championship winners won 101 games and held the best record in baseball for 65 days, until they were surpassed by the Los Angeles Dodgers who laid claim to the title in the final 86 days of the season.

Astros Parade in Houston (Photo Credit: Reid Ryan via Twitter)

Despite the Astros strong showing, it was the Dodgers, who haven't won the World Series in 30 years, that were the favorites to take home the championship. The Los Angeles team affirmed the view with a decisive 3-1 win in the first game. However, the Astros evened out the World Series to one game apiece with a nail biting 7-6 victory. They repeated the feat with a 5-3 win in game three, before losing to the Dodgers in game four. Game five was a wild one, but the Astros managed to eke out a victory with a 13-12 score and head into game six with a chance to take home the trophy. However, the Dodgers came in strong, tying the series at 3-3.

Tensions ran high at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on November 1. It was a history-making event given that a seventh game had never been played at the country's third oldest stadium. The Dodgers winning their first title in 30 years, surrounded by fans, would have made it all the more special. However, it was not to be. The Astros started off strong, with the Dodgers down 2-0 before they even had a chance to bat, and continued the lead with 5-0. While the Los Angeles team managed to get on the board with a run-scoring single by pinch hitter Andre Ethier in the sixth inning, they were unable to score beyond that.

Photo Credit: Houston Astros via Twitter

The Astros, who have been sporting a patch with the word "STRONG" on their jerseys in a nod to the "Houston Strong" logo adopted after the catastrophic floods, dedicated the win to the city's residents. Star pitcher Justin Verlander, who joined the Astros just two months ago, said, "What an incredible city that I joined. They made me feel at home right away, and I'm so happy for us, I'm so happy for them, this is a great experience for everyone."

Series MVP George Springer, who led his team to a victory with a series record high of five home runs echoed the sentiment, saying, "This is unbelievable. I'm so happy for our city and our fans."

Astros Outfielder Carlos Betran summarized the team's feelings with the statement, "Yes, it is a great joy to finally win a World Series. But this is not about me. It is about my teammates who gave such a strong effort. It is about the people of Houston who rallied around us while they struggled after Harvey. It is about my people in Puerto Rico, who are celebrating right now even after Maria left us devastated."

Resources: abc.go.com,NPR.org, theguardian.com,espn.com,click2houston.com

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World Series Victory Provides Much Needed Cheer In Hurricane Ravaged Houston

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Houston residents, recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, finally have something to cheer about - a World Series victory. Thousands of fans lined up on the city streets on Friday, November 3 for a parade celebrating the Houston Astros who won the baseball championship with a resounding 5-1 score against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh game.

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David Cassidy died at the age of 67: Luke Miller

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David Cassidy died at the age of 67: Luke Miller

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Actor and musician was best known for his role on 'The Partridge Family.' 
David Cassidy dead at age 67
Actor and musician was best known for his role on 'The Partridge Family.'

"Partridge Family" star David Cassidy died Tuesday after suffering liver and kidney failure, his publicist confirmed. He was 67.

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Jacob Rozman

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U.S. and Japanese ships and aircraft were searching in the Philippine Sea on Thursday for three sailors missing since a U.S. Navy aircraft crashed a day earlier.

Eight people were rescued about 40 minutes after the crash of the C-2 "Greyhound" transport aircraft Wednesday afternoon, the Navy said. They were taken aboard the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and were in good condition.

The C-2A twin-propeller plane came down about 500 nautical miles (925 kilometers) southeast of Okinawa as it was bringing passengers and cargo from Japan to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, the Navy said in a statement. The cause wasn't clear but the crash would be investigated, the Navy said.

The Reagan was participating in a joint exercise with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force when the plane crashed.

The aircraft carrier was leading the search and rescue efforts along with Japan's naval forces. The ships and aircraft had searched more than 320 nautical miles as of Thursday morning, the Navy said.

Japan's Defense Ministry said the crash site is about 150 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Okinotorishima, a Japanese atoll.

The Navy said it had notified next of kin that the three sailors were "whereabouts unknown" but it would delay releasing their identities publicly for three days due to policy.

In Washington, the White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the crash. Trump said in a tweet: "We are monitoring the situation. Prayers for all involved."

The Nov. 16-26 joint exercise in waters off Okinawa has been described by the Navy as the "premier training event" between the U.S. and Japanese navies, designed to increase defensive readiness and interoperability in air and sea operations.

The Navy's Japan-based 7th Fleet has had two fatal accidents in Asian waters this year, leaving 17 sailors dead and prompting the removal of eight top Navy officers from their posts, including the 7th Fleet commander.

The USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker collided near Singapore in August, leaving 10 U.S. sailors dead. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship collided off Japan.

The Navy has concluded that the collisions were avoidable and resulted from widespread failures by the crews and commanders, who didn't quickly recognize and respond to unfolding emergencies. A Navy report recommended numerous changes to address the problems, ranging from improved training to increasing sleep and stress management for sailors.

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Ships, aircraft search Philippine Sea for 3 missing in crash

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U.S. and Japanese ships and aircraft were searching in the Philippine Sea on Thursday for three sailors missing since a U.S. Navy aircraft crashed a day earlier. Eight people were rescued about 40 minutes after the crash of the C-2 "Greyhound" transport aircraft Wednesday afternoon, the Navy said.

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Jacob Rozman

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TOKYO - Eight people were rescued and three remained missing after a U.S. Navy plane crashed into the western Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the Navy said.

The C-2 "Greyhound" transport aircraft came down about 500 nautical miles (925 kilometers) southeast of Okinawa as it was bringing passengers and cargo from Japan to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, the Navy said in a statement.

The Reagan was operating in the Philippine Sea during a joint exercise with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force when the twin-propeller plane crashed at 2:45 p.m. Japan time. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear and the incident will be investigated, the Navy said.

Eight people were rescued about 40 minutes later. They were taken to the Reagan for medical evaluation and are in good condition, the Navy said.

U.S. and Japanese naval ships and aircraft are searching for the missing. Japan's Defense Ministry said the crash site is about 150 kilometers (90 miles) northwest of Okinotorishima, a Japanese atoll.

The names of the crew and passengers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Philippine military spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said his military alerted its ships and aircraft shortly after learning about the crash but could not provide help because of the distance from the country.

The Nov. 16-26 joint exercise in waters off Okinawa has been described by the Navy as the "premier training event" between the U.S. and Japanese navies, designed to increase defensive readiness and interoperability in air and sea operations.

The Navy's Japan-based 7th Fleet has had two fatal accidents in Asian waters this year, leaving 17 sailors dead and prompting the removal of eight top Navy officers from their posts, including the 7th Fleet commander.

The USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker collided near Singapore in August, leaving 10 U.S. sailors dead. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship collided off Japan.

The Navy has concluded that the collisions were avoidable and resulted from widespread failures by the crews and commanders, who didn't quickly recognize and respond to unfolding emergencies. A Navy report recommended numerous changes to address the problems, ranging from improved training to increasing sleep and stress management for sailors.

___

Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this story.

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US Navy plane with 11 aboard crashes into Pacific; 8 rescued

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TOKYO - Eight people were rescued and three remained missing after a U.S. Navy plane crashed into the western Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, the Navy said. The C-2 "Greyhound" transport aircraft came down about 500 nautical miles (925 kilometers) southeast of Okinawa as it was bringing passengers and cargo from Japan to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, the Navy said in a statement.

