Sunday, January 6, 2013

County Sheriff: Inmates using newspaper?s gun permit map to intimidate guards (Michellemalkin)

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Races

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Human: Good at everything, masters of nothing unless they put their mind to it. They are the middle child of all races, being a race that is not old but no longer young. Perfect for adaptable or all-arounder characters

Ability: They can have any job

Possible Jobs: All

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High Elf: Noble and oldest Elf race, they are often magic users or archers, but also excel in the more nimble of swordsman classes. They are noble and civilized, perfect for honorable or stuck-up characters, or even any type of magic user.

Ability: +2 Intelligence, + 1 Dexterity

Possible Jobs: Mage, Sorcerer, Wizard, Cleric, Archer, Hunter, Fencer, Blade Mage, Ranger, Scholar, Bow mage, Zealot, Avatar, Necromancer, Negotiator, Orator, Mediator, Hypnotist.

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Wood Elf: Younger race of elf than High Elves, they prefer the woods, and are less attuned to magic, and more physically attuned. Great for a clever or quick character

Ability: +2 Dexterity +1 Agility

Possible Jobs: Fencer, Archer, Ranger, Hunter, Godbow, Assassin, Theif, Robber, Scholar, Knight, Soldier, Paladin, Rogue, Scout, Mage, Warrior, Brawler

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Tief: Ancient race now cursed for their crimes, they look much like demons. Characters who are more attuned to evil, have a natural pull to evil to overcome, or are stealthy fit god into this race

Ability: Shadowalk (can teleport when not in battle once per day), +2 Dexterity

Possible Jobs: Mage, Sorcerer, Scholar, Cleric, Paladin, Warrior, Archer, Hunter, Thief, Robber, Rogue, Necromancer, Avatar, Blade Mage, Wizard, Fencer, Warlord, Brawler

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Drakon: Dragon decendant race with their power of Breath, with tough skin. Most are brutish, but charming, rarely are they interested in magic, but many have ancient dragon knowledge and live for a few centuries. Great for strong, powerful, suave, charismatic, or long-living characters

Abilities: Dragon Breath (Choose Ice or fire for life, and use the power of a dragon's breath once per day, +2 Charisma, +1 Strength, -1 Agility

Possible Jobs: Paladin, Mage, Warrior, Berserker, Soldier, Knight, Negotiator, Orator, Mediator, Charmspeaker, Seer, Warlord, Brawler

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Dwarf: Hardy people small in stature but high in honor and strength, they aren't the brightest, but can cleave the head off of most monsters, and are considered good luck by some. Good for hardy, lovable, short characters.

Abilities: +2 Strength, +1 Luck, chance of weapon breaking lowered by 25%

Possible Jobs: Besrker, Warrior, Soldier, Paladin, Knight, Guardian, Warlord, Cleric, Brawler

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/4L1oBa-Miy8/viewtopic.php

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Places

Consequence

A final refuge for the human race where even your greatest strength comes with a price.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Consequence?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

Places: Consequence

The Surface- Where the majority of the RP will take place. It is divided up into 5 main districts, 4 of them playable to the characters. Each district is technically in ruins, save for the military district, but people have scraped together various forms of living within the shattered buildings.



Military District:
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The base of operations for the military and its seat of power in the city. It is walled off itself and guard lie at every entrance. Ordinary citizens are denied this part of the city. No person outside of the military itself would be stupid enough to set foot here.


The slums/Shacktown:
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Comprised of lopsided shacks and makeshift buildings, the slums were raised just outside the Military District under the watchful eye of its soldiers. Most people living here believe the closer you are to the walls of the Military district, the further you are from the other horrors of the city. The military has a more firm grip of the citizens in this area than the others. Dubbed ?Shacktown? by its? residents.



Core District:
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Lying almost directly in the center of the city, this is the site of the most action within the city. People with Various Shops and trades are located in more abundance here than any other part of the city. People from all over the city will pass through here quite frequently. It is the city?s main source of information and trade. The Gun NPC is located here as well as bars and almost anything else worthwhile in the city.


Gang Territory:
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As the name suggests, the entire district is nearly overrun with gang activity. The military keeps a close eye turned this way and will intervene anytime the gangs begin to branch out. Fighting is almost always evident in the buildings and streets throughout this district.


