New Theories on Star of Bethlehem

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- It's long been a puzzle for Christian astronomers, and now a professor from the University of Notre Dame thinks he has it figured out -- almost, anyway.

His quest: discovering just what "the star in the East" was that led wise men to travel to Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.

As a theoretical astrophysicist, Grant Mathews had hoped the answer would be spectacular -- something like a supernova. But two years of research have led him to a more ordinary conclusion. The heavenly sign around the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was likely an unusual alignment of planets, the sun and the moon.

Not a lot was written about the star in the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew it says: "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."


The star, though, has long been immortalized in Christmas songs, plays and movies. Astronomers, theologians and historians for hundreds of years have been trying to determine exactly which star might have inspired the biblical writing. German astronomer Johannes Kepler proposed in 1604 that the star was a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C.

The advantage Mathews has over Kepler and others who have pondered the question is that he had access to NASA's databases.

"In principle, we can see any star that was ever made from the beginning of time if we knew where to look. So the question is, could we find a star that could be a good candidate for what showed up then?" he said.

Mathews found several possibilities. He began by posing three questions he would ask when trying to find the answer to any astronomical event: When did it occur? What were its characteristics? Did anyone else see it?

The Gospel of Matthew indicates Jesus was born in Bethlehem when Herod was king. Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Herod died after an eclipse of the moon before the Passover. Mathews said among the possibilities are 6 B.C., 5 B.C., 1 B.C. or 1 A.D. The star could have appeared up to two years before the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, he said.

Mathews believes that means the Christmas star could have appeared anywhere from 8 to 4 B.C.

Among the characteristics written about the star was that it appeared before sunrise and that it appeared to "rest in the sky." Mathews also found writings from Korean and Chinese astronomers of an event about 4 B.C. which described a comet with no tail that didn't move.

Using that set of facts, Mathews found several possibili ties, including supernovas, novas and planetary alignments.

The problem with novas and comets, though, is that they were believed in ancient times to be a sign of disaster, not a portent of good things to come।
By TOM COYNE
Source: Tulsa World

The Energy of Aurora Borealis

SCIENTISTS think they have discovered the energy source of Aurora Borealis, the spectacular colour displays seen in the upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

New data from Nasa's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched recently, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun.


The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights, said Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California at Los Angeles.

In March, the satellites detected a burst of Northern Lights over Alaska and Canada.

During the two-hour light show, the satellites measured particle flow and magnetic fields from space.

To scientists' surprise, the geomagnetic storm powering the auroras raced 645km in a minute across the sky.

Angelopoulos estimated the power of the storm was equal to the energy released by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake.

Although researchers have suspected the existence of wound-up bundles of magnetic fields that provide energy for the auroras, the phenomenon was not confirmed until May, when the satellites became the first to map their structure some 40,000 miles above the Earth's surface।
Source: New Straits Times

Alzheimer’s and Aluminum: Is There a Link? (science )

Recent science has found that their may be a link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum; a discovery found by an Alzheimer’s foundation. Though the cause of Alzheimer’s remains unknown, there are many theories that attempt to find the cause. One of the theories states that using products that contain or are contained in aluminum may cause Alzheimer’s. Additionally, scientists believe that by avoiding aluminum products, you can aid in preventing Alzheimer’s. If you are taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient, here is what you should do.Diet


First, monitor their dietary habits thoroughly. You are going to want to establish a good Alzheimer’s diet for the patient. Make sure that your patient does not use or intake aluminum products. Always read the nutrition facts listed on every food product. Additionally, make sure that they intake low amounts of fat and low amounts of cholesterol. This will aid in slowing the progress of the disease. Finally, research nutritional supplements, such as turmeric or glyconutrients, as the Alzheimer’s foundation has found that these supplements will also aid in slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s.

Activity

Next, try to find an activity that the Alzheimer’s patient will enjoy. Good activities are those that are simple in nature but rewarding. Games, cooking, gardening… these are the types of activities you will want to seek out. Additionally, always give positive encouragement to an Alzheimer’s patient.


Alzheimer’s statistics show that the better patients feel about themselves, the more they will try to combat their disease. Keep in mind that they may not want to participate for very long periods of time and, as such, you will want to be patient with them and allow them to stop when they choose to (though you should give kind encouragement to get them to try to do more).

Responsibility

An Alzheimer’s caregiver is absolutely responsible for the lives of their patients. Because caregivers are the only people giving constant attention to these patients, they must make sure that they are taking their medication. Because there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, taking any treatments available is the only way to stop the disease from building and becoming worse. Remember, treatment is the only weapon we as people have against this disease. Use this weapon to its fullest potential, as there are few other things you can do.

Though nobody knows why this brain disease occurs in people, science does know that you should do what you can to not be a victim. Although aluminum may not be a cause of Alzheimer’s, it is probably a good idea to avoid it as much as possible. This is not a disease that you, or your loved ones, will want to get. Try to do anything and everything you can to avoid it, even if it seems a little drastic or crazy. This article on Alzheimer’s should be very beneficial to you and your loved ones in combating this disease, once and for all. Do not wait, start prevention now!