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Gracie

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When lighting struck the Pinaleño Mountains in southeast Arizona at around 2:45 p.m. on June 7, igniting a 48,000-acre fire that reduced an ancient forest to blackened poles and stumps, a scurry of rare squirrels - 217 of the 252 left in existence - disappeared.

Some were fitted with radio transmitters that burned to ash; conservationists deduced their fates. They hoped others had managed to escape.

But for those 35 survivors - biological remnants from the last ice age - Jeff Humphrey, a spokesman with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, was deeply concerned.

"Most of them have lost the cones they've stored for their winter nourishment," Mr. Humphrey said. "How do we get them through this winter?"

The Mount Graham red squirrel is among more than a dozen rare or threatened species that either perished or suffered habitat loss during recent hurricanes and wildfires across the United States.

Southwest Fires

The red squirrel was not the only creature affected during the Arizona wildfires, intensified by heat waves in the state's south. After the fire, biologists and wildlife officers rescued Gila and Apache trout from forest streams before the water became clogged with ash, which happens when normal forest ground cover isn't there to filter the runoff.

The Mexican spotted owl, which lives in wooded and canyon areas throughout New Mexico and southern Utah, was also vulnerable. "Its primary threat is wildfires, but it's far more abundant," Mr. Humphrey said.

California Wildfires

In Southern California, the mountain yellow-legged frog, of which there were about 400 living in remote, drying streams in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains, could face a hard winter after fires destroyed their habitat. Dr. Bruce Stein, a conservation scientist at the National Wildlife Federation, said he also worried for the California red-legged frog in wine country, as well as for endangered salmon and steelhead living in the Russian River (as in Arizona, sediment flowing into the water could harm the fish).

One of North America's rarest species,the Amargosa vole,also lost part of its remaining habitat in a September fire in the Amargosa Basin near Tecopa, Calif. About 50 of the few hundred remaining mammals perished, said Janet Foley, a professor at the U.C. Davis Veterinary Medicine protection program. "It killed off all the vegetation," she said, "and they need to live in that."

Hurricane Harvey

Just five of the 29 rare prairie chickens being tracked at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge near Houston survived Hurricane Harvey. The bird - known for its funky mating dance - was already critically endangered. During the last century, its prairie grassland habitat in Texas and Louisiana was plowed to create space for farmlands and cities.

"It was a devastating impact," said Mike Morrow,the refuge's lead biologist. "The good news is we have an established captive breeding program," he said. "Had it not been for that captive flock, it could have resulted in near-extinction."

Whooping cranes "dodged a bullet," Dr. Stein said, when Harvey made landfall at their winter spot in Aransas County. At that time, the bird was breeding in Canada, but had it been in Texas, the species could have been wiped out, said Dr. Stein. "The concern is what effect the hurricane may have had on the habitat," he added. Ocelots (a small Texan cat) and Kemp's ridley sea turtles, which conservationists feared would be affected, also managed to survive the storm.

Hurricane Irma

Irma hit a number of species hard, including the Barbuda warbler and the Everglade snail kite. In Florida's Keys - which Dr. Stein referred to as a "biological hot spot" - the storm was bad news for butterflies like the Miami blue, Schaus swallowtail and Bartram's hairstreak; as well as green and loggerhead sea turtles and Key deer.

The Key deer is "a really charismatic animal," said Brian Hires, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fewer than 1,000 Key deer are left in existence. All but 33 survived the storm, but may face challenges with restricted access to fresh drinking water. The Miami blue butterfly (there are fewer than 100 left) are only "hanging on in a couple of Keys," Dr. Stein said.

Hurricane Irma also cut off power to a Florida grasshopper sparrow aviary where the species, teetering on the edge of extinction, was successfully bred in captivity for the first time last year. Hours away from their backup generator shutting down, a service truck delivered 100 gallons offuel to the facility. The grasshopper sparrow chicks survived. The fate of the Bahama oriole, found only in North Andros, South Andros and Mangrove Cay, is still unknown.

Hurricane Maria

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo killed almost half the wild population of Puerto Rico's native parrots - the only remaining bird of its type in the United States. The animal - with white-ringed eyes and a red stripe above its beak - had, by this year, recovered to about 500 wild and captive individuals. While most of those at the Iguaca Aviary in Puerto Rico's rain forest survived, the fate of those wild birds in the Rio Abajo and El Yunque forests is unknown.

Correction:

An earlier version of this article identified incorrectly the area where the Barbuda warbler is found. It is Barbuda, not the Florida Keys. An earlier version also referred incorrectly to the range and conservation status of another bird. The snail kite is not generally threatened over its entire range; the Everglade snail kite, which is not found in the Florida Keys, is endangered.

Correction:

An earlier version of this article misidentified the location of a fire that destroyed part of the habitat of the Amargosa vole. It was in the Amargosa Basin near Tecopa, Calif., not in the Mojave National Preserve.

Livia Albeck-Ripka is a reporting fellow at The New York Times. @livia_ar

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For an Endangered Animal, a Fire or Hurricane Can Mean the End

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When lighting struck the Pinaleño Mountains in southeast Arizona at around 2:45 p.m. on June 7, igniting a 48,000-acre fire that reduced an ancient forest to blackened poles and stumps, a scurry of rare squirrels - 217 of the 252 left in existence - disappeared.

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Gracie

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Southern Arizona's dry air, dark skies, and plentiful mountain peaks are prime conditions for the many world-class telescopes that dot the region.

These conditions, unfortunately, come with consequences. Arizona summers bring heat and lightning, the perfect storm for raging wildfires.

Telescopes perched on Mount Graham, Mount Lemmon, Mount Bigelow, Kitt Peak and on Mount Hopkins were all at least potentially threatened during this season's wave of wildfires.

Despite some close calls, including one fire that came within several feet of a telescope, officials said the equipment escaped largely unharmed by the dangerous fires.

Mount Graham

The Frye Fire near Safford was this season's most destructive, burning more than 48,000 acres. It is still burning in some places but firefighters have the blaze 98 percent contained.

It ignited June 7 and grew to almost 11,000 acres by June 16, growing 4,000 acres overnight. "We knew now we were going to be in harm's way," said Eric Buckley, director of the Mount Graham International Observatory.

By June 18 the fire (in a combination of wildfire and back burn) surged within 50 feet of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope in which the University of Arizona is a partner, said Buckley and Heidi Schewel, a U.S. Forest Service public affairs officer.

Also threatened by flames on Mount Graham were the Submillimeter Telescope and the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, one of the most powerful telescopes in the world.

When the light from each of the LBT's 8.4-meter mirrors are combined, it can produce images with the spatial resolution of a 24-meter mirror - higher than any ground-based telescope and 10 times the spatial resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope, said Buell Jannuzi, director of Steward Observatory which oversees many telescopes in Southern Arizona.

Firefighters battled the flames by back-burning the forest and dousing the area with water and slurry.

All firefighters, telescopes, and observatory personnel emerged from the fire unscathed, but astronomers did lose weeks of observing nights, Jannuzi said.

Photos of the site show a large swath of charred forest and a thin line of green trees standing around the telescopes.

"I'm just amazed we didn't suffer any real damage," Buckley said.

"It was not until the monsoons kicked in that we stopped really worrying about the Burro Fire and Frye Fire," Jannuzi said.

