Blue moon shines around the world

Tonight's blue moon may not be as rare as it sounds, but it's still special — as is every glorious full moon, whichever color you use to describe it. Actually, the term "blue moon" is something of a misnomer. There's no reason for the full moon to be any bluer than usual (though it's certainly possible for the moon to take on a blue tinge). Instead, it has to do with the extra occurrence of a full moon in a given calendar cycle. Various cultures have used different terms to describe that extra lunar cycle — Adhik Maas for Hindus, or an extra month of Adar for the Jewish calendar. The Maine Farmers' Almanac used the term "blue moon" to describe an extra moon in a particular quarter of the year.Then, in 1946, an amateur astronomer named James Hugh Pruett wrote about the phenomenon for Sky & Telescope magazine, in the context of the old saying that a rare occurrence happened only "once in a blue moon."

Only problem was, he got it wrong.Pruett described the blue-moon phenomenon as the second full moon in a calendar month. Sky & Telescope stuck with that, and the definition has been used (and hotly debated) ever since. If you go along with the definition, then tonight's full moon is blue due to the fact that it follows a full moon on the night of Aug. 1. There's another long-debated issue surrounding blue moons: You could argue that they happen way too often to be considered as rare as a "blue moon" in the proverbial sense. The interplay of the lunar and solar calendars dictates that a blue moon should occur, on average, every 2.7 years.Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson summed up the issue a couple of days ago in a Twitter update: "A month's second full moon is the blue moon. Not rare. More frequent than presidential elections, yet nobody calls them rare."

Technically speaking, the moon is already a few hours past its full phase — but it's still well worth taking note of, and not just because it's the last blue moon until July 31, 2015. It provides a fitting opportunity to pay tribute to history's first moonwalker, Neil Armstrong, who passed away last weekend. In fact, Armstrong's family is urging you to look at the moon in Neil's honor. "The next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink," the family said.Photographers around the world have already been getting great moon shots. Here's a sampling of the "blue moon" views:For still more blue-moon pictures, check out SpaceWeather.com's photo gallery and NASA's Flickr site for blue-moon imagery. If you snap a great picture of the moon tonight, please consider sharing it with us. Use our FirstPerson upload tool to send us your moon shot, and we'll pass along a sampling of the photos we receive.

Vesa Vauhkonen's moonrise montage served as the subject of this week's "Where in the Cosmos" photo quiz on the Cosmic Log Facebook page. It took a while this time, but John Culp and Brian Svacina eventually guessed that the photo was taken in Finland. To reward their geographical smarts (or was it just plain luck?), I'm sending them pairs of 3-D glasses, provided courtesy of Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope project. Those red-blue glasses will add an extra dimension to moon pictures like this one. Got 3-D? Click the "like" button for the Cosmic Log Facebook page and get ready for next Friday's quiz.The Phrase Finder delves deeply into the origins of the phrase "blue moon," meaning a rare event, and appears to have come up with a sensible explanation. In 16th-century England, the expression was apparently used to describe an impossible event, like pigs flying. The phrase pops up in a sarcastic context in a 1528 work by William Barlow, Bishop of Chichester, titled "Treatyse of the Buryall of the Masse": "Yf they saye the mone is belewe, we must beleve that it is true."

It took centuries longer for the phrase to describe something that hasn't happened in quite a while. The Phrase Finder cites this quote in Pierce Egan's "Real Life in London" (1821): "How's Harry and Ben? haven't seen you this blue moon." Meanwhile, the Maine Farmers' Almanac put its own astronomical twist on the term, going back to the 19th century.

