First Meteor Shower of 2013 Peaks Tonight

First Meteor Shower of 2013 Peaks Tonight
Annual Quadrantids sky show will intensify in wee hours.



Quadrantid meteors streak over the Mojave Desert, California, in January 2012.

Photograph by Wally Pacholka, TWAN


Andrew Fazekas

for National Geographic News

Published January 2, 2013


Kick off the New Year with the annual Quadrantid meteor shower, which will peak tonight into tomorrow morning.

During the peak period between 3 a.m. and dawn local time, as many as a hundred shooting stars per hour will be visible from dark locations in the Northern Hemisphere. (Read about the 2011 Quadrantids.)

While the glare of the waning moon will mute the display somewhat, "don't let that stop you from stepping outside, as intense activity is limited to only six hours," said Jim Todd, planetarium manager at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

There's also no need for binoculars or telescopes to catch this sky show, according to Geza Gyuk, astronomer with the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Early Thursday morning, "find a site with a clear northern horizon where the shower appears to radiate out from—just off the handle of the Big Dipper—and bundle up and bring a friend," said Gyuk.

"A meteor shared is a meteor squared. One gets so much more pleasure when one can compare notes, gripes, and wonder!" he added.

Quadrantids Named for "Missing" Constellation

During a meteor shower Earth passes through a cloud of sand-grain-size particles left behind by a passing comet. The particles get ionized in the upper atmosphere in a bright flash of light—some of which are brighter than others.

Tiny fragments from the comet slam into the Earth's atmosphere at 90,000 miles per hour (1.4 million kilometers per hour) and burn up 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth, "creating the spectacular display we know as a meteor shower," Todd explained.

Like other meteor showers, the Quadrantids (pronounced Kwa-drun-tids) get their name from the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate.

Dubbed Quadrans Muralis in the 19th century, this shower's namesake pattern of stars isn't found in any map of the heavens today.

Overcrowded star charts forced the removal of the constellation in 1922.

Astronomers decided to have Quadrans Muralis absorbed by the neighboring constellation Boötes, the Herdsman.

As for the Quadrantids keeping their name, it's likely that astronomers at the time decided to maintain it to avoid any confusion with the already established Bootid meteor shower.

Quadrantids Overlooked But Impressive

Historically the Quadrantid meteor shower is overlooked simply because of its brevity and timing—right in the middle of the most frigid winter nights in the Northern Hemisphere, where they are best seen.

But the Quadrantids are worth a look.

For one, they're prolific: "Nearly as many Quadrantid meteors will fly as can be seen during the larger August Perseid and December Geminid meteor showers," said the Oregon museum's Todd.

(Related pictures: "'Beautiful' Geminid Meteor Showers Grace Skies.")

The Quadrantids are also "well known for producing fireballs—exceptionally bright meteors which can also at times generate persistent trails," Todd said.

What's more, the meteor shower's parent object holds some mystery—it appears to be a recently discovered asteroid dubbed 2003 EH1.

And observational evidence is mounting that this object is most likely an extinct comet nucleus, said Todd, which appears to be the remnant of a larger object that broke apart about 500 years ago.

This unusual cosmic heritage makes sense, as the Quadrantids don't appear in older records.

"Other meteor showers, such as the Perseids and perhaps Leonids, seem to be fairly old, with historical documentation suggesting that they have been observed for thousands of years," said Gyuk.

"For the Quadrantids, there is good evidence to suggest that the shower didn't really start until about 500 years ago—making this also consistent with its very narrow peak in activity."

Countries DAKAR 2012 - BEST OF COUNTRIES Discover the most beautiful countries that DAKAR rally crossed during the 2012 edition.

The Dakar Rally is one of the most mentally and physically grueling races in existence, with all aspects of the contest demanding riders’ complete and continued focus over the course of the 14-stage endeavor. The 2013 edition will be no different since across those 14 stages are 8423 total kilometers (5233 miles) of some of the harshest terrain around, 4146 km (2576 miles) of which will be timed. Equipped with a Road Book, GPS and a machine scrutinized down to the last detail, riders will set out on the largely solitary journey starting in Lima, Peru, on January 5, 2013. They will ride for 15 days and end in Santiago, Chile, on January 20, 2013. The 2013 adventure marks the fifth South American event in the Rally’s history . 

