All you need to know: Orionid meteor shower

Joe Randall created this composite shot of 2014’s Orionid meteor shower.

Have you seen any meteors streaking across the sky this month? If they are coming from the northern sky, they might have been Draconids, whose peak has passed. If they’re coming from along the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky, they might be part of the long-lasting South Taurid meteor shower, which is still going on. But some meteors you’ve seen could also be part of the annual Orionid meteor shower, which is now building to its peak on the morning of October 21 or 22.

Orionid meteors fly each year between about October 2 to November 7. That’s when Earth is passing through the stream of debris left behind by Comet Halley, the parent comet of the Orionid shower. In 2019, on the peak mornings, the moon will be at or shortly past its last quarter phase, somewhat interfering with the show. The Orionids usually put out the greatest number of meteors in the few hours before dawn.

Click here to find out when astronomical twilight starts in your sky, remembering to check the astronomical twilight box.

John Ashley captured this photo from Montana during the 2015 Orionid shower.

The term meteor shower might give you the idea of a rain shower. But few meteor showers resemble showers of rain. The Orionids aren’t the year’s strongest shower, and they’re not particularly known for storming (producing unexpected, very rich displays). From a dark location, in a year when the moon is out of the way, you might reliably see 10 to 20 Orionids per hour at their peak. Will you see that many in 2019? Well … maybe. There’s always the element of uncertainly and possible surprise when it comes to meteor showers.

If you do see any Orionids in 2019, note that they’re known to be extremely fast meteors, plummeting into the Earth’s atmosphere at about 66 kilometers – 41 miles – per second. The meteors in this shower are on the faint side. But they make up for that; maybe half of the Orionid meteors leave persistent trains, or ionized gas trails that last for a few seconds after the meteor itself has gone.

Also, sometimes, an Orionid meteor can be exceptionally bright and break up into fragments.

Again, the peak morning is likely October 22. Do start watching in the days ahead of the peak, though. You might catch an Orionid meteor or two before dawn over the coming days.

How will you know it’s an Orionid? You’ll know because it’ll come from the shower’s radiant point. See the chart below.

The Orionids radiate from a point near the upraised Club of the constellation Orion the Hunter. The bright star near the radiant point is Betelgeuse.

Orionid meteors radiate from constellation Orion. Meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate. The radiant point for the Orionids is in the direction of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter, which you’ll find ascending in the east in the hours after midnight. Hence the name Orionids.

You don’t need to know Orion, or be staring toward it, to see the meteors. The meteors often don’t become visible until they are 30 degrees or so from their radiant point. And, remember, they are streaking out from the radiant in all directions. They will appear in all parts of the sky.

However, if you do see a meteor – and trace its path backward – you might see that it comes from the Club of Orion. And, if so, that meteor will be an Orionid. You might know Orion’s bright, ruddy star Betelgeuse. The radiant is north of Betelgeuse.

So … in which direction do you look? No particular direction. It’s best to find a wide-open viewing area. Sometimes friends like to watch together, facing different directions. When somebody sees one, that person can call out meteor!

Brian Brace caught the 2014 Orionid shower and wrote, “A few hours into our adventure, we’d witnessed only a few meteors flying by. But right before I took the camera down this huge fireball streamed across the northeastern sky. That one meteor made the whole night worth it.”

Orionid meteors stem from Comet Halley. Meteors are fancifully called shooting stars. Of course, they aren’t really stars. They’re debris left behind by comets, burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Orionid meteors are debris left behind by Comet Halley, arguably the most famous of all comets, which last visited Earth in 1986. This comet leaves debris in its wake that strikes Earth’s atmosphere most fully around October 20-22, while Earth intersects the comet’s orbit, as it does every year at this time.

Particles shed by the comet slam into our upper atmosphere, where they vaporize at some 60 miles (100 km) above Earth’s surface.

Even one meteor can be a thrill. But you might want to observe for an hour or more, and in that case the trick is to find a place to observe in the country. Bring along a blanket or lawn chair and lie back comfortably while gazing upward.

Halley’s Comet, perhaps the most famous of all comets, is parent of both the Eta Aquarid meteor shower in May and October’s Orionid meteor shower. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: In 2019, the Orionid meteor shower is expected to rain down its greatest number of meteors on the morning of October 21 or 22. On that night, a waxing gibbous moon will set only an hour or two before morning twilight begins. Try watching in the days before the peak when there will be less moonlight in the sky. Or plan to watch in the hours before dawn on October 21.

EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2018

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2Vzf2Py

Joe Randall created this composite shot of 2014’s Orionid meteor shower.

Have you seen any meteors streaking across the sky this month? If they are coming from the northern sky, they might have been Draconids, whose peak has passed. If they’re coming from along the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky, they might be part of the long-lasting South Taurid meteor shower, which is still going on. But some meteors you’ve seen could also be part of the annual Orionid meteor shower, which is now building to its peak on the morning of October 21 or 22.

Orionid meteors fly each year between about October 2 to November 7. That’s when Earth is passing through the stream of debris left behind by Comet Halley, the parent comet of the Orionid shower. In 2019, on the peak mornings, the moon will be at or shortly past its last quarter phase, somewhat interfering with the show. The Orionids usually put out the greatest number of meteors in the few hours before dawn.

Click here to find out when astronomical twilight starts in your sky, remembering to check the astronomical twilight box.

John Ashley captured this photo from Montana during the 2015 Orionid shower.

The term meteor shower might give you the idea of a rain shower. But few meteor showers resemble showers of rain. The Orionids aren’t the year’s strongest shower, and they’re not particularly known for storming (producing unexpected, very rich displays). From a dark location, in a year when the moon is out of the way, you might reliably see 10 to 20 Orionids per hour at their peak. Will you see that many in 2019? Well … maybe. There’s always the element of uncertainly and possible surprise when it comes to meteor showers.

If you do see any Orionids in 2019, note that they’re known to be extremely fast meteors, plummeting into the Earth’s atmosphere at about 66 kilometers – 41 miles – per second. The meteors in this shower are on the faint side. But they make up for that; maybe half of the Orionid meteors leave persistent trains, or ionized gas trails that last for a few seconds after the meteor itself has gone.

Also, sometimes, an Orionid meteor can be exceptionally bright and break up into fragments.

Again, the peak morning is likely October 22. Do start watching in the days ahead of the peak, though. You might catch an Orionid meteor or two before dawn over the coming days.

How will you know it’s an Orionid? You’ll know because it’ll come from the shower’s radiant point. See the chart below.

The Orionids radiate from a point near the upraised Club of the constellation Orion the Hunter. The bright star near the radiant point is Betelgeuse.

Orionid meteors radiate from constellation Orion. Meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate. The radiant point for the Orionids is in the direction of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter, which you’ll find ascending in the east in the hours after midnight. Hence the name Orionids.

You don’t need to know Orion, or be staring toward it, to see the meteors. The meteors often don’t become visible until they are 30 degrees or so from their radiant point. And, remember, they are streaking out from the radiant in all directions. They will appear in all parts of the sky.