The problem now is the lack of vegetation left on Mount Graham which leads to erosion of the soil and ash when it rains, resulting in mud slides that can block roads to the observatories.

Mount Lemmon

and Mount Bigelow

Telescopes in the Santa Catalina Mountains including the Mount Lemmon Sky Center and the 61-inch Kuiper Telescope on Mount Bigelow were closed after the Burro Fire erupted June 30.

The fire, about 2½ miles away from Mount Bigelow, prompted an evacuation of the mountain late July 3 and early July 4, and a closure of the telescopes, said Jim Grantham, head of mountain operations on both Bigelow and Lemmon.

Again, no telescopes were damaged, not even by smoke.

"I was very satisfied with the cooperation of the incident management team with me, with the observatory, in making the preparations we deemed appropriate for the Bigelow Observatory," Grantham said.

The fire burned through more than 27,000 acres of forest, but is now 100 percent contained.

The human-caused Elk Horn Fire burned about seven miles south of Kitt Peak National Observatory, consumed 650 acres and is now extinguished.

Kitt Peak, southwest of Tucson, was closed to the public between July 6 and 10 because of the fire, but was never fully evacuated. Astronomers stayed on the mountain during the closure.

"No observing was actually affected by the fire, which was surprising," said Lori Allen, director of Kitt Peak National Observatory. "We got very lucky with this fire because the wind never drove it to the observatory."

When the fire broke out, Tohono O'odham fire management officer Guy Acuña called in firefighters and acted as a liaison between them and the mountain operations personnel on Kitt Peak.

"The whole southwest regional firefighting infrastructure worked very well for us, because, you remember, they were battling very large fires in more densely populated areas at the same time," Allen said. "Yet they still managed to divert resources enough to stop this fire."

Mount Hopkins

Lightning sparked a small fire on the west side of Mount Wrightson on July 2. The fire lasted just two days.

"We were watching it because if it grew, it could have potentially threatened (the Fred Lawrence) Whipple (Observatory) on Mount Hopkins," Jannuzi said.

"There's a lot of fuel on Mount Wrightson," said Grant Williams, director of the Multiple Mirror Telescope on Mount Hopkins.

The fire was discovered and reported on Sunday afternoon, Williams said. "It was too late for the firefighters to come in and do drops from a helicopter, so it waited until the next day."

"Fortunately it was low wind that night and few raindrops fell," Williams said. "They came in the next day with helicopter and did seven water drops. It completely extinguished the fire."

Another fire started a week later on the east side of Mount Wrightson during a storm, and the rain extinguished it right away.

After a tense wildfire season, the danger has largely passed thanks to an active monsoon, and no telescopes are currently threatened by fire.

Contact Mikayla Mace at mmace@tucson.com or (520) 573-4158. On Twitter: @mikaylagram.

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Wildfire season threatened several telescopes on Mount Graham, Mount Lemmon

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Southern Arizona's dry air, dark skies, and plentiful mountain peaks are prime conditions for the many world-class telescopes that dot the region. These conditions, unfortunately, come with consequences. Arizona summers bring heat and lightning, the perfect storm for raging wildfires.

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Taylor Swift isn't content just making headlines for selling millions of albums, scooping up countless awards, or being friends with feminists like Karlie Kloss, Lena Dunham, and Cara Delevingne. The young musician, who established herself as an international superstar with the release of her first pop album, 1989 last October, has now also become a crusader for artists' rights.

Swift's first salvo against digital music service providers came in July 2014. The young artist wrote a scathing op-ed in the Wall Street Journal chiding the companies for not compensating musicians enough. Taylor, of course, was referring to popular online music streaming service Spotify, that pays artists only between just $0.006 and $0.0084 per song play.

In late 2014, Swift stepped up her crusade a notch by refusing to give Spotify the right to stream her new album, 1989, and also removing all her previous music from the streaming service. The artist said that despite being one of Spotify's most successful artists, she had been paid less than $50,000 in the past 12 months.

Just as the world was digesting the news, Apple announced the launch of Apple Music. The company also said that the streaming service would be free to all subscribers for a three-month period starting June 30th. While the news was (literally) music to fans' ears, musicians were not thrilled. That's because Apple had made a decision not to pay them for songs streamed by fans during the trial period. This news incensed Swift.

On June 21st, the artist wrote an open letter on her blog. Entitled "To Apple, Love Taylor," it outlined her concern about Apple's payment policy and informed them that she would be withdrawing her album 1989, from the new streaming service. The polite but firm note requested Apple to reconsider their policy and ended with this thought-provoking reminder - "We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation."

Taylor's heartfelt appeal did not fall on deaf ears. The following day, Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Service, Eddie Cue, sent out a tweet that said " "We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple." The executive went on to confirm that Taylor's letter had caused the company to reconsider their policy and that they would indeed pay the artists even during the free period!

The gracious artist immediately agreed to give them access to 1989, making Apple Music the first streaming service with the album. According to Taylor, "This is simply the first time it's felt right in my gut to stream my album."

Though Swift will certainly benefit from this change of heart, the young artist who is a millionaire many times over is not taking on these massive corporations for herself. Her goal is to ensure that up, and coming artists, who are in no position to stand up for their rights get fair compensation for their hard work. As the young artist succinctly put it in her 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed.
"Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for. It's my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album's price point is. I hope they don't underestimate themselves or undervalue their art."
The seven-time Grammy winner was born in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania but moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 14 to start a music career. Her first self-titled album released in 2006, helped her gain attention as an up-and-coming country star. But it was Fearless, which came out two years later and snagged four Grammy awards that established Swift as a star. Her next two albums Speak Now and Red, released in 2010 and 2012 respectively, reaffirmed her talent and popularity. But it is Swift's latest release,1989, that has transformed her from a country singer to one of the world's leading pop artists.

Aside from her personal and catchy songs, Swift's popularity can be attributed to her genuine love for her fans or "Swifties" as they like to call themselves. In addition to reaching out to them via Tumblr and Twitter, she is known to send them personal gifts and help out those in need. Prior to the release of 1989, Swift hosted several listening parties for her fans at her private homes. Swifties worldwide have responded to the talented artist's affections by purchasing over 40 million albums and escalating the young singer/songwriter into one of the best-selling musicians of all time!

Resources: forbes.com,twitterc.com,theguardian.com,taylorswift.com,digitalmusicnews.com,latimes.com

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Taylor Swift - Music Diva Turned Crusader

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Taylor Swift isn't content just making headlines for selling millions of albums, scooping up countless awards, or being friends with feminists like Karlie Kloss, Lena Dunham, and Cara Delevingne. The young musician, who established herself as an international superstar with the release of her first pop album, 1989 last October, has now also become a crusader for artists' rights.

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Video Of The Week — Adorable Arctic Fox Pups Attack Hidden Camera

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Wildlife filmmakers know to expect the unexpected when observing animals in their natural habitat. For a PBS Nature film crew trying to stealthily capture footage of Arctic foxes in the freezing Arctic tundra that meant losing a hidden camera to the curious animals.