Arctic ice cap shrinks to new record low

Researchers are blaming global warming for a record ice melt. Although many people still refuse that humans are completely responsible for the Earth getting warmer, it's difficult to stay away from the truth that global temperatures are without a doubt raising. Simply take a glance at the Arctic Ocean, in which researchers state ice levels is going to be at their lowest modern levels ever within a week or two. Before this year, the record smallest dimensions the Arctic ice cap was 4.25 million square kilometers. Although the present ice cap isn't quite at those levels the last approximate was 5.09 million square kilometers levels still drop sharply by around 100,000 square kilometers per day. Ice levels will constantly drop through the end of the melting season that may be around two weeks from now. Or even if the ice melt ceased instantly, the present level would still mark the third lowest on record. Unluckily, Arctic ice melt is a vicious cycle. According to National Snow and Ice Data Center Director Mark Serrez, "the ice now is so dilute in the spring, just

iPad mini coming in October

The most popular holiday gift for 2012 won't come from a cabbage patch, but it won't desire you "tickle me." No, this year's well-liked gift may be the new iPad mini, which, according to AllThingsDigital, is going to be formally announced at an event this October. Depending on AllThingsDigital's several sources, Apple may have two major unveiling events this fall. One on September 12 for the iPhone 5, after which another in October to announce the iPad mini. The concept is that the iPad mini will likely be an enormous seller for Apple this holiday season the company doesn't need to drop two atomic bombs on the same day. It's been rumored that the modern iPad mini will have a 7.85-inch display, which makes it a lot more portable than the existing new iPad with Retina display. The smaller sized size means it is going to compete directly with a smaller class of affordable tablets that will contain a completely new iteration of Amazon's Kindle Fire. And although we don't be familiar with the price point of the new iPad mini yet , several apparently think that the machine will be priced around $249 or $299 to remain competitive with the incredibly popular $199 Nexus 7.

 

The world’s longest bus seats 256 people

Germany is rolling out a gigantic 98-foot-long form of public transportation. The city of Dresden, Germany will very soon be getting an extensive addition to its public transportation system that will only be identified as a train on wheels. Manufactured by Fraunhofer IVI and the Technical University Dresden, the three-section Autotram Extra Grand bus is 98 feet long that can carry 256 passengers, however doesn't need specific training for its driver. Considered to be as easily maneuverable as a commonly sized bus, the Autotram Extra Grand uses a computer system to aid its driver with turning. The system's most important objective is to make sure that the rear section of the bus specifically follows the front and middle sections constantly. Along with the advanced guidance system, the bus includes green technology in the form of a hybrid gas and electric engine that will take a trip five miles operating completely on battery power. The Autoram Added Grand would hit the streets of Dresden in October after completing safety testing outside of the city. Its manufacturers say that they've already got inquiries from other cities all over the world about getting their own versions of the bus, because it costs far less to put into operation and keep up than commuter rail systems, yet still carries an enormous amount of passengers.

What are West Nile virus symptoms?

West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, who get it by biting infected birds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About four out of five people who become infected by a mosquito bite have no symptoms.

However, about 20% of people who become infected with West Nile virus develop West Nile fever, within two to 15 days afterward.

Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, occasionally with a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands. While the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks.

There is no treatment for West Nile virus fever, the CDC says.

About one in 150 infected with West Nile virus will develop a severe form of the disease called neuroinvasive disease, according to the CDC. This includes West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis and West Nile poliomyelitis.

Symptoms of these diseases include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

Anyone who develops a high fever with severe headache should consult their health care provider.

People over age 50 and the immunocompromised (for example, transplant patients) are at the highest risk for the severe form of the disease.

One in 1,000 people who get West Nile virus die.

Empire State Building Shooting Suspect Kept Firing After Victim Fell

The gunman who triggered a wild shootout in front of the Empire State Building today gunned down a former work acquaintance without saying a word, and stood over his prone victim to pump more bullets into him, police said today.

The shooter, identified by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as Jeffrey Johnson, pulled his gun a second time when confronted by two police officers a half block away and pointed it at the police.

He was cut down in a hail of 16 bullets that left Johnson riddled with 10 bullet holes. Nine bystanders were also wounded by what police believe were ricochets, police said.

Johnson, 58, was lurking outside a building adjacent to the Empire State Building, ABC News station WABC in New York reported. The building housed Hazan Imports Corp., which had once contracted with Johnson to design T-shirts, police told WABC.

Johnson's relationship with the company ended bitterly a year ago in a dispute with the company's account executive, Steven Ercolino, 41, police said.

