It's one thing to see what others are doing while wearing Glass but we've yet to see what the interface actually looks and behaves like. That is until now.
Google has just released a new how-to video on getting acquainted with Glass. Tapping and swiping along the touchpad will get you in and out of actions like taking photos and checking the weather. The homepage consists of the time and a prompt to start speaking with the inanimate object on your head. The rest of the "timeline" shows what's going on now or in your near future, like appointments or upcoming flights. Or, you know, taking photos and videos and sharing them to Google Plus.
While there's a lot of tapping and swiping in the video, there's zero evidence of where and when you can speak to Glass. But at least we now know how Glass kind of works in real life.
Surgery for nonfatal skin cancers might not be best for elderly patientsPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu 415-502-6397 University of California - San Francisco
New UCSF study urges doctors to consider patient risks and benefits when treating benign skin cancers
Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.
A new study led by UC San Francisco focused on the vexing problem of how best to handle skin cancers among frail, elderly patients. In the study sample, the researchers found that most non-melanoma skin cancers were typically treated surgically, regardless of the patient's life expectancy or whether the tumor was likely to recur or harm the patient.
One in five patients in the study reported a complication from the skin cancer treatment, and approximately half the patients with limited life expectancy died of other causes within five years.
As a result, the authors say, doctors should take into consideration the benefits, risk and preference of a patient when determining appropriate treatment for nonfatal skin cancers.
The study will be published online on April 29, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
"It can be very challenging to decide whether and how to treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer who have limited life expectancy, especially when the tumors are asymptomatic," said Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study.
"One challenge is that it is hard to precisely predict an individual's life expectancy," Linos noted. "Another challenge is that elderly patients are very diverse. For example, some 90-year-olds are active, healthy and would like to choose the most aggressive treatments for skin cancer, while others are very frail and unable to care for themselves, and may prefer less invasive management for a skin cancer that doesn't bother them.
"Bothersome or medically dangerous skin tumors should always be treated, regardless of age or life expectancy," Linos said. "But treatment of asymptomatic tumors might not be the best option for all patients."
Skin cancers are by far the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2.2 million Americans predominantly older patients are diagnosed annually with a non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer can be slow-growing and typically does not affect survival or short-term quality of life.
"The current standard of care in the United States is to treat non-melanoma skin cancers," the authors wrote in their study, "and no guidelines exist about whether physicians should consider patient age or functional status in choosing treatments."
In comparing treatment options and clinical options, the researchers followed more than 1,300 patients in San Francisco for about a decade. About a quarter of the patients were classified as having limited life expectancy because they were at least 85 years old or they suffered from multiple serious health conditions.
Most of the non-melanoma skin cancers were treated surgically, a taxing process for seniors who have difficulty tolerating extended procedures or adequately treating their wounds at home. The researchers found that medical complications included poor wound healing, numbness, itching and pain.
Tumor recurrence was very low less than 4 percent after five years, the authors said. Nearly half the patients with limited life expectancy died within five years none of the deaths resulted from the skin cancers, the researchers reported. Most deaths were related to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
"The findings highlight a challenge not just for dermatologists, but for all physicians treating non-fatal conditions," said senior author Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, a dermatology professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our study provides useful evidence for clinicians facing a treatment choice dilemma with their patients it focuses on a cancer whose natural history is generally benign, where treatment itself may be discretionary."
###
The research was conducted by the unit for patient-oriented research in skin disease at UCSF, and supported by the National Center for Research Resources (Award KL2RR024130); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01 AR 054983 and K24 AR052667); and by a Career Development Award from the American Skin Association and Dermatology Foundation.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.
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.
Surgery for nonfatal skin cancers might not be best for elderly patientsPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu 415-502-6397 University of California - San Francisco
New UCSF study urges doctors to consider patient risks and benefits when treating benign skin cancers
Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.
A new study led by UC San Francisco focused on the vexing problem of how best to handle skin cancers among frail, elderly patients. In the study sample, the researchers found that most non-melanoma skin cancers were typically treated surgically, regardless of the patient's life expectancy or whether the tumor was likely to recur or harm the patient.
