View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Isn’t this the coolest image ever? No, it’s not 2 moons. The larger one is Earth’s moon, and the smaller one is Venus! Alex Conu in Oslo, Norway caught this image of the very close conjunction between the planet Venus and the moon in daylight on June 19, 2020, when both worlds were in a thin crescent phase. A few minutes after this photo was taken, Venus was occulted – or covered over – by the moon. Thank you, Alex!
The brightest planet Venus was prominent in the west after sunset in early 2020, through about late May. On June 3, Venus went between us and the sun in what’s called an inferior conjunction for this inner planet. Now Venus is back in the morning sky – visible from around the world – very near the glare of these far-northern sunrises we’ve having around this solstice-time.
Those with telescopes know that Venus is now visible in a crescent phase. That’s because its lighted face, or day side, is mostly facing away from us now.
The photos on this page are from June 19, 2020, when the old moon – a waning crescent visible in the east before sunup – swept past Venus. Thanks to these two photographers and to all those who contributed to EarthSky Community Photos!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Donald Gargano also caught the moon and Venus on June 19, 2020, at Jenness Beach in Rye, New Hampshire. This photo shows how you would have seen the pair with the eye alone in a sky brightly lit with morning twilight … if you’d been on this glorious beach! Thank you, Donald.
Bottom line: The brightest planet Venus is back in the east before sunup! It’s very bright, visible near the sunrise, in very bright twilight. Here are two beautiful photos of the very old moon on June 19 – a waning crescent seen in the east shortly before sunrise – near Venus.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2AVBVH1
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Isn’t this the coolest image ever? No, it’s not 2 moons. The larger one is Earth’s moon, and the smaller one is Venus! Alex Conu in Oslo, Norway caught this image of the very close conjunction between the planet Venus and the moon in daylight on June 19, 2020, when both worlds were in a thin crescent phase. A few minutes after this photo was taken, Venus was occulted – or covered over – by the moon. Thank you, Alex!
The brightest planet Venus was prominent in the west after sunset in early 2020, through about late May. On June 3, Venus went between us and the sun in what’s called an inferior conjunction for this inner planet. Now Venus is back in the morning sky – visible from around the world – very near the glare of these far-northern sunrises we’ve having around this solstice-time.
Those with telescopes know that Venus is now visible in a crescent phase. That’s because its lighted face, or day side, is mostly facing away from us now.
The photos on this page are from June 19, 2020, when the old moon – a waning crescent visible in the east before sunup – swept past Venus. Thanks to these two photographers and to all those who contributed to EarthSky Community Photos!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Donald Gargano also caught the moon and Venus on June 19, 2020, at Jenness Beach in Rye, New Hampshire. This photo shows how you would have seen the pair with the eye alone in a sky brightly lit with morning twilight … if you’d been on this glorious beach! Thank you, Donald.
Bottom line: The brightest planet Venus is back in the east before sunup! It’s very bright, visible near the sunrise, in very bright twilight. Here are two beautiful photos of the very old moon on June 19 – a waning crescent seen in the east shortly before sunrise – near Venus.
With news about the coronavirus pandemic developing daily, we want to make sure everyone affected by cancer gets the information they need during this time.
We’re pulling together the latest government and NHS health updates from across the UK in a separate blog post, which we’re updating regularly.
‘Lavalamp’ effect could make cancer drugs more powerful
A new study published inSciencehasrevealed howdrug moleculesare organised when theyenter a cell,and howthis information couldbe used to make certain drugs hit their targets more effectively. Research found that cancer drug compounds become concentrated in certain spots within cells – like blobs in alava lamp.Whilstscientistshope that a better understanding of this phenomenon could lead to more targeted cancer treatments,others think thatother mechanisms should beexplored.Find out more atNature.
Swansea skin cancer patients receive pioneering procedure
Skin cancer patients in Swansea have become first in the world to receive complex biopsies while awake. Sentinel lymph node biopsies allow doctors to detect whether melanoma has spread in skin cancer patients, but the procedure was suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions on general anaesthetic. A team of plastic surgeons and anaesthetists at Sancta Maria Hospital are now the first to carry out the procedure without anaesthetic. So far nine patients have had the test. More on this atBBC.
Scientist uncover new mechanism driving colorectal cancer
MedicalXpressreports on a collaborative study that has revealed a new mechanism causing colorectal cancer. Research by VIB-UGentCenterfor Inflammation Research and Ghent University found that abnormal expression of the protein Zeb2 could allow harmful bacteria into the intestinal wall, causing inflammation and driving cancer progression. Scientists have now demonstrated how manipulating theimmunesystem could prevent this development and potentially lead to new cancer treatments.
Searching for novel connections in cancer metabolism
Dr GeorgePoulogiannisisone of our scientists investigating the relationship between cellular metabolism, cancer and diet. In our blog post, we spoke to himabout how his team have beeninvestigatingconnections in metabolismby utilisinga unique toolknown as theiKnife,used in cancer surgery,in order toopen the door to a better understanding of individual cancers.Whilst the teamhave uncovered new features of breast cancer biology linked to metabolismanddiet,andhave shown that a dietary fat restriction plays a major role in therapy response,someheadlines were quick to jump to a ‘potential cancer cure’.
Andfinally…
A technique known as a liquid biopsy is allowing doctors to find out more about a patient’s cancer without the need for surgery. The technique analysesa patient’s blood, monitoring the DNA tumours release into the blood stream. By analysing the individual genetic makeup of a tumour, liquid biopsies canfocuson a specific set of mutations and use them as a starting point to monitor the progression of cancer. Find the full story onour blog.
Scarlett Sangster is a writer for PA Media Group
from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/37WeRUZ
With news about the coronavirus pandemic developing daily, we want to make sure everyone affected by cancer gets the information they need during this time.
We’re pulling together the latest government and NHS health updates from across the UK in a separate blog post, which we’re updating regularly.
‘Lavalamp’ effect could make cancer drugs more powerful
A new study published inSciencehasrevealed howdrug moleculesare organised when theyenter a cell,and howthis information couldbe used to make certain drugs hit their targets more effectively. Research found that cancer drug compounds become concentrated in certain spots within cells – like blobs in alava lamp.Whilstscientistshope that a better understanding of this phenomenon could lead to more targeted cancer treatments,others think thatother mechanisms should beexplored.Find out more atNature.
