Wednesday, February 28, 2018
James Martin: Saturday TV chef dropped FIVE stone in weeks cutting out THIS fatty food [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
James Martin, 45, revealed how he dropped five stone in weight cutting out a certain fat laden food.
The British chef and television presenter rose to fame presenting BBC cooking show Saturday Kitchen, and last year starred on Strictly Come Dancing.
He currently presents ITV show Saturday Morning with James Martin.
Famous for his pudding and Yorkshire pudding recipes, the 6ft 4 chef, who is married to Louise Davies, dropped from 19st 7lbs to 14st.
So how did James lose all this weight? He stopped eating one of his main cooking ingredients.
The famous chef, who once ate chunks of butter as he was cooking, gave up this bad habit to help him lose the weight.
“I’m determined to stay healthy and fit,” he told Daily Mail.
“It’s hard work because I’m a big bloke so I’ve really got to watch what I eat and drink, and make sure I exercise regularly.”
He also credited his Strictly dancing regime for helping him shift the excess stones – losing five stone in seven weeks.
“I mean, I needed to!” he told Prima magazine, talking of how he dropped the weight during Strictly filming.
Talking after his friend, chef Simon Rimmer, appeared on the show, James explained the gruelling regime.
“Once you get past week four, it’s seven days a week, 10 hours a day minimum.’
Recently, it was revealed how Jamie Oliver lost two stone in three months.
He managed it by changing his habits in the bedroom, namely how much he slept.
The television chef, who rose to fame with BBC show The Naked Chef, tackled his weight issues ahead of his 40th birthday in 2015.
He said at the time he felt time “ticking” ahead of this milestone age.
But how did the chef, who is married to model Jools Oliver, lose all the weight?
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/916858/james-martin-weight-loss James Martin: Saturday TV chef dropped FIVE stone in weeks cutting out THIS fatty food
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]James Martin: Saturday TV chef dropped FIVE stone in weeks cutting out THIS fatty foodRadiation Will Tear Elon Musk’s Rocket Car to Bits in a Year [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
There’s a “midnight cherry” Tesla Roadster hurtling toward deep space right now, the first-ever payload of the Falcon Heavy rocket. It’s worth asking why this is happening, and Live Science has. But given that it is happening, it’s also worth asking what is going to happen to this electric sportscar condemned to what could be a billion-year elliptical journey through outer space.
The first factor that will determine the Roadster’s fate, of course, will be the success or failure of the spacecraft lofting it out of Earth’s gravity well.
As Live Science sister site Space.com reported, SpaceX has taken pains to dampen expectations, pointing out the rocket could fail on the launchpad or somewhere in the atmosphere or space. (A few dozen minutes after launch it hasn’t failed yet.)
And while Elon Musk is willing to trust his sportscar to the Falcon Heavy, Space.com reported, he’s no longer planning to trust it with the liability of human lives. In other words, there’s a reasonable chance that the Roadster might meet its end in a quick shower of flames, twisted metal and burnt carbon falling to Earth. [7 Everyday Things That Happen Strangely in Space]
If none of that happens, the next possible fate for the Roadster looks pretty similar, but happens on Mars or somewhere along the way there. As Inverse writer Yasmin Tayag reported, SpaceX has raised the possibility that the car could skim too close to Mars along its orbit and crash into the Red Planet.
But what if nothing goes wrong?
What if the rocket works? What if it enters its intended orbit without incident? What if an electric sportscar does end up spending a billion or so years in outer space?
“I’m not so worried about the vacuum itself,” said William Carroll, a chemist at Indiana University and expert in plastics and organic molecules.
Human beings tend to experience some pretty grisly effects in vacuum. But that has more to do with our internal pressures no longer getting counteracted by an atmosphere, Carroll said, than any direct effects of the vacuum itself.
Cars just don’t have those kinds of internal pressures.
“I might disable the airbag before I send it,” Carroll said, “I probably wouldn’t fill it with windshield washer fluid.”
Deal with that though, along with the pressure in tires, and there isn’t much left on the convertible to go pop in a vacuum.
The real forces that will tear the car apart over hundreds of millions of years in space, Carroll said, are solid objects and — most importantly — radiation.
Even if the car avoids any major collisions, over very long time horizons, it’s unlikely the vehicle could avoid the kind of collisions with micrometeorites that leave other space junk riddled with craters over time, Carroll said.
But assuming those collisions don’t completely tear the car apart, the radiation will.
Down on Earth, a powerful magnetic field and the atmosphere largely protect human beings (and Tesla Roadsters) from the harsh radiation of the sun and cosmic rays. But spacefaring objects have no such protections.
“All of the organics will be subjected to degradation by the various kinds of radiation that you will run into there,” Carroll said.
Organics, in this case, doesn’t mean the bits of the car that obviously came out of animals, like its leathers and fabrics. Instead, it includes all the plastics in the sportscar and even its carbon-fiber frame.
“[Those materials] are made up largely of carbon-carbon bonds and carbon-hydrogen bonds,” Carroll said.
The energy of stellar radiation can cause those bonds to snap. And that can cause the car to fall to bits as effectively as if it were attacked with a knife.
“When you cut something with a knife, in the end, you’re cutting some chemical bonds,” Carroll said.
A knife cuts those bonds in a straight line. But radiation will split them at random, causing organic materials from the leather seats to the rubber tires to the paints to — given a long enough time span — perhaps even the carbon fiber body to discolor, flake, and splinter away into space.
And under the harsh glare of the unshielded sun, Carroll said, that process could happen fast.
“Those organics, in that environment, I wouldn’t give them a year,” he said.
Materials with fewer bonds holding them together will disintegrate first, Carroll said. Anything hidden behind an inorganic (no carbon bonds) shield would last longer, though eventually even the plastic woven into the convertible’s glass windshields would discolor and come apart. The sturdy carbon-fiber parts would likely be the last to go, he said, over a much longer span of time.
Eventually, the Roadster would likely be reduced to just its well-secured inorganic parts: the aluminum frame, internal metals and any glass parts that don’t shatter under meteor impacts. (The idea that glass melts over long time spans is a myth, he said.)
Richard Sachleben, a retired chemist and member of the American Chemical Society’s panel of experts, largely agreed with Carroll’s assessment in an email to Live Science — though he did suggest it would likely still be somewhat recognizable, at least after a million years.
“A billion years is a long, LONG time,” Sachleben wrote, “so no telling what it will be like by then.”
Carroll said that the question of whether the rocket remains recognizable also depends on who is around to recognize it.
“Remember our history with tools as a race only goes back about you know two and a half million years,” Carroll said, “so what someone would recognize a million years from now if they found is another story altogether.”
Sachleben was more optimistic, writing, “there is always the possibility that some future, space-venturing car enthusiast may decide Elon’s Roadster would make a nice addition to his/her collection.”
Originally published on Live Science.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39624-will-spacex-roadster-survive-in-space.html Radiation Will Tear Elon Musk's Rocket Car to Bits in a Year
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Radiation Will Tear Elon Musk’s Rocket Car to Bits in a YearMyleene Klass: The diet plan weight loss tricks that keep her trim – including eating THIS [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Weight loss star can be hard, but help is coming in the form of Myleene Klass, the pop star turned reality TV babe turned fitness inspiration for thousands of women.
The 39-year-old mother-of-two is hoping to bring her fitness and weight loss knowledge to everyday, busy women across the UK.
The svelte and toned star revealed her top weight loss diet tips with Express.co.uk – including her favourite food.
Myleene said: “You’ve got to be realistic. I try and move and I make sure that I watch my portions, that’s what I have to careful with.”
“Filipino culture is minimum two plates, sometimes go up for a third just to show that you’ve enjoyed that meal. But that can play havoc.”
As well as watching her portion size, Myleene also watches out for one food group.
She said: “Definitely watch your carb intake if you want to lose weight.
“Don’t cut it out all together but because then you only have to look at a potato and you doomed when you go back on them.”
For weight loss the star said: “The goal is to create a calorie deficit.The aim of the game is to therefore keep active.
“Resistance training instead of cardio not only uses up calories while you workout, but also demands more energy to repair your body once your session is over.”
Myleene’s favourite food is chicken, which is handy as the meat is healthy and lean – and good for weight loss.
She said: “I’m obsessed with chicken. Grilled with mustard, stick it in a pie do anything with chicken, put it in a salad.”
Myleene is launching her first ever fitness programme, MyBody by Myleene.
She said: “I wanted to create a programme that doesn’t just show women what moves to do, but to be a long-term guide – it is hard work but it is maintainable, not a lifestyle overhaul but small manageable changes to help women stay fit and see real results. This isn’t just about weight loss.
“I wanted to make women feel strong and confident in their every day lives.”
Myleene is launching her first ever fitness programme, MyBody by Myleene. For more information on the 12 week home workout programme which comes with two DVDs, wall planner and a sandbell for £49.95 visit www.mybodybymyleene.com
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/915811/weight-loss-diet-plan-myleene-klass Myleene Klass: The diet plan weight loss tricks that keep her trim – including eating THIS
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Myleene Klass: The diet plan weight loss tricks that keep her trim – including eating THISSpaceX Wins Accolades for Falcon Heavy Success [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
ORLANDO, Florida — A rare combination of politicians, space advocates and even competitors lauded SpaceX for its successful inaugural launch of the Falcon Heavy Feb. 6.