However, if you do see a meteor – and trace its path backward – you might see that it comes from the Club of Orion. And, if so, that meteor will be an Orionid. You might know Orion’s bright, ruddy star Betelgeuse. The radiant is north of Betelgeuse.

So … in which direction do you look? No particular direction. It’s best to find a wide-open viewing area. Sometimes friends like to watch together, facing different directions. When somebody sees one, that person can call out meteor!

Brian Brace caught the 2014 Orionid shower and wrote, “A few hours into our adventure, we’d witnessed only a few meteors flying by. But right before I took the camera down this huge fireball streamed across the northeastern sky. That one meteor made the whole night worth it.”

Orionid meteors stem from Comet Halley. Meteors are fancifully called shooting stars. Of course, they aren’t really stars. They’re debris left behind by comets, burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Orionid meteors are debris left behind by Comet Halley, arguably the most famous of all comets, which last visited Earth in 1986. This comet leaves debris in its wake that strikes Earth’s atmosphere most fully around October 20-22, while Earth intersects the comet’s orbit, as it does every year at this time.

Particles shed by the comet slam into our upper atmosphere, where they vaporize at some 60 miles (100 km) above Earth’s surface.

Even one meteor can be a thrill. But you might want to observe for an hour or more, and in that case the trick is to find a place to observe in the country. Bring along a blanket or lawn chair and lie back comfortably while gazing upward.

Halley’s Comet, perhaps the most famous of all comets, is parent of both the Eta Aquarid meteor shower in May and October’s Orionid meteor shower. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: In 2019, the Orionid meteor shower is expected to rain down its greatest number of meteors on the morning of October 21 or 22. On that night, a waxing gibbous moon will set only an hour or two before morning twilight begins. Try watching in the days before the peak when there will be less moonlight in the sky. Or plan to watch in the hours before dawn on October 21.

EarthSky’s meteor shower guide for 2018

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2Vzf2Py

News digest – Dame Sally Davies, lung cancer predictions, fast food packaging, and CRISPR

Taking blood during surgery could predict lung cancer’s return

Researchers have found that taking blood from veins draining the lung during surgery can help predict the likelihood of lung cancer returning after surgery. The study, reported in the Mail Online and The Times (£), is part of Cancer Research UK’s TRACERx programme, which aims understand how lung cancer evolves. Researchers hope that by predicting whose cancer is most likely to return, they can get smarter about how to treat the disease.

Read our blog post for all you need to know about the latest results or watch our video about the research.

Professor Dame Sally Davies gives final report as England’s chief medical officer

Sally Davies’ last report as acting CMO – Time to Solve Childhood Obesity – calls on the government to stem the tide of unhealthy food and drink, and allow children to grow up free from marketing, signals and incentives to consume unhealthy food and drinks. The report comes in the same week as a different report, showing that the levels of severe obesity in children 10-11 years old are at a record high, according the The Guardian. The Times (£) featured the story on their front page, and also did a supportive editorial, highlighting the positive impact of regulation and taxes to improve public health.

Much of the media, including The Guardian, focused on the report’s call to ban snacks on public transport. But the Mail Online also made the links to ‘The Hundred’ cricket tournament’s sponsorship by a snack food company; and the BBC looked at the wider political context of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan.

Scientists investigate using CRISPR to treat cancer in mice

Researchers in Australia have used the gene-editing technology CRISPR, to treat cervical cancer that’s driven by the human papillomavirus in mice. The results led to lofty headlines from the Mail Online, but we can’t extend the results in mice to humans. There’s an extremely long way to go before scientists understand if and how this technology could be used to treat cancer, as we’ve blogged about before. The Brisbane Times provides a more balanced overview.

Delays in diagnosing secondary breast cancer

According to a new survey reported by the BBC, one in four secondary breast cancer diagnoses take three or more visits to the GP. This has led some experts to call for GPs to have better diagnostic tools, and training to use them.

Three new drugs made available on the NHS in Scotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has made three new drugs available for use on the NHS in Scotland. This includes a new CAR T cell therapy and a personalised immunotherapy. However, two other drugs were rejected for use. Our news report has all you need to know.

‘Unique’ immune cell found in breast tissue for the first time

Mail Online reported on a study this week that identified an unusual immune cell in human breast tissue that could help the immune system control cancer. Gamma delta T cells are most commonly found in the skin or the gut, but scientists discovered that women who had higher levels of gamma delta T cells in their breast tissue were more likely to survive their cancer. So far scientists have only looked at samples from 11 women, but they say the results open up exciting new avenues for research into better ways to treat the disease.

A new way to check for breast cancer in Colombia

A short video from the BBC tells the story of the blind and visually impaired people in Colombia who are using their heightened sense of touch to help check for signs of breast cancer in patients. The project, called Manos que Salvan Vidas or Hands that Save Lives could detect signs of breast cancer in addition to screening. People in the UK shouldn’t worry about regularly checking their breasts, but instead get to know their body and what’s normal for them. For those who want to take it up, breast screening is available for women aged 50-74 in the UK.

Advanced ovarian cancer treatment now more widely available

We reported on the approval of a targeted treatment for advanced ovarian cancer for use on the NHS in England. The drug, called rucaparib was developed by Cancer Research UK scientists based at Newcastle University in the 1990s, in collaboration with industry partners. It will be paid for by the Cancer Drugs Fund.

And finally

When it comes to fast food and health, most people focus on what’s in the containers. But a study reported in the Mail Online, observed that chemicals which are found in some takeaway packaging, and have been linked to infertility and cancer, are at higher levels in people who eat more takeaways. But experts responded by saying that considering all the scientific evidence available, there’s no need to worry about chemicals from food packaging increasing cancer risk. And there are better health reasons to cut down on takeaways than what it’s served in.

Ethan

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2MvN9nw

Taking blood during surgery could predict lung cancer’s return

Researchers have found that taking blood from veins draining the lung during surgery can help predict the likelihood of lung cancer returning after surgery. The study, reported in the Mail Online and The Times (£), is part of Cancer Research UK’s TRACERx programme, which aims understand how lung cancer evolves. Researchers hope that by predicting whose cancer is most likely to return, they can get smarter about how to treat the disease.

Read our blog post for all you need to know about the latest results or watch our video about the research.

Professor Dame Sally Davies gives final report as England’s chief medical officer

Sally Davies’ last report as acting CMO – Time to Solve Childhood Obesity – calls on the government to stem the tide of unhealthy food and drink, and allow children to grow up free from marketing, signals and incentives to consume unhealthy food and drinks. The report comes in the same week as a different report, showing that the levels of severe obesity in children 10-11 years old are at a record high, according the The Guardian. The Times (£) featured the story on their front page, and also did a supportive editorial, highlighting the positive impact of regulation and taxes to improve public health.

Much of the media, including The Guardian, focused on the report’s call to ban snacks on public transport. But the Mail Online also made the links to ‘The Hundred’ cricket tournament’s sponsorship by a snack food company; and the BBC looked at the wider political context of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan.