Leaving Lima, riders will head to Pisco and then complete a loop in Stage 2 where they will encounter immense chains of sand dunes, paying homage to the Saharan Desert terrain in which the contest was born. They will then move south down the coast through Nazca, Arequipa and Arica before heading east at Calama, crossing over the Andes Mountains into Argentina. Moving inland will take riders over all varieties of terrain and through incredible variations in altitude before they’re turned back toward the ocean following the ninth stage stop in Cordoba. The remaining five stages take riders back west through La Rioja and Fiambala until they reach Copiapo at which point they turn south, following the coastline of Chile until they reach the finish in Santiago.

Even though the race has yet to start there’s already been one major shift that will affect the outcome. Three-time Dakar champion Marc Coma will be unable to compete due to lingering injuries sustained during the Rally of Morocco in November of 2012. Despite efforts at rehabilitation with physiotherapists and doctors, he continues to suffer from shoulder issues that affect his range of movement. Following the announcement it 

Cyril Despres is a favorite to win Dakar in 2013 now that one of his main rivals, Marc Coma, is out due to injury.

was revealed that AMA National Hare and Hound Champion Kurt Caselli had been selected to ride in Coma’s stead, giving the American rider his first crack at the toughest rally race in the world and marking a milestone in his professional career.

“It has always been a goal in my career to compete in the Dakar,” said Caselli. “There would be no way possible for me to achieve this without the ongoing support of KTM. To be able to race the greatest off road race in the world aboard the best bike in the world is truly a blessing. This is not only a milestone in my career but also in my life.”

Caselli’s KTM teammate, Cyril Despres, winner of the 2012 Dakar, will chase his fifth career Dakar victory in 2013. He comes having won the 2012 Rally of Morocco by over six minutes ahead of Husqvarna’s Joan Barreda in a race that serves as the final official contest where teams preparing for Dakar compete before the big show in January. With Coma out, the French rider is considered the favorite to win, but no amount of past glory can predict the outcome of the race ahead, especially since Dakar is an endurance race pitting man and machine versus the terrain. One unseen rock or hazard can quickly spell the end of the race for even the most seasoned rider.

“I am always cautious,” said Despres. “I always say that my biggest rival on the Dakar isn’t the other competitors but the desert itself. That is the thing on the Dakar that no one can master.”

Though Coma will be out of the action , Despres will still have plenty of competition from other teams. Factory Honda backed Team HRC will field three riders, Helder Rodrigues, Johnny Campbell and Javier Pizzolito, marking 2013 as the first time Big Red has put full factory support behind a Dakar team in over two decades. When the team was initially announced there were five riders, but Sam Sunderland and Felipe Zanol were injured during pre-Dakar testing in the Mojave Desert and are now unable to compete. All five raced in the Rally of Morocco and Rodrigues proved to be the 

Team HRC lost Sam Sunderland and Felipe Zanol after they were injured during testing in the Mojave Desert.

strongest rider of the team in the event, earning a number of stage wins. Except for a mid-rally crash, Rodrigues would have been on pace to challenge Despres for the overall win. The Portuguese rider took third-place overall finishes in both the 2012 and 2011 Dakar, making him one of the most potent threats to Despres’ bid for a second consecutive title.

Campbell has a lifetime of race experience and is one of the few riders beside Caselli who will represent the United States in the event. He has been a dominant figure in Baja Racing for more than 20 years and has raced the Dakar on both two and four wheels. Pizzolito ran his first Dakar in 2010, which ended soon after the start due to mechanical issues, but he returned in 2011 and finished 19th overall. The Argentine rider took a DNF in 2012 and returns to prove his mettle before the home crowd in 2013. All three Team HRC riders will mount the newly developedCRF450 Rally bike, which Honda revealed this October at the Intermot show in Germany and first raced in the Rally of Morocco. 

Husqvarna Rally Team by Speedbrain has also put together a squad of fierce competitors for Dakar 2013, including Barreda, Paulo Goncalves, Alessandro Botturi and Matt Fish. Barreda and Goncalves both vied for top spots in the 2012 Rally of Morocco, with Barreda finishing second overall and Goncalves taking fifth. The two were also regularly competitive against the likes of Coma and Rodrigues during the 2012 Cross Country Rally World Championship. Fish notched a number of top-10 stage finishes during the Cross Country Championship, and Botturi earned honors as best rookie in the 2012 Dakar, finishing eighth overall.

Francisco "Chaleco" Lopez of Chile took third-place overall in 2010 and returns to challenge for another Dakar podium in 2013.