Among those congratulating the company for the test flight of the heavy-lift rocket was President Donald Trump. In a tweet late Feb. 6, he congratulated SpaceX and its chief executive, Elon Musk. “This achievement, along with @NASA’s commercial and international partners, continues to show American ingenuity at its best!” he stated.
Congratulations @ElonMusk and @SpaceX on the successful #FalconHeavy launch. This achievement, along with @NASA’s commercial and international partners, continues to show American ingenuity at its best! pic.twitter.com/eZfLSpyJPK
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 7, 2018
Vice President Mike Pence, who chairs the National Space Council that the administration reestablished last year, also praised the launch. “It demonstrates America’s unparalleled space leadership as the Trump Admin & the National Space Council seek to transform our space policy, seize 21st century opportunities & unleash the infinite potential of the cosmos for the American people,” he tweeted.
Congrats @SpaceX on today’s launch! It demonstrates America’s unparalleled space leadership as the Trump Admin & the National Space Council seek to transform our space policy, seize 21st century opportunities & unleash the infinite potential of the cosmos for the American people https://t.co/UuDtk2T2Gf
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 7, 2018
Pence also announced that he would convene the next formal meeting of the National Space Council later this month at the Kennedy Space Center. That meeting, which sources say is scheduled for Feb. 21, will be the second public meeting of the council, after its inaugural meeting in October at the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington.
Musk, in separate tweets, thanked both Trump and Pence. There was no evidence of any animus between Musk and the administration after Musk resigned from administration advisory boards he was serving on in June when Trump announced plans for the United States to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.
Thank you on behalf of SpaceX. An exciting future lies ahead!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2018
Thank you on behalf of SpaceX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2018
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) discussed the launch in a brief speech on the Senate floor shortly after the launch. “The test launch of the Falcon Heavy is a spectacular demonstration of the comeback of Florida’s space coast and of the U.S. commercial launch sector, which is succeeding in a big way,” he said.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond, head of Air Force Space Command, offered his own congratulations in a tweet, also thanking NASA and the 45th Space Wing, which operates the Eastern Range. Referring to the spacesuit-clad mannequin placed in the Tesla Roadster sports car launched on the Falcon 9, Raymond said, “If #Starman gets back to Earth, he’s got a job with @AFSpace!”
Wow! @SpaceX just showed us how space can still inspire and thrill us all. Congrats to the whole launch team @45thSpaceWing@AF_SMC@NASAKennedy@Tesla#FalconHeavy. If #Starman gets back to Earth, he’s got a job with @AFSpace! #DontPanicpic.twitter.com/cSlRYfOKMs
— Gen. Jay Raymond (@AFSpaceCC) February 6, 2018
Industry organizations offered congratulations as well. “Today’s successful Falcon Heavy launch represents a momentous milestone for SpaceX and the commercial space industry, as the first heavy lift launch vehicle developed and launched with fully private funding,” Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, said in a Feb. 6 statement. “It serves as another example of how U.S. commercial companies continue to drive innovation and American leadership in space.”
The prospect of using the Falcon Heavy to support missions to Mars – something SpaceX is not pursuring in favor of the larger BFR reusable launch vehicle – won praise from Robert Zubrin, president of The Mars Society.
“Seven years ago, the Augustine Commission said that NASA’s moon program had to be cancelled, because the development of the necessary heavy lift booster would take 12 years and $36 billion,” he said in a statement. “SpaceX has now done that, on its own dime, in half the time and a twentieth of the cost.”
“This is a revolution. The naysayers have been completely refuted,” he added.
Even executive of competing aerospace companies hailed the launch. “SpaceX’s successful launch today has pushed our industry to go further faster,” Boeing said in a statement. “Boeing will soon launch our own new rocket intended to take humans to Mars and beyond. Congratulations @SpaceX for your contribution to help innovate, compete, and explore.”
Some executives personally congratulated SpaceX and Musk. “Congratulations @elonmusk @SpaceX,” tweeted Tory Bruno, president and chief executive of United Launch Alliance.
Congratulations @elonmusk@SpaceX
— Tory Bruno (@torybruno) February 6, 2018
Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin, offered his own succinct praise: “Woohoo!”
Woohoo!
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39625-spacex-wins-accolades-for-falcon-heavy-success.html SpaceX Wins Accolades for Falcon Heavy Success
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]SpaceX Wins Accolades for Falcon Heavy SuccessInternational Space Station: Facts, History & Tracking [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
The International Space Station (ISS) is a multi-nation construction project that is the largest single structure humans ever put into space. Its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011, although the station continually evolves to include new missions and experiments. It has been continuously occupied since Nov. 2, 2000.
As of January 2018, 230 individuals from 18 countries have visited the International Space Station. Top participating countries include the United States (145 people) and Russia (46 people). Astronaut time and research time on the space station is allocated to space agencies according to how much money or resources (such as modules or robotics) that they contribute. The ISS includes contributions from 15 nations. NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia) and the European Space Agency are the major partners of the space station who contribute most of the funding; the other partners are the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
Current plans call for the space station to be operated through at least 2024, with the partners discussing a possible extension until 2028. Afterwards, plans for the space station are not clearly laid out. It could be deorbited, or recycled for future space stations in orbit.
Crews aboard the ISS are assisted by mission control centers in Houston and Moscow and a payload control center in Huntsville, Ala. Other international mission control centers support the space station from Japan, Canada and Europe. The ISS can also be controlled from mission control centers in Houston or Moscow. [Photos: Space Station’s Expedition 32 Mission]
Finding the space station in the sky
The space station flies at an average altitude of 248 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth. It circles the globe every 90 minutes at a speed of about 17,500 mph (28,000 km/h). In one day, the station travels about the distance it would take to go from Earth to the moon and back.
The space station can rival the brilliant planet Venus in brightness and appears as a bright moving light across the night sky. It can be seen from Earth without the use of a telescope by night sky observers who know when and where to look. You can use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.com to find out when to see the space station.
Crew composition and activities
The ISS generally holds crews of between three and six people (the full six-person size was possible after 2009, when the station facilities could support it). But crew sizes have varied over the years. After the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003 that grounded flights for several years, crews were as small as two people due to the reduced capacity to launch people into space on the smaller Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The space station has also housed as many as 13 people several times, but only for a few days during crew changeovers or space shuttle visits.
The space shuttle fleet retired in 2011, leaving Soyuz as the only current method to bring people to the ISS. Three astronauts fly to the space station in Soyuz spacecraft and spend about six months there at a time. Sometimes, mission lengths vary a little due to spacecraft scheduling or special events (such as the one-year crew that stayed on the station between 2015 and 2016.) If the crew needs to evacuate the station, they can return to Earth aboard two Russian Soyuz vehicles docked to the ISS.
Starting in 2019 or 2020, the commercial crew vehicles Dragon (by SpaceX) and CST-100 (by Boeing) are expected to increase ISS crew numbers because they can bring up more astronauts at a time than Soyuz. When the U.S. commercial vehicles are available, demand for Soyuz will decrease because NASA will purchase fewer seats for its astronauts from the Russians.
Astronauts spend most of their time on the ISS performing experiments and maintenance, and at least two hours of every day are allocated to exercise and personal care. They also occasionally perform spacewalks, conduct media/school events for outreach, and post updates to social media, as Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, an ISS commander, did in 2013. (However, the first astronaut to tweet from space was Mike Massimino, who did it from a space shuttle in May 2009.)
The ISS is a platform for long-term research for human health, which NASA bills as a key stepping stone to letting humans explore other solar system destinations such as the moon or Mars. Human bodies change in microgravity, including alterations to muscles, bones, the cardiovascular system and the eyes; many scientific investigations are trying to characterize how severe the changes are and whether they can be reversed. (Eye problems in particular are vexing the agency, as their cause is unclear and astronauts are reporting permanent changes to vision after returning to Earth.)
Astronauts also participate in testing out commercial products – such as an espresso machine or 3D printers – or doing biological experiments, such as on rodents or plants, which the astronauts can grow and sometimes eat in space.
Crews are not only responsible for science, but also for maintaining the station. Sometimes, this requires that they venture on spacewalks to perform repairs. From time to time, these repairs can be urgent — such as when a part of the ammonia system fails, which has happened a couple of times. Spacewalk safety procedures were changed after a potentially deadly 2013 incident when astronaut Luca Parmitano’s helmet filled with water while he was working outside the station. NASA now responds quickly to “water incursion” incidents. It also has added pads to the spacesuits to soak up the liquid, and a tube to provide an alternate breathing location should the helmet fill with water.
NASA is also testing technology that could supplement or replace astronaut spacewalks. One example is Robonaut. A prototype currently on board the station is able to flip switches and do other routine tasks under supervision, and may be modified at some point to work “outside” as well. [Infographic: Meet Robonaut 2, NASA’s Space Droid]
Records in space
The ISS has had several notable milestones over the years, when it comes to crews:
- Most consecutive days in space by an American: 340 days, which happened when Scott Kelly took part in a one-year mission to the International Space Station in 2015-16 (along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko). The space agencies did a comprehensive suite of experiments on the astronauts, including a “twin study” with Kelly and his Earth-bound former astronaut twin, Mark. NASA has expressed interest in more long-duration missions, although none have yet been announced.
- Longest single spaceflight by a woman: 289 days, during American astronaut Peggy Whitson’s 2016-17 mission aboard the space station.
