Supermoon peaked Sunday morning, but good viewing will continue for the next few days. The unusual relationship between Earth and the moon makes supermoon a particularly good show.
By Mark Sappenfield,?Staff writer / June 23, 2013
Supermoon rises behind the Home Place clock tower in Prattville, Ala., Saturday.
Dave Martin/AP
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"Supermoon" officially arrived at about 7 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Sunday morning, with the moon making its closest swing by Earth this year. About a half hour later, the moon reached full status, making it appear 12 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a regular full moon.
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Don't worry if you missed it. The effect should still linger for a few nights, meaning Sunday, Monday, and even Tuesday should give a good sense of this year's supermoon.
And social media was alight with the event, with pictures of Saturday night's supermoon making an appearance from Facebook to Instagram.
The show is the product of a cosmic quirk. Since planets and moons orbit in ellipses, not circles, there are times when they are closer to what they're orbiting and times when they're farther away. For moons, the point when they're closest to their planet is called perigee, the point farthest away is called apogee.
For Earth and the moon, perigee and apogee happen once each month, since the moon orbits the Earth once every 27 days. But because of small inconsistencies in the orbits, the moon's closest approach and its farthest distance are always slightly different.
The moon hit its monthly perigee Sunday morning, but what makes it worthy of the name "supermoon" was that it was the closest perigee of 2013. Moreover, since it coincided almost perfectly with a full moon, the effect was enhanced.
The moon's farthest apogee this year has already happened and is set to repeat itself next year during the Jan. 15, 2014, full moon. To see the visual difference in size between a perigee and apogee moon, click here.?
But what makes the moon so special? If everything in the solar system orbits in an ellipsis, shouldn't we have a "supersun," too.
In fact, we do. Since we orbit the sun once a year, supersuns only happen once a year. Our closest swing to the sun, called perihelion, also already happened this year, and will happen again on Jan. 4, 2014. (An "un-supersun," when the sun seems smallest at aphelion, is just around the corner: July 5.)
But will there be this much buzz next January with sungazers filling Twitter with pictures of a gigantic sun? Don't count on it.
The reason? the sun is obviously much farther away from Earth than is the moon, so the effect is not so noticeable. For Earth, the distance between aphelion and perihelion is about 3 million miles. But even at perihelion, the Earth is still 91 million miles from the sun.?
In addition, Earth's orbit around the sun is more nearly circular than is the moon's orbit around us, with only Venus and Neptune having more circular orbits than Earth. Mercury has the most eccentric orbit ? ranging from a perihelion of 29 million miles to an aphelion of 43 million miles ? meaning it has a truly dramatic supersun (if you can stand the 800 degree Fahrenheit temperatures on the sun-side surface).
By contrast, the moon's orbit around Earth is the most elliptical orbit of any major moon in the solar system. Combine that with the fact that the moon is comparatively close to Earth, so it looks large in our skies, and supermoon earns its name.
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Bacterial DNA may integrate into human genome more readily in tumor tissuePublic release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cheryl Dybas cdybas@nsf.gov 703-292-7734 National Science Foundation
Gene transfer may play role in cancer, other diseases linked with DNA damage
Bacterial DNA may integrate into the human genome more readily in tumors than in normal human tissue, scientists have found.
The researchers, affiliated with the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute for Genome Sciences, analyzed genomic sequencing data available from the Human Genome Project, the 1,000 Genomes Project and The Cancer Genome Atlas.
They considered the phenomenon of lateral gene transfer (LGT), the transmission of genetic material between organisms in a manner other than than traditional reproduction.
Scientists have already shown that bacteria can transfer DNA to the genome of an animal.
The researchers found evidence that lateral gene transfer is possible from bacteria to the cells of the human body, known as human somatic cells.
They found that bacterial DNA was more likely to integrate in the genome in tumor samples than in normal, healthy somatic cells. The phenomenon might play a role in cancer and other diseases associated with DNA damage.
"Advances in genomic and computational sciences are revealing the vast ways in which humans interact with an ever-present and endlessly diverse planet of microbes," says Matt Kane, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology in its Directorate for Biological Sciences, which funded the research.
"This discovery underscores the benefits that can result from a shift in our understanding of how this vast diversity of microbes and their genes may affect our health."
The results may lead to advances in personalized medicine, scientists say, in which doctors use each patient's genomic make-up to determine care and preventive measures.
A paper reporting the results is published today in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
"LGT from bacteria to animals was only described recently, and it is exciting to find that such transfers can be found in the genome of human somatic cells and particularly in cancer genomes," says Julie Dunning Hotopp of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and lead author of the paper.
Hotopp also is a research scientist at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.
"Studies applying this approach to additional cancer genome projects could be fruitful, leading us to a better understanding of the mechanisms of cancer."
The researchers found that while only 63.5 percent of TCGA samples analyzed were from tumors, the tumor samples contained 99.9 percent of reads supporting bacterial integration.
The data present a compelling case that LGT occurs in the human somatic genome, and that it could have an important role in cancer and other human diseases associated with mutations.
It's possible that LGT mutations play a role in carcinogenesis, the scientists say, yet it's also possible that they could simply be "passenger mutations."
The investigators suggest several competing ideas to explain the results, though more research is needed for definitive answers.
One possibility is that the mutations are part of carcinogenesis, the process by which normal cells turn into cancer cells.
Alternatively, tumor cells are very rapidly proliferating, so much so that they may be more permissive to lateral gene transfer.
It's also possible that bacteria are causing these mutations because they benefit the bacteria themselves.