Swansea skin cancer patients receive pioneering procedure
Skin cancer patients in Swansea have become first in the world to receive complex biopsies while awake. Sentinel lymph node biopsies allow doctors to detect whether melanoma has spread in skin cancer patients, but the procedure was suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions on general anaesthetic. A team of plastic surgeons and anaesthetists at Sancta Maria Hospital are now the first to carry out the procedure without anaesthetic. So far nine patients have had the test. More on this atBBC.
Scientist uncover new mechanism driving colorectal cancer
MedicalXpressreports on a collaborative study that has revealed a new mechanism causing colorectal cancer. Research by VIB-UGentCenterfor Inflammation Research and Ghent University found that abnormal expression of the protein Zeb2 could allow harmful bacteria into the intestinal wall, causing inflammation and driving cancer progression. Scientists have now demonstrated how manipulating theimmunesystem could prevent this development and potentially lead to new cancer treatments.
Searching for novel connections in cancer metabolism
Dr GeorgePoulogiannisisone of our scientists investigating the relationship between cellular metabolism, cancer and diet. In our blog post, we spoke to himabout how his team have beeninvestigatingconnections in metabolismby utilisinga unique toolknown as theiKnife,used in cancer surgery,in order toopen the door to a better understanding of individual cancers.Whilst the teamhave uncovered new features of breast cancer biology linked to metabolismanddiet,andhave shown that a dietary fat restriction plays a major role in therapy response,someheadlines were quick to jump to a ‘potential cancer cure’.
Andfinally…
A technique known as a liquid biopsy is allowing doctors to find out more about a patient’s cancer without the need for surgery. The technique analysesa patient’s blood, monitoring the DNA tumours release into the blood stream. By analysing the individual genetic makeup of a tumour, liquid biopsies canfocuson a specific set of mutations and use them as a starting point to monitor the progression of cancer. Find the full story onour blog.
Scarlett Sangster is a writer for PA Media Group
from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/37WeRUZ
For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this solstice signals the beginning of summer. For the Southern Hemisphere, winter starts at this solstice. This 2020 June solstice takes place on Saturday, June 20, at 21:44 UTC; translate UTC to your time. In North America and U.S. time zones, that’s June 20 at 6:44 p.m. ADT, 5:44 p.m. EDT, 4:44 p.m. CDT, 3:44 p.m. MDT, 2:44 p.m. PDT, 1:44 p.m. AKDT (Alaskan Daylight Time) and 11:44 a.m. HAST (Hawaiian-Aleutian Standard Time). The solstice happens at the same instant for all of us, everywhere on Earth; only our clocks differ by time zone.
Keep reading for some quick info that’ll help you connect with nature at this June solstice 2020.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sunrise between a June and December solstice. If you are standing facing east, the sun – from day to day, and week to week – moves progressively to the right (south) between these 2 solstices. Rupesh Sangoi captured separate images of the sunrise, showing the sun’s movement along the horizon between a June and December solstice. He wrote: “Did this for over a year, at sunrise.” Glorious composite, Rupesh! Thank you.
Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of the June 2020 solstice (June 20, 2020, at 21:44 UTC). Map via Fourmilab/ Earth View.
Solstice brings extremes of daylight and darkness. Earth’s orbit around the sun – and tilt on its axis – have brought us to a place in space where our world’s Northern Hemisphere has its time of greatest daylight: its longest day and shortest night. Meanwhile, the June solstice brings the shortest day and longest night south of the equator.
The June solstice gives us the year’s northernmost sunrise and northernmost sunset. The northernmost sunrise and sunset deliver the year’s longest period of daylight to the Northern Hemisphere yet the shortest period of daylight in the Southern Hemisphere. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun neither rises nor sets but stays above the horizon for 24 hours around the clock. South of the Antarctic circle, the sun neither rises nor sets but stays beneath the horizon for 24 hours.
In the Northern Hemisphere, noontime shadows are shortest at this solstice. On this solstice, the sun takes its most northerly path across the sky for the year. It’s the year’s highest sun, as seen from the Tropic of Cancer and all places north. Thus your noontime shadow is shortest.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true. This solstice marks the lowest sun and longest noontime shadow for those on the southern part of Earth’s globe.
View larger. | Nikolaos Pantazis wrote: “Every year, on the days around summer solstice, the setting sun aligns with that rock, near the village of Platanos, Peloponnese, Greece.”
Each solstice marks a “turning” of the year. Even as this northern summer begins with the solstice, throughout the world the solstice also represents a “turning” of the year. To many cultures, the solstice can mean a limit or a culmination of something. From around the world, the sun is now setting and rising as far north as it ever does. The solstice marks when the sun reaches its northernmost point for the year. After the June solstice, the sun will begin its subtle shift southward on the sky’s dome again.
Thus even in summer’s beginning, we find the seeds of summer’s end.
Oliver Nagy made this cool image between the June and December solstices in 2014. The camera was fixed to a single spot for the entire exposure time, and it continuously recorded the sun’s path as glowing trail s across the sky. The breaks and gaps between the lines are caused by clouds. This image shows the shifting path of the sun over the months between a June and December solstice. As seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the sun’s path gets lower each day.
Longest day for Northern Hemisphere, but not the latest sunset. The latest sunset doesn’t come on the day of the summer solstice. Neither does the earliest sunrise. The exact dates vary with latitude, but the sequence is always the same: earliest sunrise before the summer solstice, longest day on the summer solstice, latest sunset after the summer solstice.
Shortest day for Southern Hemisphere, but not the latest sunrise. The latest sunrise doesn’t come on the day of the winter solstice. Neither does the earliest sunset. The exact dates vary with latitude, but the sequence is always the same: earliest sunset before the winter solstice, shortest day on the winter solstice, latest sunrise after the winter solstice.
At very northerly latitudes now, the sun is up all night. Here is the sun at 3 a.m. as seen near a June solstice by EarthSky Facebook friend Birgit Boden in northern Sweden.
Bottom line: Some quick info that’ll help you connect with nature at the June solstice 2020!
For us in the Northern Hemisphere, this solstice signals the beginning of summer. For the Southern Hemisphere, winter starts at this solstice. This 2020 June solstice takes place on Saturday, June 20, at 21:44 UTC; translate UTC to your time. In North America and U.S. time zones, that’s June 20 at 6:44 p.m. ADT, 5:44 p.m. EDT, 4:44 p.m. CDT, 3:44 p.m. MDT, 2:44 p.m. PDT, 1:44 p.m. AKDT (Alaskan Daylight Time) and 11:44 a.m. HAST (Hawaiian-Aleutian Standard Time). The solstice happens at the same instant for all of us, everywhere on Earth; only our clocks differ by time zone.