Jordi Viladoms will also pilot a Husqvarna TE449RR prepared by Speedbrain, but will be supported by Chilean team Tamarugal XC. He placed fourth overall in Dakar 2012 and was a consistent podium finisher during the Cross Country Rallies Championship. He even secured an overall win at the 2012 Sardinia Rally Race, which he took by almost 10 minutes ahead of Botturi. 2013 will be the seventh time he’s competed in Dakar.

Other riders to watch include local hero Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez of Chile, who took third place overall in 2010 and who finished the 2012 Rally of Morocco in third as well aboard his KTM 450 Rally bike. Dutch rider Frans Verhoeven has secured Yamaha Factory support for both the 2013 and 2014 Dakar and has multiple stage victories as well as a career best eighth-place overall result, which he took in 2009. Factory KTM has also put support behind a “B” team made up of South African riders Darryl Curtic and Riaan Van Niekerk, as well as Polish rider Jakub “Kuba” Przygonski. 

Motorcycle USA will provide daily coverage of the 14-stage Dakar Rally, so check back often for updates on all the action. 

New "persecution of Christians" have launched worldwide

New "persecution of Christians" have begun worldwide, especially in Muslim states, particularly in the Middle East where Christians are essentially threatened with extinction. 200 million Christians, about 10% of Christians worldwide, "dealt disadvantaged in society, harassed or oppressed actively for their beliefs."

H Civitas, the famous British "think tank" for the civil society,  adopted recently an extensive study on " Christianophobia ", signed by Rupert Shortt, scholar, editor of The Times Literary Supplement and fellow of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford. The study makes it clear that Christians worldwide suffer more hostility than any other religious group, while politicians appear essentially "blind" before the extent of violence against Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Among half to two thirds of the Christians of the Middle East have been forced either to migrate or killed during the last century, leaving the land where Jesus was born without Christians. Apart from violent attacks, killing and plunder, the study notes that "Christians who say their religious beliefs are employed in public services find their professional advancement virtually impossible." Recall that in Britain, where the research was published there have been cases of Christians who even threatened with dismissal because pectoral cross worn when working in the public and private sectors.

Often the persecution and "Christianophobia" relate to fears of authoritarian regimes that Eastern Christianity is a "Western belief" that aims to katavarathrosi them. And contributed to this wasteful use of the term "Crusade» (crusades) by George W. Bush, creating the feeling that one is imminent coordinated attack of Christianity on Islam, which had to fight back.

The state prosecution of Christianity occurs in greater China, where more Christians imprisoned than anywhere else in the world, says the UK Telegraph.

The actual hostility against Christians is constantly growing, and unfortunately help the "Arab Spring," which brought more assertive Islamic political forces in things. The study recorded hundreds of cases of attack by fanatics against Christians, mostly in Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria, Burma and China.

The only Christian minister in Pakistan, the Catholic Shahbaz Bhatti, was assassinated last year. The Telegraph carries that after the murder was videotaped message with the words: "I prefer to die for my principles and for the justice in my community rather than to compromise. Share with you that I believe in Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. "

The Primate of the Orthodox Church, the Syrian Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John of Damascus called all Christians to remain in Syria despite the continuation of the civil war. In his first speech after his election called on the warring parties to end the conflict. In audiovisual message posted on the internet, dissidents threatened to attack two Christian villages where residents do not prosecute government troops there.

Note that the politicians in the western world or icily indifferent to religious genocide taking place on a large scale, as demonstrated by the study of Shortt, or fear that any expression of concern will be featured racist, brandishing political cost.

ΠΗΓΗ: http://www.pentapostagma.gr/2012/12/think-tank.html#ixzz2GZCJavd2

COMET ISON

ΜΑΛΟΝ ΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΑΝΑΒΛΗΘΗΚΕ ΓΙΑ ΛΙΓΟΥΣ ΜΗΝΕΣ!

In 2013 a comet called Ison will put on a once in a lifetime show. The comet is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several months in late 2013, and could at times be brighter than the Moon.
It will be visible from all around the world.

At the moment it is a faint object, visible only in sophisticated telescopes as a point of light moving slowly against the background stars. It doesn't seem much – a frozen chunk of rock and ice – one of many moving in the depths of space. But this one is being tracked with eager anticipation by astronomers from around the world, and in a year everyone could know its name.

Comet Ison could draw millions out into the dark to witness what could be the brightest comet seen in many generations – brighter even than the full Moon.

It was found as a blur on an electronic image of the night sky taken through a telescope at the Kislovodsk Observatory in Russia as part of a project to survey the sky looking for comets and asteroids – chunks of rock and ice that litter space. Astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok were expecting to use the International Scientific Optical Network's (Ison) 40cm telescope on the night of 20 September but clouds halted their plans.

