84 million stars and counting: VISTA creates largest ever catalogue of center of Milky Way galaxy

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2012) ? Using a whopping nine-gigapixel image from the VISTA infrared survey telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory, an international team of astronomers has created a catalogue of more than 84 million stars in the central parts of the Milky Way. This gigantic dataset contains more than ten times more stars than previous studies and is a major step forward for the understanding of our home galaxy. The image gives viewers an incredible, zoomable view of the central part of our galaxy. It is so large that, if printed with the resolution of a typical book, it would be 9 metres long and 7 metres tall.

"By observing in detail the myriads of stars surrounding the centre of the Milky Way we can learn a lot more about the formation and evolution of not only our galaxy, but also spiral galaxies in general," explains Roberto Saito (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Universidad de Valparaiso and The Milky Way Millennium Nucleus, Chile), lead author of the study.

Most spiral galaxies, including our home galaxy the Milky Way, have a large concentration of ancient stars surrounding the centre that astronomers call the bulge. Understanding the formation and evolution of the Milky Way's bulge is vital for understanding the galaxy is a whole. However, obtaining detailed observations of this region is not an easy task.

"Observations of the bulge of the Milky Way are very hard because it is obscured by dust," says Dante Minniti (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile), co-author of the study. "To peer into the heart of the galaxy, we need to observe in infrared light, which is less affected by the dust."

The large mirror, wide field of view and very sensitive infrared detectors of ESO's 4.1-metre Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) make it by far the best tool for this job. The team of astronomers is using data from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea programme (VVV) [1], one of six public surveys carried out with VISTA. The data have been used to create a monumental 108 200 by 81 500 pixel colour image containing nearly nine billion pixels. This is one of the biggest astronomical images ever produced. The team has now used these data to compile the largest catalogue of the central concentration of stars in the Milky Way ever created [2].

To help analyse this huge catalogue the brightness of each star is plotted against its colour for about 84 million stars to create a colour-magnitude diagram. This plot contains more than ten times more stars than any previous study and it is the first time that this has been done for the entire bulge. Colour-magnitude diagrams are very valuable tools that are often used by astronomers to study the different physical properties of stars such as their temperatures, masses and ages [3].

"Each star occupies a particular spot in this diagram at any moment during its lifetime. Where it falls depends on how bright it is and how hot it is. Since the new data gives us a snapshot of all the stars in one go, we can now make a census of all the stars in this part of the Milky Way," explains Dante Minniti.

The new colour-magnitude diagram of the bulge contains a treasure trove of information about the structure and content of the Milky Way. One interesting result revealed in the new data is the large number of faint red dwarf stars. These are prime candidates around which to search for small exoplanets using the transit method [4].

"One of the other great things about the VVV survey is that it's one of the ESO VISTA public surveys. This means that we're making all the data publicly available through the ESO data archive, so we expect many other exciting results to come out of this great resource," concludes Roberto Saito.

Notes:

[1] The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey is an ESO public survey dedicated to scanning the southern plane and bulge of the Milky Way through five near-infrared filters. It started in 2010 and was granted a total of 1929 hours of observing time over a five-year period. Via Lactea is the Latin name for the Milky Way.

[2] The image used in this work covers about 315 square degrees of the sky (a bit less than 1% of the entire sky) and observations were carried out using three different infrared filters. The catalogue lists the positions of the stars along with their measured brightnesses through the different filters. It contains about 173 million objects, of which about 84 million have been confirmed as stars. The other objects were either too faint or blended with their neighbours or affected by other artefacts, so that accurate measurements were not possible. Others were extended objects such as distant galaxies.

The image used here required a huge amount of data processing, which was performed by Ignacio Toledo at the ALMA OSF. It corresponds to a pixel scale of 0.6 arcseconds per pixel, down-sampled from the original pixel scale 0.34 arcseconds per pixel.

[3] A colour-magnitude diagram is a graph that plots the apparent brightnesses of a set of objects against their colours. The colour is measured by comparing how bright objects look through different filters. It is similar to a Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram but the latter plots luminosity (or absolute magnitude) rather than just apparent brightness and a knowledge of the distances of the stars plotted is also needed.