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http://www.ourlittleearth.com/author/ourlittleearth/

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The 2017 Nobel Prizes were recently awarded. The Nobel Prize is an international award that is given every year to individuals who have made a discovery that significantly impacts mankind. The awards are given in the fields of Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Literature, and Peace. It is one of the highest honors an individual can receive in each of these fields.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael Young (all born in USA) for their discoveries that explain how humans and other living things adapt to the changes in a day. Our planet revolves around its axis, and we have day and night. These scientists figured out a gene that controls the daily biological clock which regulates our sleep patterns, feeding behavior, body temperature, and so on.

The Nobel Prize in Physics went to Rainer Weiss (born in Germany), Barry Barish (born in USA), and Kip Thorne (born in USA) for their work that led to the observation of gravitational waves. In 2015, for the first time ever, scientists detected gravitational waves that were predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity in 1915 (that's a hundred years ago). The waves that were observed were generated when two black holes collided and merged 1.3 billion years ago.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Jacques Dubochet (born in Switzerland), Joachim Frank (born in Germany), and Richard Henderson (born in the UK) for the development of cryo-electron microscopy. This technique allows scientists to freeze molecules during movement, and visualize the processes that are going on. This has helped gain knowledge about the basic materials of life.

Kazuo Ishiguro (born in Japan) won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is an author and has written 8 novels in English and other works. Some of his famous books are "The Remains of the Day" and "The Buried Giant".

Richard Thaler (born in USA) won the Nobel Prize for Economics for his work in explaining how people's economic decisions are based on their psychology. He has shown three traits that impact a person's financial decision making - limited rationality, social preferences, and lack of self-control. His work has had an impact on economic policies.

The organization International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to prevent the use of nuclear weapons and to remind us of the consequences of using such weapons. Nuclear weapons can cause tremendous amounts of destruction to all life on our planet. ICAN has worked with nations around the globe to come up with international agreements that help the world get rid of these weapons. There are almost 15,000 nuclear weapons on our planet and all are owned by 9 countries (United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea). ICAN is a coalition of non-governmental organizations in one hundred countries, and was officially launched in 2007.

The Nobel Prizes were started by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish businessman, chemist, and inventor. Nobel was born in 1833 in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. He studied chemistry. He wanted to create an explosive that could be used to blast rock while doing construction work. In 1867, he invented dynamite. That invention made him very rich. He died on December 10, 1896, and in his will, he left a chunk of his wealth to be used for rewarding people who do work to help mankind. This led to the creation of the Nobel Prizes in 1901.

Here are 3 videos. The first explains the physics award, the second the chemistry award. The last is about Alfred Nobel.

Did you know?

The Ig Nobel Prizes are given out each year in the United States for ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. The aim of the prizes is to "honor achievements that make people laugh, and then think." Here are some of the prizes awarded this year in September.

The Economics Prize was given for "experiments to see how contact with a live crocodile affects a person's willingness to gamble".

The Physics Prize was given for "using fluid dynamics to probe the question - Can a Cat Be Both a Solid and a Liquid?"

The Anatomy Prize was given for "a medical research study on why old men have big ears".

The Fluid Dynamics Prize was for "studying the dynamics of liquid-sloshing, to learn what happens when a person walks backwards while carrying a cup of coffee".

The Peace Prize was given for "demonstrating that regular playing of a didgeridoo is an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring".

And there were more!

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Catalonia votes on separation from Spain

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The 2017 Nobel Prizes were recently awarded. The Nobel Prize is an international award that is given every year to individuals who have made a discovery that significantly impacts mankind. The awards are given in the fields of Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Literature, and Peace.

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A triple weather whammy dubbed "The Big Dark" is hitting the Pacific Northwest.

A dramatic satellite image shows a series of rain and wind storms rolling across the ocean from China to the Seattle region and British Columbia

The first of three fronts brought some light rain and gusty winds on Tuesday - but a more intense system was expected to hit Wednesday through Thursday morning.

Heavy rains and wind gusts of up to 50 mph were forecast for the coast and north of Everett in Washington state, said Jay Albrecht, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

In the Seattle region, winds could hit 35 to 40 mph.

"That's not all that unusual as we get into fall, but it's our first windy system of the year and the first one tends to prune the trees of some dead branches and cause some local power outages," Albrecht told the Seattle Times.

Between 2 and 8 inches of rain are expected in the region, he added.

The third strong front due to arrive late Saturday is expected to bring another round of heavy rains and wind similar to what was forecast for Wednesday.

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Triple storm dubbed 'The Big Dark' to slam Pacific Northwest

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A triple weather whammy dubbed "The Big Dark" is hitting the Pacific Northwest. A dramatic satellite image shows a series of rain and wind storms rolling across the ocean from China to the Seattle region and British Columbia The first of three fronts brought some light rain and gusty winds on Tuesday - but a more intense system was expected to hit Wednesday through Thursday morning.

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Smoke from the fires captured by NASA's Terra Satellite (Photo Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team/Rob Gutro)

Wildfires are a common occurrence in California from early spring to late autumn, due to the dry, windy, and hot weather conditions. However, the Golden State has never experienced anything as devastating as the fires that are currently burning through parts of Northern California. Though it has been four days since the first flames ignited, firefighters still have no control over the blazes that extend all the way from Napa to Mendocino County.

The widespread destruction of what is popularly known as the wine country, began on Sunday, October 8 when three fires ignited almost simultaneously. The Atlas fire, which has already burned through 26,000 acres in Napa and Solano counties, started at 9:20 pm. Shortly after at 9:45 pm, came news of the Tubbs Fire in Calistoga and then at 10:36 pm the Redwood/Potter fires west of the Mendocino National Forest.

Santa Rosa's Coffey neighborhood before the fires (Photo Credit: Google Earth)

While having three fires start within minutes of each other late in the night is hard enough for firefighters to battle, what made things worse was the unprecedented 50-79 mph gusts of wind. Experts say the destructive winds and the bounty of plants that had bloomed following a heavy rainy season, but have since wilted and dried out, provided the perfect storm of factors.

By late Sunday night, rapidly moving infernos leaped from ridge top to ridge top, claiming houses, hotels, and wineries that lay in its path. Among the worst hit is the city of Santa Rosa, where the Tubbs fire has leveled an entire neighborhood and torched a Hilton hotel and strip-mall. The fast-moving flames forced thousands of residents to flee their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Santa Rosa's Coffey neighborhood after the fires (Photo Credit: California CHP/EPA)

Despite the ongoing efforts of the almost 8,000 firefighters who are battling the fires both from the ground and air, the situation continues to deteriorate. The rapidly spreading flames that have scorched over 170,000 acres and destroyed more than 3,500 structures, show no signs of slowing down. Over 20,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, and thousands more are ready to evacuate at short notice. At least 23 people have perished, and 285 remain missing.

Meanwhile, the weather is refusing to cooperate. The affected areas, as well as numerous other North Bay counties, are under red flag warnings (means conditions are ideal for fast-moving fires) until late tonight (October 12) due to the expected 50 mph winds. "It's a good heads-up to all the firefighters and emergency management that the conditions are going to be pretty bad in terms of the fire behaviors," said Will Pi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "We're expecting the strongest winds to be tonight and tomorrow morning."

With the rain not expected until next Wednesday there is little hope of the fires being extinguished entirely anytime soon. However, the firefighters are doing everything they can to prevent them from spreading further, by clearing out all the brush that provides the fuel.

Photo Credit: SFFlocal798 via Cal Fires Facebook

The cause of the devastating fires is still being determined. One possibility being investigated is that they were ignited by falling power lines or exploding electrical transformers, both of which were reported to Sonoma County emergency dispatchers on Sunday night. If true, this would not be the first time the local utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, would be responsible for a major fire.