One in five patients in the study reported a complication from the skin cancer treatment, and approximately half the patients with limited life expectancy died of other causes within five years.
As a result, the authors say, doctors should take into consideration the benefits, risk and preference of a patient when determining appropriate treatment for nonfatal skin cancers.
The study will be published online on April 29, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
"It can be very challenging to decide whether and how to treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer who have limited life expectancy, especially when the tumors are asymptomatic," said Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study.
"One challenge is that it is hard to precisely predict an individual's life expectancy," Linos noted. "Another challenge is that elderly patients are very diverse. For example, some 90-year-olds are active, healthy and would like to choose the most aggressive treatments for skin cancer, while others are very frail and unable to care for themselves, and may prefer less invasive management for a skin cancer that doesn't bother them.
"Bothersome or medically dangerous skin tumors should always be treated, regardless of age or life expectancy," Linos said. "But treatment of asymptomatic tumors might not be the best option for all patients."
Skin cancers are by far the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2.2 million Americans predominantly older patients are diagnosed annually with a non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer can be slow-growing and typically does not affect survival or short-term quality of life.
"The current standard of care in the United States is to treat non-melanoma skin cancers," the authors wrote in their study, "and no guidelines exist about whether physicians should consider patient age or functional status in choosing treatments."
In comparing treatment options and clinical options, the researchers followed more than 1,300 patients in San Francisco for about a decade. About a quarter of the patients were classified as having limited life expectancy because they were at least 85 years old or they suffered from multiple serious health conditions.
Most of the non-melanoma skin cancers were treated surgically, a taxing process for seniors who have difficulty tolerating extended procedures or adequately treating their wounds at home. The researchers found that medical complications included poor wound healing, numbness, itching and pain.
Tumor recurrence was very low less than 4 percent after five years, the authors said. Nearly half the patients with limited life expectancy died within five years none of the deaths resulted from the skin cancers, the researchers reported. Most deaths were related to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
"The findings highlight a challenge not just for dermatologists, but for all physicians treating non-fatal conditions," said senior author Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, a dermatology professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our study provides useful evidence for clinicians facing a treatment choice dilemma with their patients it focuses on a cancer whose natural history is generally benign, where treatment itself may be discretionary."
###
The research was conducted by the unit for patient-oriented research in skin disease at UCSF, and supported by the National Center for Research Resources (Award KL2RR024130); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01 AR 054983 and K24 AR052667); and by a Career Development Award from the American Skin Association and Dermatology Foundation.
UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.
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.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian shares crept ahead on Monday, while the dollar lost ground to the yen as markets hunkered down for a busy week for economic data and central bank policy meetings in the euro zone and United States.
Activity was sparse with Japanese markets closed for a holiday and China off until Thursday. The MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.miapj0000pus> was up 0.2 percent, but off a six-week high touched on Friday.
South Korean shares <.ks11> were flat, while Australia's market <.axjo> added 0.5 percent thanks to ongoing strength in banking stocks.
Spot gold was a shade firmer at $1,464.91 an ounce, consolidating last week's bounce. U.S. crude was off 37 cents at $92.63 a barrel and Brent down 33 cents at $102.83.
While recent disappointing growth data from the U.S., China and the euro zone has undermined commodity markets and pushed down bond yields, it has had limited impact on global equities.
"We think this reflects a faith by market participants in the ?monetary policy put', which associates market supportive policy reactions to disappointing economic developments," said analysts from Barclays in a client note.
"For now, it seems to us that this is justified, and partly on that basis, we continue to recommend overweight exposure to equities."
Indeed, speculation is rife that the European Central Bank (ECB) will have to cut interest rates at its policy meeting on Thursday given the dreary run of economic news from the region.
A Reuters poll of 76 economists showed a narrow majority of 43 expected a rate cut of 25 basis points, taking the refi to a record low of 0.50 percent.
However, market rates, such as that for bank-to-bank lending, are already so low that such an easing might have no more than a symbolic impact.