It was a frustrating night but about half an hour prior to the beginning of morning twilight, they noticed the sky was clearing and got the telescope and camera up and running to obtain some survey images in the constellations of Gemini and Cancer.

When the images were obtained Nevski loaded them into a computer program designed to detect asteroids and comets moving between images. He noticed a rather bright object with unusually slow movement, which he thought could only mean it was situated way beyond the orbit of Jupiter. But he couldn't tell if the object was a comet, so Novichonok booked time on a larger telescope to take another look. Less than a day later the new images revealed that Nevski and Novichonok had discovered a comet, which was named Comet Ison. A database search showed it has been seen in images taken by other telescopes earlier that year and in late 2011. These observations allowed its orbit to be calculated, and when astronomers did that they let out a collective "wow."

Comet Ison has taken millions of years to reach us travelling from the so-called Oort cloud – a reservoir of trillions and trillions of chunks of rock and ice, leftovers from the birth of the planets. It reaches out more than a light-year – a quarter of the way to the nearest star. In the Oort cloud the Sun is but a distant point of light whose feeble gravity is just enough to hold onto the cloud. Every once in a while a tiny tug of gravity, perhaps from a nearby star or wandering object, disturbs the cloud sending some of its comets out into interstellar space to be lost forever and a few are scattered sunward. Comet Ison is making its first, and perhaps only visit to us. Its life has been cold, frozen hard and unchanging, but it is moving closer to the Sun, and getting warmer.

Ison's surface is very dark – darker than asphalt – pockmarked and dusty with ice beneath the surface. It's a small body, a few tens of miles across, with a tiny pull of gravity. If you stood upon it you could leap 20 miles into space taking over a week to come down again, watching as the comet rotated beneath you. You could walk to the equator, kneel down and gather up handfuls of comet material to make snowballs, throw them in a direction against the comet's spin and watch them hang motionless in front of you. But it will not remain quiet on Comet Ison for the Sun's heat will bring it to life.

By the end of summer it will become visible in small telescopes and binoculars. By October it will pass close to Mars and things will begin to stir. The surface will shift as the ice responds to the thermal shock, cracks will appear in the crust, tiny puffs of gas will rise from it as it is warmed. The comet's tail is forming.

Slowly at first but with increasing vigour, as it passes the orbit of Earth, the gas and dust geysers will gather force. The space around the comet becomes brilliant as the ice below the surface turns into gas and erupts, reflecting the light of the Sun. Now Ison is surrounded by a cloud of gas called the coma, hundreds of thousands of miles from side to side. The comet's rotation curves these jets into space as they trail into spirals behind it. As they move out the gas trails are stopped and blown backwards by the Solar Wind.

By late November it will be visible to the unaided eye just after dark in the same direction as the setting Sun. Its tail could stretch like a searchlight into the sky above the horizon. Then it will swing rapidly around the Sun, passing within two million miles of it, far closer than any planet ever does, to emerge visible in the evening sky heading northward towards the pole star. It could be an "unaided eye" object for months. When it is close in its approach to the Sun it could become intensely brilliant but at that stage it would be difficult and dangerous to see without special instrumentation as it would be only a degree from the sun.

Remarkably Ison might not be the only spectacular comet visible next year. Another comet, called 2014 L4 (PanSTARRS), was discovered last year and in March and April it could also be a magnificent object in the evening sky. 2013 could be the year of the great comets.

As Comet Ison heads back to deep space in 2014 the sky above it would begin to clear as the dust and gas geysers loose their energy. Returning to the place where the Sun is a distant point of light, Comet Ison may never return. Its tail points outward now as the solar wind is at its back, and it fades and the comet falls quiet once more, this time forever.

Police in Peru Burn Over 5 Tonnes of Drugs

Ατάκες Παπακωνσταντίνου στην Επιτροπή Διαφάνειας

Snow Sculptors Create Massive Horse Sculpture in NE China

Romfea.gr | Μια Ρωσική Εκκλησία από χιόνι φιλοτέχνησαν επαγγελματίες τεχνίτες του πάγου, πέριξ της Εθνικής Οδού στην βορειανατολική Κίνα.

Μέχρι σήμερα χιλιάδες έχουν δει το έργο τέχνης, το οποίο χρειάστηκε πάρα πολλές μέρες εργασίας για να ολοκληρωθεί.

NICE PHOTO