Scientists investigate using CRISPR to treat cancer in mice

Researchers in Australia have used the gene-editing technology CRISPR, to treat cervical cancer that’s driven by the human papillomavirus in mice. The results led to lofty headlines from the Mail Online, but we can’t extend the results in mice to humans. There’s an extremely long way to go before scientists understand if and how this technology could be used to treat cancer, as we’ve blogged about before. The Brisbane Times provides a more balanced overview.

Delays in diagnosing secondary breast cancer

According to a new survey reported by the BBC, one in four secondary breast cancer diagnoses take three or more visits to the GP. This has led some experts to call for GPs to have better diagnostic tools, and training to use them.

Three new drugs made available on the NHS in Scotland

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has made three new drugs available for use on the NHS in Scotland. This includes a new CAR T cell therapy and a personalised immunotherapy. However, two other drugs were rejected for use. Our news report has all you need to know.

‘Unique’ immune cell found in breast tissue for the first time

Mail Online reported on a study this week that identified an unusual immune cell in human breast tissue that could help the immune system control cancer. Gamma delta T cells are most commonly found in the skin or the gut, but scientists discovered that women who had higher levels of gamma delta T cells in their breast tissue were more likely to survive their cancer. So far scientists have only looked at samples from 11 women, but they say the results open up exciting new avenues for research into better ways to treat the disease.

A new way to check for breast cancer in Colombia

A short video from the BBC tells the story of the blind and visually impaired people in Colombia who are using their heightened sense of touch to help check for signs of breast cancer in patients. The project, called Manos que Salvan Vidas or Hands that Save Lives could detect signs of breast cancer in addition to screening. People in the UK shouldn’t worry about regularly checking their breasts, but instead get to know their body and what’s normal for them. For those who want to take it up, breast screening is available for women aged 50-74 in the UK.

Advanced ovarian cancer treatment now more widely available

We reported on the approval of a targeted treatment for advanced ovarian cancer for use on the NHS in England. The drug, called rucaparib was developed by Cancer Research UK scientists based at Newcastle University in the 1990s, in collaboration with industry partners. It will be paid for by the Cancer Drugs Fund.

And finally

When it comes to fast food and health, most people focus on what’s in the containers. But a study reported in the Mail Online, observed that chemicals which are found in some takeaway packaging, and have been linked to infertility and cancer, are at higher levels in people who eat more takeaways. But experts responded by saying that considering all the scientific evidence available, there’s no need to worry about chemicals from food packaging increasing cancer risk. And there are better health reasons to cut down on takeaways than what it’s served in.

Ethan

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2MvN9nw

Womb cancer stats reveal treatment variation across England

Cancer doctors have a set of treatment guidelines to refer to, which ensure they give their patients the best care. These guidelines are put together by experts and are shaped by research.  

But sometimes the research just hasn’t been done to give doctors the information they need or interpretation of the research is tricky. And a new study points to this being the case in womb cancer, indicating that the treatment guidelines doctors refer to need to be reviewed. 

Around 9,300 people are diagnosed with womb cancer in the UK every year, with the latest figures showing that in the last decade the number of women diagnosed has increased by almost a quarter. This has been linked to rising obesity levels, as womb cancer is probably the type of cancer most closely linked to being overweight or having obesity.  

With more and more women being diagnosed with womb cancer, we need to make sure doctors are prepared. That’s where our statisticians come in.  

Working in partnership with Public Health England, they’ve looked at an incredibly detailed set of data of how womb cancer is treated in England for the first time. It outlines all the different types of treatment that 27,719 women with womb cancer had between 2013 and 2016. And they teamed up with Dr Andy Nordin, a consultant gynaecologist from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in Kent, also working with PHE, who helped them pick out the most relevant and useful info from the numbers.  

“We have shown the real-life situation in the England,” says Nordin. “That depending on where you’re treated, for the same disease you could be offered a different treatment from someone else in another hospital.” 

The dilemma faced by gynae doctors 

But this isn’t a reflection on the doctors that treat womb cancer. Instead it brings to light a very fragmented research picture and unclear guidelines that are open to interpretation. 

The most common treatment is surgery. “Pretty much every patient with a womb cancer diagnosis will be advised to have a hysterectomy, removing the womb, tubes and ovaries,” says Nordin. “There’s no debate about that. Hysterectomy will cure the disease for the majority of women.” 

But the next treatment steps are where it gets murky.  

“There is a debate over whether lymph nodes should also be removed so we can then test them in the lab to see if the disease has spread outside the uterus.” 

If cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes, then patients may need radiotherapy in their pelvic area to mop up stray cancer cells. Research suggests this reduces the chance of the cancer coming back in that part of the body. 

But it’s a tricky task because doctors are constantly having to weigh up benefit and risk. 

“Around 1 in 10 women will have womb cancer cells in their lymph nodes,” says Nordin. Which means 9 in 10 women may have had an unnecessary addition to their surgery. 

And lymph node removal can cause debilitating and life-long side effects.  

“We know that lymph node removal makes the operation take longer and there are potential complications afterwards including swelling of the leg.” 

And even though a clinical trial found there was no difference in the survival between the women who did and didn’t have lymph nodes removed, current guidelines state that lymph nodes should to be taken out and analysed to effectively stage the disease.  

 “A lot of hospitals continue to recommend taking out lymph nodes for higher risk patients to help them decide if a backup radiotherapy should be given,” says Nordin. 

But in the majority of cases we don’t know if this procedure is causing more harm than good. And according to our new paper, doctors around the country seem to disagree who should get what. 

“You might be offered the removal of the lymph nodes in one centre and a patient with the same disease in another might not,” says Nordin. In another instance, patients might be recommended to have radiotherapy at one hospital, but just surgery in another.  

The paper also suggests that a number of cancer clinics use the results from lymph nodes to work out who should have radiotherapy. But this isn’t always the case. 

Nordin thinks that if a doctor thinks the patient might be able to avoid radiotherapy, which also comes with life-long side effects, then removing the lymph nodes to double check the cancer hasn’t spread may be a justifiable move.  

“Because then the patient can make an informed decision about whether to have radiotherapy depending on whether their lymph nodes tested positive for cancer or not.” 

But the jury is still out.  

‘Practicing-changing’ data 

Nordin is quick to stress that these stats don’t suggest which decision is best. 

“It just shows that there is a huge variation in practice across the country and when you have huge variation in management that identifies that changes need to be made.” 

“Nobody is setting out to harm patients,” says Nordin. “Decisions are made because they believe it will give them the best chance of being cured and at the same time minimise the long-term side effects.” 

He hopes the clinical community use this new insight, as well as emerging technologies, to agree on the best way to treat patients based on the evidence at hand.  

Quality of life after cure 

Fortunately, the majority of womb cancer patients are diagnosed early enough for their cancer to be cured. Womb cancer is most common in women ages 70-75 who have gone through the menopause and so any bleeding they experience sends them straight to their GP for further tests.  

“Because of the nature of the disease the womb is surround by tough muscle which forms a barrier around the disease, so it takes time for the tumour to work its way through and spread,” says Nordin. 