"The ECB will probably cut the refi rate 25 basis points, but since eonia has been trading near zero for most of the past nine months, this move shouldn't weaken the euro unless the bank drops hints that some more dramatic policy -- like a negative deposit rate -- is back on the agenda," said Anna Hibinio, a global forex analyst at JPMorgan.
The single currency was a whisker higher at $1.3039 on Monday, but corralled by resistance at $1.3093 and support around $1.2950.
The dollar also lost altitude on the yen to 97.86, having ended on the defensive at 98.26 in New York on Friday after U.S. economic growth came in short of forecasts.
The U.S. Federal Reserve also meets this week and is widely expected to keep its current pace of bond buying at $85 billion a month. The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee will announce its decision at 1815 GMT on Wednesday.
Most analysts assume the recent string of underwhelming data will strengthen the hand of the doves at the Fed and temper any talk of tapering back the bond buying program.
Investors will also have plenty of economic news to navigate this week. A splurge of data from the U.S. includes several readings on manufacturing and the always-influential payrolls survey.
In Asia, China has surveys on manufacturing and services while Japan releases a batch of reports on retail sales, industrial output and employment on Tuesday.
Companies reporting earnings include Pfizer , Facebook and General Motors .
Of the 271 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date, 69 percent have beaten analyst expectations - above the 63 percent average since 1994 and slightly over the 67 percent beat rate over the past four quarters.
(Additional reporting by Thuy Ong in Sydney; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? A hospital says a Turkish woman who became the first person to successfully receive a donor womb is six weeks into a "healthy" pregnancy.
Derya Sert was born without a womb and had one transplanted in August 2011. Using one of her own eggs, doctors placed an embryo into the 22-year-old's womb in March.
A statement from Akdeniz University Hospital on Monday said doctors have monitored a fetal heartbeat and that the pregnancy is going well.?
A successful birth would provide hope for women who were born without a womb or who lose it to disease.
Behind the Mic Radio welcomes Zack Conroy, who is best known for his portrayal of Oliver Jones on the CBS Daytime drama, The Bold and the Beautiful.
The knockout rounds from NBC's hit talent show The Voice will be here, tune in to hear: Kris Thomas, Midas Whale, Jon Peter Lewis, Ryan Hayes, and many more!
Son of the legendary human potential expert Zig Ziglar, Tom Ziglar will be stopping by WEBE Radio to share his story of growing up and living "Ziglar."
Not only is Sean Kanan nothing like the cads he?s played for decades on daytime dramas, he?s a family man who recently took on step-dad duties for four kids.
Tune in as national security expert Frank Wuco joins the Willie Lawson Show to explain the real force behind Jihad.
Tune in as Northwest Prime, broadcasts live from the Hard Rock Caf? Seattle as they speak with various musicians as they share their music and talk rock.
Tune in as Penny Wagner discusses her journey from a being a school teacher for 30 years to staying at home with her mother who suffered from COPD.
Fiber Hooligan welcomes the funny and talented Myra Wood. Myra is both a knit and crochet wear designer and author of Crazy Lace and Creative Crochet Lace.
January Jones welcomes the outrageous Humorist Bobbe White as she discusses "How To Downsize Your Life and Chill Out!"
This week on Rodney Perry Live we welcome the outrageously funny, Earthquake! Tune in as Earthquake discusses comedy, acting, politics and much more!
Tune in as Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits share deep data on how to succeed as an entrepreneur in today?s world.
The Path to Fabulously Successful welcomes photographer and award winning author Zoe Richards, who made a career change when she chose to follow her passion.
James B. Wilson discusses the loopholes in U.S. federal laws that allow the cosmetics industry to use unlimited amounts of chemicals in personal care products.
Are you still struggling to better manage your money? Tune in as Jackie Mayfield shares ways to eliminate unnecessary items and balance your family budget.
The Hanif J. Williams Show presents Jay Morrison, who for the 1st time ever, will tell his powerful story of his transition from drug dealer to mogul.