- Most total time spent in space by a woman: Again, that’s Peggy Whitson, who racked up most of her 665 days in space on the ISS.
- Most women in space at once: This happened in April 2010 when women from two spaceflight missions met at the ISS. This included Tracy Caldwell Dyson (who flew on a Soyuz spacecraft for a long-duration mission) and NASA astronauts Stephanie Wilson and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Japan’s Naoko Yamazaki, who arrived aboard the space shuttle Discovery on its brief STS-131 mission.
- Biggest space gathering: 13 people, during NASA’s STS-127 shuttle mission aboard Endeavour in 2009. (It’s been tied a few times during later missions.)
- Longest single spacewalk: 8 hours and 56 minutes during STS-102, for an ISS construction mission in 2001. NASA astronauts Jim Voss and Susan Helms participated.
- Longest Russian spacewalk: 8 hours and 13 minutes during Expedition 54, to repair an ISS antenna. Russian astronauts Alexander Misurkin and Anton Shkaplerov participated.
Structure
The space station, including its large solar arrays, spans the area of a U.S. football field, including the end zones, and weighs 861,804 lbs. (391,000 kilograms), not including visiting vehicles. The complex now has more livable room than a conventional five-bedroom house, and has two bathrooms, gym facilities and a 360-degree bay window. Astronauts have also compared the space station’s living space to the cabin of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.
The International Space Station was taken into space piece-by-piece and gradually built in orbit using spacewalking astronauts and robotics. Most missions used NASA’s space shuttle to carry up the heavier pieces, although some individual modules were launched on single-use rockets. The ISS includes modules and connecting nodes that contain living quarters and laboratories, as well as exterior trusses that provide structural support, and solar panels that provide power.
The first module, the Russia Zarya, launched on Nov. 20, 1998, on a Proton rocket. Two weeks later, space shuttle flight STS-88 launched the NASA Unity/Node 1 module. Astronauts performed spacewalks during STS-88 to connect the two parts of the station together; later, other pieces of the station were launched on rockets or in the space shuttle cargo bay. [Rare Photos: Space Shuttle at Space Station]. Some of the other major modules and components include:
- The truss, airlocks and solar panels (launched in stages throughout the ISS lifetime; docking adapters were launched in 2017 for new commercial spacecraft)
- Zvezda (Russia; launched in 2000)
- Destiny Laboratory Module (NASA; launched 2001)
- Canadarm2 robotic arm (CSA; launched 2001). It was originally used only for spacewalks and remote-controlled repairs. Today it also is regularly used to berth cargo spacecraft to the space station – spacecraft that can’t use the other ports.
- Harmony/Node 2 (NASA; launched 2007)
- Columbus orbital facility (ESA; launched 2008)
- Dextre robotic hand (CSA; launched 2008)
- Japanese Experiment Module or Kibo (launched in stages between 2008-09)
- Cupola window and Tranquility/Node 3 (launched 2010)
- Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module (ESA; launched for permanent residency in 2011, although it was used before that to bring cargo to and from the station)
- Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (private module launched in 2016)
Spacecraft for the space station
Besides the space shuttle and Soyuz, the space station has been visited by many other kinds of spacecraft. Uncrewed Progress (Russia) vehicles make regular visits to the station. Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicle and Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle used to do visits to the ISS as well, until their programs were retired.
NASA began developing commercial cargo spacecraft to the space station under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, which lasted from 2006 to 2013. Starting in 2012, the first commercial spacecraft, SpaceX’s Dragon, made a visit to the space station. Visits continue today with Dragon and Orbital ATK’s Antares spacecraft under the first stage of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services program. Dragon, Antares and Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser all have received CRS-2 contracts expected to cover flights between 2019 and 2024.
0 of 10 questions complete
Cosmic Quiz: Do You Know the International Space Station?
The International Space Station is the largest structure in space ever built by humans. Let’s see how much you know about the basics of this science laboratory in the sky.
0 of questions complete
Additional reporting by Space.com Reference Editor Tim Sharp.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html International Space Station: Facts, History & Tracking
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]International Space Station: Facts, History & TrackingWhat Is a Supernova? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
A blindingly bright star bursts into view in a corner of the night sky — it wasn’t there just a few hours ago, but now it burns like a beacon.
That bright star isn’t actually a star, at least not anymore. The brilliant point of light is the explosion of a star that has reached the end of its life, otherwise known as a supernova.
Supernovae can briefly outshine entire galaxies and radiate more energy than our sun will in its entire lifetime. They’re also the primary source of heavy elements in the universe. According to NASA, supernovae are “the largest explosion that takes place in space.”
History of supernova observations
Various civilizations recorded supernovae long before the telescope was invented. The oldest recorded supernova is RCW 86, which Chinese astronomers saw in A.D. 185. Their records show that this “guest star” stayed in the sky for eight months, according to NASA.
Before the early 17th century (when telescopes became available), there are only seven recorded supernovae, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
What we know today as the Crab Nebula is the most famous of these supernovae. Chinese and Korean astronomers recorded this star explosion in their records in 1054, and southwestern Native Americans may have seen it as well (according to rock paintings seen in Arizona and New Mexico). The supernova that formed the Crab Nebula was so bright that astronomers could see it during the day.
Other supernovae that were observed before the telescope was invented occurred in 393, 1006, 1181, 1572 (studied by famed astronomer Tycho Brahe) and 1604. Brahe wrote about his observations of the “new star” in his book, “De nova stella,” which gave rise to the name “nova.” A nova differs from a supernova, however. Both are sudden outbursts of brightness as hot gases are blown outward, but for a supernova, the explosion is cataclysmic and signifies the end of the star’s life, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
The term “supernova” was not used until the 1930s. Its first use was by Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky at Mount Wilson Observatory, who used it in relation to an explosive event they observed, called S Andromedae (also known as SN 1885A). It was located in the Andromeda Galaxy. They also suggested that supernovas happen when ordinary stars collapse into neutron stars.
In the modern era, one of the more famous supernovas was SN 1987A from 1987, which is still being studied by astronomers because they can see how a supernova evolves in the first few decades after the explosion.
Star death
On average, a supernova will occur about once every 50 years in a galaxy the size of the Milky Way. Put another way, a star explodes every second or so somewhere in the universe, and some of those aren’t too far from Earth. About 10 million years ago, a cluster of supernovae created the “Local Bubble,” a 300-light-year long, peanut-shaped bubble of gas in the interstellar medium that surrounds the solar system.
Exactly how a star dies depends in part on its mass. Our sun, for example, doesn’t have enough mass to explode as a supernova (though the news for Earth still isn’t good, because once the sun runs out of its nuclear fuel, perhaps in a couple billion years, it will swell into a red giant that will likely vaporize our world, before gradually cooling into a white dwarf). But with the right amount of mass, a star can burn out in a fiery explosion.
A star can go supernova in one of two ways:
- Type I supernova: star accumulates matter from a nearby neighbor until a runaway nuclear reaction ignites.
- Type II supernova: star runs out of nuclear fuel and collapses under its own gravity.
Type II supernovae
Let’s look at the more exciting Type II first. For a star to explode as a Type II supernova, it must be at several times more massive than the sun (estimates run from eight to 15 solar masses). Like the sun, it will eventually run out of hydrogen and then helium fuel at its core. However, it will have enough mass and pressure to fuse carbon. Here’s what happens next:
- Gradually heavier elements build up at the center, and it becomes layered like an onion, with elements becoming lighter toward the outside of the star.
- Once the star’s core surpasses a certain mass (the Chandrasekhar limit), the star begins to implode (for this reason, these supernovae are also known as core-collapse supernovas).
- The core heats up and becomes denser.
- Eventually the implosion bounces back off the core, expelling the stellar material into space, forming the supernova.
What’s left is an ultra-dense object called a neutron star, a city-sized object that can pack the mass of the sun in a small space.
There are sub-categories of Type II supernovas, classified based on their light curves. The light of Type II-L supernovas declines steadily after the explosion, while Type II-P’s light stays steady for a time before diminishing. Both types have the signature of hydrogen in their spectra.
Stars much more massive than the sun (around 20 to 30 solar masses) might not explode as a supernova, astronomers think. Instead they collapse to form black holes.
Type I supernovae
Type I supernovae lack a hydrogen signature in their light spectra.
Type Ia supernovae are generally thought to originate from white dwarf stars in a close binary system. As the gas of the companion star accumulates onto the white dwarf, the white dwarf is progressively compressed, and eventually sets off a runaway nuclear reaction inside that eventually leads to a cataclysmic supernova outburst.
Astronomers use Type Ia supernovas as “standard candles” to measure cosmic distances because all are thought to blaze with equal brightness at their peaks.
Type Ib and Ic supernovas also undergo core-collapse just as Type II supernovas do, but they have lost most of their outer hydrogen envelopes. In 2014, scientists detected the faint, hard-to-locate companion star to a Type Ib supernova. The search consumed two decades, as the companion star shone much fainter than the bright supernova.
Caught in the act
Recent studies have found that supernovas vibrate like giant speakers and emit an audible hum before exploding.
In 2008, scientists caught a supernova in the act of exploding for the first time. While peering at her computer screen, astronomer Alicia Soderberg expected to see the small glowing smudge of a month-old supernova. But what she and her colleague saw instead was a strange, extremely bright, five-minute burst of X-rays.
