Environment - Los Alamos Daily Post

ESA/Hubble: First Detection Of Super-Earth Atmosphere

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 18, 2016

ESA News:

For the first time astronomers were able to analyze the atmosphere of an exoplanet in the class known as super-Earths.

Using data gathered with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and new analysis techniques, the exoplanet 55 Cancri e is revealed to have a dry atmosphere without any indications of water vapor. The results, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal, indicate that the atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.

The international team, led by scientists from University College London (UCL) in the UK, took observations of the nearby exoplanet

Planetarium Premiere: Mysteries Of The Unseen World

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 17, 2016

A butterfly, up close and personal. Courtesy/PEEC

An aphid, up close and personal. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

A new film adventure takes audiences on an extraordinary journey into unseen worlds and hidden dimensions beyond normal vision to uncover the mysteries of things too fast, too slow, too small or simply invisible.

The Los Alamos Nature Center will premiere Mysteries Of The Unseen World at 7 p.m., Feb. 19, This full-dome, original production by National Geographic Entertainment and Days End Pictures also will play at 2 p.m. in the Los Alamos Nature Center the last two weekends in February. Read More

Flowers Blooming Well Before Spring

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 16, 2016

Viola tricolor (commonly known as Johnny Jump Up) is blooming early in Los Alamos, thinking it’s springtime. Photo by Teresa Burrows

Climate Change Lecture Series Begins With Effects In The Southwest At Nature Center Tuesday

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 15, 2016

Dr. Chick Keller, a retired LANL scientist and dedicated naturalist. Courtesy photo

PEEC News:

Rapid climate changes are affecting people and ecosystems in the Southwest and around the world, and there is a lot people can do.

At 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16, in the Los Alamos Nature Center planetarium, Dr. Chick Keller will introduce climate science and lead a discussion about how people can move forward.

This talk is part of a lecture series on climate change organized by Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC).

National Park Service Designated 34 New Communities As Certified Local Governments In 2015

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 13, 2016

NPS News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The National Park Service designates 34 communities from across the United States as Certified Local Governments in 2015.

More than 1,900 communities now participate in the program which provides local governments access to historic preservation guidance and grants.

Certified Local Government (CLG) designation makes communities official partners in the portion of the federal historic preservation program which engages local, state, and federal partners to promote historic preservation at the grassroots level.

EM Releases WIPP Recovery Fact Sheet

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 13, 2016

DOE EM News:

CARLSBAD — February 2016 marks two years since the underground fire and radiological release events forced the temporary closure of EM’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

Since that time, progress in the recovery of the underground has included mine stability and habitability, initial panel closure, radiological risk remediation, and the addition of an interim ventilation system. Additionally, the site has made significant changes to all safety management programs.

Additionally, in response to investigations from the Accident Investigation Boards (AIB),

Sea Monsters At Planetarium Saturday And Sunday

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 12, 2016

LANL Virus Expert Gave Early Warning On Zika

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 11, 2016

ZIKA MAP Source: Created by Congressional Research Service from Pan American Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control maps of Zika cases at https:////www.paho.org and https:////www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/index.html, accessed Jan. 2, 2016. Courtesy photo

BY ROGER SNODGRASS

Los Alamos Daily Post

LANL researcher Brian Foley has worked in bioinformatics since 1984. He has spent 20 years in HIV research at Los Alamos National Laboratory and has published 98 papers currently listed on Research Gate, the science networking site

LANL Microbiologist Brian Foley

A specialist Read More

Gravitational Waves Found, Black-hole Models Led Way

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 11, 2016

A simulation of two merging black holes, creating gravitational waves. Courtesy/LIGO

LANL News:

Supercomputer models predicted, instruments detected, Einstein was right

Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity in 1916, and now, almost exactly 100 years later, the faint ripples across space-time have been found. The advanced Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory (aLIGO) has achieved the first direct measurement.

“We already have indirect evidence of gravitational wave emission from binary pulsars like the Hulse-Taylor Read More

Udall Disappointed In Unprecedented Supreme Court Decision To Halt Clean Power Plan

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 11, 2016

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Tom Udall issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change:

“I’m extremely disappointed in the Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to halt the administration’s signature effort to fight global warming. The court may have put a stay on the Clean Power Plan, but no one is putting a stay on climate

Astrophysicist Presents Talk At Planetarium Friday

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 10, 2016

Newly-formed stars taken with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Courtesy/Hubblesite.org

PEEC News:

Astrophysicist Galen Gisler will use images and data from star clusters visible in the February skies to illustrate concepts in stellar evolution and discuss how chemical elements are synthesized in stars.

Astrophysicist Galen Gisler

Gisler’s presentation is 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12 in the Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium.