Hollow Pointe:
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The furthest and quite possibly the least traversed part of the entire city. Virtually a ghost town, sinkholes and time have ravaged this part of the city. Cutthroats, deranged citizens, and horrors from the Undercity are the inhabitants of this district. Even the Military doesn?t risk spending any amount of time in this part of the city.


The Undercity
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The entrance to this portion of the city is located within Hollow Pointe. Made up of the sewers and old tunnels that run beneath the city itself. The depths of this area are, without a doubt, the most dangerous part of the entire city. ?Things? live down here that have been transformed and warped from dumping and evolution over the years. Light is as much a danger down here as it is a blessing. When in the Undercity, remember one thing: you are never alone.

Consequence- "A More Unique Survival RP"
-"So long as the new moon returns in heaven, a bent, beautiful bow, so long will the fascination of Archery keep hold of the hearts of men." --Thompson
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Saturday, January 5, 2013

NJ man arrested in NY police cannibalism case

(AP) ? The arrest of a New Jersey man accused Friday of seeking to pay $5,000 to a New York City police officer to kidnap a Manhattan woman whom he intended to rape and kill drew claims from a defense lawyer that the government was trying to prevent him from testifying about Internet sexual fantasies at the officer's cannibalism-tinged trial.

The attorney, Julia Gatto, spoke after Trenton resident Michael Vanhise, 22, appeared briefly in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where he was ordered held pending a bail hearing Monday on a conspiracy to commit kidnapping charge.

"Mr. Vanhise is being used as a pawn by the government to bolster a very weak case," Gatto said outside court. She represents Officer Gilberto Valle, 28, of Queens, who is scheduled to go to trial later this month after he was charged in October with one count of kidnapping conspiracy and one count of accessing a computer without authorization.

She said Vanhise "would have exonerated our client" with testimony about his own participation in a world of Internet sexual fantasies where people could speak of unspeakable acts they would never commit. She said the arrest Friday appeared to be a tactical move by authorities to prevent testimony by Vanhise or others about Internet fantasies.

"He definitely could have been a defense witness, yes. We believe he would certainly support the defense," Gatto said.

The lawyer said the government appeared to be pressuring potential defense witnesses not to take the witness stand by saying in court documents filed against Vanhise that there were other co-conspirators who had not been charged in the case.

Authorities said Vanhise agreed to pay Valle $5,000 to kidnap the woman in New York and deliver her bound to Vanhise's home in New Jersey, where she would be raped and killed. They said Vanhise also participated in planning the kidnapping of a girl.

Vanhise's lawyer, Alice Fontier, said her client, an auto mechanic who seemed to wipe tears from his eyes during his court hearing, was "very upset," especially because he wanted to be home after his wife gave birth to a daughter last month, one of several young children the couple has.

She said he had been in contact with the FBI since late October and there had "certainly been ongoing meetings."

"He has not stopped cooperating," she said, though she added: "Obviously, the relationship has changed since he was arrested."

Besides being accused of agreeing to pay Valle for the abduction last year when Valle was an active police officer, Vanhise also admitted emailing others about kidnapping, raping and killing women and children, the FBI said in court papers.

The FBI quoted Valle in court papers as saying in an email to Vanhise that it would be hard to restrain himself when he knocks the woman out, "but I am aspiring to be a professional kidnapper and that's business."

It quoted him as also saying he would tie her hands and bare feet and gag her. "Then she will be stuffed into a large piece of luggage and wheeled out to my van," it said he told Vanhise.

"Just make sure she doesn't die before I get her," Vanhise was quoted in court papers as telling Valle in response.

"No need to worry. She will be alive. It's a short drive to you," the officer was quoted as responding.

Valle was charged last year with using a law-enforcement database as he allegedly made plans to kidnap, rape, kill and eat women. Gatto said at that time that he was engaging in sexual fantasies and intended no violence.

In court papers filed Monday, defense lawyers wrote that Valle was accused from January 2012 to Oct. 24 of conspiring with others he met on a website devoted to the exploration of deviant sexual fantasies.

"Mr. Valle and the individuals with whom he communicated discussed, among other things, their violent sexual fantasies of abducting, raping, murdering and cannibalizing women," they wrote. They said Valle sometimes distributed the photographs of women he knew through his social network "to enhance the fantasy," though he never intended for any acts to be committed in the "real world."