Is weight gain or loss a dealbreaker in your relationship, and if so, why? Tune in as we explore this topic in detail.
Jill Larson joins Take 2 Radio to chat about her career and the re-launch of All My Children where she is best known for her role as "Opal Gardner."
It's Derby Week, so Jeremy & Dave will be broadcasting live from Kentucky to talk about Louisville and discover the insider secrets that aren't in the guidebook!
Radio Enso welcomes author, inspirational speaker and business strategist Danielle LaPorte to discuss her new book, ?The Desire Map.?
Tune in as Silvio Canto Jr. welcomes Marta Darby and Sonia Martinez as they talk about Cuban food and share their recipes.
Join Paranormal Research Society as they talk to film director, Eric Walter, about his latest film, "My Amityville Horror". starring Daniel Lutz. This documentary reveals the horror behind growing up as part of a world famous haunting.
Newly crowned X-Games Rally Cross Champ, NASCAR Racer, and the 1st American to compete in Formula 1 in over a decade, Scott Speed joins us on air!
New York City?s free SummerStage Concert Series will be representing hip hop's 40th anniversary. We'll discuss and preview all of the upcoming events.
FILE - In a Wednesday, April 17, 2013 file photo, Washington Wizards center Jason Collins, right, battles for a rebound against Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
FILE - In a Wednesday, April 17, 2013 file photo, Washington Wizards center Jason Collins, right, battles for a rebound against Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
FILE - Boston Celtics center Jason Collins battles Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) for a rebound during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 in Los Angeles. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2013 file photo, then-Boston Celtics center Jason Collins (98) guards Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Auburn Hills, Mich. Jason Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website. The 34-year-old Collins has played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons. He finished this past season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. He says he wants to continue playing. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to come out as gay.
The 34-year-old center, who has played for six teams in 12 seasons, wrote a first-person account that was posted on Sports Illustrated's website Monday. Collins finished the season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. He says he wants to keep playing.
"If I had my way, someone else would have already done this," he writes. "Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Collins played in a Final Four for Stanford and reached two NBA Finals. His twin brother, Jarron, was also a longtime NBA center. Collins says he told his brother he was gay last summer.
"Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
Among those offering support on social media was former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, a friend from Stanford. She tweeted: "Very proud of my friend Jason Collins for having the strength & courage to be the first openly gay player in the NBA."
Collins was also college roommates with another member of an American political dynasty: Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass. In his account, Collins wrote that he realized he needed to go public when the congressman walked in Boston's gay pride parade last year ? and Collins couldn't join him.
Kennedy tweeted Monday that "I've always been proud to call (Collins) a friend, and I'm even prouder to stand with him today."
Mostly a backup in his career, Collins has averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. He was traded from Boston to Washington in February. Collins was the 18th pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft.
Several male athletes have previously come out after they retired, including the NBA's John Amaechi, the NFL's Esera Tuaolo and Major League Baseball's Billy Bean. But Collins is the first to do so while planning to keep playing.
Advocacy organization GLAAD released a statement from Aaron McQuade, who head of its sports program.
"'Courage' and 'inspiration' are words that get thrown around a lot in sports, but Jason Collins has given both ideas a brand new context," he said. "We hope that his future team will welcome him, and that fans of the NBA and sports in general will applaud him. We know that the NBA will proudly support him, and that countless young LGBT Athletes now have a new hero."
PAJU, South Korea (AP) ? North Korea delayed the departure of the last South Korean personnel from a joint industrial complex on Monday by not immediately giving them permission to return home across the two countries' border, South Korean officials said.
Officials from South Korea's Unification Ministry said North Korean officials had been meeting with the personnel for nearly four hours, but that the ministry still hoped that all 50 remaining South Koreans could be withdrawn on Monday.
Their departure would empty out the complex, located on the North Korean side of the border, for the first time since it opened in 2004 and possibly lead to the permanent closure of the last symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.
