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Do You Know? April Showers, or April Fool?
April - Spring arrives and the last of winter disappears in the warmth of the sunshine. Or does it? April sure has pulled some tricks this year and has been as changeable as the month of March, at least weather-wise. Frontal systems still roll across the region in rapid secession, with the cold northern air and the warm southern air still battling for dominance. The frequent clashes of warm and cold air create the conditions very favorable for thunderstorms, and frequent showery days. Historically, those two factors have been the basis for the old rhyme, “April showers bring May flowers”.   However…April still has the occasional day with below freezing temperatures and even snow remains possible for much of the month.
In eastern Kentucky we can generally expect that April will herald the full arrival of spring. Daytime high temperatures will frequently hit readings in the 80s and overnight lows will generally be in the 50s or 60s. It is within the normal range for a little more than a tenth of an inch of rain to fall each day. Nearly all the record high temperatures for London are above 85 degrees and even a summer-like 90 degrees is the record for April 10th.
However, a look at the weather records will also show that April can be cold. At the airport in Jackson, below freezing temperature records occur almost the entire month, with a cold 23 degrees on April 23, 1986, which is the last below-freezing temperature record at the airport. But weather records in Jackson only extend back until 1981. The London airport has a much longer climatic record, dating back to 1954. Below freezing temperatures are logged in London for each day of April through the 29th of the month when 30 degrees occurred. This shows clearly that the entire month of April still has the potential to nip the new spring growth, and a flake or two of snow is not out of the question. Sometimes those flakes can add up to several inches, especially in the higher elevation portions of the state.
In the eastern United States, gardening folklore suggests waiting until just after the dogwood trees have bloomed before setting out cold sensitive plants. The reason: a spell of unseasonably cold conditions known as Dogwood Winter or also called Redbud Winter in areas where the Redbud trees are more numerous than the Dogwood. Dogwood or Redbud Winter is suggested by some to be one of several weather singularities common to North America, such as Indian Summer and January Thaw, but in an opposite thermal direction. To describe this singularity in a few words: "It's Spring, then suddenly Winter returns." It usually defines the last major cold snap of winter. In some years, another cold snap will follow in early to mid May. This second reversal of seasons is known as Blackberry Winter because this cold snap usually occurs when the blackberries are in bloom. Although temperatures will feel raw and chilly, frost is rare with Blackberry winter.
Dogwood or Redbud Winter usually occurs after a Spring warm spell and brings several days of cold, cloudy disagreeable weather, often accompanied by frost, and sometimes by a little snow. This year, Redbud Winter arrived April 4th and produced four days of freezing temperatures that had a disastrous impact on fruit farmers. Although a gradual warming took place in the second week of April, it was quickly followed by another round of disagreeable weather with rain mixed with snow in the middle of the month. Temperatures have remained well below the normal which has given a lingering feel of winter continuing across the Commonwealth.
Will we have a Blackberry Winter in early to mid May this year? The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has a series of products designed to assist people with the outlook for this spring. Their products are available on the web at www.weather.gov/climate.

NOAA’S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOGNIZES ESTILL COUNTY, KENTUCKY, AS STORMREADY
Officials from NOAA's Jackson, Ky., National Weather Service Forecast Office today congratulated Estill County officials for completing a set of rigorous warning criteria necessary to earn the distinction of being StormReady®. “StormReady encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations and public awareness," said Thomas Johnstone, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Jackson. “StormReady arms communities with improved communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property – before and during the event.”
The nationwide community preparedness program uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle local severe weather and flooding threats. The program is voluntary and provides communities with clear-cut advice from a partnership between local National Weather Service forecast offices and state and local emergency managers. StormReady started in 1999 with seven communities in the Tulsa, Okla., area. There are now more than 1,100 StormReady communities across the country.
Shawn Harley, meteorologist-in-charge of Jackson weather forecast office, presented a recognition letter and special StormReady signs to county officials during a ceremony at the Estill County meeting today. The StormReady recognition will be in effect for three years, after which the county will go through a renewal process.
“Every year, around 500 Americans lose their lives to severe weather and floods,” said Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, USAF (Ret.), director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “More than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 2,500 floods and 1,000 tornadoes impact the United States annually, and hurricanes are a threat to the Gulf and East Coasts. Potentially deadly weather can affect every person in the country. That’s why NOAA's National Weather Service developed the StormReady program.”