In April, the State Public Utilities Commission fined the company $8.3 million for failing to properly maintain a power line which caused the massive Butte fire that killed two people, demolished 549 homes and burned through 70,868 acres in Amador County in 2015. But regardless of what caused the fire, for people that have lost their homes and livelihood, it is a life-altering event that will take many years to recover.

Stay Strong California! The world's thoughts and prayers are with you!

Resources: Cnn.com, latimes.con, sfgate.com, mercurynews.com.

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Ferocious Northern California Fires Show No Signs Of Slowing Down

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Wildfires are a common occurrence in California from early spring to late autumn, due to the dry, windy, and hot weather conditions. However, the Golden State has never experienced anything as devastating as the fires that are currently burning through parts of Northern California.

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https://padlet.com/ariel_bruening/9rrcewn9mqh2

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Joe Holland celebrates next to his prize-winning pumpkin (Photo Credit Bradley Wittke, Miramar Events)

October is pumpkin month in the US. For most people, this means devouring the various pumpkin-filled treats or visiting pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect gourd to carve for Halloween. However, for some, it means the chance to showcase their giant produce at pumpkin weigh-offs. Though there are numerous such contests held across the country, the "Super Bowl" takes place annually at Half Moon Bay, CA, aka "The World Pumpkin Capital."

The contest, which recently celebrated its 44 th year, has always been extremely popular with master pumpkin growers. However, since 2015, it has become even more so, because contestants now have the potential to take home as much as $30,000 in prize money. To claim the "World Record Prize," competitors have to submit a "World Record Pumpkin." This year, that meant one heavier than the gargantuan 2,624-pound pumpkin, which broke the world record at the Giant Pumpkin European Championship in 2016. If the winning entry was unable to surpass the record, the owner would still receive a generous $7 per pound.

Prizewinning pumpkins on display at Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival (Photo Credit: Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival)

This year's competition, which took place on October 9, attracted over 20 beautiful pumpkins from across the country. The owners, as well as thousands of spectators, watched with bated breath as the fruits were carefully picked up by forklifts and placed on the digital weighing scale. While nine of the entries came in at over 1,100 pounds each, they were no match for seven-time winner Joel Holland's massive 2,363-pound masterpiece.

Though the retired firefighter from Sumner, WA did not break the world record, he did set a new American record with his giant gourd, which is also the second heaviest pumpkin ever grown! Holland was handsomely rewarded for his efforts, with Half Moon Bay's coveted "Mel Mello Sr. Grand Champion Green Jacket" and a cash prize of $16,541 ($7 per pound).

Joe Holland poses next to his prize-winning pumpkin (Photo Credit Bradley Wittke, Miramar Events)

2016 champion Cindy Tobeck from Olympia, WA received $2,000 for her 2,002 pounder, while Jeff Uhimeyer of Tumwater, WA took home $1,500 for his 1,927 pound entry. The "Biggest Coastside Pumpkin" award went to Geroge Armanino of Pescadero, CA, while Art Martinez of Fremont, CA won the popular choice award for growing the most beautiful pumpkin. In addition to bragging rights, they each took home a cash prize of $500.

The four heaviest pumpkins have been retained for display at Half Moon Bay's Art and Pumpkin Festival, taking place this weekend (October 14 to 15). If you are among the lucky ones able to see them, be sure to let us know what the colossal produce looks like up-close, by adding your comments below.

Resources: pumpkinfest.miramarevents.co

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2,363 Pound Gourd Sets New American Record At Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest

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October is pumpkin month in the US. For most people, this means devouring the various pumpkin-filled treats or visiting pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect gourd to carve for Halloween. However, for some, it means the chance to showcase their giant gourds at pumpkin weigh-offs.

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Police arrested Radee Labeeb Prince, 37, Wednesday evening, hours after he allegedly opened fire at his workplace in Edgewood, Maryland.

In addition to the three people killed in the shooting rampage in Maryland, an additional two others were wounded, authorities said.

But that was just the first incident in a deadly mayhem that started in Maryland and ended with another shooting about 40 miles away in Delaware.

In the nearly 10 hours that Prince was on the run, he drove across state lines, shot a sixth person at a Delaware car dealership and led police on car and foot chases, officials said.

8:58 a.m.: Shooting rampage in Maryland

The series of shootings started shortly before 9 a.m.

Prince was working as a machine operator for Advanced Granite Solutions, a home remodeling business in Edgewood. The city is roughly 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.

He started working there about four months ago and was scheduled to work Wednesday, according to Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.

But what could have been a regular work day turned deadly.

At 8:58 a.m., police were called to the business. When they arrived about four minutes later, they found several employees shot.

Three victims Bayarsaikhan Tudev, 53, of Virginia; Jose Hidalgo Romero, 34 of Aberdeen, Maryland; and Enis Mrvoljak, 48, of Dundalk, Maryland were killed.

Two others were injured and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday night, officials said.

Prince shot the five victims with a handgun and acted alone, officials said. It was unclear why he did it.

"Unfortunately, like most suburban counties in America, we are not immune to workplace violence," Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said after the shooting.

10:46 a.m.: A second shooting

Prince fled after the shooting, prompting a massive manhunt.

He drove about 55 miles away to a car dealership in Wilmington, Delaware. At 10:46 a.m., he opened fire on a man who knew him.

The victim was shot several times and took a gunshot to the head, police said.

Despite his injuries, the man was conscious when officers arrived and he gave them Prince's name and a description of his vehicle, Wilmington Police Chief Robert Tracy said.

Police, who had received an earlier alert about Prince from Maryland officials, spotted the vehicle leaving the scene and briefly chased it, before losing it.

"This individual knew the people he wanted to go shoot," Tracy said earlier of the six victims. "This wasn't a random act of violence where the person went out indiscriminately and was shooting people up."

The police chief said Prince and the Wilmington victim have "had beefs, and they've had history together," but did not elaborate.

Prince has a lengthy criminal history, including 42 arrests, mostly for probation violations, and 15 felony convictions, Tracy said.

5:35 p.m.: A key tip

The search for the suspect quickly intensified.

Prince's photo was put up on FBI billboards along Interstate 95 from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. and over Atlantic City, CNN affiliate WBAL reported.

Schools in both Maryland and Delaware were locked down and photos of him and of his vehicle -- a 2008 black GMC Acadia SUV -- emerged on social media.

"There's an individual out there on the loose who committed one of the most heinous acts we've ever seen in our county. Certainly, we consider him armed and dangerous," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.

Local, state and federal agencies searched for Prince's SUV unsuccessfully for hours.

"We were everywhere. There was no stone that wasn't unturned in what we had covered," Tracy said.

Then at 5:35 p.m., a tip came, according to Tracy.

Prince had traveled about 15 miles from the scene of the second shooting and a bystander spotted him.

The tipster saw Prince leave the SUV and walk toward Glasgow High School in Newark, Delaware, according to Tracy.

7:05 p.m.: The arrest

Authorities set up a perimeter and desperately tried to find him.

Three agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who were among other authorities searching for the suspect spotted Prince walking near the school and smoking a cigar, a law enforcement official involved in the investigation told CNN.

Agents briefly chased Prince before they arrested him at 7:05 p.m., Tracy said.