[4] The transit method for finding planets searches for the small drop in brightness of a star that occurs when a planet passes in front of it and blocks some of its light. The small size of the red dwarf stars, typically with spectral types K and M, gives a greater relative drop in brightness when low-mass planets pass in front of them, making it easier to search for planets around them.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Southern Observatory - ESO.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. R. K. Saito, D. Minniti, B. Dias, M. Hempel, M. Rejkuba, J. Alonso-Garc?a, B. Barbuy, M. Catelan, J. P. Emerson, O. A. Gonzalez, P. W. Lucas, M. Zoccali. Milky Way demographics with the VVV survey. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2012; 544: A147 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201219448

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/4ky_9BCKlJY/121024093038.htm

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iPad Mini Pilot Version - Business Insider

Mega-Apple bull Brian White of Topeka Capital says he's tested an early version the iPad Mini, and he thinks it's fantastic.

White travels through Asia, and during one of his trips he says he got an early look at what Apple's announcing tomorrow:

Smaller, Lighter, More Refined & Easily Tucked into a Jacket or Purse. During our recent China-Taiwan Tech Tour, we had the opportunity to play with a pilot version of the "iPad Mini" that easily fit into our sport coat pocket. Experiencing a new form factor of an iconic product such as the iPad is a sight to behold and we believe consumer demand will reflect this phenomenon. We expect the "iPad Mini" to be 7.85 inches in size, include two cameras, come with the option of Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and 4G/3G, include the new lightening connector, start at lower storage capacity (8GB) than the iPad, sport a more refined back casing, come in slightly different color variation (i.e., similar to iPhone 5) and offer some surprises. We expect the "iPad Mini" to begin at a price point of $250-$300.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-mini-pilot-version-2012-10

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The Skinny on Being a Successful SAHM | Skinny Mom | Tips for ...

I have been fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for about 3 years now. I will be honest, it?is not always?butterfly & rainbows; several days I say to myself, ?Maybe it would be easier if I just went and got a JOB!? Well, that thought only lasts as long as the current?temper tantrum and then?I?m back to reality. I LOVE staying home with my kids and I could not imagine life any other way.

Over the last 3 years, I have struggled to find a good routine that makes life as a stay-at-home?a little easier. I can say that I have finally figured?out?what it takes to be a Successful Stay-At-Home Mom!

