Lunar eclipse: science behind why Moon changes colour

A lunar eclipse is when the Earth casts its shadow over the moon. Often the moon turns brown in an eclipse but can become a reddish, coppery colour or orange. Thursday's eclipse sent the moon into a "blood red" colour.

The lunar face is usually tinged by light from the Sun that refracts as it passes through our atmosphere. But the intensity of the colour depends on the amount of ash and dust in the atmosphere. The Moon, a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles in diameter has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. It orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days and as it circles the planet, its changing position, in respect to the Sun, causes our natural satellite to cycle through a series of phase. An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon.

The phenomenon known as a “total lunar eclipse” occurs when the planet completely blocks the sun, causing the moon to darken and appear to change colour. But the moon does not become completely shaded because the Earth's atmosphere refracts, or bends, indirect sunlight toward it, which gives off a dim illumination. As indirect sunlight must travel through the Earth's atmosphere before reaching the moon, any clouds or dust in the atmosphere will block out some colours in the sunlight.

“The total phase of a lunar eclipse is so interesting and beautiful precisely because of the filtering and refracting effect of Earth's atmosphere,” a Nasa spokesman says. Astronomers say this causes the moon to seem to change colour, frequently in yellow, orange, or red shades. The exact colour varies depending on weather conditions. The specific phenomenon that occurred on Thursday was known as a "deep lunar eclipse". Scientists said the eclipse could be safely observed with the naked eye. The next total lunar eclipse will be on December 10. There will be partial solar eclipses on July 1 and November 25, but the next total solar eclipse will not take place until November 13, next year.

Stargazers across the globe have been treated to  lunar eclipse, the longest in more than a decade, which turned the moon a blood red colour. Stargazers with clear skies throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia were treated to the visual treat, when the terrestrial shadow started to fall at 6.24pm BST and lifted just before midnight. The "totality", which is when the lunar face is completely covered, lasted 100 min. which scientists said was the longest since July 2000

READ MORE »

Astonishing image captures night sky in dazzling formation

Exclusive: Lit up in the night sky, this spectacular picture shows a galaxy of stars in a dazzling formation more akin to a large-scale spinning wheel.

The astonishing image, taken in the heart of the Australian outback, was used simply by taking advantage of the earth's rotation.

Andrew Brooks, an amateur photographer, took the image using his camera, a tripod, his neighbour's lounge room light and a little patience while letting gravity do the rest.

The image, taken in the remote town of Denial Bay, a fishing village on the edge of the Great Australian Bight, was taken using a special “time lapse” process.

It takes advantage of the earth’s natural rotation, which explains the circular appearance.

Each picture takes about 36 minutes to complete – the camera shutter is locked open for 18 minutes before it spends a similar amount of time processing what it has taken – which then produces what appears to be a moving image.

READ MORE »

Scientists create cow that produces 'human' milk

Scientists in Argentina have created the world’s first cow to boast two human genes that will enable it to produce human-like milk.

Genetic engineering was used to introduce the “mothers’ milk” genes into the animal before birth, according to the National Institute of Agribusiness Technology in Buenos Aires.

As an adult the cloned cow “will produce milk that is similar to humans” in what will prove “a development of great importance for the nutrition of infants”, it said in a statement.

“The cloned cow, named Rosita ISA, is the first bovine born in the world that incorporates two human genes that contain the proteins present in human milk,” the statement said.

In April scientists in China published details of research showing that they had created GM Holstein dairy cows which produced milk containing proteins found in human breast milk.

But the Argentine team say the Chinese only introduced one human gene, whereas their research involved two genes meaning the milk will more closely resemble that of humans.

READ MORE »

Abandoned penguin chick thinks glove is its mother

Zoo keepers are fooling an abandoned penguin chick into thinking a black industrial glove is its parent.

Keepers at Living Coasts in Torquay, Devon, are standing in as the tiny chick's parents after it was abandoned before it had even hatched. In order to hand rear the chick, keepers are wearing a home-made penguin glove puppet during its feeds to stop it from becoming used to humans. The puppet is made from a black rubber industrial glove decorated with red eyes and yellow plumes to mimic an adult macaroni penguin.Exhibit manager Clare Rugg said: ''This way contact is kept to a minimum - yes, the chick will hear and see keepers, but it will also see the glove which has the shape and colour of an adult penguin.''