During the chase, he tossed a .380-caliber gun that matched the caliber of the shells at the Maryland crime scene, the law enforcement source said.

"This brings somewhat closure and conclusion to a brief manhunt," Tracy said.

Prince never made it onto the high school grounds.

CNN's Darran Simon, Mary Kay Mallonee and AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.

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maryland shooting suspect arrested after killing 3 at his job - cnn

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Maryland shooting suspect arrested after killing 3 at his job

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Police arrested Radee Labeeb Prince, 37, Wednesday evening, hours after he allegedly opened fire at his workplace in Edgewood, Maryland. In addition to the three people killed in the shooting rampage in Maryland, an additional two others were wounded, authorities said.

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Image Credit: Cal Fires

Thanks to hardworking firefighters and tamer winds, the devastating fires that have been ravaging parts of Northern California since October 8 finally appear to be under control. While some of the 100,000 evacuees are now being allowed back home, with 217,000 acres burned and more than 5,700 structures destroyed, many are returning to charred remains.

Among them is Roland Hendel and his family. The Sonoma County residents were among the first forced to flee their homes with just a few minutes warning at 11:00 pm the night the fires began. While Hendel managed to put most of his pets into the car, one of his dogs, Odin, who protects the family's eight bottle-fed rescue goats from coyotes and mountain lions at night, refused to leave his wards. With the fire descending upon the house at an unprecedented speed, there was no time to load the goats, leaving Hendel with no option but to take off without his precious 1.5-year-old dog.

Odin and his wards (Photo Credit: Roland Hendel via Facebook)

When Hendel was finally allowed to return to his incinerated house on October 15, he saw a miraculous sight he had not dared to hope for: "a burned, battered, and weakened Odin surrounded by his eight goats." The smart dog had not only managed to save the goats, but also some baby deer, by guiding them to a clearing that was protected from the flames by high rocks. Though delighted to see his owner, Odin really perked up at the sight of his sister Tessa, who had evacuated with Hendel. Odin and his goats are currently recovering from the ordeal at the Sonoma Fairgrounds where the special dog is being treated as a hero. While Hendel was unable to take the deer, he did leave them with two weeks of food and water.

Not surprisingly, the story of the dog's bravery has spread almost as fast on social media, as the wildfire that destroyed his home, helping raise more than $65,000 for the pooch and his family. Hendel plans to use the funds to pay for Odin's medical care, repair a pumphouse that provides fresh water, and build a barn to keep the goats safe during winter. Since the funds that keep pouring in far surpass his original needs, he has decided to use the additional money towards a trailer for Odin and his goats, in case of future emergencies, and donate the rest to the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue Center. Despite losing his home, the Sonoma County resident says, "We feel really blessed. All those other things can be replaced, or you realize they're not necessary."

Photo Credit: Roland Hendel via Facebook

This is not the only heartwarming story to emerge from the disaster. Santa Rosa-based Weaver family were also forced to leave behind their Bernese Mountain Dog, who ran away just as they were fleeing the fast approaching flames. When they returned to examine the burnt remains of what used to be their home on October 16, Weaver, and his son-in-law, Patrick Widen, began clapping and whistling to see if the nine-year-old Izzy had survived. To their astonishment and delight, the two-time cancer survivor, who was covered in ashes and smelled like soot, came running out to greet them with her tail wagging.

We hope that as residents gradually return home, many such reunion stories will emerge. Our thoughts are with California as residents start to rebuild their homes and their lives, and we hope the fires will soon be fully extinguished.

Resources: cnn.com,youcaring.com

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Brave Dog Saves Family Goats And Stray Deer From California Wildfires

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Thanks to hardworking firefighters and tamer winds, the devastating fires that have been ravaging parts of Northern California since October 8 finally appear to be under control. While some of the 100,000 evacuees are now being allowed back home, with 217,000 acres burned and more than 5,700 structures destroyed, many are returning to charred remains.

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Joe Holland celebrates next to his prize-winning pumpkin (Photo Credit Bradley Wittke, Miramar Events)

October is pumpkin month in the US. For most people, this means devouring the various pumpkin-filled treats or visiting pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect gourd to carve for Halloween. However, for some, it means the chance to showcase their giant produce at pumpkin weigh-offs. Though there are numerous such contests held across the country, the "Super Bowl" takes place annually at Half Moon Bay, CA, aka "The World Pumpkin Capital."

The contest, which recently celebrated its 44 th year, has always been extremely popular with master pumpkin growers. However, since 2015, it has become even more so, because contestants now have the potential to take home as much as $30,000 in prize money. To claim the "World Record Prize," competitors have to submit a "World Record Pumpkin." This year, that meant one heavier than the gargantuan 2,624-pound pumpkin, which broke the world record at the Giant Pumpkin European Championship in 2016. If the winning entry was unable to surpass the record, the owner would still receive a generous $7 per pound.

Prizewinning pumpkins on display at Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival (Photo Credit: Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival)

This year's competition, which took place on October 9, attracted over 20 beautiful pumpkins from across the country. The owners, as well as thousands of spectators, watched with bated breath as the fruits were carefully picked up by forklifts and placed on the digital weighing scale. While nine of the entries came in at over 1,100 pounds each, they were no match for seven-time winner Joel Holland's massive 2,363-pound masterpiece.

Though the retired firefighter from Sumner, WA did not break the world record, he did set a new American record with his giant gourd, which is also the second heaviest pumpkin ever grown! Holland was handsomely rewarded for his efforts, with Half Moon Bay's coveted "Mel Mello Sr. Grand Champion Green Jacket" and a cash prize of $16,541 ($7 per pound).

Joe Holland poses next to his prize-winning pumpkin (Photo Credit Bradley Wittke, Miramar Events)

2016 champion Cindy Tobeck from Olympia, WA received $2,000 for her 2,002 pounder, while Jeff Uhimeyer of Tumwater, WA took home $1,500 for his 1,927 pound entry. The "Biggest Coastside Pumpkin" award went to Geroge Armanino of Pescadero, CA, while Art Martinez of Fremont, CA won the popular choice award for growing the most beautiful pumpkin. In addition to bragging rights, they each took home a cash prize of $500.

The four heaviest pumpkins have been retained for display at Half Moon Bay's Art and Pumpkin Festival, taking place this weekend (October 14 to 15). If you are among the lucky ones able to see them, be sure to let us know what the colossal produce looks like up-close, by adding your comments below.

Resources: pumpkinfest.miramarevents.co

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2,363 Pound Gourd Sets New American Record At Pumpkin Weigh-Off Contest

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October is pumpkin month in the US. For most people, this means devouring the various pumpkin-filled treats or visiting pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect gourd to carve for Halloween. However, for some, it means the chance to showcase their giant gourds at pumpkin weigh-offs.

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Gordon Hayward leg injury dislocated his ankle and fractured tibia.

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Gordon Hayward leg injury dislocated his ankle and fractured tibia.

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Ryan Kelly

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Oct 18, 2017

Chris ForsbergESPN Staff Writer

Close

Covered Celtics since 2007

Emmy award-winning videographer

Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009

CLEVELAND -- Celtics forward Gordon Hayward left the court on a stretcher after suffering a horrific-looking leg injury a little more than five minutes into his Boston debut Tuesday night.