• Get up before everyone else does! Yes I know, this is a very tough one but it is SO important. Get up before the rest of the family and get your?mind organized and ready to tackle the day.??Get up early enough to compose your?To Do list, exercise, shower/get ready, and anything else you prefer to do before the rest of the house wakes up!
• Take a shower DAILY/ preferably in the morning! This may sound a little silly, but as moms we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves and actually take 15?minutes to shower each day. Some of you may be thinking, ?What?s the point? I am going to be covered in spit-up or green beans by noon!??Taking a shower first thing in the morning is a great way to get woken up, feeling refreshed?and ready to begin the day! The worst that will happen is you might?have to take another one?at night to wash away the day?s disasters!
• Exercise daily/?(again) preferably in the morning! Get up and get your daily exercise routine over with. If you are anything like me, the earlier the better.?Being a mom and taking care of kids?is exhausting and by the end of the day the last thing I want to do is workout (I?ve been ?working out? all day right!?!) Plus, working out in the morning gets your metabolism going and actually gives you more energy throughout the day! Check out: 5 Reasons Why Working Out In The Morning Makes Sense When Trying to Lose Weight.
• Get out of your PJ?s! Yes I know, they are comfortable and you are just going to be at the house so why change clothes, right?!? Wrong! I am not saying you have to get dressed up in skinny jeans and high heels every day, but just get out of your pajamas! Put on a some cute workout?clothes or even a?sassy pair of sweatpants, but I repeat ?GET OUT OF YOUR PJ?S!? Pajamas are associated with bedtime, therefore, the longer you wear them the longer you will have the sleepy feeling.
• Make money while you stay home with the kids! There are so many companies out there designed for stay-at-home or working moms. I.E. Mary Kay, Avon, Pure Romance, Youngevity, the list goes on.. Find something that interests you and make money while doing it. I chose Youngevity because I am interested in health and wellness and I LOVED their product. I started out just wanting to make enough to pay for our household vitamins and other supplements & before I knew it, I?was making a real income; almost as much as?I made?with my previous full-time job.?Another option to make money, babysit a couple of kids at your house or sell something you enjoy making. Just find something that?interests you and make money off of it!?Your husband will be happy!
• Eat healthy & Take Vitamins! As moms, it is like we are constantly running a marathon! I don?t know about you, but I would not be able to get through the day if i did not eat healthy and take vitamins! I choose to eat 5 small meals a day opposed to 3 large meals, and I take vitamins to ensure that I am getting all 90 essential nutrients my body needs! Check out my previous post Get the Skinny on Vitamins That Work!
• Get some ?YOU? time while the kids nap! The most popular advice you get when you are pregnant or just had a baby is ?Sleep when the baby?sleeps!? or ??Get as much done as you can while the kids?nap???Yes, I agree with both of these BUT I also think it is a great?opportunity to enjoy some ?YOU? time! Stay-at-home moms often think they need to get EVERYTHING done in the 1-3 hours that the kids are asleep. I suggest: read a book (not brown bear, brown bear) a real ADULT book, take a hot afternoon bath, catch up on your favorite T.V. show, call a friend, go to the bathroom by yourself:), be creative! Whatever you choose to do is up to you, but try not to always use nap time to clean, clean, clean, remember?we need our sanity just as much as we need a clean house (if not more)!
• Join a Mommy & Me playgroup! I would say that one of the most common complaints I hear from other SAHMs is: lack of adult interaction. By joining a Mommy & Me playgroup, you get adult interaction while the kiddos get to socialize with others their age. Also, it gets you out of the house and involved in things that you may not know about if it weren?t for your involvement with the group. Try out a couple of Mommy & Me groups around your area, and pick the one that you fill the most connection with.
• Ask for help/ take a break! As moms, we often think we can do it all, we are SUPER MOM! Yes, you may be super mom but even super mom needs a break from time-to-time! Ask hubby to take the kids for a night and go get a little pampering done or meet an old friend for dinner. Grandparents are usually more than happy to watch the kids for a couple of hours, get out for a much needed date night with your husband and?enjoy some adult only time!
• Look at the bright side of EVERY DAY! This is the most important tip I can offer! ?Not every day is a good day, but there?s something good in every day!?~Author Unknown.?We often focus on what is going wrong in our day, next time focus on what is going right and try to look on the bright side! Kids feed off of adult?s mood/ attitude, if you stay positive chances are they will too!

Being a stay-at-home mom is not always easy, but if you?follow the?tips above you CAN be a ?Successful Stay-At-Home Mom!? Please share some of your experiences or tips on being a stay-at-home mom!

?

Source: http://skinnymom.com/2012/10/21/the-skinny-on-being-a-successful-sahm/

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My Fav (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/256234225?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Facebook Just Made It Harder for Hackers to Jack Your Account [Security]

Facebook just announced it's partnering with seven new anti-virus companies, in addition to the ones it already worked with. They'll be offering software in the Facebook AV Marketplace, which lets users download antivirus security software. But the real benefit might be in how they affect Facebook at large. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/S9bEFQRwATU/facebook-just-made-it-harder-for-hackers-to-jack-your-account

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Teens can keep their cool to win rewards

The oft-maligned teenage brain is getting some reputation rehab. When offered the incentive of a modest reward in a recent experiment, teens took more time than adults to make a thoughtful, reasoned decision.

That surprising result, presented October 14 at the annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience, counters the image of a flaky, impulsive adolescent brain, and shows that incentives may be a powerful way to curb reckless behavior.?

?Teenagers are quite capable of waiting, as opposed to reacting impulsively,? said study coauthor BJ Casey of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City at a press briefing.? The result ?really flies in the face of some of my previous research and research by other investigators,? she said.