The egg was not incubated by its parents after one of them became ill. It usually takes two birds to look after an egg so it was abandoned. The adult bird has since recovered. Living Coasts director Elaine Hayes said: ''We decided to hand rear because the egg was fertile but would not have survived and there are not many macaroni penguins in the UK.'' The chick is fed every three hours between 8.30am and 8.30pm on a blended mixture of filleted herring, krill, vitamins and water which is warmed and fed to the chick using a syringe.

Senior keeper Lois Rowell said: ''It looks and smells like a pink fish milk shake.'' She added: ''We don't mind the chick becoming familiar with us so long as it knows it's a macaroni penguin and recognises what one looks like, hence the glove.'' Staff are also playing the chick a recording of the sounds of the macaroni penguin group.

READ MORE »

Cyclist fends off leopard attack with mountain bike

A South African cyclist attacked by a leopard on his way to work was able to fend off the animal with his mountain bike.

Pieta Ncube, 39, was able to fight the animal off as it tore into the back of his head with its claws. "I slowed down to see what was behind me," he said. "I was just able to use my bike to stop him getting me".

Mr Ncube said he managed to trap the animal's two front legs in the triangle of his bicycle's frame so that it could not move freely or reach him with its teeth. He eventually pulled a loose steel bar he had attached to his bicycle and smashed the leopard around the head as it clawed at his face and head. The frightened beast then ran off into the bush.

He said he then tried to administer first aid on himself before calling his boss for help. Police launched a full-scale search for the leopard following Tuesday's attack, which happened near the town of Brits in South Africa's North West province. Mr Ncube has been released from hospital but will need injections every three days for a month to prevent infection.

READ MORE »

Eco-friendly mentality has reached a new level in Spain, with one European artist creating a hotel made entirely out of rubbish.

 

While it's  literally a load of garbage, the accommodation does have an message to instil on consumers, as it has been launched as this year's Corona Save the Beach hotel. The five-bedroom building, which has been designed by artist HA Schult, is constructed from 12 tonnes of rubbish, all of which was found littering the beaches around Europe.

Visitors to Madrid will be able to see the Beach Garbage Hotel until January 23rd, with the display period coinciding with a tourism fair being held in the Spanish capital. The aim of the structure is to raise awareness of the plight of beaches and seas around the world, which are increasingly plagued by litter.

HA Schult told AFP news agency: 'I created the Beach Garbage Hotel because the oceans of our planet are the biggest garbage dump.'

Rose Piqueras, a spokesperson for the project, added: 'We wanted to show what our holidays could become if we don't clean our beaches.'

In 2009, it helped save Capocotta beach in Rome and in 2010 the campaign focused on Portman Bat in Murcia, Spain.

READ MORE »

Woman reunited with diamond ring flushed down toilet two years ago

A woman has been reunited with a diamond ring that she accidentally flushed down the toilet two years ago - and after a waste firm helped her sift through 12,000 gallons of sewage.

Joan Speirs, who happens to be the Conservative leader of Surrey's Reigate and Banstead Council, was at the Charlwood Hotel near Gatwick when she lost the antique gold ring, set with a certified diamond and a handful of smaller diamonds.

The 67-year-old then paid Dorking-based waste disposal company Clear Master to put a camera into the cesspit tank and subsequently filter 12,000 gallons of waste. One worker was even sent into the tank with a metal detector - to no avail.

'She was understandably distraught. The ring was worth a significant amount of money but it was also of great emotional value because it was given to her by her late husband,' Julie French, director of the firm, said of Ms Speirs.

'We did everything we could. We emptied the sewage tank and put a camera into it to see if the ring had got lodged anywhere,' she added. 'We got permission to empty the tank at a Thames Water site and put it through the sewage works, hoping that would filter it out, but we still didn't find it.'

It was sheer coincidence, then, that one of the family-run company's eight employees was sent to the same works two-and-a-half years later - and stumbled upon the ring. 'He took it in the shower with him to rinse it off and brought it into the office,' Ms French explained after the worker, Lloyd Hampshire, spied the gem glinting through the muck.

'My husband was the only person who had seen the original photo of the lost ring and recognised it immediately. 'Two of the smaller diamonds had fallen out but apart from that, it was just in need of a good clean.'

READ MORE »

Family find car three years after parking it

A family have been reunited with a car they lost almost three years ago. Gerald Sanctuary left the silver Honda in a car park while he went shopping in May 2008.

But the 80-year-old, who suffers dementia, then forgot where he had left it.

Despite a search, it stayed undiscovered in the NCP site until attendant Charlene Lewis noticed it looking suspiciously dirty last month and called police.