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Vanhise engaged in conduct "that reads like a script for a bad horror film."

He said the arrest was the second "in this bone-chilling case, but we are not finished."

George Venizelos, head of the New York FBI office, said the charges "convey the depravity of the offense."

The court papers said Vanhise also emailed photographs of a girl whom Vanhise knew well. They said this occurred after other unidentified co-conspirators expressed interest in kidnapping the child.

If convicted, Vanhise could face life in prison.

___

Associated Press Writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-04-Police%20Officer-Cannibalism/id-c60271e15abc41519115bbc46207aaa8

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Jamaica...Exceptional Golf...Great Resorts! - Journeys Travel - That ...


There are three things you need to know about golf in Jamaica. Firstly, you must have a caddie with you for every round. It?s the policy of most, if not all, golf courses in Jamaica. Secondly, you may find that caddie giving you swing advice whether you think you need it or not. In most cases they can help those willing to listen. And finally, when the putting line is given to you on the green, no matter what your eyesight tells you, you are best to believe the caddie. They are usually right on. While most people who travel to Jamaica do so for the beaches and resorts, some of the best golf courses you can find anywhere are clustered along the northern side of the island, from the Montego Bay area to Ocho Rios. My son Carey and I have undertaken a golf discovery tour each fall for the past several years. With non-stop flights starting early from Winnipeg to Montego Bay, an excellent opportunity was presented to us to fly further afield than the U.S. based golf trails we have followed in the past. In Jamaica, most of the golf resorts are tied into major resort properties. While open to the public, guests who stay at the properties have preferred access and lower priced or complimentary tee times. The following are the top five courses we recommend for golf enthusiasts considering Jamaica, along with reviews of the resorts to which they are attached. Reputed to have killed at least three of her husbands, Annie Palmer, who owned the Rose Hall plantation in the 19th century, became known as the white witch for her evil deeds. She was also supposed to have cast an evil spell on her slaves of the day. The spell may have continued into present times as golfers can often be heard cursing the steep changes in elevation, frequent side hill lies and a mountainous terrain that can shake the confidence of the most skilled golfers. Forward tee markers make it playable for the high handicapper, but it does require a good deal more accuracy than would be required in courses here. Nevertheless, this is a must play course. Spectacular views of the golf course and surroundings make it a pleasure to navigate, and views of the Caribbean Sea from all but two holes create photo opportunities at every turn. The Resort: The White Witch course is attached to The Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort, Rose Hall Jamaica. Find the brand on any property in North America, South America, the Caribbean, or around the world and you will be living in a lifestyle that shouts out service and comfort. Upon checking in, we found we had somehow lost or misplaced one of our bags. On their own the staff traced back our taxi driver, phoned the resort we had come from earlier, and informed us that the driver was going back to have it picked up immediately. In most places the Ritz-Carleton is known as a business hotel. As a result guests in Jamaica can choose whether or not they wish the all-inclusive option. The property is situated close to the airport and only a few minutes from the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Sandals Golf and Country Club When I first played this Ocho Rios course many years ago, it was known as the Upton Golf Club. After many additions and improvements it is now one of the most popular tracks in the country. Gently rolling hills and occasional views of the ocean make it a pleasure to play on. The fairways are reasonable wide, and the treed areas dividing holes are cleared, leaving a decent ?out? shot for the wayward drive. Views of the Mountains behind the course offer a beauty of their own. The first day we were to golf this course we were deluged with a monsoon style rainfall so heavy that the golf cart could scarcely make it back to the clubhouse. Upon returning the next day we were astonished to see how the course had been completely drained of water and, other than in a few low lying spots, the golf course was dry and completely playable. The Resort: Sandals is the original all inclusive resort, created by home grown entrepreneur, Butch Stewart. From his first property near the Montego Bay airport he would build a resort empire that stretched throughout the Caribbean. Sandals properties are all for couples only. Its sister resort brand, Beaches, was added more recently to accommodate the ever expanding family travel market. The four poster beds at the Sandals where we stayed are a pleasure to sleep on. I had excellent sleeps every night. But I had not slept with my son in the same bed since he was five years old, and expressed that I was not about to start now. ?I don?t think Carey slept quite as soundly on the small cot they provided. Golf is complimentary for guests at the Sandals and Beaches properties in Ocho Rios, but there is an extra charge for both the caddie and cart. While walking is permitted, unless you are in very good condition, traversing the course in the hot humid temperatures of Jamaica can be a chore. While Half Moon may be the flattest of all the courses we played, its degree of difficulty is enhanced by greens that seem unreadable, plus a Robert Trent Jones design that throws different angles at the player with each turn. Like the Sandals course, the treed areas are well kept and cut to create friendly escapes for hook or slice. At 7119 yards from the championship tees the course plays longer than its length would indicate. The Resort: Half Moon Rose Hill This is the prime place to stay. With a guest list that includes the present queen and future monarch, frequent visitor Paul Simon, Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson, and three Canadian Prime Ministers including our current one, it clearly comes highly recommended. It is also the resort where the final episodes of the reality show America?s Top Model was taped. ?We have the reputation and expectation that every single staff member at every level is committed to enhancing the guest experience,? Diandra Shand, Half Moon?s Communications Manager underlined. During our stay we can attest to the fact that those were not empty words. It is the only resort in the Caribbean with its own dolphin pool. Other than almost losing my swim suit as the dolphins pushed me through the water, it was a highlight of the trip. Half Moon?s children?s play area is substantive, and is widely known to have one of the finest spas on the island.