Two ministry officials refused to disclose what issues were being discussed at the meeting and said it was unclear when the South Koreans would be able to leave. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Amid high tensions, North Korea suspended operations at Kaesong in early April, withdrawing all of its 53,000 workers and barring South Korean factory managers and trucks with supplies from entering the complex. It was the most significant action taken by North Korea to protest South Korean-U.S. military drills and U.N. sanctions imposed over a February nuclear test.
North Korea also issued a flurry of warlike rhetoric, including threats to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S., although it has recently shown some tentative signs of willingness to talk.
South Korea began withdrawing its remaining nationals from Kaesong on Saturday, citing a shortage of food and medicine for them, after North Korea rejected an offer to hold talks on the complex.
Kaesong, which combines South Korean knowhow and technology with cheap North Korean labor, is the last remaining cooperation project between the Koreas. The Korean Peninsula officially remains at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Other joint programs, including tours to a scenic North Korean mountain, have been stalled in recent years because of confrontation between the rival Koreas.
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Residents of a provincial Sudanese city set government offices on fire and threw rocks at local officials on Sunday, accusing them of failing to protect them from a rebel attack the day before, witnesses said.
Insurgents from Sudan's Darfur region stormed Um Rawaba in North Kordofan state on Saturday, witnesses said. State media said late in the evening authorities had regained control of the city, located some 500 km (300 miles) from Khartoum.
On Sunday, 300 people gathered in the city center to protest at a visit by North Kordofan Governor Mutassim Mirghani Zaki Uddi to inspect damage from the fighting in the state's second-largest city.
An angry crowd set several government buildings on fire and threw stones at the cars of the governor and his entourage, three witnesses told Reuters.
"We don't want you here - where were you yesterday?" the crowd chanted, according to witnesses. Uddi's motorcade left without any reports of injury or serious damage. There was no immediate police comment.
The attack marked a major thrust by a rebel alliance that is seeking to topple President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Fighting had hitherto been limited mainly to Darfur and South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, which border South Sudan.
Local newspapers showed what they said were pictures taken during the rebel attack. Several burning buildings could be seen as well as the body of a person on the ground, according to the daily al-Intibaha.
The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), one of the biggest Darfur rebel groups, denied it had looted or destroyed any property in Um Rawaba.
The group was one of two main rebel forces that took up arms against the government in 2003, demanding better representation for Darfur and accusing Khartoum of neglecting its development.
In 2011, JEM teamed up with two other Darfuri groups and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North) which took up arms in South Kordofan and Blue Nile around the time of South Sudan's secession, breaking up Africa's largest country.
(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
The UFC debut of two Strikeforce light heavyweights was spoiled by a odd ending. Ovince St-Preux beat Gian Villante in a majority technical decision after the fight was stopped because of an eyepoke.
After a back-and-forth, not entirely thrilling bout, St-Preux threw a punch and accidentally poked Villante in the eye. Villante stepped back and crouched down, indicating to referee Kevin Mulhall that there was a problem with the eye. Mulhall asked Villante if he could see, and Villante said no, he couldn't see.
At that point, Mulhall waved his arms and the fight was stopped. Villante protested, but the fight was over. Because the round had started, it had to be judged. The scores were 30-28, 29-28 and 29-29 in St-Preux's favor.
?I couldn?t see. He did poke me in the eye so I don?t know," Villante said after the fight. "He said the fight was over and I didn?t expect that because I was just reacting to his question. I got poked and my eye was closed up so I thought he would stop it but he didn?t he just kind of looked at me. I don?t understand how you score thirty seconds of a round and that?s how I lost? We were just getting going and I got poked in the eye. I don?t know what to say.?
Mulhall's stoppage followed the rule of the eyepoke rule, if not the spirit. When a fighter says he can't see, the fight is stopped. However, Mulhall could have used better communication and adherence to procedures. It would have been better if he explained to Villante that he didn't have time to recover and that the fight would be stopped if he said he couldn't see.