Keep reading for some quick info that’ll help you connect with nature at this June solstice 2020.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sunrise between a June and December solstice. If you are standing facing east, the sun – from day to day, and week to week – moves progressively to the right (south) between these 2 solstices. Rupesh Sangoi captured separate images of the sunrise, showing the sun’s movement along the horizon between a June and December solstice. He wrote: “Did this for over a year, at sunrise.” Glorious composite, Rupesh! Thank you.
Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of the June 2020 solstice (June 20, 2020, at 21:44 UTC). Map via Fourmilab/ Earth View.
Solstice brings extremes of daylight and darkness. Earth’s orbit around the sun – and tilt on its axis – have brought us to a place in space where our world’s Northern Hemisphere has its time of greatest daylight: its longest day and shortest night. Meanwhile, the June solstice brings the shortest day and longest night south of the equator.
The June solstice gives us the year’s northernmost sunrise and northernmost sunset. The northernmost sunrise and sunset deliver the year’s longest period of daylight to the Northern Hemisphere yet the shortest period of daylight in the Southern Hemisphere. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun neither rises nor sets but stays above the horizon for 24 hours around the clock. South of the Antarctic circle, the sun neither rises nor sets but stays beneath the horizon for 24 hours.
In the Northern Hemisphere, noontime shadows are shortest at this solstice. On this solstice, the sun takes its most northerly path across the sky for the year. It’s the year’s highest sun, as seen from the Tropic of Cancer and all places north. Thus your noontime shadow is shortest.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true. This solstice marks the lowest sun and longest noontime shadow for those on the southern part of Earth’s globe.
View larger. | Nikolaos Pantazis wrote: “Every year, on the days around summer solstice, the setting sun aligns with that rock, near the village of Platanos, Peloponnese, Greece.”
Each solstice marks a “turning” of the year. Even as this northern summer begins with the solstice, throughout the world the solstice also represents a “turning” of the year. To many cultures, the solstice can mean a limit or a culmination of something. From around the world, the sun is now setting and rising as far north as it ever does. The solstice marks when the sun reaches its northernmost point for the year. After the June solstice, the sun will begin its subtle shift southward on the sky’s dome again.
Thus even in summer’s beginning, we find the seeds of summer’s end.
Oliver Nagy made this cool image between the June and December solstices in 2014. The camera was fixed to a single spot for the entire exposure time, and it continuously recorded the sun’s path as glowing trail s across the sky. The breaks and gaps between the lines are caused by clouds. This image shows the shifting path of the sun over the months between a June and December solstice. As seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the sun’s path gets lower each day.
Longest day for Northern Hemisphere, but not the latest sunset. The latest sunset doesn’t come on the day of the summer solstice. Neither does the earliest sunrise. The exact dates vary with latitude, but the sequence is always the same: earliest sunrise before the summer solstice, longest day on the summer solstice, latest sunset after the summer solstice.
Shortest day for Southern Hemisphere, but not the latest sunrise. The latest sunrise doesn’t come on the day of the winter solstice. Neither does the earliest sunset. The exact dates vary with latitude, but the sequence is always the same: earliest sunset before the winter solstice, shortest day on the winter solstice, latest sunrise after the winter solstice.
At very northerly latitudes now, the sun is up all night. Here is the sun at 3 a.m. as seen near a June solstice by EarthSky Facebook friend Birgit Boden in northern Sweden.
Bottom line: Some quick info that’ll help you connect with nature at the June solstice 2020!
On June 16, 2020, the GOES-East satellite captured this GeoColor imagery of an expansive plume of dust from the Sahara Desert traveling westward across the Atlantic Ocean. Image via NOAA.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on June 18, 2020, that its GOES-East satellite was tracking a large swath of dust and sand from the Sahara desert in northern Africa, making its way across the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA said the dust is expected to reach the Caribbean by this weekend, and may even make it to parts of the United States next week, adding:
According to NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, every three to five days from late spring through early fall, a mass of dusty air known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) forms over the Sahara Desert and moves westward across the tropical North Atlantic. The SAL, which extends about 5,000 to 20,000 feet (1,500 to 6,000 meters) into the atmosphere, can be transported several thousand miles, reaching as far as the Caribbean, Florida, and the U.S. Gulf Coast when winds are particularly strong. Some of this dust also blows farther south into the Amazon River Basin in South America, where the minerals in the dust replenish nutrients in rainforest soils, which are continually depleted by drenching, tropical rains.
The dry, dusty air associated with the SAL has been known to cause hazy skies over the areas where it blows, as well as toxic algal blooms, according to NASA. It also can help suppress hurricane and tropical storm development in the Atlantic Basin due to its dense, dry air and increased wind shear.
Saharan dust plume, seen by the NOAA-20 satellite on June 17, 2020, via NOAA.
Bottom line: Earth-orbiting satellites are tracking an expansive plume of dust from the Sahara Desert traveling westward across the Atlantic Ocean. The dust may reach the U.S. next week.
On June 16, 2020, the GOES-East satellite captured this GeoColor imagery of an expansive plume of dust from the Sahara Desert traveling westward across the Atlantic Ocean. Image via NOAA.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on June 18, 2020, that its GOES-East satellite was tracking a large swath of dust and sand from the Sahara desert in northern Africa, making its way across the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA said the dust is expected to reach the Caribbean by this weekend, and may even make it to parts of the United States next week, adding:
According to NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, every three to five days from late spring through early fall, a mass of dusty air known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) forms over the Sahara Desert and moves westward across the tropical North Atlantic. The SAL, which extends about 5,000 to 20,000 feet (1,500 to 6,000 meters) into the atmosphere, can be transported several thousand miles, reaching as far as the Caribbean, Florida, and the U.S. Gulf Coast when winds are particularly strong. Some of this dust also blows farther south into the Amazon River Basin in South America, where the minerals in the dust replenish nutrients in rainforest soils, which are continually depleted by drenching, tropical rains.
The dry, dusty air associated with the SAL has been known to cause hazy skies over the areas where it blows, as well as toxic algal blooms, according to NASA. It also can help suppress hurricane and tropical storm development in the Atlantic Basin due to its dense, dry air and increased wind shear.
Saharan dust plume, seen by the NOAA-20 satellite on June 17, 2020, via NOAA.