With that observation, they became the first astronomers to catch a star in the act of exploding. The new supernova was dubbed SN 2008D. Further study has shown that the supernova had some unusual properties.
“Our observations and modeling show this to be a rather unusual event, to be better understood in terms of an object lying at the boundary between normal supernovae and gamma-ray bursts,” Paolo Mazzali, an Italian astrophysicist at the Padova Observatory and Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics, told Space.com in a 2008 interview.
Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howell and Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com contributors
Additional resources
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/6638-supernova.html What Is a Supernova?
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]What Is a Supernova?Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Nigel Slater weight loss: Middle East presenter lost belly fat using old school technique [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Nigel Slater, 59, is a food writer, journalist and broadcaster from the United Kingdom.
He is currently presenting BBC Two programme Middle East, which is on tonight.
Nigel’s job revolves around food – and yet he was able to cut his body fat from almost obese to below average.
After realising he had gained belly fat in 2003, he reduced his body fat from 22 per cent to 13 per cent.
What’s more, he did this without a diet plan or going to the gym.
So how did Nigel lose the fat around his middle? He used an old school technique used by nutritionists.
It was prompted after he found a “thick layer” of belly fat, he revealed.
“I caught a glimpse of something in the mirror that shocked me. Around my middle was a thick layer of fat.”
The technique to get rid of it was keeping a food diary, he revealed in a feature for the Guardian.
“For the entire 12 months I kept a record of everything I put in my mouth,” he revealed.
Despite losing fat, Nigel was not intending to lose weight through his regime.
This is because, at 72 kilograms, he was already an optimum weight, he wrote.
“ It wasn’t weight I wanted to lose. I have pin thin arms and legs and am apparently the perfect weight for my height.
“What I wanted to lose was fat,” he added in the article.
Nigel also introduced daily exercise into his routine, but pounding the treadmill was not on the cards.
“I walked for about 30-40 minutes a day. I also swam for two to three hours a week. “
Yesterday, Jamie Oliver’s weight loss of two stone in three months was revealed.
It was all thanks to a certain bedroom habit – but what do you think it was?
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/915862/nigel-slater-weight-loss-belly-fat Nigel Slater weight loss: Middle East presenter lost belly fat using old school technique
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Nigel Slater weight loss: Middle East presenter lost belly fat using old school techniqueWeight loss: G Plan diet claims you can shed half a stone in three weeks [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
The G Plan Diet is a gut focused diet plan that involves eating foods that help you to digest.
Pioneers claim the regimen is good for preventing bloating, as well as weight loss.
Good bacteria in your diet should help with weight loss and dietary discomfort.
Nutritionist Amanda Hamilton told Express.co.uk how the diet works, and provided some recipes you can try at home.
G Plan Diet – how does it work
The G Plan Diet works by encouraging the growth of diverse bacteria in the gut.
Co-author of the book Healthy Food Guide Hannah Ebelthite claimed to lose three inches from her waist in three weeks using the diet.
She also claimed to have lost 8 lbs, just over half a stone, in the time.
The diet works by building up their get microbiome by kickstarting your metabolism.
The first phase of the 21-day plan involves cutting out junk food from your diet and eating only natural healthy foods.
Next dieters must eat probiotic foods and drinks for the next nine days.
This introduces new gut bacteria and involves eating foods like kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut and pickles.
The third phase lasts seven days and involves introducing more foods into your diet.
G Plan Diet recipes
Recipes dieters can make on this plan include a quinoa salad with carrots, sunflower seeds and broccoli.
In the second phase, Amanda Hamilton recommends a healthy breakfast with mackerel fillets or tofu and two ages with avocado.
Diet expert Joe Wicks recently revealed the ideal daily meal plan, with overnight oats and chilli con carne.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/915763/weight-loss-g-plan-diet Weight loss: G Plan diet claims you can shed half a stone in three weeks
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Weight loss: G Plan diet claims you can shed half a stone in three weeksNew Star Wars Films Coming From Game of Thrones Producers [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Game Of Thrones executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will create a new series of Star Wars films separate from both the ongoing Skywalker saga of the core films and Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson’s planned trilogy of original films.
“David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting.”
“In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we’ve been dreaming of it ever since,” Benioff and Weiss said. “We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete.”
No story details or projected release dates for the films were announced.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39616-new-star-wars-films-coming-from-game-of-thrones-producers.html New Star Wars Films Coming From Game of Thrones Producers
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]New Star Wars Films Coming From Game of Thrones ProducersSpace Gifts 2018: The Best Valentine’s Day Gifts in the Universe [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Give the gift of the entire solar system — including Pluto — with this gorgeous beaded bracelet. ($40 on Amazon)
Why we love it: Made with assorted stones like pearl, hematite, and agate, these high-quality beads are beautiful and unique representations of all the planets (and one dwarf planet) in the solar system. And Saturn even has a ring!
Buy Planetary Bracelet here.
NEXT: A cosmic bouquet
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/34620-space-gifts.html Space Gifts 2018: The Best Valentine's Day Gifts in the Universe
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Space Gifts 2018: The Best Valentine’s Day Gifts in the UniverseFour Solo Solo: A Star Wars Story Posters [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Four posters spotlighting the core cast of Lucasfilm’s Solo: A Star Wars Story have been released following the debut of the film’s first teaser trailer.
Solo is scheduled for release May 25.
Got a comment? There’s lots of conversation on Newsarama’s FACEBOOK and TWITTER!
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39597-four-solo-solo-a-star-wars-story-posters.html Four Solo Solo: A Star Wars Story Posters
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Four Solo Solo: A Star Wars Story PostersWeight loss: Joe Wicks reveals the ideal daily meal diet plan [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
A weight loss diet meal plan that could help Britons shed the pounds has been recommended by fitness expert Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach.
A full day’s plan recommended by the healthy living advocate includes all the carbs and protein you need to stay full.
Joe, 31, from Epsom, claims to follow a similar plan himself and believes that dieters need not eat food they don’t like to lose weight.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk – Joe provided example breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas.
Breakfast
Joe said: “I’d say for breakfast overnight oats, so make some rolled oats the night before and soak them in some almond milk.
“I put desiccated coconut in there, bananas, some whey chocolate protein in there. Soak it overnight and then put some berries on top.
“That’s delicious, it’s like a dessert, it’s got the carb and protein – that’s just what you want.
“That’s a great breakfast.”
Lunch
For lunch, Joe recommends a salad but urges dieters to make sure it’s healthy.
He said: “ Then for lunch, I’d make a nice salad base with mixed veg and maybe quinoa or some kind of grain because you don’t just want a salad it won’t fill you up.
“So add some chickpeas or some kind of mixed beans with a nice bit of grilled salmon or some chicken or some beef.”
Dinner
“For dinner, I’ll have like a nice chilli or a stew, with more vegetables, that’s going to fill you up.,” Joe said.
As a snack the muscular fitness coach recommends nuts.
Last week Joe told Express.co.uk the one weight loss trick to help anyone kickstart their diet plan.
The curly-haired Briton, who keeps his 2 million Instagram followers updated, has devised The 90 Day Plan, which he claims has transformed followers.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk Joe revealed the one habit he recommends anyone looking to lose weight starts today.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/915264/weight-loss-diet-plan-joe-wicks Weight loss: Joe Wicks reveals the ideal daily meal diet plan
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Weight loss: Joe Wicks reveals the ideal daily meal diet planGordon Ramsay weight loss: Chef dropped four stone through cutting out THIS [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Gordon Ramsay, 51, achieved a weight loss of more than four stone after tipping the scales at 18st in 2000.
The 6ft 2 British celebrity chef and author of Fit Food now weighs just 13st 10lb.
But how did Gordon lose the weight? He is said to have limited a common food group in order to do it.
Asked how he dropped the stones, he said: “No milk. Just because it’s sluggish.”
“Dropping milk and cheese has made a massive difference,” he said, speaking to the Daily Mail.
He continued by talking about his regular healthy breakfast.
“Almond milk with Weetabix for breakfast. Smoothie with frozen berries, yogurts.”
He also advised filling up on water as a tried and tested weight loss formula.
“Take a couple of glasses before you eat,” he recommended.
“It just stops you eating a third more. You feel better but eat less.”
Gordon also said he includes post-gym treats like Dairy Milk to help him stick to his weight loss regime.
The chef has also taken part in a series of Ironman endurance event challenges.
The competitions involve a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.
Gordon started involving himself in the challenges back in 2012, teaming up with trainer Will Usher to start the workout regimes.
He previously slimmed down to 14st in 2013 through replacing fatty foods with vegan shakes, almond milk and vegetables.
Tom Kerridge’s weight loss was another prime example of a celebrity chef slimming down.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/914773/gordon-ramsay-weight-loss Gordon Ramsay weight loss: Chef dropped four stone through cutting out THIS
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Gordon Ramsay weight loss: Chef dropped four stone through cutting out THISJamie Oliver: TV chef lost TWO stone in three months thanks to bedroom habit [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Jamie Oliver, 42, lost two stone from his 5ft 10in frame with a surprising technique.
The television chef, who rose to fame with BBC show The Naked Chef, tackled his weight issues ahead of his 40th birthday in 2015.
He said at the time he felt time “ticking” ahead of this milestone age.
But how did the chef, who is married to model Jools Oliver, lose all the weight?
He revealed in an interview that he talked to sleep experts in order to drop the weight.