UFC 159's weird streak continued in the very next bout. Rustam Khabilov and Yancy Medeiros' fight was stopped halfway through the first round. Medeiros defended a Khabilov takedown attempt, but hit his hand awkwardly. His thumb ended up pointing a way thumbs are not supposed to point and the bout was stopped at 2:32 of the first round.
Two weird endings marred the preliminary card, but the UFC rarely lets a weird ending go. Quite often, these fights get a rematch, so don't be shocked if you see these fights happen again on a card this summer.
In the early hours of Sunday morning (April 28), the planet Saturn reaches opposition. This places it exactly opposite the sun in our sky.
Opposition has several effects on Saturn. Most important, it marks its arrival in the evening sky. It is now visible all night long, a treat for the many people who consider this the most beautiful object in the sky. On Saturday and Sunday night, Saturn can be found in the southeastern sky, weather permitting.
Saturn's opposition also marks the planet's maximum brightness for the year, and the brightest it has been for a number of years. At magnitude 0.2, the ringed planet now outshines the first magnitude star Spica in the constellation Virgo. Astronomers measure the brightness of night sky in terms of magnitude, with lower numbers denoting exceptional brightness. [Photos of Saturn's Dazzling Rings]
You can easily spot Saturn and Spica by following the old rule: "Arc to Arcturus, then speed on to Spica." Start by following the arc formed by the handle of the Big Dipper away from the Dipper's bowl in a broad arc across the sky, first reaching Arcturus in kite-shaped Bo?tes, and then on to Spica and Saturn in Virgo. Sparkling Spica is on the right, steady Saturn on the left. Starlight, coming from a distant point, is deflected by the Earth's atmosphere and twinkles. A planet like Saturn is larger than a star in apparent size, and so is less affected by atmospheric turbulence, so shines with a steady light.
Saturn is most famous for its magnificent set of rings. All the outer planets have rings, but Saturn's are the brightest and most easily seen. Composed of small pieces of rock and ice, these rings are thin and transparent. When the rings pass in front of a star, the star's light shines through undiminished.
How much magnification do you need to see Saturn's rings? Although some people claim to have seen them with their unaided eyes, most people need a magnification of about 25 power to see that Saturn is an oval rather than a disk. For a really good view, 100 power is much better. Even so, Saturn appears much smaller in a telescope than most people expect. Although tiny, Saturn's perfection astounds all first-time viewers.
Besides its rings, Saturn has an amazing collection of moons, 62 in all. Its brightest moons are mostly in orbits in the same plane as the rings, as you can see in the chart. Its largest moon, Titan, is one of the two largest moons in the solar system; Jupiter's Ganymede is the other. These are the only two moons large enough to have extensive atmospheres. Titan is also the farthest object from Earth on which a spacecraft has landed, the unmanned Huygens probe in 2005.
Titan can be seen easily in almost any telescope. Rhea, Tethys, and Dione can be seen with a 90mm telescope. The innermost moons, Mimas and Enceladus, are more challenging because the lie so close to the bright rings.
Iapetus is Saturn's most interesting moon. Its orbit is not in the plane of the rings, but is tilted at a steep angle. Like all large moons in the solar system, it always keeps one face turned towards its planet, but one side of Iapetus is coated with a dark sooty material. This results in Iapetus being much brighter when west of the planet that when it is to the east.
Because Saturn's moons can appear at any angle from the planet, you will need to use a planetarium software program to identify the individual moons and to distinguish them from background stars. Watching them change positions from night to night is fascinating.
Saturn holds something for every skywatcher. Everyone can enjoy spotting it in the sky, and those with telescopes can admire its rings and track the dance of its many moons.
Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing photo of Saturn and its rings and would like to share it with SPACE.com for a story or image gallery, please send comments and images to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.
This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu. Original article at SPACE.com.
Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A: Well, Sponsorship was set up to allow vampires the opportunity to become equal citizens. In our roleplay, we have a minimum requirement of one Sponsor needed to start the game. Ideally, however, we?ll have five different Sponsors for each vampire type. Instead of the usual RP thing where people get paired, this is more like each Sponsor is responsible for their group, but will still be interacting quite a bit with the other vampires and Sponsors. However, it may turn out as a pairing if their?s only one vampire of a specific type.