Casey and her colleague Theresa Teslovich spotted the contemplative teenage brain as participants had to decide which way a cloud of dots was moving across a computer screen. Random jitters of individual dots made it hard to detect the direction of overall motion. When playing for a reward?in this case, five arbitrary points?teenagers took longer than adults to decide. This delay, the researchers think, allowed teenagers to accumulate more information before making up their minds.

?Here?s an example in which we?re seeing adolescents being not impulsive at all, but in fact, incredibly thoughtful before making a decision,? Casey said.

Brain scans helped the researchers pinpoint the neural origins of this teenage thoughtfulness. When points were on the line, both adults and teenagers had a boost of brain activity in the ventral striatum, a region that handles rewards. But there was a big difference between the teen brains and adult brains in other regions that deal with decision making. Compared with adults, teenagers showed much higher brain activity in the prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex, perhaps reflecting the buildup of evidence.

Finding evidence that teens can be measured in their decision making is surprising, said neuroscientist Jay Giedd of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md. ?It doesn?t fit the stereotype,? he said.

The results may be context-dependent, Giedd said. Other studies (and no doubt centuries of personal observation) argue that teenagers are more impulsive than adults. Teenagers have trouble keeping their eyes on a target when a distraction hovers nearby, for instance. But the new results are encouraging because they show that this impulsivity, in certain situations, can be managed, Giedd said. ?It?s there, but it?s not something that?s insurmountable.?

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345773/title/Teens_can_keep_their_cool_to_win_rewards

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Cost of Conserving Global Biodiversity Set at $76 Billion

Researchers hope the estimate will spur government action, and point out that the annual costs are a fraction of the value of nature's 'ecosystem services'

By Daniel Cressey and Nature magazine

Image: Flickr/queenkv

• 

  Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

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From Nature magazine

Protecting all the world's threatened species will cost around US$4 billion a year, according to an estimate published today in Science. If that number is not staggering enough, the scientists behind the work also report that effectively conserving the significant areas these species live in could rack up a bill of more than $76 billion a year.

Study leader Stuart Butchart, a conservation scientist at BirdLife International in Cambridge, UK, admits that the numbers seem very large. But ?in terms of government budgets, they?re quite trivial?, he says, adding that governments have already committed to taking this action in international treaties ? they just did not know how much it would cost.

The researchers also point out that the annual costs of proper conservation are but a fraction of the value of nature's ?ecosystem services?, such as pollination of crops and carbon sinks, estimated at between $2 trillion and $6 trillion. ?These sums are not bills, they?re investments in natural capital,? says Butchart. ?They?re dwarfed by the benefits we get back from nature.?

Under the internationally agreed Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), governments have committed to meeting 20 conservation targets by 2020, including improving the conservation status of threatened species. To come up with numbers for how much this might cost, Butchart and his team asked experts on 211 threatened bird species to estimate the cost of lowering the extinction risk for each species by one category on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature .

Costing the Earth
The researchers concluded that improving the status of all the world?s 1,115 threatened bird species would cost between $875 million and $1.23 billion a year for the next decade. Adding in other animals raises the number to between $3.41 billion and $4.76 billion a year.

Another target of the CBD is to protect 17% of the Earth?s land surface. Estimates for this are harder to make, but by extrapolating from known land prices and management costs Butchart and his team put the number at $76.1 billion a year.

Exactly how much is now being spent to meet the convention?s targets is unclear, but spending will need to increase by ?at least an order of magnitude?, Butchart says. And although there is a large amount of uncertainty in these numbers, governments can still use them to begin planning ways to meet the targets they have already agreed to.

Henrique Pereira, who works on international conservation issues at the University of Lisbon in Portugal, says that although there are uncertainties inherent in extrapolating from birds to all species, the work is an ?extremely smart paper?.

?For the first time we have an estimate of how much these targets will cost,? he says. ?For any negotiations that occur over the next few years [on CBD targets], these numbers can be used as a reference.?

But Pereira also points out that the figure is for just two of the 20 targets agreed by the CBD. ?If you look at the range of targets for 2020, the total bill will be higher,? he says.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on October 12, 2012.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a3e11f7bb5046815c3e46c982e9004f9

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