Accommodations range from single rooms to one bedroom suites all the way to the six bedroom villas where the stars and royalty often chose to stay.

Its dining facilities are without parallel, and its sugar Mill Restaurant on the golf course itself should be experienced by every guest that visits the area. We dined there on our last night before returning home, and toasted our good fortune in deciding to choose Jamaica this year. As you move past the seaside holes of the first nine, one gets the feeling of having moved to another golf course. Its back nine traverses though this massive property?s more forested hillsides, changing the personality of the course completely. With the sea at your feet and a mountain at your back, Tryall is another example of golfing in Jamaica where the beauty of the environment transcends the challenge of the course. But like most in Jamaica, this course throws in plenty of obstacles to demand that concentration and strategy are as important as ensuring consistent swing patterns. The winds of the Caribbean Sea are a factor on every hole on the front nine, while water, sand traps, and hillsides keep your attention on the back. The Resort:? The Tryall Club Doting the hillsides overlooking the golf course and the ocean on 890 Hectares of land, are over 80 villas for guest rentals. Each villa, from one to 8 bedrooms, comes with a chef and maid. Most villas come with their own swimming pool, and the larger 6 bedroom units we viewed had appropriately large swimming pools as well. In June of 2010 Tryall was granted Green Globe Certification for its environmental initiatives and sustainable practices. Managed by Robert Ames, brother of successful PGA Tour championship winner, Canadian Stephen Ames, Cinnamon Hill is the only recommended course not attached to a major resort.

The most recent top rated reviews on trip advisor read ?Very nice course! 3 holes along the Caribbean, Johnny Cash's estate, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's grave, and the James Bond waterfall. Beautiful views all over!? ?

These comments encapsulate the Cinnamon Hill experience. And while golf was our primary mission on this journey, there was an infectious enthusiasm in the Jamaican people who we came in contact with. They seem to have personalities that embrace visitors and make you want to take heed when they say ?Come bock soon mon?. And we very well may. If you would like to book your exceptional Jamaica vacation book online @ journeystravelgear.com Just clik the book travel icon to get to your booking selections.

Call 1 800 859-6354 toll free or 204 942-5000 in Winnipeg.?















posted by That Travel Guy @ 3:19 PM ?|? Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

Source: http://www.thattravelguy.ca/2013/01/jamaicaexceptional-golfgreat-resorts.html

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Friday, January 4, 2013

Some Complain of Shorter Penis After Prostate Cancer Treatment ...

THURSDAY Jan. 3, 2013 -- A small number of men with prostate cancer complain that their penis appears to be shorter following treatment, doctors report.

According to researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, these patients said that this unexpected side effect interfered with their intimate relationships and made them regret the type of treatment they had chosen.

"Prostate cancer is one of the few cancers where patients have a choice of therapies, and because of the range of possible side effects, it can be a tough choice," study leader Dr. Paul Nguyen, a radiation oncologist, said in a Dana-Farber news release. "This study says that when penile shortening does occur, it really does affect patients and their quality of life. It's something we should be discussing up front so that it will help reduce treatment regrets."