Bottom line: Earth-orbiting satellites are tracking an expansive plume of dust from the Sahara Desert traveling westward across the Atlantic Ocean. The dust may reach the U.S. next week.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Progression into and out of the December 26, 2019, annular solar eclipse, caught from Tumon Bay, Guam, by Eliot Herman of Tucson, Arizona. Thank you, Eliot!
In June 2020, the moon turns new fewer than nine hours after the June 20 solstice. This new moon will sweep right in front of the sun on Sunday, June 21, 2020, to stage an annular – ring of fire – solar eclipse for a narrow but long slice of the world’s Eastern Hemisphere. A much larger swath of Earth will see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse.
We in the Americas won’t be able to view this solar eclipse at all. It’ll happen during nighttime hours for us on the night of June 20 (early morning of June 21). By the time the sun rises over the Americas on June 21, the eclipse will be long over. Yet, we in the Americas have a slight chance of catching a very young moon – an exceedingly slim crescent, visible only shortly after sunset – on the evening of June 21.
Also, if the weather holds in various parts of Africa and Asia, it’ll be possible to watch the eclipse online via the Virtual Telescope Project. Gianluca Masi of Virtual Telescope is putting together an international team of observers along various parts of the eclipse path. Note that, for observers in the Americas, the eclipse will take place during the night of June 20. See the poster below, and find details of Virtual Telescope’s eclipse livestream here.
The Virtual Telescope Project live feed of the June 21 annular solar eclipse will happen during the night of June 20, 2020, for us in the Americas. The feed will start on June 21 at 05:30 UTC (June 21 at 1:30 a.m. EDT and 12:30 a.m. CDT; June 20 at 11:30 p.m. MDT and 10:30 p.m. PDT; translate UTC to your time).
If you are watching the eclipse in your sky, proper eye protection must be used throughout the entire June 21 solar eclipse. That’s because an annular eclipse is, essentially, a partial eclipse. Like a total eclipse of the sun, the new moon will move directly in front of the sun. Unlike a total solar eclipse, the new moon during an annular eclipse is too far away to cover the solar disk completely. At mid-eclipse, an annulus – or thin ring – of the sun’s surface will surround the new moon silhouette. Important reminder: No matter where you are, use proper eye protection at all times during the June 21 solar eclipse!
A = total solar eclipse, B = annular eclipse C = partial solar eclipse.
We refer you to the worldwide map and animation below. The long, skinny annular eclipse path in red will swing a solid 1/3 the way around the world, but spans only 53 miles (85 km) at its widest point. Although the entire annular eclipse on a worldwide scale lasts for about 3 3/4 hours, the maximum length of the annular eclipse at any one place is only 1 minute and 22 seconds.
The annular eclipse starts at sunrise in Africa, and then – some 3 3/4 hours later – ends at sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Greatest eclipse will take place at the border of India, Nepal and China. There, the path width shrinks to a minimum of 13 miles (21 km) with annularity lasting a scant 38 seconds.
The long yet skinny red path of the annular eclipse starts at sunrise in Africa, and then, about 3 3/4 hours later, ends at sunset over the Pacific Ocean. A much greater swath of the world is in a position to watch a partial solar eclipse. The numbers from 0.20 to 0.80 refer to eclipse magnitude (the portion of the solar diameter covered over by the moon). Image via Fred Espenak/ NASA GSFC.
The eclipse starts at sunrise in Africa and ends at sunset over the Pacific Ocean. The tiny black dot depicts the annular eclipse while the much larger gray circle represents the area of the partial solar eclipse.
On a worldwide scale, the partial solar eclipse starts about one hour before the annularity first begins, and ends about one hour after the annular eclipse comes to an end. Here are the eclipse times on a worldwide scale in Universal Time (UTC):
Partial solar eclipse first begins: 03:46 UTC on June 21, 2020
Annular eclipse first begins: 04:48 UTC on June 21, 2020
Greatest or maximum eclipse: 06:40 UTC on June 21, 2020
Annular eclipse finally ends: 08:32 UTC on June 21, 2020
Partial solar eclipse finally ends: 09:34 UTC on June 21, 2020
Local eclipse times for your part of the world
To find out the local eclipse times for your time zone (no conversion is necessary):
Why is the annular eclipse so short at greatest eclipse?
Along the annular eclipse path, the duration of annularity is greatest at the path’s beginning (just after sunrise) and ending (just before sunset). The duration is the least at the “greatest” eclipse (at and near noon).
The annular eclipse is 1 minute 22 seconds at the beginning of the eclipse path, and 1 minute and 17 seconds at the end. Midway through the path, at the greatest eclipse, the annular eclipse is only 38 seconds long.
Keep in mind that when the moon is nearer the horizon, it is farther away from where you reside on the Earth’s surface than when the moon is high overhead. Because the moon is relatively close to Earth while the sun resides so far away, the apparent size of the moon changes appreciably during the day whereas the sun’s apparent size does not.
Illustration via Phil Plait. Phil goes on to explain, “The guy at the top of the Earth in the diagram sees the moon on his horizon, and the guy on the side of the Earth sees it overhead. But you can tell the distances aren’t the same: the moon is closer to the guy who sees it as overhead (by an amount roughly equal to the Earth’s radius).”
If this annular eclipse takes place near the horizon, at early morning or late afternoon, then the smaller moon takes more time to cross the solar disk, resulting in a longer annular eclipse.
On the other hand, if the annular eclipse takes place at or around noon, the closer and larger moon takes less time to cross the solar disk, resulting in a shorter annular eclipse.
Exactly six lunar months (six new moons) after this annular eclipse, there’ll be a total eclipse of the sun on December 14, 2020. The new moon will be closer (and therefore larger) than during the June 2020 annular eclipse, so it’ll be a total solar eclipse instead. Yet, the moon will still be more distant (and smaller) at the beginning and the end of the worldwide path of the total solar eclipse, and closer (and larger) at the middle of the path. So it’ll be a shorter total solar eclipse at the beginning and ending of the eclipse path, but a longer total solar eclipse near the middle.
The moon phases in the year 2020 via AstroPixels. A = annular solar eclipse, T = total solar eclipse, and n = penumbral lunar eclipse. The year 2020 has 13 full moons, two of which take place in the month of October.
Bottom line: If you live in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere, you might be in a position to watch the annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. If so, please remember to use proper eye protection. Eclipse times, links and viewing charts here.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2NeaJ9g
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Progression into and out of the December 26, 2019, annular solar eclipse, caught from Tumon Bay, Guam, by Eliot Herman of Tucson, Arizona. Thank you, Eliot!