“When you come to 40, you think you’ve got a while, but it’s ticking,” he told Sunday Times magazine.
“You start to realise that you’re half dead, so let’s get on with it.
“I want to get as old as possible, and to do that you’ve got to live a certain way.
“That’s the rules of the game,” the chef added.
In a previous interview with the Evening Standard, he said he had been having just three and a half hours of sleep every night.
Numerous studies, such as a 2006 study published in American Journal of Epidemiology, have linked reduced sleep with weight gain.
Jamie also revealed he had introduced seaweed to his diet to help him lose the weight.
He found this food to be beneficial because it contains vital nutrients for weight loss.
“It’s like dynamite – fibre, nutrients, all the minerals, aids digestion – unbelievable,” he told MailOnline.
Yesterday, it was revealed another TV chef Gordon Ramsay’s weight loss of four stone was achieved through cutting out a certain food staple.
His body transformation was achieved through changing his diet, and cutting out dairy-based products milk and cheese.
The 6ft 2 British celebrity chef and author of Fit Food now weighs just 13st 10lb, after previously weighing 18st at his heaviest.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/915416/jamie-oliver-weight-loss Jamie Oliver: TV chef lost TWO stone in three months thanks to bedroom habit
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Jamie Oliver: TV chef lost TWO stone in three months thanks to bedroom habitFlat-Earth Rocketeer Fails to Launch (Again) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
The flat-Earth rocketeer remains planet-bound.
“Mad” Mike Hughes, a flat-Earth conspiracy theorist who has managed to get significant attention for his now-repeated failed rocket launches, strapped himself into his second homemade rocket Saturday (Feb. 3). But, as Noize TV documented in an excruciating 11-minute livestream of the event, Hughes’ rocket never left its pad.
His stated plan, as Live Science previously reported, is to launch himself 1,800 feet (550 meters) above the desert in California and take photos before bailing out in a parachute. These photos, shot from a height anyone can reach by climbing a very tall building or even a small mountain, will, Hughes claims, show that the Earth is flat.
In fact, it’s pretty easy for anyone to show that the Earth is round with a simple experiment — though the planet’s curvature doesn’t become visible to the naked eye until a height of about 35,000 feet (10,700 m).
Hughes canceled his previous launch after the Bureau of Land Management caught wind that he planned to crash his rocket into public land. In a video posted to YouTube, Hughes claimed that Saturday’s failure resulted from a faulty plunger or a blown o-ring. However, he added that the details will remain unclear until the rocket cools down and he opens it up to examine it in detail.
Hughes went on to say that the launch could still happen this week — though he does have to be in court Tuesday because he’s suing a range of California officials, from Gov. Jerry Brown to U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
“It’s just aggravating,” he told a small crowd of reporters. “I mean, what do you do?”
Originally published on Live Science.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39595-mad-mike-hughes-launch-fail.html Flat-Earth Rocketeer Fails to Launch (Again)
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Flat-Earth Rocketeer Fails to Launch (Again)Monday, February 26, 2018
Weight loss: One easy morning habit can help you lose 5lbs effortlessly [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Weight loss is on the top of many Briton’s to-do lists in the early months of January.
Adding a simple glass of water to your morning meal alone can help with a “significant loss of body weight and fat over time” experts claimed.
Scientists at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California, made the surprising findings.
They attempted to show the long-term effects of drinking water on body weight and composition.
The study included 173 women between 25 and 50-years-old who usually drank less than a litre of water a day.
These women added half a litre of water to their breakfast.
The study concluded that drinking the water had promoted weight loss in the women.
Drinking water is said to help you lose weight for various reasons.
Other studies have found that drinking half a litre of water burns an extra 23 calories, which translates to 2kg of fat over the year.
Eating more protein in your diet plan can help you lose weight, it has been claimed.
Low-carb high-protein diets have been shown in some clinical studies to help dieters with fast weight loss as the fat keeps them satiated for longer.
Some feel this gives them carte blanche to gorge on steaks and bacon, but according to a new study, this is not the best method to achieve weight loss.
The work, published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research found that proteins from vegetables fill people up better than proteins from meat and other animal products.
Joe Wicks, also known as the Body Coach, exclusively revealed to Express.co.uk his top tip to lose weight.
The curly-haired Briton, who keeps his 2 million Instagram followers updated, has devised The 90 Day Plan, which he claims has transformed followers.
He said there is one simple habit that will help you shed the pounds.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/913850/weight-loss-diet-plan-water Weight loss: One easy morning habit can help you lose 5lbs effortlessly
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Weight loss: One easy morning habit can help you lose 5lbs effortlesslySuper Bowl 2018: Even Astronauts Are Watching the Big Game [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
The big screen is up on the @Space_Station, and we are ready for the Big Game. Good luck to the @Patriots and @Eagles. #SuperBowlpic.twitter.com/116mr59VL5
— Joseph M. Acaba (@AstroAcaba) February 4, 2018
It’s official: Super Bowl LII is truly out of this world. That’s because even astronauts in space are watching the big game.
NASA astronaut Joe Acaba on the International Space Station posted a photo on Twitter tonight (Feb. 4) showing the big game on the orbiting laboratory’s big projection screen, which allows astronauts to watch films and TV shows using a high-definition projector. The only question left is who are the astronauts rooting for in the football championship: The Philadelphia Eagles or the New England Patriots?
“The big screen is up on the @Space_Station, and we are ready for the Big Game,” Acaba wrote on Twitter. “Good luck to the @Patriots and @Eagles. #SuperBowl” [How to Tailgate Like an Astronaut]
Acaba is one of six crewmembers of the International Space Station (which coincidentally is the size of a U.S. football field from end to end). Also on board are NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Scott Tingle; Russian cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin and Anton Shkaplerov; and Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai.
Watching the Super Bowl means a really late night for the space station crew, which typically works on a schedule based on Greenwich Mean Time. Tthe kickoff for tonight’s game was at 6:30 p.m. EST. That’s 2330 GMT, or 11:30 p.m. for the station crew!
This isn’t the first time the astronauts have caught a major entertainment event in space. In December, the space station crewmembers watched “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in space to see the latest adventure from a galaxy far, far away.
Past astronaut crews have also followed the big game from space. In 2017, when the Super Bowl took place in Houston, NASA participated in a whole series of space and football events for the game, including making one of the longest football passes of all time in space (564,664 yards, or 516,328 meters).
Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39591-super-bowl-2018-astronauts-are-watching.html Super Bowl 2018: Even Astronauts Are Watching the Big Game
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Super Bowl 2018: Even Astronauts Are Watching the Big GameWeight loss diet plan: Eat this much apple cider vinegar and protein to boost metabolism [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Many of us make losing weight our New Year resolution, but by the end of January this often gets swept under the carpet.
A diet plan doesn’t need to be difficult – eating the right foods can make a big difference.
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy, and consuming the right things can improve its effectiveness.
From eating protein with every meal to adding apple cider vinegar to your diet plan, expert nutritionists list their top ten ways to boost your metabolism.
Say hello to apple cider vinegar
Nutritionist and weight loss coach, Pippa Campbell said: “My clients have had great results with apple cider vinegar. Add a couple of tablespoons to a glass of warm water and drink it on an empty stomach about 30 minutes before your dinner. This will not only boost your metabolism but it will help to curb your appetite. It’s also a great addition to salad dressings, too.”
Eat protein with every meal
Because muscle has a big effect on metabolism, you can improve your metabolism by increasing your lean muscle mass and keeping your body fat down, according to nutritionist and fitness instructor Cassandra Barns.
She explained: “Eating plenty of protein (in conjunction with exercise) will help maintain and build your muscle strength. This is especially important if you’re cutting calories, because your body may start breaking down your muscle tissue for energy – eating more protein can help protect against this.”
Eat more salmon
Essential fatty acids, which are found in oily fish such as Salmon, help to boost your metabolism, says Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of The Natural Health Bible for Women.
She added: “The essential fats are important for your health in general, but they also slow down the rate at which the stomach empties, making carbohydrates even more slow-releasing. They can make you feel fuller for longer and also control hunger.”
Embrace HIIT
High Intensity Interval Training is a time efficient method of exercise that can boost your metabolism.
Pippa adds: “HIIT causes you to consume more oxygen and make your cells powerhouses; the mitochondria work harder to burn energy, preserving muscle tone in the process.”
Snack on almonds
Almonds are high in essential nutrients, especially minerals and vitamins. They are also full of nourishing healthy fats as well as being high in protein, says Dr Glenville.
She explained: “Fat and protein make you feel fuller for longer, which should encourage you to snack less. They also help to balance your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is an essential part of healthy weight loss and management.”
Find your food intolerances
Find what food groups work for your body by delving deeper into your DNA. Pippa runs a three-month Metabolic Balance programme that is 100 per cent personalised and actively supports a person’s own biochemistry and nutritional needs.
To begin a blood sample is taken from the client, which is then analysed by medical experts, so that a customised and unique plan can be prepared.
Drink a glass of hot water and lemon
Making the switch from your morning latte to a cup of hot water and lemon can help to activate your digestive system for the day ahead.
Alix Woods, nutritionist at Quest Nutra Pharma explained: “I switch to a healthier morning habit of having a mug of warm water and lemon. Lemons are alkalising and water is detoxifying, which is essential to hydrate all our cells. The lemons mixed with the warm temperature of the water act as a digestive aid and helps the body to eliminate toxins.”