I?m mostly having it set up so that the roleplay?s Sponsors-to-be come to the University in this year?s batch of transfer students, unfamiliar with the ways of vampire segregation. However, if you ask, I?ll be allowing one or two people to already be Sponsors at the start of the game.
Q: So how does the human Gift work?
A: Unlike Normal Vampires, who's powers are strictly elemental, a human Gift could be anything. A magic touch in the garden, better with numbers than a calculator, super-endurance. This is normally an extremely buffed-up skill/talent.
Q: So how does the Witch Vampire's craft type work?
A: It's sorta like how different types of magic-casters in different cultures use their craft differently. Some use voodoo, others use runes, and others use alchemy. It's very open, and largely up to the player to decide the individual strengths and weaknesses of their craft. However, no god-modding, of course. Every strength results in a weakness.
Q: Do the pictures have to be anime?
A: Technically, no. However, they cannot be real people. I, personally, prefer anime (easier to find pictures), but I have done face-claims and such before. I?ve noticed that the different types of roleplays (real, realistic, and anime) all have different kinds of ?feels?. This roleplay in particular is going to have a light-hearted anime feel most of the time, but will also have it?s real/realistic moments and undertones. For example, the characters in this RP are capable of comically eating massive amounts of food, but I?m not going to allow them to do so when the mood is serious.
As such, and because I understand anime images make some people uncomfortable, I?ll also be allowing either an extensively-written description or a semi-realistic image as a substitute.
Q: Clarify the Empathic Vampire's power?
A: Here?s how it works, using our anger/fire guy as an example.The more angry he is personally, the hotter/higher quality the flame will be. The more angry the people around him are, the more quantity of that flame there?ll be.
Let?s say he wants to use his power, but he?s not angry. His flame will be pretty wimpy. Okay, so what if if he?s not angry, but the people around him are? The power backing his flame will increase, but it?s amount will increase much more. If he?s the only one who?s mad, however, his flame would be super hot, but there would only be a little bit of it. However, it does NOT have to be an elemental power. More often, it's something psychic-related (like telepathy), or in a category of of it's own (like light or moving dust particles).
Q: Do have any certain way you want them to be changed into a vampire?
A: Well there?s a number of ways you could go about doing it. Involving venom, blood, and genes.
One could have the change forced upon them if bitten by a Demonic Vampire. Demonic Vampires are the only vampires that have the venom capable of doing so, and they can use this venom at will. However, the venom is a lot like saliva, and is known to just kinda come out by itself, causing accidents. The transformation would be incredibly painful. Demonic vampires are the only true immortal vampire and are essentially the undead. The human would die and then be reanimated.
One could change willingly if they share blood with a vampire. It can be any type of vampire, but it has to be willing. This change is extremely dangerous for both parties, however, because it involves sucking out the majority of the human?s blood, then replacing it with vampiric blood.
Finally, one could change by accident, or just out of the blue if vampirism runs in the family. And I?m not saying Mom or Dad, more like a Great-great-great Aunt. It has to be a distant relation, otherwise they simply would?ve been born a vampire. This change often comes out of nowhere, soon after puberty?s over, or during.
Q: Are vampires immortal?
A: Yes and no, it really depends on the type. Vampires, in general, live longer and are harder to kill than humans. This is nature?s response to the fact that there are fewer vampires than humans.
Empathic and Witch Vampires are the most similar to humans, they don?t even really need blood. They live for hundreds of years, but it?s rare to see one over 500. Normal and Human-Turned Vampires can expect to live twice that amount, but since they rely on blood (which they can?t really get this day and age) they typically die sooner. A Shapeshifting Vampire can expect to live a life much like their animal; if they transform into a rabbit, they?ll probably live only to 100. If they transform into a turtle, they'll probably live for a very, very long time. Demonic Vampires, however, live forever if not killed. Even without blood, though that?s an withered existence that can be likened to that of a fate worse than death.
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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