To be recognized as StormReady, a community must:
•Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
•Have more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and to alert the public;
•Create a system that monitors local weather conditions;
•Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars;
•Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.
“The United States is the most severe weather prone region of the world. The mission of the National Weather Service is to reduce the loss of life and property from these storms, and StormReady will help us create better prepared communities throughout the country,” Johnstone said.
“Just like communities, families need to be storm ready by having an action plan for severe weather. Through StormReady, the National Weather Service plans to educate every American about what to do when severe weather strikes because it is ultimately each individual’s responsibility to protect him or herself,” Johnstone said.
In 2007, NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. Starting with establishment of the Survey of the Coast by Thomas Jefferson in 1807 to establishment of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

NOAA Weather Radio – The Perfect Holiday Gift
If you need help selecting a gift this holiday season, maybe you should consider one that could save your family’s life. In this age of nifty gadgets, NOAA Weather Radio is a definite must! The National Weather Service wants NOAA Weather Radio to become as common as the smoke detector in your home. This is especially true if you live in a manufactured home. Severe weather can strike at any moment of the day or night. Advance warning can spell the difference between life and death.
Did you know that you could be in your home, sound asleep in your bed at 2AM, and the National Weather Service (NWS) can wake you up, tell you that severe weather is moving in your direction, and help you find a place of safety to move your family? It is true. NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is one of the most valuable pieces of electronic equipment that you can have in your home because it can save the lives of you and your family. It can assist you in making decisions that can minimize property damage, and can give important information during national emergencies, and it is the fastest means of receiving warning or updated weather information. NWR is like having your own personal tornado siren.
Known as the "Voice of the National Weather Service," NWR is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is part of the Department of Commerce. NWR includes more than 750 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. NOAA Weather Radio broadcast over 7 frequencies, so if you are anywhere in the country, you can find a station from a nearby NWS office.
Weather Radio is an “All Hazard” radio, meaning that it will broadcast information for much more than severe weather watches and warnings. It will also alert you to civil emergencies such as a chemical spill, a nuclear accident, volcanic or earthquake information, and a dam failure. In Kentucky, NOAA weather radios will also respond to the “Amber Alerts” which are designed to assist in locating missing children.   Specially built receivers that have a “tone alert” feature will automatically sound a loud tone similar to a loud alarm clock, and begin broadcasting the emergency message. It is this feature that can wake you from a sound sleep and allow you to take action to protect the lives of your loved ones. These receivers are available at many discount department stores, electronic stores, and many mail-order catalogues for a reasonable price.
Most of the time, the weather conditions are not hazardous, so NWR normally broadcasts local forecast, daily climate statistics, river stage information, and current conditions for the local area. During periods of potentially severe weather conditions, this broadcast cycle will take on a different tone, with increasing emphasis on the weather threat. It will contain advice as to what actions are recommended for the threat, and advise you what to look or listen for if the potential threat becomes a reality. If actual warnings are required, then the alert feature will be activated, and as much information as possible will be broadcast to you as to what the threat is, where it is, and where it is moving toward.
So, if you’re looking for something to give you and your family when you exchange a gift, consider obtaining a NOAA Weather Radio which are available at department stores, discount stores, specialty electronic stores, and over the Internet. The National Weather Service does not sell or profit from weather radios. We simply provide the broadcast.
For more information on NOAA Weather Radio, the tone alert feature, programming codes, or other radio questions, visit the NWS Internet home page for weather radio at:
http://www.weather.gov/nwr/

12-06-06
This week brings a wonderful sight that we seldom get to experience. Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter are dancing together in our morning sky. On as many mornings this week as possible, look low on the horizon just south of east about 45 minutes before sunrise. Jupiter is the brightest of the three and will start out the lowest and appear to rise from morning to morning. Mercury is the second brightest and will start out the highest and appear to descend from morning to morning. Mars is the dimmest of the three and will appear to stay in the middle as it rises more slowly than Jupiter. On the morning of December 10 they will appear incredibly close together. At this time of the morning Saturn appears just south and west of directly overhead. But what is really happening here? We have a great opportunity to orient ourselves within our Solar System and get a handle on the positions and movements of the planets, including our Earth. Mercury passed us on its inside track around our Sun on November 8 and has been pulling ahead of us as we both orbit our Sun. It has appeared to be rising in our sky from morning to morning since mid-November. It reached its highest point in our sky on November 25 – the far point in its orbit about our Sun. It appears to be descending now but really it is moving toward the other side of our Sun. Mars is catching up with Jupiter and we are catching up with both Mars and Jupiter. We will overtake Jupiter on June 6, 2007 - that is, we’ll be side by side in our orbits relative to our Sun.   Mars moves faster than Jupiter and has a shorter orbit and we won’t overtake Mars until December 24, 2007. The graphic should help in visualizing this but it is only two-dimensional and it is oriented as though we are looking at our Solar System from outside and from above. It might help if we think about what it would look like if we turned the graphic on its edge – that is into the paper. I realize that all the orbit arcs will then be on top of each other but I am trying to get that third dimension – depth and as viewed from our position on Earth. I hope you will be able to get a handle on what Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter are really doing as Mercury appears at first to rise in our morning sky then descend and that while both Mars and Jupiter appear to rise – Jupiter rises more quickly than Mars because we are catching up with Jupiter more quickly - as they and Earth travel their orbit arcs into the page for their third dimension.