Lend your gut a helping hand
Cassandra said: “Digestion – including transit time through the gut – can be affected by the bacteria that live there. So, a good-quality probiotic supplement could help move things along and improve digestive comfort.
“Taking a probiotic supplement can help re-balance the good bacteria in your gut, support digestion and reduce symptoms of intolerance. Try GI Natural by Natures Plus to help improve your digestive health.”
24-hour fasting once a month
Pippa said: “Yes, you read this correctly. 24-hour fasting actually sends your body into a sort of ‘shock’ mode to burn more fat, as it is searching for other sources of energy. Don’t overdo it – but fasting once a month can really kick-start your metabolism.”
Up your magnesium intake
Cassandra said: “A magnesium supplement may be beneficial for long-term support for your metabolism, especially if you lead a stressful lifestyle or have trouble sleeping. Magnesium is vital for energy metabolism and may be especially supportive for relaxation and sleep, too. Many of us don’t get enough of it in our diets. I’d suggest taking Natures Plus KalmAssure Magnesium Powder in the evening or before bed.”
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/913994/weight-loss-diet-plan-apple-cider-vinegar-protein Weight loss diet plan: Eat this much apple cider vinegar and protein to boost metabolism
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Weight loss diet plan: Eat this much apple cider vinegar and protein to boost metabolism‘Winter Halftime’ Happens on Super Bowl Weekend: What to Look For [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
The midpoint of the 89-day interval that runs from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox occurs this weekend — a natural “halftime for winter.” Here’s what to watch for in the night sky.
The days that marked the four major divisions of the year were once called “quarter days”; they originally marked the equinoxes and solstices, and each fit readily into the rhythm of the ways people farmed. In our 12-month calendar, the time span from an equinox to a solstice (or vice versa) lasted three months — a “season,” so to speak.
And then there were the “cross quarter days,” which marked the midpoint between a solstice and an equinox. One such day is observed each year on Feb. 2 and is known asCandlemas. The first of the four cross quarter days of the year or the middle of the winter season, it comes halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox. [Night Sky, January 2018: What You Can See This Month]
According to Almanac.com, “Candlemas acquired its English name from the candles lit that day in churches to celebrate the presentation of the Christ Child in the temple of Jerusalem.”
But in actuality, winter’s midpoint this year does not occur on Candlemas but rather on the following day, Feb. 3. The halfway point comes on Saturday at 11:21 p.m. EST (0421 on Sunday GMT) — and perhaps because it occurs on Super Bowl weekend this year, we could call it “winter halftime.”
Improvement comes slowly
Although the altitude of the sun has been climbing and the length of daylight has been increasing since the winter solstice on Dec. 21, any changes up to this point have been relatively subtle. On the first day of winter in New York City, for example, sunset occurred at 4:32 p.m. local time, and the length of daylight (from sunrise to sunset) reached a minimum of 9 hours and 15 minutes.
But on Saturday, winter halftime, the sun sets at 5:16 p.m. in New York, with only 57 additional minutes of daylight having accumulated since Dec. 21. That’s not very good news if you’re not a fan of cold and snowy weather (and by now, you’re probably Febru-weary of it all).
However, in the second half of winter, the effects of the northward shift of the sun’s direct rays, or its increase in declination, starts becoming much more noticeable. In fact, by the time equinox day arrives, March 20 at 12:15 p.m. EST (1715 GMT), the length of daylight will have increased by almost 2 hours since Feb. 3.
And because daylight saving time returns on the second Sunday in March (the 11th), by March 20, New Yorkers will see the sun setting after 7 in the evening (7:08 p.m.) for the first time since Sept. 18.
But what about the groundhog?
Of course, here in the United States, we know Feb. 2 not as Candlemas, but as Groundhog Day, the day we learn whether winter will persist for another six weeks (until the vernal equinox) or we will see an early spring. The “official” pronouncement comes from Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog and took place at about 7:30 a.m. EST (1230 GMT) at Gobbler’s Knob, just outside Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. This year, the groundhog forecast six more weeks of winter.
There is a distinct connection between Groundhog Day and Candlemas. Candlemas’ alternate name was Brigantia, which references the Celtic female deity of light, because the sun is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
According to a history of Groundhog Day in The Telegraph, “When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought the celebration of Candlemas with them. German tradition holds that if the sun comes out on Candlemas, the hedgehog will see its shadow and six more weeks of winter will follow. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early. The German settlers in Pennsylvania continued the tradition but used a groundhog rather than a hedgehog.”
Something shady here . . .
As a broadcast meteorologist, however, I should point out that Phil and his handlers don’t seem to play by the rule book. For one thing, according to Stormfax.com, Phil has managed to see his shadow 103 times since 1887.
Last year, for instance, skies were overcast with light snow falling. Yet somehow Phil saw his shadow. And in 2016, skies were clear and sunny, but Phil failed to see his shadow for only the 18th time in his illustrious career — a career, incidentally, in which his accuracy amounts to only about 39 percent.
Personally, I don’t put much stock in Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast. To me, it’s nothing but hogwash.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer’s Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Fios1 News in Rye Brook, New York. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39586-winter-halftime-superbowl-weekend-stargazing.html 'Winter Halftime' Happens on Super Bowl Weekend: What to Look For
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]‘Winter Halftime’ Happens on Super Bowl Weekend: What to Look ForSunday, February 25, 2018
CASIS Focuses on Near-Term ISS Utilization Despite Long-Term Uncertainty [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
WASHINGTON — Despite reports that the administration will seek to end NASA involvement in the International Space Station in the mid-2020s, the nonprofit organization that operates the national laboratory portion of the ISS is more concerned with near-term utilization issues.
The annual meeting of the board of directors of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), held Jan. 30 in League City, Texas, focused primarily on the progress the organization was making in opening up the station to a growing number of users, amid concerns by NASA’s Office of Inspector General that the organization is falling short of expectations in its agreement with NASA.
“By many measures, fiscal [year] ’17 was a banner year for the ISS National Lab,” said Greg Johnson, president and executive director of CASIS, in a presentation at the board meeting. “Demand from the commercial sector for the use of the lab is expanding rapidly.”
Johnson and other CASIS officials at the meeting cited recent growth in the number of research and education payloads flown to the station and increasing use of astronaut crew time there, using those figures to project continued, linear growth in station utilization for the next several years.
Ken Shields, director of operations for CASIS, noted that through fiscal year 2017 the organization has 190 projects in its portfolio, of which 105 were commercial. That figure includes projects currently on the station or selected for flight, as well as those that have already flown. “We’ve seen a nice, steady growth trend over the past five years,” he said, maintaining a similar ratio of commercial projects to the overall total. He said that CASIS projected having 375 total projects, of which 200 would be commercial, in its portfolio by 2022.
The rosy picture of current usage and future trends contrasts with a more pessimistic assessment by the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) published Jan. 11. That report reviewed the agreement between NASA and CASIS awarded in 2011 where CASIS manages the portion of the U.S. segment of the station designated as a national laboratory in a 2005 NASA authorization act. That agreement is in the form of a contract running through 2024, with NASA paying CASIS a total of $196 million over that period.
The OIG report concluded that CASIS had met expectations established in 2011 agreement in only two of nine areas, development of research pathways on the ISS and education programs focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The report also criticized NASA for not being more involved in overseeing CASIS’ activities “that has contributed to the organization’s inability to meet expectations.”
One performance metric where the OIG report found CASIS falling short was in crew utilization. The organization has failed to make full use of the crew time allotted to it by NASA for its research projects. In the last period analyzed by OIG, from September 2016 to April 2017, CASIS used 68 percent of the crew hours provided by NASA. In some prior six-month periods, dating back to September 2013, CASIS used as little as 33 percent of its allotted crew hours.
At the CASIS meeting, organization officials offered a different perspective, focusing on the growth in crew hours it used the last few years. Shields said that, for all of fiscal year 2017 — a period that includes data not analyzed for the OIG report — CASIS used all of its crew time allocation and them some: a total of 758 hours versus the allocation of 731 hours.
Shields, again using linear projection trends, estimated that CASIS would need 1,700 hours of crew time by 2022. However, he acknowledged that CASIS is currently not able to take advantage of the additional time available with four astronauts in the U.S. segment of the station versus the usual three. “Unfortunately, we have just not been able to generate enough projects to consume that additional crew time, so we’re going to see a little bit of a downward trend,” he said.
The OIG report was also skeptical that CASIS would be able to take advantage of the additional crew time with the fourth crew member. “However, given its performance to date, CASIS utilization rates for the National Lab will likely further diminish,” the report warned.
The report called on NASA to more closely oversee CASIS, including semiannual performance reviews and requiring the organization to focus more of its resources on program development versus education and operations. It warned that, without significant changes, “CASIS likely will fall short of advancing NASA’s goal for a commercial economy in low Earth orbit.”
The board meeting did not take up the substance of that report, although CASIS officials acknowledged there was room for improvement as they work to increase station utilization. “Where we fall short, we continue to learn, refine our processes and get better and better,” Johnson said.
Among those changes, he said, was a plan to double the number of business development staff at CASIS this year. “This will enable this exponential growth that we’re seeing in commercial interest to continue, and we expect to see more traction as a result,” he said.
The three-and-a-half-hour meeting made little mention of long-term plans for the station, despite reports that the Trump administration, in its fiscal year 2019 budget proposal for NASA to be released Feb. 12, will seek to end NASA support for the ISS in the mid-2020s.