In June 2020, the moon turns new fewer than nine hours after the June 20 solstice. This new moon will sweep right in front of the sun on Sunday, June 21, 2020, to stage an annular – ring of fire – solar eclipse for a narrow but long slice of the world’s Eastern Hemisphere. A much larger swath of Earth will see varying degrees of a partial solar eclipse.
We in the Americas won’t be able to view this solar eclipse at all. It’ll happen during nighttime hours for us on the night of June 20 (early morning of June 21). By the time the sun rises over the Americas on June 21, the eclipse will be long over. Yet, we in the Americas have a slight chance of catching a very young moon – an exceedingly slim crescent, visible only shortly after sunset – on the evening of June 21.
Also, if the weather holds in various parts of Africa and Asia, it’ll be possible to watch the eclipse online via the Virtual Telescope Project. Gianluca Masi of Virtual Telescope is putting together an international team of observers along various parts of the eclipse path. Note that, for observers in the Americas, the eclipse will take place during the night of June 20. See the poster below, and find details of Virtual Telescope’s eclipse livestream here.
The Virtual Telescope Project live feed of the June 21 annular solar eclipse will happen during the night of June 20, 2020, for us in the Americas. The feed will start on June 21 at 05:30 UTC (June 21 at 1:30 a.m. EDT and 12:30 a.m. CDT; June 20 at 11:30 p.m. MDT and 10:30 p.m. PDT; translate UTC to your time).
If you are watching the eclipse in your sky, proper eye protection must be used throughout the entire June 21 solar eclipse. That’s because an annular eclipse is, essentially, a partial eclipse. Like a total eclipse of the sun, the new moon will move directly in front of the sun. Unlike a total solar eclipse, the new moon during an annular eclipse is too far away to cover the solar disk completely. At mid-eclipse, an annulus – or thin ring – of the sun’s surface will surround the new moon silhouette. Important reminder: No matter where you are, use proper eye protection at all times during the June 21 solar eclipse!
A = total solar eclipse, B = annular eclipse C = partial solar eclipse.
We refer you to the worldwide map and animation below. The long, skinny annular eclipse path in red will swing a solid 1/3 the way around the world, but spans only 53 miles (85 km) at its widest point. Although the entire annular eclipse on a worldwide scale lasts for about 3 3/4 hours, the maximum length of the annular eclipse at any one place is only 1 minute and 22 seconds.
The annular eclipse starts at sunrise in Africa, and then – some 3 3/4 hours later – ends at sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Greatest eclipse will take place at the border of India, Nepal and China. There, the path width shrinks to a minimum of 13 miles (21 km) with annularity lasting a scant 38 seconds.
The long yet skinny red path of the annular eclipse starts at sunrise in Africa, and then, about 3 3/4 hours later, ends at sunset over the Pacific Ocean. A much greater swath of the world is in a position to watch a partial solar eclipse. The numbers from 0.20 to 0.80 refer to eclipse magnitude (the portion of the solar diameter covered over by the moon). Image via Fred Espenak/ NASA GSFC.
The eclipse starts at sunrise in Africa and ends at sunset over the Pacific Ocean. The tiny black dot depicts the annular eclipse while the much larger gray circle represents the area of the partial solar eclipse.
On a worldwide scale, the partial solar eclipse starts about one hour before the annularity first begins, and ends about one hour after the annular eclipse comes to an end. Here are the eclipse times on a worldwide scale in Universal Time (UTC):
Partial solar eclipse first begins: 03:46 UTC on June 21, 2020
Annular eclipse first begins: 04:48 UTC on June 21, 2020
Greatest or maximum eclipse: 06:40 UTC on June 21, 2020
Annular eclipse finally ends: 08:32 UTC on June 21, 2020
Partial solar eclipse finally ends: 09:34 UTC on June 21, 2020
Local eclipse times for your part of the world
To find out the local eclipse times for your time zone (no conversion is necessary):
Why is the annular eclipse so short at greatest eclipse?
Along the annular eclipse path, the duration of annularity is greatest at the path’s beginning (just after sunrise) and ending (just before sunset). The duration is the least at the “greatest” eclipse (at and near noon).
The annular eclipse is 1 minute 22 seconds at the beginning of the eclipse path, and 1 minute and 17 seconds at the end. Midway through the path, at the greatest eclipse, the annular eclipse is only 38 seconds long.
Keep in mind that when the moon is nearer the horizon, it is farther away from where you reside on the Earth’s surface than when the moon is high overhead. Because the moon is relatively close to Earth while the sun resides so far away, the apparent size of the moon changes appreciably during the day whereas the sun’s apparent size does not.
Illustration via Phil Plait. Phil goes on to explain, “The guy at the top of the Earth in the diagram sees the moon on his horizon, and the guy on the side of the Earth sees it overhead. But you can tell the distances aren’t the same: the moon is closer to the guy who sees it as overhead (by an amount roughly equal to the Earth’s radius).”
If this annular eclipse takes place near the horizon, at early morning or late afternoon, then the smaller moon takes more time to cross the solar disk, resulting in a longer annular eclipse.
On the other hand, if the annular eclipse takes place at or around noon, the closer and larger moon takes less time to cross the solar disk, resulting in a shorter annular eclipse.
Exactly six lunar months (six new moons) after this annular eclipse, there’ll be a total eclipse of the sun on December 14, 2020. The new moon will be closer (and therefore larger) than during the June 2020 annular eclipse, so it’ll be a total solar eclipse instead. Yet, the moon will still be more distant (and smaller) at the beginning and the end of the worldwide path of the total solar eclipse, and closer (and larger) at the middle of the path. So it’ll be a shorter total solar eclipse at the beginning and ending of the eclipse path, but a longer total solar eclipse near the middle.
The moon phases in the year 2020 via AstroPixels. A = annular solar eclipse, T = total solar eclipse, and n = penumbral lunar eclipse. The year 2020 has 13 full moons, two of which take place in the month of October.
Bottom line: If you live in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere, you might be in a position to watch the annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. If so, please remember to use proper eye protection. Eclipse times, links and viewing charts here.
It’s long been a sport among amateur astronomers to spot the youngest possible moons with optical aid, or with the eye alone. A new moon is more or less between the Earth and sun, crossing the sky with the sun during the day. A young moon is a moon some hours or days after the exact instant of new moon. From the Americas, it might be possible to catch the skinniest of young moons – fresh from the June 21, 2020, annular solar eclipse – at dusk on June 21. To see it, you will need a very clear western horizon, immediately after sunset. You’ll want to bring along your binoculars to sweep for the frail crescent that’ll be only about 0.5% illuminated in sunshine.