Which may help to explain why 95 out of every 100 women in the UK survive their womb cancer for 5 years or more.  But doctors are still making treatment decisions that will impact patients for the rest of their lives without clarity.  

 “This paper has an important message for the clinical community to digest and for NHS England to consider,” says Nordin. “It’s a really unique opportunity. If we want to improve practice, then we need to act on all this fantastic data that we’re collecting.” 

Gabi

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2MAxR0T

Cancer doctors have a set of treatment guidelines to refer to, which ensure they give their patients the best care. These guidelines are put together by experts and are shaped by research.  

But sometimes the research just hasn’t been done to give doctors the information they need or interpretation of the research is tricky. And a new study points to this being the case in womb cancer, indicating that the treatment guidelines doctors refer to need to be reviewed. 

Around 9,300 people are diagnosed with womb cancer in the UK every year, with the latest figures showing that in the last decade the number of women diagnosed has increased by almost a quarter. This has been linked to rising obesity levels, as womb cancer is probably the type of cancer most closely linked to being overweight or having obesity.  

With more and more women being diagnosed with womb cancer, we need to make sure doctors are prepared. That’s where our statisticians come in.  

Working in partnership with Public Health England, they’ve looked at an incredibly detailed set of data of how womb cancer is treated in England for the first time. It outlines all the different types of treatment that 27,719 women with womb cancer had between 2013 and 2016. And they teamed up with Dr Andy Nordin, a consultant gynaecologist from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate in Kent, also working with PHE, who helped them pick out the most relevant and useful info from the numbers.  

“We have shown the real-life situation in the England,” says Nordin. “That depending on where you’re treated, for the same disease you could be offered a different treatment from someone else in another hospital.” 

The dilemma faced by gynae doctors 

But this isn’t a reflection on the doctors that treat womb cancer. Instead it brings to light a very fragmented research picture and unclear guidelines that are open to interpretation. 

The most common treatment is surgery. “Pretty much every patient with a womb cancer diagnosis will be advised to have a hysterectomy, removing the womb, tubes and ovaries,” says Nordin. “There’s no debate about that. Hysterectomy will cure the disease for the majority of women.” 

But the next treatment steps are where it gets murky.  

“There is a debate over whether lymph nodes should also be removed so we can then test them in the lab to see if the disease has spread outside the uterus.” 

If cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes, then patients may need radiotherapy in their pelvic area to mop up stray cancer cells. Research suggests this reduces the chance of the cancer coming back in that part of the body. 

But it’s a tricky task because doctors are constantly having to weigh up benefit and risk. 

“Around 1 in 10 women will have womb cancer cells in their lymph nodes,” says Nordin. Which means 9 in 10 women may have had an unnecessary addition to their surgery. 

And lymph node removal can cause debilitating and life-long side effects.  

“We know that lymph node removal makes the operation take longer and there are potential complications afterwards including swelling of the leg.” 

And even though a clinical trial found there was no difference in the survival between the women who did and didn’t have lymph nodes removed, current guidelines state that lymph nodes should to be taken out and analysed to effectively stage the disease.  

 “A lot of hospitals continue to recommend taking out lymph nodes for higher risk patients to help them decide if a backup radiotherapy should be given,” says Nordin. 

But in the majority of cases we don’t know if this procedure is causing more harm than good. And according to our new paper, doctors around the country seem to disagree who should get what. 

“You might be offered the removal of the lymph nodes in one centre and a patient with the same disease in another might not,” says Nordin. In another instance, patients might be recommended to have radiotherapy at one hospital, but just surgery in another.  

The paper also suggests that a number of cancer clinics use the results from lymph nodes to work out who should have radiotherapy. But this isn’t always the case. 

Nordin thinks that if a doctor thinks the patient might be able to avoid radiotherapy, which also comes with life-long side effects, then removing the lymph nodes to double check the cancer hasn’t spread may be a justifiable move.  

“Because then the patient can make an informed decision about whether to have radiotherapy depending on whether their lymph nodes tested positive for cancer or not.” 

But the jury is still out.  

‘Practicing-changing’ data 

Nordin is quick to stress that these stats don’t suggest which decision is best. 

“It just shows that there is a huge variation in practice across the country and when you have huge variation in management that identifies that changes need to be made.” 

“Nobody is setting out to harm patients,” says Nordin. “Decisions are made because they believe it will give them the best chance of being cured and at the same time minimise the long-term side effects.” 

He hopes the clinical community use this new insight, as well as emerging technologies, to agree on the best way to treat patients based on the evidence at hand.  

Quality of life after cure 

Fortunately, the majority of womb cancer patients are diagnosed early enough for their cancer to be cured. Womb cancer is most common in women ages 70-75 who have gone through the menopause and so any bleeding they experience sends them straight to their GP for further tests.  

“Because of the nature of the disease the womb is surround by tough muscle which forms a barrier around the disease, so it takes time for the tumour to work its way through and spread,” says Nordin. 

Which may help to explain why 95 out of every 100 women in the UK survive their womb cancer for 5 years or more.  But doctors are still making treatment decisions that will impact patients for the rest of their lives without clarity.  

 “This paper has an important message for the clinical community to digest and for NHS England to consider,” says Nordin. “It’s a really unique opportunity. If we want to improve practice, then we need to act on all this fantastic data that we’re collecting.” 

Gabi

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2MAxR0T

The last mammoths died on a remote island

Woolly mammoth illustration. Image © Daniel/Adobe Stock.

The last population of woolly mammoths on Earth lived on Wrangel Island, a remote island in the Arctic Ocean, say scientists, and they died out 4,000 years ago within a very short time. A new study by an international research team suggests that a combination of isolated habitat and extreme weather events, and even the spread of prehistoric humans, was what sealed the mammoths’fate.

During the last ice age – some 100,000 to 15,000 years ago – woolly mammoths were widespread in the northern hemisphere from Spain to Alaska. Due to the global warming that began 15,000 years ago, their habitat in Northern Siberia and Alaska shrank. On Wrangel Island, some mammoths were cut off from the mainland by rising sea levels. That population survived another 7,000 years.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

Image via The Sun.

The team of researchers from Finland, Germany and Russia compared mammoth bones and teeth found on Wrangel Island with other populations of mammoths. They looked at carbon and nitrogen isotopes, which provide the scientists with information on the animals’ nutrition and metabolic functioning for thousands of years before they went extinct. The aim was to document possible changes in the diet of the mammoths and their habitat and find evidence of a disturbance in their environment.

Laura Arppe, from the Finnish Museum of Natural History, is the lead author of the study, published October 15, 2019, in the peer-reviewed journal Quaternary Science Reviews. She told Newsweek:

Judged from the numbers of radiocarbon dated mammoth bone finds on Wrangel island, this last island population appears to have vanished rather abruptly. There [are] no signs of a dwindling population size before the extinction. [It’s] kind of like they hit a wall at approximately 4,000 years ago. All the major changes in climate and range size had taken place long ago: the change to the warm Holocene climate at about 10,000 years ago, the isolation of the island and its reduction to present-day size at about 8,000 years ago.

