Nov 07 2009
Happy Weekend! Good News for November 7, 2009
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I am finally ready for more good news, how about you? After over a week and a half of serious illness in our house, we are down to only one person still under the weather so life has returned to some sense of normalcy once again. yay for normal! You sure can appreciate it when it’s gone, that’s for sure!
How about some good news? Start your weekend off on the right foot.
Hubble Releases Images Showing Pinwheel Galaxy
The Hubble has a new wide-field camera and here is a photo sent that illustrates how an “assembly line” of starbirth works in a nearby galaxy.
This galaxy is breathtaking. This star is M83 (also known as the Southern Pinwheel). It is 15 million light-years from Earth and is in the constellation Hydra. Looking up in the sky in the correct direction, you might be able to discern the galaxy with your naked eye if every condition was just perfect. This telescope view shows a spectacular spiral — and there we get the “Pinwheel” label.
CHA and Operation Warm Give Coats to Low-Income Children
The Chicago Housing Authority and Operation Warm Inc., are working together to distribute new winter coats to residents in public housing who have children born after January 1, 1995. This is the second year of this program.
Residents must register online at chayouth.org to receive coats. Last year, 4,000 coats went to area children in need. The program has 10,000 coats to give away this year.
The program receives government funds and funds from corporate and private donors. By the end of 2009 Operation Warm will have given away more than 600,000 new coats to children since 1998.
Coats in Chicago will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis to people who have pre-registered online. Public housing residents who do not have Internet access can receive help from a CHA FamilyWorks office, an on-site property management office or resident leaders.
Tiny Ears Found on Butterfly’s Wings
A butterfly species that has tiny ears on its wings can distinguish between high and low pitch sounds.
Scientists assumed butterflies were deaf until 1912, when the first butterfly ears were discovered. In the past decade researchers have begun to examine the anatomy and physiology of butterfly ears.
Scientists knew that the blue morpho butterfly had simple wing ears. In a new study, researchers delved into the anatomy of the odd-looking hearing membrane that sits at the base of the blue morpho’s wing.
After playing sounds with varying pitches, researchers discovered that the butterfly’s hearing membrane vibrated more with lower frequencies. After measuring nerve responses, they now conclude that the butterfly ear is extra sensitive to lower pitches.
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