Typically, you won’t see a moon less than about 24 hours on either side of new moon. But, if you try, you can sometimes see the moon with the eye alone much closer to the new phase. June 2020’s new moon falls at 06:41 UTC on June 21. At sunset in the central U.S. on that day – say, in Wichita, Kansas, which uses Central Daylight Time – the moon will be about 19 hours old at sunset. As you move westward at mid-northern latitudes in North America into Mountain Daylight Time, the moon will be about 20 hours old at sunset. It’ll be about 21 hours old at sunset for those on the North American west coast, and so on – older and older – as you continue moving west toward islands in Pacific.
So you might see that – in terms of your chances of catching the very young moon – the farther west you are in North America (or on a Pacific island), the better.
Young moons are located some distance east of the sun on the sky’s dome (because the moon always moves eastward in orbit). Young moons appear to our eye as exceedingly slim crescents, likely illuminated by earthshine, seen low in the western sky for a brief interval after sunset.
So watch for the June 21, 2020 young moon! You might catch it.
What is the youngest moon you can see? More about that below.
View larger. | We received the photo above from Sarah Nordin. It’s a very unusual photo of an extremely young moon – caught only 15 hours, 19 minutes after the instant of new moon – in daylight, on November 8, 2018. Be sure to click in and view it larger to appreciate it. Sarah caught this moon at Telok Kemang Observatory in Port Dickson, Malaysia. Camera: Nikon D300s. Telescope: Takahashi TOA-150. Camera setting: ISO160_1/640s_RAW file. Congratulations, Sarah!
What’s the youngest moon it’s possible to see?
As we mentioned, it’s rare to see a moon within about 24 hours of the new phase. But if you try you can see a moon much closer to new. And, if you use optical aid, it turns out you can see the moon all the way until the moment of new moon.
On July 8, 2013, a new record was set for the youngest moon ever photographed (see photos on this page). Thierry Legault – shooting from in Elancourt, France (a suburb of Paris) – captured the July 2013 moon at the precise instant it was new, or most nearly between the Earth and sun for this lunar orbit. Legault’s image (below) shows the thinnest of lunar crescents, in full daylight (naturally, since a new moon is always near the sun in the sky), at 07:14 UTC on July 8, 2013. Legault said on his website:
It is the youngest possible crescent, the age of the moon at this instant being exactly zero. Celestial north is up in the image, as well as the sun. The irregularities and discontinuities are caused by the relief at the edge of the lunar disk (mountains, craters).
Youngest lunar crescent, with the moon’s age being exactly zero when this photo was taken — at the precise moment of the new moon – at 07:14 UTC on July 8, 2013. Image by Thierry Legault. Visit his website. Used with permission.
What’s the youngest moon you’re likely to see with your eye alone?
How young a moon you can expect to see with your eye depends on the time of year and on sky conditions. It’s possible to see the youngest moons – the thinnest crescents, nearest the sunset – around the spring equinox. That would be March for the Northern Hemisphere or September for the Southern Hemisphere.
When Legault captured the image above, the sun and moon were separated only 4.4 degrees – about 9 solar diameters – on the sky’s dome. It is extremely difficult, and risky, to try to capture the moon at such a time. Not only is the sight of our companion world drowned in bright sunlight, but there is also a risk of unintentionally glimpsing the sun and thereby damaging your eyesight.
That’s why Legault used a special photographic setup to capture this youngest possible moon. He wrote:
In order to reduce the glare, the images have been taken in close infrared and a pierced screen, placed just in front of the telescope, prevents the sunlight from entering directly in the telescope.
A longstanding, though somewhat doubtful record for youngest moon seen with the eye was held by two British housemaids, said to have seen the moon 14 3/4 hours after new moon in the year 1916.
A more reliable record was achieved by Stephen James O’Meara in May 1990; he saw the young crescent with the unaided eye 15 hours and 32 minutes after new moon. The record for youngest moon spotted with the eye using an optical aid passed to Mohsen Mirsaeed in 2002, who saw the moon 11 hours and 40 minutes after new moon.
Wow!
And, of course, optical aid enhances your young moon possibilities even more.
But Legault’s photograph at the instant of new moon? That record can only be duplicated, not surpassed.
View larger. | Very young moon – similar to one your’re likely to catch using just your eyes – captured by EarthSky Facebook friend Susan Gies Jensen on February 10, 2013, in Odessa, Washington. Note the bright twilight behind the moon. Beautiful job, Susan! Thank you.
Bottom line: What’s the youngest moon it’s possible to see? As astrophotographer Thierry Legault proved in 2013, it’s possible to capture a moon at the instant the moon is new. How about young moon sightings with the eye alone? The youngest observed moons, and a young moon possibility on June 21, 2020, here.
It’s long been a sport among amateur astronomers to spot the youngest possible moons with optical aid, or with the eye alone. A new moon is more or less between the Earth and sun, crossing the sky with the sun during the day. A young moon is a moon some hours or days after the exact instant of new moon. From the Americas, it might be possible to catch the skinniest of young moons – fresh from the June 21, 2020, annular solar eclipse – at dusk on June 21. To see it, you will need a very clear western horizon, immediately after sunset. You’ll want to bring along your binoculars to sweep for the frail crescent that’ll be only about 0.5% illuminated in sunshine.
Typically, you won’t see a moon less than about 24 hours on either side of new moon. But, if you try, you can sometimes see the moon with the eye alone much closer to the new phase. June 2020’s new moon falls at 06:41 UTC on June 21. At sunset in the central U.S. on that day – say, in Wichita, Kansas, which uses Central Daylight Time – the moon will be about 19 hours old at sunset. As you move westward at mid-northern latitudes in North America into Mountain Daylight Time, the moon will be about 20 hours old at sunset. It’ll be about 21 hours old at sunset for those on the North American west coast, and so on – older and older – as you continue moving west toward islands in Pacific.
So you might see that – in terms of your chances of catching the very young moon – the farther west you are in North America (or on a Pacific island), the better.
Young moons are located some distance east of the sun on the sky’s dome (because the moon always moves eastward in orbit). Young moons appear to our eye as exceedingly slim crescents, likely illuminated by earthshine, seen low in the western sky for a brief interval after sunset.
So watch for the June 21, 2020 young moon! You might catch it.
What is the youngest moon you can see? More about that below.