###
The study was also funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Bacterial DNA may integrate into human genome more readily in tumor tissuePublic release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Cheryl Dybas cdybas@nsf.gov 703-292-7734 National Science Foundation
Gene transfer may play role in cancer, other diseases linked with DNA damage
Bacterial DNA may integrate into the human genome more readily in tumors than in normal human tissue, scientists have found.
The researchers, affiliated with the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute for Genome Sciences, analyzed genomic sequencing data available from the Human Genome Project, the 1,000 Genomes Project and The Cancer Genome Atlas.
They considered the phenomenon of lateral gene transfer (LGT), the transmission of genetic material between organisms in a manner other than than traditional reproduction.
Scientists have already shown that bacteria can transfer DNA to the genome of an animal.
The researchers found evidence that lateral gene transfer is possible from bacteria to the cells of the human body, known as human somatic cells.
They found that bacterial DNA was more likely to integrate in the genome in tumor samples than in normal, healthy somatic cells. The phenomenon might play a role in cancer and other diseases associated with DNA damage.
"Advances in genomic and computational sciences are revealing the vast ways in which humans interact with an ever-present and endlessly diverse planet of microbes," says Matt Kane, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology in its Directorate for Biological Sciences, which funded the research.
"This discovery underscores the benefits that can result from a shift in our understanding of how this vast diversity of microbes and their genes may affect our health."
The results may lead to advances in personalized medicine, scientists say, in which doctors use each patient's genomic make-up to determine care and preventive measures.
A paper reporting the results is published today in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
"LGT from bacteria to animals was only described recently, and it is exciting to find that such transfers can be found in the genome of human somatic cells and particularly in cancer genomes," says Julie Dunning Hotopp of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and lead author of the paper.
Hotopp also is a research scientist at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.
"Studies applying this approach to additional cancer genome projects could be fruitful, leading us to a better understanding of the mechanisms of cancer."
The researchers found that while only 63.5 percent of TCGA samples analyzed were from tumors, the tumor samples contained 99.9 percent of reads supporting bacterial integration.
The data present a compelling case that LGT occurs in the human somatic genome, and that it could have an important role in cancer and other human diseases associated with mutations.
It's possible that LGT mutations play a role in carcinogenesis, the scientists say, yet it's also possible that they could simply be "passenger mutations."
The investigators suggest several competing ideas to explain the results, though more research is needed for definitive answers.
One possibility is that the mutations are part of carcinogenesis, the process by which normal cells turn into cancer cells.
Alternatively, tumor cells are very rapidly proliferating, so much so that they may be more permissive to lateral gene transfer.
It's also possible that bacteria are causing these mutations because they benefit the bacteria themselves.
###
The study was also funded by the National Institutes of Health.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? The South African presidency says the health condition of Nelson Mandela has become critical.
The office of President Jacob Zuma said that the president had visited the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader on Sunday evening and was informed by the medical team that Mandela's condition had become critical in the past 24 hours.
Zuma says in a statement that the doctors are "doing everything possible to get his condition to improve."
Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president after the end of apartheid in 1994, was hospitalized on June 8 for what the government said was a recurring lung infection.
Being a teen is tough, but being a tween might be even tougher. From awkward encounters with classmates to weird obsessions (like dressing in a cape and pretending to be a pirate), it's a wonder how anyone survives middle school.
Yesterday, Reddit users didn't spare any details when they responded to the question, "What happened in middle school that still makes you cringe today?"
Click through 10 of the responses in the slideshow below and tell us: What are your worst middle school memories, or, what was your favorite part about middle school? Sound off in the comments or tweet @HuffPostTeen!
The Fairfield County Sports Commission?s ninth annual Sports Night awards dinner is Monday, Oct. 21. The commission will recognize 15 Sportspersons of the Year from 15 different county communities, including Weston, as part of the evening.
The Weston Sports Committee is looking for people who had made the most positive impact and contribution to the Weston sports community from September 2012 to August 2013.? Nominees can be athletes of any age, coaches, administrators, parents, and supporters of any type.
The Weston Sports Committee is comprised of the presidents of the town?s primary sports programs (baseball, basketball ball, football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming), plus the head of its adult sport program, the middle school and high school athletic directors, high school boosters club director, chair and director of Parks and Recreation Department, the selectmen, the town?s representative to the Fairfield County Sports Commission, certain members of Parks and Recreation Department and past winners living in Weston.
All nominees will be screened by the committee.?? The town?s nominee will be announced in the Weston Forum around Labor Day.
Last year, Weston?s Sportsperson of the Year nominee was Sibyl Ledwick. She served on the Boards of the Weston Boosters Club and The Weston Lacrosse Club.? She was an advocate, a coach, a fundraiser and a mentor. She ran the WHS Boosters Concession program, which includes the Booster Barn, indoor stands, Relay for Life and the Special Olympics.? She was responsible for raising tens of thousands of dollars for Weston Athletic needs.
Prior Weston winners have been Jon Pressman (adult sports programs), Brian McMahon (president of Weston Lacrosse and Aspetuck Youth Football), Kevin Funk (president of Weston Girls Softball), Paul Scheufele (founder of Weston Lacrosse), Matt Medve (Weston High track and field coach), Marc Butlein (Parks and Recreation member), and Carl Charles (former Weston High athletic director).
Nominations should be made by either emailing a one-page recommendation to? seizetheday06883@yahoo.com. Included in the recommendation should be reasons why the person is deserving of the award, evidence and in support of his/her accomplishments and relationship to the nominee. The deadline is June 30.
For more information about the sports commission visit www.fairfieldcountysports.com. For more information on the process, call Michael Carter at 227-9595.
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Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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The Fairfield County Sports Commission?s ninth annual Sports Night awards dinner is Monday, Oct. 21. The commission will recognize 15 Sportspersons of the Year from 15 different county communities, including Weston, as part of the evening.