This astronomy show costs $6 for adults and $4 for children. Tickets are available by calling or stopping by the nature center. Seating is limited. Read More

Udall, Heinrich Welcome President’s Proposal To Fully Fund Land And Water Conservation Fund

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 9, 2016

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich applauded President Obama’s announcement that he will work to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), an innovative conservation program that has helped to preserve public lands, create and expand city parks, and provide access to outdoor recreation across the New Mexico and the nation.

Funding through the LWCF has helped conserve special places from the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Bernalillo County to the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks and Rio

Tuesday Is Family Night At Nature Center

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 8, 2016

Previous Family Night at the Nature Center. Courtesy photo

PEEC News:

Tuesday, Feb. 9 is Family Night at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Learn about geology through stories and music 6-7 p.m. with Mesa Public Library’s Melissa Mackey. The Nature Center will be open until 8 p.m. for exploring exhibits.

This program is free to attend thanks to a generous sponsorship from Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos.

For more information about this and other programs offered by PEEC at the Nature Center, visit www.peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org or call 505.662.0460. Read More

Udall, Heinrich, Luján Welcome Partnership To Allow Public Access To The Sabinoso Wilderness

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 7, 2016

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján welcomed a partnership between the Wyss Foundation and the Wilderness Land Trust to open up the Sabinoso Wilderness for public access.

Created in 2009 through legislation championed by Udall, Heinirch, Luján and former Senator Jeff Bingaman, the Sabinoso Wilderness is currently surrounded by private land and therefore inaccessible without trespassing on private property.

That will soon change thanks

Gardening Class At Los Alamos Nature Center

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 6, 2016

Natali Steinberg will teach gardening from seed in a 2-part class at PEEC. Courtesy/PEEC

PEEC News:

While it may seem early to start thinking about summer gardening, now is the perfect time to begin planting seeds indoors, which will extend the growing season.

In a two-part class at the Los Alamos Nature Center, Natali Steinberg will teach everything needed to start growing veggies and annuals from seed. The class meets 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 21 and March 13.

These classes will teach how to read a seed catalog and seed packet, equipment needed to start seeds indoors, how to transplant successfully Read More

Wildlife Art Class At Nature Center Feb. 17

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 5, 2016

Raven by Lisa Coddington

PEEC News:

Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is offering another way to connect with nature, through art. Lisa Coddington is teaching a wildlife drawing class from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Los Alamos Nature Center.

Participants will sketch animal specimens using different drawing techniques. Lisa will review foundational drawing skills and reinforce how to develop forms with light and shadow. She will also demonstrate a variety of techniques including

Steinborn Seeks More Solar Power On State Buildings

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 4, 2016

Rep. Jeff Steinborn

STATE News:

SANTA FE ― Rep. Jeff Steinborn has teamed up with a bi-partisan group of legislators to introduce legislation exploring the idea of putting solar power on more state buildings.

House Memorial 51 directs the General Services Department (GSD) to work with the state Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) and the solar industry to “evaluate the potential energy and cost savings for expanding the use of solar power in state facilities.”

The General Services Department

PEEC Amateur Naturalist: A Winter Snapshot Of Birds

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 4, 2016

PEEC Amateur Naturalist

By ROBERT DRYJA

A Winter Snapshot of Birds

The Audubon Society has been conducting a nationwide bird count at various locations every year for 116 years.

This count is called the Christmas Bird Count since it is conducted in December. Learn about participating here.

Nationwide, approximately 22,000,000 birds have been counted in 875 areas for 2015 and data still is being submitted. Sixty four people counted 4,770 birds representing 76 species throughout the Los Alamos area this year.

The Los Alamos area

Lecture: ‘Hydrogen – The Silver Bullet’ Saturday

Submitted by Chris Clark on February 4, 2016

Roy M. Moore

COMMUNITY News:

The public is invited to attend a lecture on hydrogen energy, with speaker Roy M. Moore, 2-3:15 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, in the three upstairs meeting rooms of the Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos.

Moore will discuss the basics on how hyrdrogen energy works; how many forms of energy can be converted into hydrogen; as well as the political and environmental implications of the necessity for hydrogen energy to be implemented world-wide.

The public is welcome to film or photograph this event.

From Earth To The Universe Returns To Planetarium

Submitted by Carol A. Clark on February 4, 2016

A still from ESO’s planetarium show – From Earth to the Universe – showing the Helix Nebula, also known as NGC 7293. Courtesy/T. Matsopoulos, ESO

PEEC News:

Enjoy stunning imagery from space as part of a full-dome feature film, From Earth to the Universe, playing in the Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 6 and 7.

This full-dome feature film takes passengers on a voyage through space and time. Along the way, adventurers will visit birthplaces and burial grounds of stars and explore beyond the Milky Way.

Tickets may be purchased by phone or Read More

LOS ALAMOS

ladailypost.com website support locally by OviNuppi Systems