There were some allusions to a potential end of ISS operations as soon as 2024, though. “We understand that there’s limited time left on the ISS National Lab, and we know we need to get projects in now,” said Cynthia Bouthot, director of commercial innovation at CASIS.
Asked during a public question-and-answer session late in the meeting about any planning for an end of the ISS in the mid-2020, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Abrahamson, chairman of the CASIS Board of Directors, offered few specifics, providing instead a more general view of the mission of CASIS.
“The best way that we can plan for anything in the future is to really work effectively to create this market and to be successful,” he said.
This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39570-casis-space-station-utilization-long-term-uncertainty.html CASIS Focuses on Near-Term ISS Utilization Despite Long-Term Uncertainty
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]CASIS Focuses on Near-Term ISS Utilization Despite Long-Term UncertaintyKerry Katona weight loss: Star reveals she has lost incredible two stone [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
Kerry Katona, 37, has dropped two stone since last summer – an dramatic weight loss she credits to slimming injections.
She has coupled this with eating well and exercise, but credits the bulk of her weight loss with the injections.
Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ampika Pickston, who Kerry has been living with since October, signed her friend up for the injections.
Kerry has them with Skinny Revolution, at a cost of £250-a-month.
According to Closer magazine, Kerry lost the weight in six weeks after beginning the slimming programme and moving in with her friend while she appears in panto in Manchester.
A source told the publication: “Kerry’s lost a lot of weight since moving in with Ampika. She’s now just over 8st and a size 6 and hasn’t even been exercising.
“She’s just been juicing and doing the Skinny Revolution plan.”
As well as a healthy meal plan, Ampika’s Skinny Revolution includes daily injections of a protein-based hormone which acts as an appetite suppressant.
Those having the injections are advised to have the dose for two to three weeks.
Kerry took to Instagram to share she has lost two stone in a revealing selfie at the start of the year.
On the post, in which she wears a crop top, she wrote: “Woohoo I’ve lost over 2 stone, feeling on top of the world!
“Big shout out to @ampikapickston1 #skinnyrevolution.”
Slimming injections are not available on the NHS, but equally they don’t recommend them.
Writing about a recent clinical trial of on particular slimming drug, they wrote: “This trial provides promising results, but the drug still needs to be approved for this use. There may be safety risks with taking a daily injection of the drug long term.”
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/913625/kerry-katona-weight-loss Kerry Katona weight loss: Star reveals she has lost incredible two stone
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Kerry Katona weight loss: Star reveals she has lost incredible two stoneBest Night Sky Events of February 2018 (Stargazing Maps) [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
See what’s up in the night sky for January 2018, including stargazing events and the moon’s phases, in this Space.com gallery courtesy of Starry Night Software.
Shown here: On Thursday, February 1, the waning gibbous moon will occult the bright star Regulus for skywatchers in Scandinavia, northern Greenland, Svalbard, northern and eastern Russia, northeastern China, NW Alaska, and most of Japan (inset). When the moon rises in early evening in the Americas, it will already have shifted along its orbit (green line) to a position about 5 degrees below the star.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/33974-best-night-sky-events.html Best Night Sky Events of February 2018 (Stargazing Maps)
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Best Night Sky Events of February 2018 (Stargazing Maps)Saturday, February 24, 2018
Venus Returns! View the Brilliant Planet in the Spring and Summer Sky [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
It’s back! After a winter sabbatical of sorts, hiding out of sight since the beginning of December, Venus — by far the most brilliant of the naked-eye planets — is back in view. After spending much of 2017 as a morning object, Venus is about to settle in as a prominent “evening star” for the next eight months, becoming a fixture of the western sky.
Our nearest planetary neighbor travels in a nearly perfect circle, orbiting the sun 13 times in eight Earth years, so that, as seen from Earth, it appears to make five circuits around the sky. Each of the eight years in this Venus cycle (known and important to ancient civilizations such as the Maya and Babylonians) has its own particular pattern, so 2018 repeats (within about two or three days of the same date) the phenomena of 2010.
Venus passed superior conjunction, appearing to go behind the sun as seen from Earth, back on Jan. 9. Until recently, it has been invisible, mired deep in the brilliant glare of the sun. Nonetheless, with each passing day, it has been moving on a slow course toward the east and pulling slowly away from the sun’s general vicinity. [When, Where and How to See the Planets in the 2018 Night Sky]
On Feb. 5, Larry Gerstman, a member of the Amateur Observers’ Society of New York, spotted Venus from Long Beach, New York. He wrote:
“I decided to watch the sunset and then hunt for Venus with my 12×40 handheld binoculars with Venus’ being less than 5 degrees above the horizon. After watching the last bead of sunset I immediately aimed my binoculars, with a 5.5 degree field of view, up and slightly to the left and there was Venus, easy to see in the binoculars just seconds after sunset at 5:18 PM. I could not see Venus [with my] naked eye, but five minutes later it became even more obvious in the binoculars and I followed it to within a half a degree above the horizon at 5:44 PM.”
During this upcoming week, Venus should become more evident even without optical aid, very low in the western twilight. On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 24, it sets 8 degrees south of due west about 50 minutes after sunset, and by March 1, this will have improved slightly to an hour after sunset, giving less-experienced skywatchers an excellent chance to get their first glimpse of it.
Keeping company with Mercury (and Uranus)
As a bonus for Venus watchers, for the first three weeks of March, the planet will be within 5 degrees of another bright world: the so-called “elusive planet,” Mercury. On the evening of March 4, the two planets are separated by just 1.1 degrees. Mercury shines at magnitude -1.2, making it nearly as brilliant as the brightest star in the sky, Sirius. Yet, this is only one-twelfth as bright as dazzling Venus, which will glow at magnitude -3.9. (Smaller magnitudes denote brighter objects.) Mercury will then be situated to the upper right of Venus. Search for them low above the western horizon a half-hour after sunset. While both will be evident to the naked eye, binoculars will certainly enhance their visibility against the bright twilight.
Continuing to swing east of the sun during March, Venus will soon become plainly visible in the western evening sky even to the most casual of observers. The planet will appear as a brilliant, white “star” shining with a steady glow, and it will set 80 minutes after the sun by St. Patrick’s Day.
On March 28, you can use Venus as a “pointer” to locate the planet Uranus. On that evening, Venus passes only 4 minutes of arc (0.066 degree) south of Uranus. Venus will be resplendent at magnitude -3.9 compared to sixth magnitude Uranus; this close approach will serve as a convenient opportunity for identifying Uranus in a small telescope or binoculars without the need to consult a sky map. Wait until about an hour after sundown to look for them, but be aware that by that time, the planetary duo will be very low — only about 6 degrees above the western horizon.
With each passing week, Venus rises higher each evening to adorn the western evening sky during the upcoming spring and summer. [Learn to View the Night Sky with ‘See It with a Small Telescope’]
A slow rise to prominence, then a rapid exit
By the beginning of June, Venus will stand nearly 30 degrees above the sunset horizon and set as late as 2 hours and 40 minutes after the sun. Interestingly, the planet’s greatest altitude at sunset will also be occurring at this time, when the ecliptic (the apparent path of the sun, moon and planets throughout the year) becomes nearly vertical with respect to the western horizon for observers in northern latitudes.
On July 9, Venus passes 1 degree to the north of bluish Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, the lion. Six days later, on July 15, Venus and a slender (12-percent illuminated) crescent moon will make for an eye-catching sight in the western sky.
Venus reaches its greatest elongation — its greatest angular distance from the sun — 46 degrees to the east of the sun — on Aug. 17, though it will actually appear about 10 degrees lower compared with where it was during late spring. It is brightest at the very end of summer as it heads back down toward the sun, reaching its greatest illuminated extent (greatest brilliancy) for this apparition on the evening of Sept. 21, at an eye-popping magnitude of -4.8. By then, however, it will be only 10 degrees high at sunset and will be setting just over an hour after the sun does.
Venus then drops rapidly back toward the sun, vanishing from view within the first few days of October, and passes inferior conjunction on Oct. 26.
Through a telescope
Between now and October, repeated observation of Venus with a small telescope will show its complete range of phases and disk sizes. Currently, the planet will appear practically full (98-percent sunlit), as a tiny, dazzling gibbous disk. It will start becoming noticeably less gibbous by July 20. In mid-August, Venus reaches dichotomy (displaying a “half-moon” shape). Then, for the rest of the year, it will appear as a large crescent as it swings near to Earth. Indeed, skywatchers using telescopes will note that, while the Earth-Venus distance is lessening, the apparent size of Venus’ disk will be growing, doubling from its present size by July 29. When it has doubled again in size on Sept. 21, its large crescent shape should be easily discernable even in steadily held seven-power binoculars. During the last week of September, as Venus rapidly sinks lower each night, it will appear as a relatively large and slender crescent. It will disappear from the evening sky within the first few days of October.
In November, Venus sprouts up into the predawn eastern sky, to reach an even greater maximum height in the morning skies of December. And Christmas 2018 will see Venus mimicking a modern-day Star of Bethlehem, appearing as a glorious “star in the east” before sunrise.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer’s Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for Fios1 News in Rye Brook, New York. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39801-brilliant-venus-returns-spring-sky.html Venus Returns! View the Brilliant Planet in the Spring and Summer Sky
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Venus Returns! View the Brilliant Planet in the Spring and Summer SkyWill Astronauts Someday Feast on Poop-Grown Microbes? [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
It’s an extreme version of trash into treasure: New research finds that microbes can transform poop into fuel for edible bacteria.
