Sunday, 17 February, 2019

The Milky Way’s Local Arm is Metropolitan

Posted on Tuesday, 21 January, 2014Sunday, 20 August, 2017 by Zheluo Cai

The Milky Way’s Local Arm is Metropolitan

Earth’s arm of the galaxy is muscular, astronomers announced June 3 at the 222nd American Astronomical Society meeting in Indianapolis. While the Local Arm first appeared to be a mere “spur” of the larger Sagittarius or Perseus arms between which it is sandwiched, new evidence shows it to be a significant limb on its own. Either way, our picture of the Milky Way is changing and may continue to do so as telescopes become increasingly precise and sophisticated.

Scientists’ conception of our galaxy is still evolving because determining the Milky Way’s shape is like mapping a building while stuck in your office. Astronomers cannot step outside and observe the overall structure, so they have to get creative. To upgrade the Local Arm to a metropolitan area, the Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy (BeSSeL) survey team monitored the motions of molecules.

Watch - Lassa Fever in Nigeria Thursday, 7 February, 2019
Nigerian health officials have declared an outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria. Travelers to Nigeria should avoid contact with rats, especially rat urine and feces, and keep their accommodations or campsites clean.
Watch - Andes Virus (Hantavirus) in Argentina Monday, 28 January, 2019
There is an outbreak of Andes virus in Argentina, specifically in Chubut Province of Patagonia. Travelers to Argentina should avoid contact with rodents and their droppings (urine and feces), and avoid close contact with anyone who may be sick.

ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY: Thor’s Helmet. Image Credit & Copyright: Ignacio Diaz Bobillo. NGC 2359 is a helmet-shaped cosmic cloud with wing-like appendages popularly called Thor’s Helmet. It is about 30 light-years across and located about 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. In fact, the helmet is more like an interstellar bubble, blown as a fast wind from the bright, massive star near the bubble’s centre inflates a region within the surrounding molecular cloud. Known as a Wolf-Rayet star, the central star is an extremely hot giant thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution. The image highlights a blue-green colour from strong emission due to oxygen atoms in the glowing gas.

Florida Students to Speak with NASA Astronaut Aboard International Space Station Friday, 15 February, 2019
University and high school students from Florida will have an opportunity to talk with a NASA astronaut on the International Space Station next week.
NASA Selects New Mission to Explore Origins of Universe Wednesday, 13 February, 2019
NASA has selected a new space mission that will help astronomers understand both how our universe evolved and how common are the ingredients for life in our galaxy’s planetary systems.

IMAGO DEI: The Ndebele tribe or amaNdebele, one of the smaller ones of the Nguni speaking tribes that migrated to South Africa, were the first Nguni speaking people to move into the interior of the country instead of the coastal areas. The Nguni tribes represent nearly two thirds of South Africa’s Black population and can be divided into four distinct groups; the Central Nguni (the Zulu-speaking peoples), the Southern Nguni (the Xhosa-speaking peoples), the Swazi people from Swaziland and adjacent areas and the Ndebele people of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga.

Yemen - Level 4: Do Not Travel Thursday, 14 February, 2019
Do not travel to Yemen due to terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, and armed conflict. Terrorist groups continue to plot and conduct attacks in Yemen. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting public sites, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities. Additionally, there is a continuing threat of kidnapping/detention by terrorists, criminal elements, […]
Burkina Faso - Level 3: Reconsider Travel Thursday, 14 February, 2019
Reconsider travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do not travel to: The Sahel Region due to crime and terrorism. The East Region due to crime and terrorism. The Provinces of Koulpelogo, Loroum, Yatenga, Sourou, Kossi, Banwa, Kenedougou, or within 50km of the Mali border […]

Nigeria Saturday, 16 February, 2019
Summary - Presidential and National Assembly elections, due to take place in Nigeria on 16 February 2019, have been delayed a week until 23 February. The Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections, due on 2 March, have also been delayed by a week until 9 March. You should continue to avoid rallies, public gatherings […]
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Belarus Friday, 15 February, 2019
Latest update: Summary - removal of link to information and advice page for the BATE Borisov v Arsenal match on 14 February
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WORK OF ART: Studies of the Foetus in the Womb are two-coloured annotated sketches by Leonardo da Vinci made in around 1511. Da Vinci studied human embryology with the help of anatomist Marcantonio della Torre and saw the foetus within a cadaver. The studies were initially bequeathed to Francesco Melzi. In c. 1582–90 they were bought from his heirs by Pompeo Leoni, and by 1630 they belonged to Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Arundel. Since 1690 the studies have been housed in the Royal Collection, United Kingdom.