Mammoth tooth on the riverbank on Wrangel Island. Image via Juha Karhu.

Why then did the last woolly mammoths disappear so suddenly? The researchers suspect that they died out due to short-term events, such as extreme weather. One example is an icing event that could have covered the ground in a thick layer of ice, preventing the animals from finding enough food. That could have led to a dramatic population decline and eventually to extinction.

Hervé Bocherens, of the University of Tübingen, is a co-author of the study. Bocherens said in a statement:

It’s easy to imagine that the population, perhaps already weakened by genetic deterioration and drinking water quality issues could have succumbed after something like an extreme weather event.

Another possible factor, said the researchers, could have been the spread of humans. The earliest archaeological evidence of humans on Wrangel Island dates to just a few hundred years after the most recent mammoth bone.

According to a statement from the researchers:

The study shows how isolated small populations of large mammals are particularly at risk of extinction due to extreme environmental influences and human behavior. An important takeaway from this is that we can help preserve species by protecting the populations that are not isolated from one another.

Bottom line: A small and isolated population, inclement weather and even the arrival of humans might have caused the last woolly mammoths to die off only 4,000 years ago on far-north Wrangel Island.

Source: Thriving or surviving? The isotopic record of the Wrangel Island woolly mammoth population

Via University of Helsinki

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/35q5UkO

Woolly mammoth illustration. Image © Daniel/Adobe Stock.

The last population of woolly mammoths on Earth lived on Wrangel Island, a remote island in the Arctic Ocean, say scientists, and they died out 4,000 years ago within a very short time. A new study by an international research team suggests that a combination of isolated habitat and extreme weather events, and even the spread of prehistoric humans, was what sealed the mammoths’fate.

During the last ice age – some 100,000 to 15,000 years ago – woolly mammoths were widespread in the northern hemisphere from Spain to Alaska. Due to the global warming that began 15,000 years ago, their habitat in Northern Siberia and Alaska shrank. On Wrangel Island, some mammoths were cut off from the mainland by rising sea levels. That population survived another 7,000 years.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

Image via The Sun.

The team of researchers from Finland, Germany and Russia compared mammoth bones and teeth found on Wrangel Island with other populations of mammoths. They looked at carbon and nitrogen isotopes, which provide the scientists with information on the animals’ nutrition and metabolic functioning for thousands of years before they went extinct. The aim was to document possible changes in the diet of the mammoths and their habitat and find evidence of a disturbance in their environment.

Laura Arppe, from the Finnish Museum of Natural History, is the lead author of the study, published October 15, 2019, in the peer-reviewed journal Quaternary Science Reviews. She told Newsweek:

Judged from the numbers of radiocarbon dated mammoth bone finds on Wrangel island, this last island population appears to have vanished rather abruptly. There [are] no signs of a dwindling population size before the extinction. [It’s] kind of like they hit a wall at approximately 4,000 years ago. All the major changes in climate and range size had taken place long ago: the change to the warm Holocene climate at about 10,000 years ago, the isolation of the island and its reduction to present-day size at about 8,000 years ago.

Mammoth tooth on the riverbank on Wrangel Island. Image via Juha Karhu.

Why then did the last woolly mammoths disappear so suddenly? The researchers suspect that they died out due to short-term events, such as extreme weather. One example is an icing event that could have covered the ground in a thick layer of ice, preventing the animals from finding enough food. That could have led to a dramatic population decline and eventually to extinction.

Hervé Bocherens, of the University of Tübingen, is a co-author of the study. Bocherens said in a statement:

It’s easy to imagine that the population, perhaps already weakened by genetic deterioration and drinking water quality issues could have succumbed after something like an extreme weather event.

Another possible factor, said the researchers, could have been the spread of humans. The earliest archaeological evidence of humans on Wrangel Island dates to just a few hundred years after the most recent mammoth bone.

According to a statement from the researchers:

The study shows how isolated small populations of large mammals are particularly at risk of extinction due to extreme environmental influences and human behavior. An important takeaway from this is that we can help preserve species by protecting the populations that are not isolated from one another.

Bottom line: A small and isolated population, inclement weather and even the arrival of humans might have caused the last woolly mammoths to die off only 4,000 years ago on far-north Wrangel Island.

Source: Thriving or surviving? The isotopic record of the Wrangel Island woolly mammoth population

Via University of Helsinki

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/35q5UkO

This weekend’s Full Hunter’s Moon

Image at top: Jörgen Andersson captured the Hunter’s Moon in 2018, over the Swedish Archipelago. See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

This weekend – beginning Friday evening, and definitely Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13, 2019 – the moon will look full, or nearly so, to the eye. October’s full moon is the Northern Hemisphere’s first full moon of autumn, and the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring. Last month’s full moon was the closest full moon to the autumn equinox. By the decree of skylore, it was the Harvest Moon. The full moon immediately following the Harvest Moon is – again, according to skylore – the Hunter’s Moon.

What is a Hunter’s Moon? Is it just a name? In fact, the Hunter’s Moon – like the Harvest Moon – has special characteristics. If you watch where the moon rises along your eastern horizon for the next several days, from either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, you’ll see the moon rising farther north (left) on the horizon each day.

At northerly latitudes, that means a minimal lag time between successive moonnrises. The moon usually rises about 50 minutes later each day. Around the time of the Harvest and Hunter’s full moons, it rises at or near sunset for several nights in a row, with no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise. There’s a grand procession of moonlit nights in this season of waning daylight, here in the Northern Hemisphere. Many notice it – have always noticed it – and that’s why the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons are so well known.

At southerly latitudes, things happen in the opposite way. The ecliptic – or path of the sun, moon, and planets – makes a steep angle now to the evening horizon, as seen from Southern Hemisphere locations. That means the time between successive moonrises will be particularly long this weekend, as seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

2018’s Hunter’s Moon came closer to Halloween, on October 24. Greg Bishop wrote: “As the Hunter’s Moon first came into view, I walked down my street looking for interesting views. I saw many pumpkins out in expectation of Halloween, so upon seeing this eerie glow and spider webs in an old pine tree, I knew I’d found the perfect shot!” Thanks, Greg! See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

Astronomers define a full moon as happening at a well-defined instant, when the moon is 180 degrees opposite the sun in ecliptic longitude. That moment happens on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at 21:08 Universal Time (UTC).

Want to know when the moon turns full in your time zone? Visit Sunrise Sunset Calendars and check the moon phases box.

Want more specifics on moonrise times? Any full moon rises at or near sunset, and then rises – on the average – 50 minutes later the following day. But, at 40 degrees north latitude, the moon now rises some 25 to 30 minutes later (instead of the average 50 minutes later), and will continue to do so for the next several days. At higher latitudes, the Hunter’s Moon effect is even more pronounced. At Fairbanks, Alaska (65 degrees north latitude), the moon rises at nearly the same time for days on end, centered around this weekend’s full moon.