A friend of Ercolino's who witnessed the shooting told police that she noticed Johnson, who was wearing a suit and carrying a black bag, outside the building. She saw him walk up to Ercolino and without saying a word, fire five times at the victim and keep firing as Ercolino slumped to the ground, police told WABC.

Ercolino's father was heartbroken.

"Steven was a wonderful son. He was very good son and person," Frank Ercolino of Warwick, N.Y., told ABC News.

Johnson calmly walked away from the shooting, the witness told police, but New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said he was followed by a construction worker. The worker alerted two New York Police Department officers who confronted Johnson.

Johnson pulled his gun again, held the gun chest high and extended his arm, police told WABC.

The two cops, who were about eight feet away from Johnson, opened fire, killing Johnson.

"He tried to shoot at the cops," Bloomberg said. "We do not know if he got any shots off."

Police told WABC Johnson had a .45-caliber handgun and there was an extra clip of bullets in his bag.

Johnson was struck at least seven times and some of the 10 bullet holes were exit wounds, authorities said.

The nearby curb was lined with large cement flower pots meant to thwart an attempted car bomb, and some were damaged, WABC reported.

Witness George King told ABC News he watched several people around him struck by bullets.

"I heard multiple gunshots, I'd say about 12 of them," he said. "I thought they were firecrackers, at first. I didn't know what was going on. Everyone started running for cover along with me. The girl that was running next to me fell down to the pavement and, when I looked at her, I could see she had been hit in the leg. She was bleeding from the leg.

"I noticed about five people who had been struck on the sidewalk or the street," he said.

Another witness to the shooting, Cyrus Balanlayos, told ABC News he was on a bus just outside the Empire State building when he heard several very quick gunshots.

"I looked up and saw hundreds of people running north. It seemed like a Godzilla film," Balanlayos said. "I saw two bodies on the ground right in front of the bus."

Balanlayos said that after he got off the bus he saw another two other people who appeared to have been shot -- a man and a woman.

"All I heard was, 'Oh my god, Oh my god,'" he said.

Police told WABC that Johnson legally bought his gun in Sarasota, Fla., in 1991. He illegally brought it to New York City, which has strict gun laws.

Military to test hypersonic jet which could zip across the U.S. within an hour

A superfast jet which could fly from L.A. to New York City in less than 1 hour perhaps one move closer to fact after a vital test this week. The X-51A WaveRider, an unmanned aircraft which could reach speeds up to Mach 6 would be launched from the wing of a B-52 bomber high above the Pacific Ocean. The Wave-Rider is predicted to zip up into the environment and fly at hypersonic speeds 3,600 mph for 300 seconds, before breaking up into the ocean.

In case successful, it may be the longest jaunt for the test aircraft. The development of Wave-Rider may well lead to improvement on a passenger jet that may theoretically travel across the U.S. in 46 minutes. Attaining sustained hypersonic flight is much like going from propeller-driven aircraft to jet aircraft. However beyond passenger flights, attaining hypersonic speeds may also result in the development of the next generation of missiles, space vehicles and military aircraft, the Times points out. The Wave-Rider program had a concern in June of 2011 when the test vehicle in the same test to the one planned for Tuesday did not succeed to reach full power.

The Pentagon stated it invested about $2 billion on technology and engineering around hypersonic flight during the last decade, the Times reports. This program is expected to cost $140 million, according to www.globalsecurity.org, a military policy research website. If you are holding score, the Concorde, a supersonic airliner, crossed the Atlantic at 1,350 mph. It might take on about 3.5 hours, about twice as fast as up-to-date commercial airlines. The Concorde was retired in 2003.

 

courtesy: www.dreamzs.net
Military to test hypersonic jet which could zip across the U.S. within an hour

Rio de Janeiro Gears up for '16 Olympics After Brazil's Record Showing

London put on a show, so did Beijing four years ago, but now it's Rio's turn to throw a carnival-style extravaganza.For all those beach volleyball players who thought Horse Guards Parade transformed itself into the sport's best Olympic venue yet, wait until they hit the sand in Brazil in four years.