The process could be one way to provide food for astronauts on deep-space missions, while also solving the intractable problem of what to do with those astronauts’ waste. [How to Use the Bathroom in Space]
“It’s a little strange, but the concept would be a little bit like Marmite or Vegemite where you’re eating a smear of ‘microbial goo,'” lead study author Christopher House, a geoscientist at Penn State who led the study, said in a statement.
The study was published in November in the journal Life Sciences in Space Research.
Recycled waste
The new method is rather unappetizing, but workable: Waste is pumped into a system of cylinders that act as microbial reactors, allowing hand-picked microbes to break down urine and feces via anaerobic (oxygen-free) digestion. The components extracted by the microbes then go into a sort of microbial farm, where they’re used to feed the growth of a different group of bacteria that humans can eat. [7 Everyday Things That Happen Strangely in Space]
More specifically, the researchers used methane from recycled pee and poop to grow Methylococcus capsulatus, a bacterium that is already used on Earth as animal feed. The bacteria grown by House and his team were 52 percent protein and 36 percent fat.
The researchers also tested systems designed to prevent the growth of dangerous microbes among the edible bacteria. They created very basic, or alkaline, microbe farms with a pH of 11 on the 14-point scale. In this environment, they were able to grow Halomonas desiderata, a bacterium with 15 percent protein content and 7 percent fat content. It’s unclear whether these relatively low levels would make the bacteria unsuitable for food, the researchers wrote. In another experiment, the researchers raised the temperature of their microbe farm to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) to discourage pathogens and successfully grew the heat-tolerant bacterium Thermus aquaticus. Those microbes were 61 percent protein and 16 percent fat, they found.
Uses for poop
Over 13 hours, the research team was able to remove between 49 percent and 59 percent of solids from the waste stream, which is faster than traditional waste management, House said. The food production happened quickly, too.
“It’s faster than growing tomatoes or potatoes,” House said.
Poop is a problem in space. On the International Space Station, astronaut urine gets filtered and recycled into drinking water, according to NASA, but poop gets jettisoned with other trash to be incinerated in Earth’s atmosphere.
The foundation Inspiration Mars, which aimed to send a man and a woman on a Mars flyby in January 2018, reportedly planned to use astronaut feces to line the walls of the spacecraft, creating a shield against dangerous cosmic radiation. But funding for Inspiration Mars never materialized, and the foundation’s former website is now defunct.
The poop-to-microbial-food system still needs fine-tuning before it could work aboard a real spacecraft, House said. The team tested the components separately, but now must come up with a way to integrate them into one system.
Original article on Live Science.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39567-can-microbes-make-astronaut-poop-edible.html Will Astronauts Someday Feast on Poop-Grown Microbes?
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Will Astronauts Someday Feast on Poop-Grown Microbes?Friday, February 23, 2018
Potential End of Space Station Raises Concerns, Presents Opportunities [bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]
WASHINGTON – The White House’s next budget request for NASA will likely include plans to end the agency’s operations of the International Space Station by the mid-2020s, a plan that could create new opportunities for commercial space ventures but has already generated opposition from one key senator.
A draft budget document for the agency’s fiscal year 2019 budget proposal calls for “ending direct federal government support of the ISS by 2025” as one of several items intended to implement Space Policy Directive 1, the executive order signed by President Trump Dec. 11 directing NASA to return humans to the moon. The document, rumors about which had been circulating in the space industry in recent days, was first reported by The Verge Jan. 24.
The document is not the official administration release of the budget. The Office of Management and Budget announced Jan. 24 that the fiscal year 2019 budget proposal will be released no earlier than Feb. 12, one week later than planned due to the aftereffects of the government shutdown from Jan. 20 through 22. However, one key member of Congress is already pushing back against the draft proposal. [Quiz! Do You Know the International Space Station?]
“If the administration plans to abruptly pull us out of the International Space Station in 2025, they’re going to have a fight on their hands,” Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in a Jan. 25 statement.
Nelson said ending ISS operations in 2025 “would likely decimate Florida’s blossoming commercial space industry,” a reference to the commercial cargo and future commercial crew launches that will take place from Cape Canaveral as well as support for ISS research. The end of ISS operations would remove an anchor customer for cargo and crew vehicles.
That potential impact on the industry, he said, “is one of the reasons why Congress has directed NASA to look at extending the ISS to 2028 and to provide a plan to help scientists and researchers continue experimenting in low Earth orbit beyond that.”
The NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, signed into law last March, directed NASA to develop an ISS “transition plan” that would “transition in a step-wise approach from the current regime that relies heavily on NASA sponsorship to a regime where NASA could be one of many customers of a low-Earth orbit non-governmental human space flight enterprise.”
Elements of that plan included cost estimates for extending ISS operations to 2028 and 2030 and “an evaluation of the feasible and preferred service life of the ISS… through at least 2028.” NASA missed a Dec. 1 deadline set in the act for submitting the report to Congress.
It’s not clear from the draft proposal how NASA’s role in the ISS would end, and how it would be coordinated with the station’s international partners. At the International Astronautical Congress in Australia in September, NASA and other agency heads said they were not in a hurry to make a decision on the station’s future.
However, Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said at the same event that he was seeking clarity on the station’s post-2024 future in the near term. “I think that 2018 or 2019 is probably the right time” to make a decision on the station’s future, he said during a Sept. 27 panel discussion at the conference.
One potential forum for making announcements on the future of the station is the Second International Space Exploration Forum, scheduled for March 3 in Tokyo, which will be attended by high-level government officials from major spacefaring countries. At the first such event, held in Washington in January 2014, the Obama administration announced its intent to extend ISS operations from 2020 to 2024.
Commercial opportunities
The draft budget proposal states that the end of federal government support for ISS operations would be tied to “transitioning to commercial provision of low Earth orbit (LEO) capabilities.” The document doesn’t elaborate on what those would entail, but would open the door to NASA making use, through leases or other arrangements, of proposed future space stations.
Several companies, including Axiom Space, Bigelow Aerospace and NanoRacks have proposed developing commercial stations, in some cases starting with commercial modules on the ISS. It’s not clear yet if this proposal would accommodate commercial modules as part of any transition.
“At Axiom Space, we’re building the first commercial space station,” said Amir Blachman, vice president of strategic development for Axiom Space, during a panel discussion at the Space Tech Summit in San Mateo, California, Jan. 24. The company plans to start building its modules next year, he said, with the first two launching in 2022.
The station, he said, would be completed about four years later, requiring six launches for its components. “It’s built modularly, so it can be updated and expanded.”
One issue some of these companies say they’re facing is a perception that the ISS must be replaced by a single commercial station. “There are those in the government, those at NASA, who are still trying to figure out how to get one winner, one company that will step up,” said Jeff Manber, chief executive of NanoRacks, during a panel discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) here Jan. 18. Instead, he argued NASA needs to let the market decide the number of types of stations that can thrive in the post-ISS era. “We have to have a completely different mindset.”
“It’s one thing to say this is the last space station that will be owned and operated by the federal government,” Manber said. “It’s another thing to truly let us go out there, use the bandwidth, use the resources, to have a multiplicity of platforms.”
Bigelow Aerospace, which has long sought to develop commercial space stations, warned not to shift too quickly from the ISS. “It doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game,” company founder Robert Bigelow said in a Jan. 25 statement. “ISS operations should continue provided there are aggressive initiatives to use commercial platforms for human space operations in parallel with the continued use of the ISS until such time that NASA can safely relieve itself of the enormous financial burden.”
Commercial exploration roles
The end of federal funding of the ISS is one element of a broader policy included in the budget proposal to support human missions in cislunar space, including perhaps on the surface of the moon, in the 2020s. That policy will reportedly include other commercial opportunities.
One aspect of the proposal is to support public-private partnerships to develop lunar landers and related transportation services by the early 2020s. Several companies have expressed interest in such efforts, including former Google Lunar X Prize competitors and Blue Origin, which announced its Blue Moon lunar cargo lander concept last year.
The proposal will also open the door for a commercial launch of the first element of the proposed Deep Space Gateway, a power and propulsion module, in 2022. NASA had proposed launching the module on the second flight of the Space Launch System, which will also be the first to carry a crew, taking advantage of the additional payload capacity offered by the Block 1B version of the rocket. That mission, though, may not be ready to launch by 2022, given delays in the launch of the first SLS to no earlier than the end of 2019.
NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot, speaking at the CSIS event Jan. 18, said that the 2019 budget proposal would contain details about the plan to implement the administration’s directive to return to the moon, but offered no details.
“We’ve been working on the plan. We’ve been working with the administration,” he said. “I think when the budget comes out folks will see what we’ve been asked to go do and how we think we’re going to do it.”
In the same appearance, he also touched upon the future of the ISS. “In five years, are we going to be ready to move that to somebody else, and if so, what does that mean?” he said in reference to the station. “Looking five years ahead is difficult.”
This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
https://www.space.com/39505-nasa-potential-international-space-station-end-concerns.html Potential End of Space Station Raises Concerns, Presents Opportunities
[bestandroiddoubledinheadunit950.blogspot.com]Potential End of Space Station Raises Concerns, Presents Opportunities