Want more about the Harvest Moon? Depending on time zone, last month’s full moon took place on Friday, September 13, or Saturday, September 14. Read more: Harvest Moon on Friday the 13th

What else should you watch for? If you’re outside watching for the moonrise, also notice Earth’s shadow ascending in the east.

Our friend Jean-Baptiste Feldmann of Cielmania captured the light of the Hunter’s Moon in a storm lamp in October, 2018. See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

Before the advent of artificial lighting, our ancestors relied on moonlight for nocturnal activities. That’s why they so valued the full moon, which rises in the east around sunset, climbs highest in the sky around midnight, and sets in the west around sunrise. Our ancestors at mid-northern and far-northern latitudes surely noted the peculiar rising times of September and October full moons, when the moon rises near sunset for several evenings in a row. In September, the story goes, they used those moonlit evenings to continue working in the fields, bringing in the crops. Hence the name Harvest Moon. In October (or November), they used the light of the full moon – rising so soon around the time of sunset – to hunt for game that might be scooting along over the harvested fields. Hence the name Hunter’s Moon.

Enjoy the October full moon, the Northern Hemisphere’s Hunter’s Moon and the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring!

Bottom line: The legacy of the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons are the grand procession of moonlit nights in the season of waning daylight. In 2019, watch for the full, or nearly full moon, around October 11, 12, 13 and maybe even 14. Have fun!

Visit timeanddated.com for the azimuth reading of moonrise.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/35r4h6H

Image at top: Jörgen Andersson captured the Hunter’s Moon in 2018, over the Swedish Archipelago. See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

This weekend – beginning Friday evening, and definitely Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13, 2019 – the moon will look full, or nearly so, to the eye. October’s full moon is the Northern Hemisphere’s first full moon of autumn, and the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring. Last month’s full moon was the closest full moon to the autumn equinox. By the decree of skylore, it was the Harvest Moon. The full moon immediately following the Harvest Moon is – again, according to skylore – the Hunter’s Moon.

What is a Hunter’s Moon? Is it just a name? In fact, the Hunter’s Moon – like the Harvest Moon – has special characteristics. If you watch where the moon rises along your eastern horizon for the next several days, from either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, you’ll see the moon rising farther north (left) on the horizon each day.

At northerly latitudes, that means a minimal lag time between successive moonnrises. The moon usually rises about 50 minutes later each day. Around the time of the Harvest and Hunter’s full moons, it rises at or near sunset for several nights in a row, with no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise. There’s a grand procession of moonlit nights in this season of waning daylight, here in the Northern Hemisphere. Many notice it – have always noticed it – and that’s why the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons are so well known.

At southerly latitudes, things happen in the opposite way. The ecliptic – or path of the sun, moon, and planets – makes a steep angle now to the evening horizon, as seen from Southern Hemisphere locations. That means the time between successive moonrises will be particularly long this weekend, as seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

2018’s Hunter’s Moon came closer to Halloween, on October 24. Greg Bishop wrote: “As the Hunter’s Moon first came into view, I walked down my street looking for interesting views. I saw many pumpkins out in expectation of Halloween, so upon seeing this eerie glow and spider webs in an old pine tree, I knew I’d found the perfect shot!” Thanks, Greg! See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

Astronomers define a full moon as happening at a well-defined instant, when the moon is 180 degrees opposite the sun in ecliptic longitude. That moment happens on Sunday, October 13, 2019, at 21:08 Universal Time (UTC).

Want to know when the moon turns full in your time zone? Visit Sunrise Sunset Calendars and check the moon phases box.

Want more specifics on moonrise times? Any full moon rises at or near sunset, and then rises – on the average – 50 minutes later the following day. But, at 40 degrees north latitude, the moon now rises some 25 to 30 minutes later (instead of the average 50 minutes later), and will continue to do so for the next several days. At higher latitudes, the Hunter’s Moon effect is even more pronounced. At Fairbanks, Alaska (65 degrees north latitude), the moon rises at nearly the same time for days on end, centered around this weekend’s full moon.

Want more about the Harvest Moon? Depending on time zone, last month’s full moon took place on Friday, September 13, or Saturday, September 14. Read more: Harvest Moon on Friday the 13th

What else should you watch for? If you’re outside watching for the moonrise, also notice Earth’s shadow ascending in the east.

Our friend Jean-Baptiste Feldmann of Cielmania captured the light of the Hunter’s Moon in a storm lamp in October, 2018. See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

Before the advent of artificial lighting, our ancestors relied on moonlight for nocturnal activities. That’s why they so valued the full moon, which rises in the east around sunset, climbs highest in the sky around midnight, and sets in the west around sunrise. Our ancestors at mid-northern and far-northern latitudes surely noted the peculiar rising times of September and October full moons, when the moon rises near sunset for several evenings in a row. In September, the story goes, they used those moonlit evenings to continue working in the fields, bringing in the crops. Hence the name Harvest Moon. In October (or November), they used the light of the full moon – rising so soon around the time of sunset – to hunt for game that might be scooting along over the harvested fields. Hence the name Hunter’s Moon.

Enjoy the October full moon, the Northern Hemisphere’s Hunter’s Moon and the Southern Hemisphere’s first full moon of spring!

Bottom line: The legacy of the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons are the grand procession of moonlit nights in the season of waning daylight. In 2019, watch for the full, or nearly full moon, around October 11, 12, 13 and maybe even 14. Have fun!

Visit timeanddated.com for the azimuth reading of moonrise.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/35r4h6H

Watch for Earth’s shadow and the Belt of Venus

Image at top via Woomera missile range in Australia (used with permission).

The moon phase around October 11, 2019, is about the same as the first few images on this page. Full moon – the Hunter’s Moon for the Northern Hemisphere – comes on October 13. On the evenings of October 12, 13 and 14 – as seen from the whole Earth – the moon will be above the eastern horizon shortly after sunset. You might see the moon ascending in the midst of Earth’s shadow, or near it.

In both the evening and morning sky, try watching for Earth’s shadow, a blue-gray darkness in the direction opposite the sun, darker than the twilight sky.

The pink band above the shadow – in the east after sunset, or west before dawn – is called the Belt of Venus.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

Nancy Ricigliano from Massapegua, New York, caught the moon rising ahead of Earth’s shadow on October 21, 2018. She wrote: “I went out to see where the moon will be rising for the full Hunter’s Moon on Wednesday. I was able to capture the Earth’s shadow and the Belt of Venus!”

The moon phase shifts throughout the month, and sometimes you won’t find the moon in the night sky. Earth’s shadow, on the other hand, is more reliable. It can be seen any clear evening, ascending in the eastern sky at the same rate that the sun sets below the western horizon.

The shadow of the Earth is big. You might have to turn your head to see the whole thing. And the shadow is curved, just as the shadow of any round object is curved. Earth’s shadow extends hundreds of thousands of miles into space, so far that it can touch the moon. Whenever that happens, we see an eclipse of the moon.

Read more and see more photos: When can you see Earth’s shadow?

Full moon and Earth’s shadow on the morning of March 2, 2018, via Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.

Sucheta Wipat caught the Earth’s shadow and Belt of Venus on a cloudy evening in London, August 5, 2017. Yes, you can see it from cities!