Hayward's left leg bent awkwardly after he went up for an alley-oop pass, collided with LeBron James and collapsed under the basket with 6 minutes, 45 seconds left in the first quarter of the season opener.

Players initially kept their distance as doctors tended to Hayward. Celtics teammates and Cleveland Cavaliers players, including James, then checked on Hayward as he was being stretchered from the court.

After the game -- a 102-99 Celtics loss -- Boston coach Brad Stevens said Hayward dislocated his ankle and fractured his tibia. The team announced the injury as a fractured left ankle. Hayward was set to fly back with the Celtics to Boston on Tuesday night and go directly to New England Baptist Hospital after landing.

ESPN's Michael Wilbon reported after the game that Hayward would have surgery Wednesday. But Hayward's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Hayward would evaluate a course of action Wednesday after undergoing MRI and CT exams in the morning.

The crushing loss of a prized newcomer to an ankle injury didn't leave Boston without hope, as Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum showed.

Drawing comparisons to some of the worst on-court injuries in recent history, the Celtics and rival Cavaliers sent well-wishes to Gordon Hayward after he dislocated his left ankle and fractured his tibia.

After a horrific injury to Gordon Hayward, what is Boston's outlook for the 2017-18 season? Kevin Pelton looks at where the Celtics go from here.

Hayward signed a four-year, $128 million contract with the Celtics in July, making him the first of two All-Stars they acquired this summer. Boston later picked up Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Cavs. Hayward's arrival in Boston reunited him with his former Butler coach, Stevens.

"You hurt for him. He's put in a lot of great work. And I thought he had his most comfortable week as far as feeling like he was going to play really well," Stevens said Tuesday night. "But now we'll hopefully get a full recovery, right? And so it's a tough deal, but I guess that's part of it, the risk of injury. I really feel for him."

Hayward's left ankle turned at such an odd angle that teammates stood in shock as he motioned for help from the sideline.

Cavaliers guard Dwyane Wade knelt with his hand on his head nearby, as team doctors worked on Hayward. Shellshocked Celtics players huddled, with Irving burying his head in the chests of teammates Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum.

Fans gave Hayward a standing ovation as he was taken from the court with his entire left leg immobilized in an air cast. Sources told ESPN that Hayward's ankle was reset on the floor, which reduced his pain and stabilized him.

He was immediately taken to the Cavaliers' locker room for more evaluation.

Numerous doctors and Cavaliers and Celtics officials were with Hayward in the Cleveland locker room, where he received X-rays. Many were ashen as they left, including Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman.

Isaiah Thomas was in the locker room with Hayward for an extended period before returning to the Cleveland bench. Thomas recruited Hayward to Boston this summer before being traded to the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who recruited Hayward to Cleveland as a free agent in 2014, also visited him in the locker room.

The Celtics trailed by 16 at the half but rallied in the third quarter.

As far as what the coach told his team at halftime about focusing on basketball after the injury, Stevens said, "I don't have any magic words for that. You're all hurting for him. I'm not going to try to take the human element out of it."

Players across the league immediately reacted on social media to the injury, including Paul George, who broke his leg in a gruesome injury in 2014.

God bless you bro @gordonhayward ! 🙏🏾 help him thru this god!
- Paul George (@Yg_Trece) October 18, 2017

"It was terrifying," said Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose team was preparing to play its season opener against the Houston Rockets. "The whole coaches' office was just devastated watching it. It just shows the fragile nature of what we do."

The Celtics play their home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
Information from ESPN's Brian Windhorst was used in this report.

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Hayward dislocates ankle minutes into debut

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Oct 18, 2017 Chris ForsbergESPN Staff Writer Close Covered Celtics since 2007 Emmy award-winning videographer Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009 CLEVELAND -- Celtics forward Gordon Hayward left the court on a stretcher after suffering a horrific-looking leg injury a little more than five minutes into his Boston debut Tuesday night.

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Joshua Ward

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RYAN WARD

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The Wi-Fi network you're using may be susceptible to hacking.

A new security flaw, discovered by researcher Mathy Vanhoef of the University of Leuven in Belgium, appears to be affecting Wi-Fi connections.

The issue stems from WPA2, a protocol that secures wireless networks. The flaw, called KRACK (short for Key Reinstallation Attack), could let a hacker within range of your device break encryption and potentially steal and manipulate data.

"Attackers can use this novel attack technique to read information that was previously assumed to be safely encrypted," Vanhoef wrote. "This can be abused to steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos, and so on."

This means an attacker could trick someone's device into connecting to their Wi-Fi access point, instead of the one to which they're trying to connect.

But there's bit of a silver lining: There are no reports of this flaw being exploited in the wild, and some companies have already issued patches.

In his report, Vanhoef listed a number of operating systems at risk, including Google Android, Linux, Apple MacOS, Microsoft Windows, OpenBSD, MediaTek, and Linksys.

Related: The U.S. government is making federal communications more secure

Android 6.0 and Linux are the most at risk, the report said.

"We're aware of the issue, and we will be patching any affected devices in the coming weeks," a Google spokesperson told CNN Tech.

Meanwhile,Microsoft said customers who have the latest Windows Update, launched last week, and applied the security updates, are automatically protected. Apple confirmed the flaw has been patched on all its products and a fix will be available for everyone in the next few weeks.

If you use only secure websites -- that is, those that use HTTPS, instead of HTTP with a lock icon in the address bar -- you're protected from this vulnerability, according to the report. However, that can be difficult on mobile apps.

United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) issued a warning on Monday that encouraged all Wi-Fi users to install updates when available. The organization is keeping a running list of affected vendors.

The Wi-Fi Alliance, a group of companies that defines Wi-Fi standards and certifies products, said it will now test for the vulnerability as part of its certification process and provide a detection tool to any of its members.

An attack may also be a challenge for hackers execute.

"The good news is that for most home users, the attacks are computationally expensive and not trivial," said Kenneth White, a Washington D.C.-based security consultant to federal agencies. "But Android owners in particular should be checking for updates and pressing their device maker for a response."

Vanhoef said that home users should make it a priority to update phones and computers.

CNNMoney (San Francisco) First published October 16, 2017: 2:10 PM ET

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Wi-Fi network flaw could let hackers spy on you

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A new security flaw, discovered by researcher Mathy Vanhoef of the University of Leuven in Belgium, appears to be affecting Wi-Fi connections. The issue stems from WPA2, a protocol that secures wireless networks. The flaw, called KRACK (short for Key Reinstallation Attack), could let a hacker within range of your device break encryption and potentially steal and manipulate data.

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https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/into-the-eye-2/

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A few years ago, it caught the attention of researcher Patrick Treuthardt as he analyzed a span of galaxies. At first, he thought it was a small, fairly common elliptical galaxy that happened to be more circular than usual. But a closer look revealed that he had stumbled across something incredibly rare.

At the heart of the galaxy was a 5.5 billion-year-old round, red core. It was encircled by a 130 million-year-old faint blue ring, with nothing connecting it. Treuthardt's finding matched the description of a Hoag-type galaxy.

Further analysis revealed something even more surprising: an older, diffuse red inner ring around the core.

"It was like spotting a snow leopard or some other rare and elusive animal," Treuthardt said. "A Hoag-type galaxy, one with a single circular ring surrounding a round core, is already very rare, but finding one with potentially two very regular rings is quite unique.