The side effect was most common among men who had prostatectomies, which is the surgical removal of the prostate, and those who had hormone-based therapy coupled with radiation.

Nguyen added that most patients are able to cope with just about any side effect if they know about it in advance.

The study involved 948 men with recurrent prostate cancer. The men were enrolled in a registry that collects information on patients whose prostate cancer shows signs of coming back after their first treatment. Most of the men were between the ages of 60 and 80. Of the men involved in the study, 54 percent had their prostate surgically removed, 24 percent received radiation combined with hormone-blocking treatment and 22 percent chose to undergo only radiation.

Overall, 2.6 percent of the men reported their penis was shorter following treatment. However, rates for such complaints changed depending on the type of therapy. For example, about 3.7 percent of men who had had their prostate removed surgically said they thought their penis had shrunk, as did about 2.7 percent of those who had received male hormone-blocking drugs along with radiation therapy.

In contrast, there were no complaints of shorter penis size among men who had received only radiation therapy from either an external X-ray machine or had radioactive seeds implanted directly into the prostate.

The study authors pointed out that the men's penises were not measured before or after treatment -- the study's results were based on the men's opinions. The men were also not asked about any changes to their penis size. Instead, they brought this perceived problem to their doctor's attention.

The researchers noted that this side effect of prostate cancer treatment is not well-studied and the issue of shorter penis size might be more common than what this study showed.

"Previous studies have concluded that there is shortened penis length following prostatectomy," study co-author Dr. Jim Hu, a surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, said in the news release. "This is most common with non-nerve sparing surgery, as this may result in fibrosis and atrophy of erectile tissue due to damage to nerve and vascular structures."

Dr. Luc Cormier, of Dijon University Hospital in France, wrote an editorial accompanying the study. He noted that men's sexual activity should also be examined since it is closely associated with how they perceive the length of their penis.

The study was published in the January issue of Urology.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute provides more information on prostate cancer.

Posted: January 2013

View comments

Source: http://www.drugs.com/news/some-complain-shorter-penis-after-prostate-cancer-study-42340.html

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A New Year's gift from NASA and Penn State

A New Year's gift from NASA and Penn State [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 3-Jan-2013
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Contact: Barbara K. Kennedy
science@psu.edu
814-863-4682
Penn State

A large new collection of space photos taken at wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye and blocked by Earth's atmosphere has been released as a New Year's gift to the people of Earth by NASA and Penn State University. The images were captured by a telescope on board NASA's Swift satellite, whose science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pennsylvania, using the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, which resulted from Penn State's collaboration with the Mullard Space Science Laboratory of the University College-London. The telescope is one of just a few that study ultraviolet light, much of which is blocked by the atmosphere surrounding Earth.

"This extensive image gallery has some of the best pictures ever taken by this telescope, including some very early images that have not been published until now," said Michael Siegel, a Penn State research associate in astronomy and astrophysics who is the lead scientist for the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope. The image gallery is online at http://www.swift.psu.edu/uvot/coolPics.php, and it also can be viewed with the free Swift Explorer Mission iPhone app developed by Penn State.

The image gallery includes images from Siegel's study of the Omega Centauri star cluster, Penn State Research Associate Erik Hoversten's studies of galaxies near to our Milky Way Galaxy, and NASA Astronomer Stefan Immler's work on the early images captured by the Swift observatory. "We intend to keep updating the gallery about once a month with new images from Swift as well as an interesting collection of images that document stages in Swift's preparation for launch into space," Siegel said. "We also plan to continue adding spectacular images from several new long-term studies of the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Large Magellanic Cloud."

In addition to Siegel and Hoverstein, other current and former Penn State members of the image-gallery team include Undergraduate Students Joshua Berrier, Emmanuel Fonseca, and Blair Porterfield; Research Assistant Michael Stroh; and Research Associate Jamie Kennea.

The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is the only one of the three telescopes on Swift that captures cosmic light at energies at and just beyond those that can be seen by the human eye. It plays a critical role in rapidly pinpointing the locations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the brightest explosions in the universe. Swift has detected an average of about 90 GRBs a year since its launch in 2004. "When we are not studying GRBs, we use the satellite's unique capabilities to engage in other scientific investigations, some of which produce these beautiful images from the UVOT that we're now delighted to be able to share with the public," Siegel said. The targets for these studies range from comets and star clusters to supernova remnants, nearby galaxies, and active galaxies powered by supermassive black holes.