Earth’s shadow is the dark blue area above the line of the horizon, in this photo taken in January 2018 by Jörgen Andersson in Sweden.

Bottom line: Check out Earth’s shadow – in the east after sunset or in the west before sunrise – next time you have a clear sky. I often see it while out on the streets of my town as the sun is setting. The pink coloration above the shadow is called the Belt of Venus.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2NWDcOz

Image at top via Woomera missile range in Australia (used with permission).

The moon phase around October 11, 2019, is about the same as the first few images on this page. Full moon – the Hunter’s Moon for the Northern Hemisphere – comes on October 13. On the evenings of October 12, 13 and 14 – as seen from the whole Earth – the moon will be above the eastern horizon shortly after sunset. You might see the moon ascending in the midst of Earth’s shadow, or near it.

In both the evening and morning sky, try watching for Earth’s shadow, a blue-gray darkness in the direction opposite the sun, darker than the twilight sky.

The pink band above the shadow – in the east after sunset, or west before dawn – is called the Belt of Venus.

The lunar calendars are here! Get your 2020 lunar calendars today. They make great gifts. Going fast!

Nancy Ricigliano from Massapegua, New York, caught the moon rising ahead of Earth’s shadow on October 21, 2018. She wrote: “I went out to see where the moon will be rising for the full Hunter’s Moon on Wednesday. I was able to capture the Earth’s shadow and the Belt of Venus!”

The moon phase shifts throughout the month, and sometimes you won’t find the moon in the night sky. Earth’s shadow, on the other hand, is more reliable. It can be seen any clear evening, ascending in the eastern sky at the same rate that the sun sets below the western horizon.

The shadow of the Earth is big. You might have to turn your head to see the whole thing. And the shadow is curved, just as the shadow of any round object is curved. Earth’s shadow extends hundreds of thousands of miles into space, so far that it can touch the moon. Whenever that happens, we see an eclipse of the moon.

Read more and see more photos: When can you see Earth’s shadow?

Full moon and Earth’s shadow on the morning of March 2, 2018, via Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.

Sucheta Wipat caught the Earth’s shadow and Belt of Venus on a cloudy evening in London, August 5, 2017. Yes, you can see it from cities!

Earth’s shadow is the dark blue area above the line of the horizon, in this photo taken in January 2018 by Jörgen Andersson in Sweden.

Bottom line: Check out Earth’s shadow – in the east after sunset or in the west before sunrise – next time you have a clear sky. I often see it while out on the streets of my town as the sun is setting. The pink coloration above the shadow is called the Belt of Venus.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2NWDcOz

All you need to know: 2019’s Hunter’s Moon

Hunter’s Moon light on the ocean – October 23, 2018 – from Michael Busch in Long Island, New York. See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

In skylore, every full moon has many names, and most are tied to months of the year. But some moon names are tied to seasons, such as the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon after the Harvest Moon. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, 2019’s 2019 Harvest Moon came on September 13-14. So the upcoming full moon – around October 12-13, 2019 – is the Northern Hemisphere’s Hunter’s Moon.

What makes a Hunter’s Moon special? Nature is particularly cooperative around the time of the autumn equinox to make the fall full moonrises unique.

The 2020 lunar calendars are here! Order yours before they’re gone. Makes a great gift.

Rising Hunter’s Moon. Photo by Abhinav Singhai, 2014.

Here’s what happens. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. But when a full moon happens close to the autumnal equinox – either a Harvest or a Hunter’s Moon – the moon (at mid-temperate latitudes) rises only about 30 to 35 minutes later daily for several days before and after the full moon. The reason is that the ecliptic – or the moon’s orbital path – makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon around the time of the autumn equinox.

The result is that there’s a shorter-than-usual lag time between successive moonrises around the full Hunter’s Moon.

These early evening moonrises are what make every Hunter’s Moon special. Every full moon rises around sunset. After the full Hunter’s Moon, you’ll see the moon ascending in the east relatively soon after sunset for a few days in a row at northerly latitudes.

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, look for the moon to be bright and full-looking for several nights beginning around October 11 and 12. Keep watching on October 13 and 14. Around all of these nights, you’ll see a bright round moon in your sky, rising around the time of sunset, highest in the middle of the night.

In autumn, the angle of the ecliptic – or sun and moon’s path – makes a narrow angle with the horizon. Image via ClassicalAstronomy.com.

The narrow angle of the ecliptic means the moon rises noticeably farther north on the horizon from one night to the next. So there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise, and, around the time of full moon, many people see the moon in a twilight sky. Image via ClassicalAstronomy.com.

For all of us, the precise time of full moon is Sunday, October 13, 2019, at 21:08 UTC; translate UTC to your time.

The times don’t really matter. No matter where you live worldwide, look for a full-looking moon in the east as the sun goes down over the next several days. This full or full-looking moon will cross our skies throughout the night, as seen from around the globe.

Want to know the time of moonrise in your location? My favorite source of that information is this Custom Sunrise Sunset Calendar. Once you get to that page, be sure to click the box for “moon phases” and “moonrise and moonset times.”

Swami Krishnananda in Ranchi, India, wrote: “What is known as Hunter’s Moon in the West is called Kartik Purnima in India, and it is a sacred festival celebrated all over India. The photo was taken in Ranchi during this celebration, when a marble temple dedicated to Paramahansa Yogananda [author of the amazing book Autobiography of a Yogi] was lit up with candles.” Thank you, Swami Krishnananda!

Is a Hunter’s Moon always bigger, or brighter or more colorful? No. The Hunter’s Moon is just an ordinary full moon with a special path across our sky. Still, many of us do think the Hunter’s Moon always looks bigger … or brighter … and more orange than usual. Why?

It’s because the Hunter’s Moon has a powerful mystique. Many people look for it shortly after sunset around the time of full moon. After sunset around any full moon, the moon will always be near the horizon … because full moons rise at sunset. It’s the location of the moon near the horizon that causes the Hunter’s Moon – or any full moon – to look big and orange in color.

Orange moon near the horizon. The orange color of a moon near the horizon is a true physical effect. It stems from the fact that, when you look toward the horizon, you’re looking through a greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere than when you gaze up and overhead. The atmosphere scatters blue light – that’s why the sky looks blue. The greater thickness of atmosphere in the direction of a horizon scatters blue light most effectively, but it lets red light pass through to your eyes. So a full moon near the horizon – any full moon near the horizon – takes on a yellow or orange or reddish hue.

Big moon near the horizon. The bigger-than-usual size of a moon seen near the horizon is something else entirely. It’s a trick that your eyes are playing – an illusion – called the Moon Illusion. You can find lengthy explanations of the Moon Illusion by googling those words yourself.

2017’s Hunter Moon – November 3 – over Bloomington, Indiana, via Ken Meadows.

How did the Hunter’s Moon get its name? We hear many, many different explanations for the name Hunter’s Moon.