"One estimate states that Hoag-type galaxies may make up 0.1% of observable galaxies, and it could be much less than that. You would be more likely to be dealt four of a kind in a hand of five-card poker. This galaxy may be one of a kind."

Most galaxies have a bar or visible disk structure that shows how the core and its rings are connected. Usually, the rings aren't symmetrical because they form due to galaxies interacting with other galaxies or their environment. This galaxy's round core and ring defy both of those properties and challenge theories.

He discovered that although PGC 10000714 was included in catalogs of galaxies, there was no description to match it.

Treuthardt, an astrophysicist at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, worked with a team of researchers to image and study the galaxy. They used multi-waveband images from a large-diameter telescope to determine the age of its features. Their research was published in a study on Wednesday.

To Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil, a Ph.D. candidate at the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, it resembled Hoag's Object. Named for the astronomer who discovered it in 1950, Hoag's Object is a non-typical ring galaxy with a round core and perfect, detached outer ring with no signs of a hidden substructure.

Hoag-type galaxies strongly resemble this and are extremely rare. Their origin is debated, Mutlu-Pakdil said. Usually, their structure differs and is more disc-like rather than round.

So few of them are known that scientists still don't have definite conclusions about their nature, evolution or systematic properties.

When Mutlu-Pakdil analyzed the galaxy, she was so surprised by the second inner ring that she checked the analysis multiple times. Each time, she received the same result.

"Then I realized one more time that the universe is full of surprises and we still have a lot to learn," she said.

One possibility for why these galaxies are so rare could be traced to the rings themselves. Compared with the rest of the galaxy they are attached to, the rings may not have a long life or may form only under certain conditions, Treuthardt said.

Because the two rings are different colors and ages, the galaxy could have experienced two periods of formation and growth. Another possibility is that the outer ring was acquired as the galaxy included parts of a neighboring galaxy, according to the study.

But the data for PGC 10000714 are limited. In order to learn how the rings formed, Treuthardt said, researchers will need infrared images and spectroscopic data. He also wants to investigate the inner portions and structure of the galaxy and discover more about its gas environment.

"By really understanding how this galaxy and others like it may have formed and evolved, it helps us better understand galaxy formation and evolution in general," Treuthardt said. "Outliers like PGC 1000714 challenge our theories, which is an important aspect of science."

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ultra-rare galaxy could be 'one of a kind' - cnn

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Ultra-rare galaxy could be 'one of a kind'

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A few years ago, it caught the attention of researcher Patrick Treuthardt as he analyzed a span of galaxies. At first, he thought it was a small, fairly common elliptical galaxy that happened to be more circular than usual. But a closer look revealed that he had stumbled across something incredibly rare.

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Boston Celtics’ Gordon Hayward grimaces in pain in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, in Cleveland. Just five minutes into his Boston career, new Celtics star forward Gordon Hayward gruesomely broke his left ankle, an injury that may end his season

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Boston Celtics’ Gordon Hayward grimaces in pain in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, in Cleveland. Just five minutes into his Boston career, new Celtics star forward Gordon Hayward gruesomely broke his left ankle, an injury that may end his season

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
CLEVELAND - The immediate reactions varied from players turning and covering their eyes in horror to courtside fans with hands over their agape mouths pointing in shock about what just unfolded before them.

Just five minutes and fifteen seconds into his career as a member of the Boston Celtics, forward Gordon Hayward went up for a layup, drew contact and landed awkwardly below the rim. Hayward's momentum forced his left ankle to snap, his foot ultimately resting at what appeared to be a 90-degree angle to his left as he looked on in horror.

Jeff Green, one of the players on the Cavaliers bench, which had a front row seat for the sequence of events, was one of the most animated, completely leaving his seat to head toward the team's tunnel.

"I was hoping I didn't see what I saw," Jeff Green told Bleacher Report. "It was gruesome. I didn't expect to see that when he rolled and turned our way. I thought it was his lower back or his ass or something. You never wish injury on anyone, especially such a good player like that."
Tony Dejak/Associated Press
Play continued for a brief moment but was blown dead once the injury became apparent. As Hayward laid underneath the Cavaliers' basket, members of the Celtics training staff sprinted to his attention. Security members within Quicken Loans Arena surrounded the forward as to shield him from view. The arena was silent. Cavs guard Dwyane Wade took a knee at midcourt before joining LeBron James and teammate Isaiah Thomas in consoling their injured opponent.

James and Thomas would follow Hayward into the Cavaliers' locker room as he was taken off the floor on a stretcher, his leg mobilized.

The diagnosis: A dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia, according to Boston head coach Brad Stevens. When asked what was going through his mind, James, one of the closest players to the action, was succinct.

"A lot," James said. "I've seen a couple injuries like that in my lifetime. Paul George, when [a similar injury] happened to Paul. I was watching the game with Shaun Livingston when he was with the Clippers. And I was watching NCAA basketball with Kevin Ware when he was at Louisville.

"Those are injuries that you never see coming, that you never want to happen no matter who it is, no matter how much competitive nature you have. It's very unfortunate."

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
LeBron gives Gordon Hayward some words of encouragement following his injury. https://t.co/VW4HDDoP2k
2017-10-18 00:24:23

In the coming days, there will be plenty of analysis about where the Celtics go from here. Can a Kyrie Irving-led team-sans Hayward-compete with the Cavs? Furthermore, what is this group's ceiling, as is, in a top-heavy Eastern Conference?

But in the moment, members of the Cavaliers, who will eventually be forced to consider the ramifications of Hayward's injury from a basketball standpoint, showed nothing but sympathy for a fellow competitor.

Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love, who was seated next to Green during the play, went from resting his elbows on his knees to grabbing his own leg as if it were in phantom pain, turning 180-degrees toward the Quicken Loans Arena crowd.

"It's sad," Love added. "You see someone go down like that. It was ugly. It wasn't pretty. You can just hope for the best as he recovers."

"This is a competitive game," Wade said. "We all compete. But it's a brotherhood at the end of the day and no one wants to see that at all."

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Celtics' Gordon Hayward helped off by medical staff after appearing to break his ankle https://t.co/ha7CjnVi8z
2017-10-18 00:20:49

As far as a timetable for Hayward's return, nothing has been announced as of yet. But Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes offers a bit of perspective.

"The closest comparable injury in the InStreetClothes.com NBA Injury Database occurred during the 2006-07 season when 76ers forward Shavlik Randolph suffered a broken and dislocated left ankle. The injury occurred in practice and wasn't televised but the scene was reported as 'gruesome.'"

"Gruesome", if you recall, is exactly how Green described Hayward's injury.

Per Stotts, Randolph missed 68 games that year, which were all that remained following his injury.

As far as Hayward's spirit goes, it's understandable that Celtics head coach Brad Stevens could only answer "down" when asked about it after the game. But if the All-Star can find solace in anything at the moment, it might be that the NBA community is pulling for him -even his newest rivals.

"It was very difficult," Cavs head coach Ty Lue said following the game. "Even though he's on the opposing team, we're still a fraternity, and we're still brothers.

"He's been a great player in this league, an All-Star, and a model citizen as far as the NBA is concerned. We wish him well."
*All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Cavs Players on Gordon Hayward Injury: 'I Was Hoping I Didn't See What I Saw'

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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images CLEVELAND - The immediate reactions varied from players turning and covering their eyes in horror to courtside fans with hands over their agape mouths pointing in shock about what just unfolded before them.