View larger. | We received the photo above from Sarah Nordin. It’s a very unusual photo of an extremely young moon – caught only 15 hours, 19 minutes after the instant of new moon – in daylight, on November 8, 2018. Be sure to click in and view it larger to appreciate it. Sarah caught this moon at Telok Kemang Observatory in Port Dickson, Malaysia. Camera: Nikon D300s. Telescope: Takahashi TOA-150. Camera setting: ISO160_1/640s_RAW file. Congratulations, Sarah!
What’s the youngest moon it’s possible to see?
As we mentioned, it’s rare to see a moon within about 24 hours of the new phase. But if you try you can see a moon much closer to new. And, if you use optical aid, it turns out you can see the moon all the way until the moment of new moon.
On July 8, 2013, a new record was set for the youngest moon ever photographed (see photos on this page). Thierry Legault – shooting from in Elancourt, France (a suburb of Paris) – captured the July 2013 moon at the precise instant it was new, or most nearly between the Earth and sun for this lunar orbit. Legault’s image (below) shows the thinnest of lunar crescents, in full daylight (naturally, since a new moon is always near the sun in the sky), at 07:14 UTC on July 8, 2013. Legault said on his website:
It is the youngest possible crescent, the age of the moon at this instant being exactly zero. Celestial north is up in the image, as well as the sun. The irregularities and discontinuities are caused by the relief at the edge of the lunar disk (mountains, craters).
Youngest lunar crescent, with the moon’s age being exactly zero when this photo was taken — at the precise moment of the new moon – at 07:14 UTC on July 8, 2013. Image by Thierry Legault. Visit his website. Used with permission.
What’s the youngest moon you’re likely to see with your eye alone?
How young a moon you can expect to see with your eye depends on the time of year and on sky conditions. It’s possible to see the youngest moons – the thinnest crescents, nearest the sunset – around the spring equinox. That would be March for the Northern Hemisphere or September for the Southern Hemisphere.
When Legault captured the image above, the sun and moon were separated only 4.4 degrees – about 9 solar diameters – on the sky’s dome. It is extremely difficult, and risky, to try to capture the moon at such a time. Not only is the sight of our companion world drowned in bright sunlight, but there is also a risk of unintentionally glimpsing the sun and thereby damaging your eyesight.
That’s why Legault used a special photographic setup to capture this youngest possible moon. He wrote:
In order to reduce the glare, the images have been taken in close infrared and a pierced screen, placed just in front of the telescope, prevents the sunlight from entering directly in the telescope.
A longstanding, though somewhat doubtful record for youngest moon seen with the eye was held by two British housemaids, said to have seen the moon 14 3/4 hours after new moon in the year 1916.
A more reliable record was achieved by Stephen James O’Meara in May 1990; he saw the young crescent with the unaided eye 15 hours and 32 minutes after new moon. The record for youngest moon spotted with the eye using an optical aid passed to Mohsen Mirsaeed in 2002, who saw the moon 11 hours and 40 minutes after new moon.
Wow!
And, of course, optical aid enhances your young moon possibilities even more.
But Legault’s photograph at the instant of new moon? That record can only be duplicated, not surpassed.
View larger. | Very young moon – similar to one your’re likely to catch using just your eyes – captured by EarthSky Facebook friend Susan Gies Jensen on February 10, 2013, in Odessa, Washington. Note the bright twilight behind the moon. Beautiful job, Susan! Thank you.
Bottom line: What’s the youngest moon it’s possible to see? As astrophotographer Thierry Legault proved in 2013, it’s possible to capture a moon at the instant the moon is new. How about young moon sightings with the eye alone? The youngest observed moons, and a young moon possibility on June 21, 2020, here.
Imagine a line of dominoes. When one is lightly tapped and falls, the rest tumble.
The same is true of cancer. When a cell becomes cancerous, important cellular pathways are altered. And like a chain reaction, when one point in a pathway is mutated, the effects can be felt downstream – just like dominoes.
Some of the pathways that are disrupted in cancer regulate how cells acquire and process energy – their cellular metabolism.
But while a lot is known about the errors that disrupt metabolic pathways in cancer, not much has been done to link these mutations to how the cells behave. Until now.
Poulogiannis explained that by completing one part of this complex puzzle – finding novel connections in cancer metabolism – scientists can open the door to a better understanding of individual cancers and, in turn, pave the road to more tailored treatments.
And for a puzzle this complex, they needed a rather unique tool.
TheiKnife
To assess the metabolic changes that occur in cancer cells, the team acquired an ingenious piece of equipment known as the Intelligent Knife (oriKnife).
TheiKnifewas invented by Professor ZoltanTakatsat Imperial College London, who works withPoulogiannison the Rosetta team and was a researcher in this latest study.
This electrosurgical device – designed to sniff out cancer during surgery – has so far been put to the test in breast cancer, and is starting to be trialled in ovarian cancer too.
“A few years ago, a technology was introduced which was based on a very simple idea, to connect the electro surgical device with a mass spectrometer and measure the ionisation profile of the smoke that is being generated,”Poulogiannisexplains.
Using this technique, the iKnife can precisely differentiate cancer from non-cancerous tissue in real-time. This means that surgeons know if they’re cutting through healthy tissue or cancer only a few seconds after their first cut.
“We wanted to explore if using this technology could gather even more detailed information about the biology of the cancer and the key drivers of the disease.”
Hunting for clues
Poulogiannis and his team were entering unchartered waters.
The team didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, but they began hunting for patterns that could reveals clues about metabolism and cancer, screening a number of breast cancer cell lines, tumour samples and mouse models.
“When we did that, we observed something which at the beginning was quite strange,” says Poulogiannis.
Their analysis revealed that the breast cancer samples could be split up into two distinct groups, based on the presence of particular fats sniffed out by the iKnife. And this split did not correlate with any of the features doctors currently use to group the disease – like hormone receptor status.
The team investigated further and discovered that the differences in fats could be explained by an error (mutation) in a gene that’s part of an important metabolic pathway, the PIK3CA pathway.
Pieces of the puzzle
One of the fats found at particularly high levels in the samples was arachidonic acid. It’s a fatty acid predominantly found in animal fats in our diet but can also be produced by cancer cells.
Significantly, this same fat plays a major role in the inflammatory response in cancer.
“We then tried to find what was the mechanism behind it [the stratification of the samples] and we found that some signalling pathways downstream of oncogenic PIK3CA regulate this overproduction of lipids. And the biomarker fatty acid that caught our attention was arachidonic acid, because this serves as the major hub of pro-inflammatory response in cancer. And this is a fatty acid we get both from the diet,and alsoPIK3CA mutant cancer cells have a unique ability to increase its production”
Using the iKnife, the team had slowly started to gather together the pieces from various studies and line them up like dominoes, making connections that hadn’t been there before.