"One of our more challenging projects was completing an ultraviolet mosaic of M31, the famous Andromeda galaxy," said Stefan Immler, a member of the Swift team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Because the galaxy is so much larger than the UVOT's field of view, we had to take dozens of pictures and blend them together to show the whole object."

Because most ultraviolet light never reaches the ground, Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope provides a unique perspective on the cosmos. For example, it can measure the amount of water produced in passing comets by detecting the ultraviolet emission of hydroxyl (OH), one of the molecular fragments created when ultraviolet sunlight breaks up water molecules. Other types of science with the telescope include exploring emissions from the centers of active galaxies, studying regions undergoing star formation, and identifying some of the rarest and most exotic stars known.

With Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, astronomers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Penn State have cataloged hundreds of rare types of stars and are now comparing their observations with theoretical models in order to advance the understanding of how stars evolve. "The Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope's capabilities give us a great tool for cataloging rare types of ultraviolet-bright stars and for surveying stellar populations throughout the universe," Siegel said.

###

[ Francis Reddy / Barbara K. Kennedy ]

CONTACTS

Michael Siegel: siegel@swift.psu.edu, 814-865-7748
Barbara Kennedy (PIO)

IMAGES

High-resolution images associated with this research are online at: http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2013-news/Siegel1-2013

MORE ABOUT SWIFT'S ULTRAVIOLET/OPTICAL TELESCOPE

The UVOT's wavelength range is 1,700 to 6,000 angstroms. The 6.5-foot-long (2-meter) UVOT is centered on an 11.8-inch (30 cm) primary mirror. Designed and built by the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey, England, the telescope module includes the primary and secondary mirrors, an external baffle to reduce scattered light, two redundant detectors -- only one has been used to date -- and a power supply.

Each detector lies behind an identical filter wheel. The wheel holds color filters that transmit a broad range of wavelengths as well as devices called grisms, which spread out incoming light in much the same way as a prism spreads sunlight into a rainbow of component colors. The detectors retain information on the position and arrival time of each photon of light, an operating mode similar to typical X-ray telescopes.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SWIFT

The Swift observatory was launched in November 2004 and was fully operational by January 2005. Swift carries three main instruments: the Burst Alert Telescope, the X-ray Telescope, and the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope. Its science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pennsylvania. Swift's gamma-ray detector, the Burst Alert Telescope, provides the rapid initial location and was built primarily by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and constructed at GSFC. Swift's X-Ray Telescope and UV/Optical Telescope were developed and built by international teams led by Penn State and drew heavily on each institution's experience with previous space missions. The X-ray Telescope resulted from Penn State's collaboration with the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and the Brera Astronomical Observatory in Italy. The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope resulted from Penn State's collaboration with the Mullard Space Science Laboratory of the University College-London. These three telescopes give Swift the ability to do almost immediate follow-up observations of most gamma-ray bursts because Swift can rotate so quickly to point toward the source of the gamma-ray signal. The spacecraft was built by Spectrum Astro, which became part of General Dynamics and then part of Orbital Sciences Corporation.


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A New Year's gift from NASA and Penn State [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 3-Jan-2013
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Contact: Barbara K. Kennedy
science@psu.edu
814-863-4682
Penn State

A large new collection of space photos taken at wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye and blocked by Earth's atmosphere has been released as a New Year's gift to the people of Earth by NASA and Penn State University. The images were captured by a telescope on board NASA's Swift satellite, whose science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pennsylvania, using the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, which resulted from Penn State's collaboration with the Mullard Space Science Laboratory of the University College-London. The telescope is one of just a few that study ultraviolet light, much of which is blocked by the atmosphere surrounding Earth.

"This extensive image gallery has some of the best pictures ever taken by this telescope, including some very early images that have not been published until now," said Michael Siegel, a Penn State research associate in astronomy and astrophysics who is the lead scientist for the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope. The image gallery is online at http://www.swift.psu.edu/uvot/coolPics.php, and it also can be viewed with the free Swift Explorer Mission iPhone app developed by Penn State.