In the autumn months, there’s no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise for several days in a row, around the time of full moon. In the days before tractor lights, the lamp of the Harvest Moon helped farmers to gather their crops, despite the diminishing daylight hours. As the sun’s light faded in the west, the moon would soon rise in the east to illuminate the fields throughout the night. A month later, after the harvest was done, the full Hunter’s Moon was said to illuminate the prey of hunters, scooting along in the stubble left behind in the fields.

Who named the Harvest and Hunter’s Moon? Those names probably sprang to the lips of farmers and hunters throughout the world, on autumn evenings, at times of the full moon.

Full Hunter’s Moon rising over the Bothnian Sea, Sweden, on November 4, 2017, via Jörgen Norrland Andersson.

What if I’m in the Southern Hemisphere? If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, your Harvest and Hunter’s moons center on the March equinox, your autumn equinox. Much of what we say in his post – the general information about Harvest and Hunter’s Moons – applies to you, too … next March and April. Right now, your full moon will be doing the opposite of a Hunter’s Moon. That is, for the Southern Hemisphere around the time of the October and November full moons, there’s a longer-than-usual time between moonrises on successive nights.

Bottom line: The Hunter’s Moon for the Northern Hemisphere in 2019 comes around the full moon of October 12-13. Learn the lore of the Hunter’s Moon – and what to look for – here.

See more great photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/324iQux

Hunter’s Moon light on the ocean – October 23, 2018 – from Michael Busch in Long Island, New York. See more photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon.

In skylore, every full moon has many names, and most are tied to months of the year. But some moon names are tied to seasons, such as the Harvest and Hunter’s Moons. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon after the Harvest Moon. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, 2019’s 2019 Harvest Moon came on September 13-14. So the upcoming full moon – around October 12-13, 2019 – is the Northern Hemisphere’s Hunter’s Moon.

What makes a Hunter’s Moon special? Nature is particularly cooperative around the time of the autumn equinox to make the fall full moonrises unique.

The 2020 lunar calendars are here! Order yours before they’re gone. Makes a great gift.

Rising Hunter’s Moon. Photo by Abhinav Singhai, 2014.

Here’s what happens. On average, the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. But when a full moon happens close to the autumnal equinox – either a Harvest or a Hunter’s Moon – the moon (at mid-temperate latitudes) rises only about 30 to 35 minutes later daily for several days before and after the full moon. The reason is that the ecliptic – or the moon’s orbital path – makes a narrow angle with the evening horizon around the time of the autumn equinox.

The result is that there’s a shorter-than-usual lag time between successive moonrises around the full Hunter’s Moon.

These early evening moonrises are what make every Hunter’s Moon special. Every full moon rises around sunset. After the full Hunter’s Moon, you’ll see the moon ascending in the east relatively soon after sunset for a few days in a row at northerly latitudes.

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, look for the moon to be bright and full-looking for several nights beginning around October 11 and 12. Keep watching on October 13 and 14. Around all of these nights, you’ll see a bright round moon in your sky, rising around the time of sunset, highest in the middle of the night.

In autumn, the angle of the ecliptic – or sun and moon’s path – makes a narrow angle with the horizon. Image via ClassicalAstronomy.com.

The narrow angle of the ecliptic means the moon rises noticeably farther north on the horizon from one night to the next. So there is no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise, and, around the time of full moon, many people see the moon in a twilight sky. Image via ClassicalAstronomy.com.

For all of us, the precise time of full moon is Sunday, October 13, 2019, at 21:08 UTC; translate UTC to your time.

The times don’t really matter. No matter where you live worldwide, look for a full-looking moon in the east as the sun goes down over the next several days. This full or full-looking moon will cross our skies throughout the night, as seen from around the globe.

Want to know the time of moonrise in your location? My favorite source of that information is this Custom Sunrise Sunset Calendar. Once you get to that page, be sure to click the box for “moon phases” and “moonrise and moonset times.”

Swami Krishnananda in Ranchi, India, wrote: “What is known as Hunter’s Moon in the West is called Kartik Purnima in India, and it is a sacred festival celebrated all over India. The photo was taken in Ranchi during this celebration, when a marble temple dedicated to Paramahansa Yogananda [author of the amazing book Autobiography of a Yogi] was lit up with candles.” Thank you, Swami Krishnananda!

Is a Hunter’s Moon always bigger, or brighter or more colorful? No. The Hunter’s Moon is just an ordinary full moon with a special path across our sky. Still, many of us do think the Hunter’s Moon always looks bigger … or brighter … and more orange than usual. Why?

It’s because the Hunter’s Moon has a powerful mystique. Many people look for it shortly after sunset around the time of full moon. After sunset around any full moon, the moon will always be near the horizon … because full moons rise at sunset. It’s the location of the moon near the horizon that causes the Hunter’s Moon – or any full moon – to look big and orange in color.

Orange moon near the horizon. The orange color of a moon near the horizon is a true physical effect. It stems from the fact that, when you look toward the horizon, you’re looking through a greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere than when you gaze up and overhead. The atmosphere scatters blue light – that’s why the sky looks blue. The greater thickness of atmosphere in the direction of a horizon scatters blue light most effectively, but it lets red light pass through to your eyes. So a full moon near the horizon – any full moon near the horizon – takes on a yellow or orange or reddish hue.

Big moon near the horizon. The bigger-than-usual size of a moon seen near the horizon is something else entirely. It’s a trick that your eyes are playing – an illusion – called the Moon Illusion. You can find lengthy explanations of the Moon Illusion by googling those words yourself.

2017’s Hunter Moon – November 3 – over Bloomington, Indiana, via Ken Meadows.

How did the Hunter’s Moon get its name? We hear many, many different explanations for the name Hunter’s Moon.

In the autumn months, there’s no long period of darkness between sunset and moonrise for several days in a row, around the time of full moon. In the days before tractor lights, the lamp of the Harvest Moon helped farmers to gather their crops, despite the diminishing daylight hours. As the sun’s light faded in the west, the moon would soon rise in the east to illuminate the fields throughout the night. A month later, after the harvest was done, the full Hunter’s Moon was said to illuminate the prey of hunters, scooting along in the stubble left behind in the fields.

Who named the Harvest and Hunter’s Moon? Those names probably sprang to the lips of farmers and hunters throughout the world, on autumn evenings, at times of the full moon.

Full Hunter’s Moon rising over the Bothnian Sea, Sweden, on November 4, 2017, via Jörgen Norrland Andersson.

What if I’m in the Southern Hemisphere? If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, your Harvest and Hunter’s moons center on the March equinox, your autumn equinox. Much of what we say in his post – the general information about Harvest and Hunter’s Moons – applies to you, too … next March and April. Right now, your full moon will be doing the opposite of a Hunter’s Moon. That is, for the Southern Hemisphere around the time of the October and November full moons, there’s a longer-than-usual time between moonrises on successive nights.

Bottom line: The Hunter’s Moon for the Northern Hemisphere in 2019 comes around the full moon of October 12-13. Learn the lore of the Hunter’s Moon – and what to look for – here.

See more great photos of 2018’s Hunter’s Moon

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/324iQux