The team found that drugs that interfered with the PIK3CA pathway were far more effective at slowing tumour growth in mice with breast tumours when the mice were also fed a dietwithoutfatty acids.
Poulogiannis explains how scientists had known for a while that the error in the PIK3CA pathway acted as a marker for a lack of response to certain inhibitors, “but no one quite understood why”. Now, with the help of the iKnife, this research has revealed that this lack of response could be because of the overproduction of arachidonic acid.
The complete picture
As the dominoes fell one by one, Poulogiannis and his team followed the clues along the PIK3CA pathway to draw connections between diet, metabolism and cancer, “I think this is one of the first few studies, or maybe even the first, that shows a dietary fat restriction plays a major role in therapy response.”
It’s been a project filled with unexpected twists and turns, but Poulogiannis is happy with where they’ve ended up – uncovering new features of breast cancer biology and a new and exciting use for the iKnife.
Although it’s early days, Poulogiannis is excited by the potential of these techniques to change the way we look for novel connections in cancer metabolism, and guide how we treat cancer in the future, which was a key part of the Rosetta project.
The Rosetta Cancer Grand Challenges team, led by Professor Josephine Bunch, are continuing to map different tumours in unprecedented detail, in order to develop new ways to diagnose and treat the disease.
“In this study we really managed to capture how metabolic phenotyping, using high-throughput technology, can really help us explain the biology and ultimately identify a novel metabolic vulnerability, a new way to target these tumours which was the whole, I think one of the major goals of this Grand Challenge.”
Lilly
from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/3egW60J
Imagine a line of dominoes. When one is lightly tapped and falls, the rest tumble.
The same is true of cancer. When a cell becomes cancerous, important cellular pathways are altered. And like a chain reaction, when one point in a pathway is mutated, the effects can be felt downstream – just like dominoes.
Some of the pathways that are disrupted in cancer regulate how cells acquire and process energy – their cellular metabolism.
But while a lot is known about the errors that disrupt metabolic pathways in cancer, not much has been done to link these mutations to how the cells behave. Until now.
Poulogiannis explained that by completing one part of this complex puzzle – finding novel connections in cancer metabolism – scientists can open the door to a better understanding of individual cancers and, in turn, pave the road to more tailored treatments.
And for a puzzle this complex, they needed a rather unique tool.
TheiKnife
To assess the metabolic changes that occur in cancer cells, the team acquired an ingenious piece of equipment known as the Intelligent Knife (oriKnife).
TheiKnifewas invented by Professor ZoltanTakatsat Imperial College London, who works withPoulogiannison the Rosetta team and was a researcher in this latest study.
This electrosurgical device – designed to sniff out cancer during surgery – has so far been put to the test in breast cancer, and is starting to be trialled in ovarian cancer too.
“A few years ago, a technology was introduced which was based on a very simple idea, to connect the electro surgical device with a mass spectrometer and measure the ionisation profile of the smoke that is being generated,”Poulogiannisexplains.
Using this technique, the iKnife can precisely differentiate cancer from non-cancerous tissue in real-time. This means that surgeons know if they’re cutting through healthy tissue or cancer only a few seconds after their first cut.
“We wanted to explore if using this technology could gather even more detailed information about the biology of the cancer and the key drivers of the disease.”
Hunting for clues
Poulogiannis and his team were entering unchartered waters.
The team didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, but they began hunting for patterns that could reveals clues about metabolism and cancer, screening a number of breast cancer cell lines, tumour samples and mouse models.
“When we did that, we observed something which at the beginning was quite strange,” says Poulogiannis.
Their analysis revealed that the breast cancer samples could be split up into two distinct groups, based on the presence of particular fats sniffed out by the iKnife. And this split did not correlate with any of the features doctors currently use to group the disease – like hormone receptor status.
The team investigated further and discovered that the differences in fats could be explained by an error (mutation) in a gene that’s part of an important metabolic pathway, the PIK3CA pathway.
Pieces of the puzzle
One of the fats found at particularly high levels in the samples was arachidonic acid. It’s a fatty acid predominantly found in animal fats in our diet but can also be produced by cancer cells.
Significantly, this same fat plays a major role in the inflammatory response in cancer.
“We then tried to find what was the mechanism behind it [the stratification of the samples] and we found that some signalling pathways downstream of oncogenic PIK3CA regulate this overproduction of lipids. And the biomarker fatty acid that caught our attention was arachidonic acid, because this serves as the major hub of pro-inflammatory response in cancer. And this is a fatty acid we get both from the diet,and alsoPIK3CA mutant cancer cells have a unique ability to increase its production”
Using the iKnife, the team had slowly started to gather together the pieces from various studies and line them up like dominoes, making connections that hadn’t been there before.
The team found that drugs that interfered with the PIK3CA pathway were far more effective at slowing tumour growth in mice with breast tumours when the mice were also fed a dietwithoutfatty acids.
Poulogiannis explains how scientists had known for a while that the error in the PIK3CA pathway acted as a marker for a lack of response to certain inhibitors, “but no one quite understood why”. Now, with the help of the iKnife, this research has revealed that this lack of response could be because of the overproduction of arachidonic acid.
The complete picture
As the dominoes fell one by one, Poulogiannis and his team followed the clues along the PIK3CA pathway to draw connections between diet, metabolism and cancer, “I think this is one of the first few studies, or maybe even the first, that shows a dietary fat restriction plays a major role in therapy response.”
It’s been a project filled with unexpected twists and turns, but Poulogiannis is happy with where they’ve ended up – uncovering new features of breast cancer biology and a new and exciting use for the iKnife.
Although it’s early days, Poulogiannis is excited by the potential of these techniques to change the way we look for novel connections in cancer metabolism, and guide how we treat cancer in the future, which was a key part of the Rosetta project.
The Rosetta Cancer Grand Challenges team, led by Professor Josephine Bunch, are continuing to map different tumours in unprecedented detail, in order to develop new ways to diagnose and treat the disease.
“In this study we really managed to capture how metabolic phenotyping, using high-throughput technology, can really help us explain the biology and ultimately identify a novel metabolic vulnerability, a new way to target these tumours which was the whole, I think one of the major goals of this Grand Challenge.”
Lilly
from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/3egW60J