The image gallery includes images from Siegel's study of the Omega Centauri star cluster, Penn State Research Associate Erik Hoversten's studies of galaxies near to our Milky Way Galaxy, and NASA Astronomer Stefan Immler's work on the early images captured by the Swift observatory. "We intend to keep updating the gallery about once a month with new images from Swift as well as an interesting collection of images that document stages in Swift's preparation for launch into space," Siegel said. "We also plan to continue adding spectacular images from several new long-term studies of the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Large Magellanic Cloud."

In addition to Siegel and Hoverstein, other current and former Penn State members of the image-gallery team include Undergraduate Students Joshua Berrier, Emmanuel Fonseca, and Blair Porterfield; Research Assistant Michael Stroh; and Research Associate Jamie Kennea.

The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is the only one of the three telescopes on Swift that captures cosmic light at energies at and just beyond those that can be seen by the human eye. It plays a critical role in rapidly pinpointing the locations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the brightest explosions in the universe. Swift has detected an average of about 90 GRBs a year since its launch in 2004. "When we are not studying GRBs, we use the satellite's unique capabilities to engage in other scientific investigations, some of which produce these beautiful images from the UVOT that we're now delighted to be able to share with the public," Siegel said. The targets for these studies range from comets and star clusters to supernova remnants, nearby galaxies, and active galaxies powered by supermassive black holes.

"One of our more challenging projects was completing an ultraviolet mosaic of M31, the famous Andromeda galaxy," said Stefan Immler, a member of the Swift team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Because the galaxy is so much larger than the UVOT's field of view, we had to take dozens of pictures and blend them together to show the whole object."

Because most ultraviolet light never reaches the ground, Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope provides a unique perspective on the cosmos. For example, it can measure the amount of water produced in passing comets by detecting the ultraviolet emission of hydroxyl (OH), one of the molecular fragments created when ultraviolet sunlight breaks up water molecules. Other types of science with the telescope include exploring emissions from the centers of active galaxies, studying regions undergoing star formation, and identifying some of the rarest and most exotic stars known.

With Swift's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, astronomers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Penn State have cataloged hundreds of rare types of stars and are now comparing their observations with theoretical models in order to advance the understanding of how stars evolve. "The Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope's capabilities give us a great tool for cataloging rare types of ultraviolet-bright stars and for surveying stellar populations throughout the universe," Siegel said.

###

[ Francis Reddy / Barbara K. Kennedy ]

CONTACTS

Michael Siegel: siegel@swift.psu.edu, 814-865-7748
Barbara Kennedy (PIO)

IMAGES

High-resolution images associated with this research are online at: http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2013-news/Siegel1-2013

MORE ABOUT SWIFT'S ULTRAVIOLET/OPTICAL TELESCOPE

The UVOT's wavelength range is 1,700 to 6,000 angstroms. The 6.5-foot-long (2-meter) UVOT is centered on an 11.8-inch (30 cm) primary mirror. Designed and built by the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey, England, the telescope module includes the primary and secondary mirrors, an external baffle to reduce scattered light, two redundant detectors -- only one has been used to date -- and a power supply.

Each detector lies behind an identical filter wheel. The wheel holds color filters that transmit a broad range of wavelengths as well as devices called grisms, which spread out incoming light in much the same way as a prism spreads sunlight into a rainbow of component colors. The detectors retain information on the position and arrival time of each photon of light, an operating mode similar to typical X-ray telescopes.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SWIFT

The Swift observatory was launched in November 2004 and was fully operational by January 2005. Swift carries three main instruments: the Burst Alert Telescope, the X-ray Telescope, and the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope. Its science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pennsylvania. Swift's gamma-ray detector, the Burst Alert Telescope, provides the rapid initial location and was built primarily by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and constructed at GSFC. Swift's X-Ray Telescope and UV/Optical Telescope were developed and built by international teams led by Penn State and drew heavily on each institution's experience with previous space missions. The X-ray Telescope resulted from Penn State's collaboration with the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and the Brera Astronomical Observatory in Italy. The Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope resulted from Penn State's collaboration with the Mullard Space Science Laboratory of the University College-London. These three telescopes give Swift the ability to do almost immediate follow-up observations of most gamma-ray bursts because Swift can rotate so quickly to point toward the source of the gamma-ray signal. The spacecraft was built by Spectrum Astro, which became part of General Dynamics and then part of Orbital Sciences Corporation.


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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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/ps-any010313.php

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