"Rio! Rio! Rio!" Brazilian beach volleyball star Emanuel said after winning a silver medal last week. Emanuel plans to be there as a fan by then, his international playing days over.

Yes, the Brazilians have long begun envisioning their Olympics.

With London saying goodbye to a Summer Games that played to wide acclaim, the Olympic baton passes to Rio de Janeiro. And with it comes a whole lot of work for the 2016 hosts. Not to mention loud music and fanfare.London's show will prove a tough act to follow, but Rio will be looking to dazzle the world with its beaches and breathtaking views while dealing with the daunting challenge of getting a city ready for the world's most sweeping sports event.

Large-brimmed Brazilian hats sporting the 2016 logo showed up four years early in London. Along with thousands of party-ready Brazilian fans providing the perfect preview of what's next for the world to see.Leonardo Gryner, CEO of Rio de Janeiro's organizing committee, has given off some hints of what to expect."In Brazil, as you know, we like to party," Gryner said at a news conference.Construction in Rio, at a cost of roughly $15 billion, began on Olympic Park and Olympic Village in June and all venues are expected to be completed by 2015.

Carlos Carbajo turned up for a late pub lunch Sunday at St. Stephen's Tavern near Westminster Abbey after watching Brazil lose the men's volleyball final to Russia. He has many friends from Brazil and got into the spirit by sporting a Brazilian flag neckscarf for the occasion at Earls Court.

"For a few minutes I was picturing myself in the Rio carnival," said Carbajo, a 26-year-old Spaniard who has lived in London for nearly two years. "As soon as I got to the Earls Court area, I was overwhelmed and excited by the Brazilians. They created the proper atmosphere, and they are so passionate. Many of them were wearing the logo for 2016 on oversized hats. They are preparing for the Olympics in Rio."

And if people thought those Brazilian costumes were crazy in London — green and yellow wigs, flag leggings, shawls and face paint — wait until those outfits are kicked up a notch once the games come to home soil.

Brazil's victorious women's volleyball team gave quite a glimpse of what's ahead. The Brazilians stunned the favored Americans on Saturday, then held an hour-long party at Earls Court, celebrating South America style.

Moments after winning a second straight Olympic championship, the players formed a circle with arms around each other as they jumped up and down. Several players moved to the middle as the circle danced some more. As they marched back in for the medal ceremony, they clapped and sang repeatedly, "The champion is back! The champion is back!" Several jumped onto the referee's stand while others somersaulted across the court.

"I'm so happy, we're double Olympic champions!" star player Jaqueline Carvalho said.And the Brazilians are certain to have quite a welcome home when they return to a country with Rio already on its mind.

Record Medal Showing

Brazil won a record number of medals at the London Games and is aiming for a top-10 finish at the 2016 Games in Rio, when athletes will be competing at home backed by unprecedented funding.

Team Brazil won 17 medals overall in London, two more than it did in 2008 in Beijing and 1996 in Atlanta. It finished with the same three gold medals as in Beijing, two short of its record from the 2004 Athens Games, when Brazil was 16th overall."We reached our goal," said Marcus Vinicius Freire, the Brazilian Olympic Committee's top sports director. "It's within the numbers that we had predicted."Officials had expected Brazil to win at least 15 medals at the London Games.Yane Marques won Brazil's final medal when she finished third in the modern pentathlon on Sunday.

Among the highlights of Brazil's participation in London were Sarah Menezes' victory in the 48-kilogram division for the country's first gold in women's judo; Arthur Zanetti's still rings title for the nation's first medal in gymnastics; and the women's volleyball team repeating as Olympic champions.In addition to the three gold medals, Brazil won five silver and nine bronze.The Brazilian committee said it has already identified some of the sports in which the country will need to improve in order to finish in the top 10 in Rio. The committee wants Brazilian athletes making more finals, particularly in swimming and athletics."The number of finals overall deserve our attention," Freire said. "We made 41 in Beijing and only 35 here."Brazil didn't win a single medal in athletics this year, and only two in swimming — a silver for Thiago Pereira and a bronze by Cesar Cielo.