Mr Sanctuary’s son, Nigel, said: ‘It’s just amazing that it was right under our noses the whole time.’

The 50-year-old, of St Albans in Hertfordshire, said the vehicle, which still had a credit card on the dashboard, worked fine despite its long lay-off.

‘It’s a real wonder it fired up straight away,’ he added.

READ MORE »

Best responses to annoying telemarketers

Telemarketers have no shame and no regards for the privacy of others. This is no. 1 worst job ever according to recent Washington poll. Instead of being angry, destroy they’re day when they call you

If they start out with, "How are you today?" say, "I'm so glad you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems. My arthritis is acting up, my eyelashes are sore, my dog just died ..."

If they say they're John Doe from XY Company, ask them to spell their name. Then ask them to spell the company name. Then ask them where it is located, how long it has been in business, how many people work there, how they got into this line of work, etc.

This works great if you are male. Telemarketer: "Hi, my name is Judy and I'm with XY Company. " You: Wait for a second and with a real husky voice ask, "What are you wearing?"

Say "No" over and over. Be sure to vary the sound of each one, and keep a rhythmic tempo, even as they are trying to speak. This is most fun if you can do it until they hang up.

After the Telemarketer gives his or her spiel, ask him or her to marry you. When they get all flustered, tell them that you can't just give your credit card number to a complete stranger.

Tell the Telemarketer you are busy at the moment and ask him/her if he/she will give you his/her home phone number so you can call him/her back. When the Telemarketer explains that telemarketers cannot give out their home numbers say, "I guess you don't want anyone bothering you at home, right?" The Telemarketer will agree and you say, "Me either!" Hang up.

Tell them it is dinner time, but ask if they would please hold. Put them on your speaker phone while you continue to eat at your leisure. Smack your food loudly and continue with your dinner conversation.

NOTICE: The above have all been tested and approved for use on telemarketers. No animals were harmed in the testing.

READ MORE »

Chinese truck driver's dramatic escape

This Chinese truck driver is very lucky person. He avoided certain death after his vehicle somehow span out on the major road than clipped the concrete wall and turn over the edge.


Thanks to a single punctured tyre and some torn sheet metal near the diesel tank, the truck somehow managed to cling on to the concrete barrier, albeit upside down.

Rescuers moved in to pluck the driver to safety, never being entirely sure when the metal or tyres would finally give up their life saving properties and let the truck plunge 200 feet into the gorge below in rural China.
The rescuers risked their own lives, as the truck could have given way at any moment. "If the lorry had fallen, they'd have plummeted too," an onlooker said.

READ MORE »

Archaeologists find graveyard of sunken Roman ships

A team of archaeologists using sonar technology to scan the seabed have discovered a "graveyard" of five pristine ancient Roman shipwrecks off the small Italian island of Ventotene.

The trading vessels, dating from the first century BC to the fifth century AD, lie more than 100 meters underwater and are amongst the deepest wrecks discovered in the Mediterranean in recent years, the researchers said on Thursday.

Part of an archipelago situated halfway between Rome and Naples on Italy's west coast, Ventotene historically served as a place of shelter during rough weather in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

"The ships appear to have been heading for safe anchorage, but they never made it," said Timmy Gambin, head of archaeology for the Aurora Trust (www.auroratrust.com). "So in a relatively small area we have five wrecks...a graveyard of ships."

The vessels were transporting wine from Italy, prized fish sauce from Spain and north Africa, and a mysterious cargo of metal ingots from Italy, possibly to be used in the construction of statues or weaponry.

Gambin said the wrecks revealed a pattern of trade in the empire: at first Rome exported its produce to its expanding provinces, but gradually it began to import from them more and more of the things it once produced.

In Roman times Ventotene, known as Pandataria, was used to exile disgraced Roman noblewomen. The Emperor Augustus sent his daughter Julia there because of her adultery. During the 20th century, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini used the remote island as a prison for political opponents.

Images of the wrecks show their crustacean-clad cargoes spilling onto the seafloor, after marine worms ate away the wooden hull of the vessels.

Due to their depth, the ships have lain untouched for hundreds of years but Gambin said the increasing popularity of deep water diving posed a threat to the Mediterranean's archaeological treasures.

"There is a race against time," he said. "In the next 10 years, there will be an explosion in mixed-gas diving and these sites will be accessible to ordinary treasure hunters."

Taken from:Reuters

READ MORE »