About mid-evening face due east and look about a third of the way up the sky and you will see a bright first magnitude reddish-orange star, Aldebaran (al-DEB-uh-ran), the ninth brightest star in our northern hemisphere. Aldebaran is the eye of the Bull in the constellation Taurus (TOR-us) and is at the lower left end of a small “>” shaped group of stars, the Hyades (HI-a-deez) open cluster. One of the Bull’s horns is so long that it ends in a star in the Auriga constellation.   Aldebaran is 65 light years away while the Hyades stars are over 200 light years away. According to myth the Hyades are seven sisters and they are half-sisters of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades.
The ancient Egyptians associated the Bull with their very important sun god, Osiris. Apis was an actual living bull that was thought to hold the soul of Osiris. As the living bull died another Apis was selected that would contain the soul of Osiris. Perhaps the reason the ancient Egyptians associated their sun god with the stars of Taurus is because four to six thousand years ago our Sun would have been in Taurus on the first day of spring, the Vernal Equinox.
In 1972 NASA launched the Pioneer 10 spacecraft to study Jupiter and then to depart our Solar System, destined for interstellar space. It carries a plaque that conveys information about humans and from where the spacecraft was launched and it is headed toward Aldebaran. It is somewhat like putting a message in a bottle and tossing it into the ocean but on a much grander (cosmic) scale. It takes light from Aldebaran about 65 years to reach Earth but the much slower Pioneer 10 will take over 2 million years to reach Aldebaran.
Next week we will locate and tell the story of Gemini, the Twins.

12-01-06
About mid-evening look toward the northeast and about a third of the way up the sky, there we will see the fourth brightest star in all of the northern hemisphere, Capella (kah-PELL-ah). Hipparchus (190 BC-120 BC) created the original magnitude scale and gave magnitude 1 to the brightest stars. Modern astronomers have modified his scale and Capella is so bright that it has been assigned a magnitude of 0. Capella can be absolutely dazzling as it rises above the northeastern horizon. Depending on the state of Earth’s atmosphere, you might see Capella flashing bright reds, blues, greens, and yellows as the atmosphere causes it to twinkle brilliantly. It is easily mistaken for an airplane, helicopter, or a UFO. As Capella gets higher and its light has less atmosphere to pass through, it might become a steadier red-yellow and later at night it might become a bright and steady white. We now know that one reason the light from Capella is so bright is because it is really two stars very close together and only 45 light years from Earth. From the earliest of times Capella has been known as the shepherds’ star. We know the ancient navigators were very dependent on Polaris, the North Star, because it did not move but at magnitude 2 it is not very bright. Capella is the brightest star in the neighborhood of Polaris and so it too was very important in ancient navigation.
Capella makes it easy to find the constellation Auriga (oh-RYE-gah or awe-REE-ga), the Charioteer. The main stars in Auriga form a large and bright but not quite regular pentagon. According to Roman mythology this constellation was put in the sky to honor Erichthonius, the inventor of the chariot and the fourth king of Athens. Erichthonius was described as a gentle person who cared greatly for animals including goats. Apparently he was lame and to improve his mobility he invented the chariot, which was drawn by four horses. Later the chariot was modified or adapted for use by the Roman army. Capella means “Little She-goat” and represents the goat the Charioteer is holding on his shoulder. There are two or three faint stars near Capella that represent additional goats, the Kids, that Auriga is carrying while riding in his chariot.
When our Moon is not up and if your sky is dark you will be able to detect the faint glow of the distant stars in the main disk of our Milky Way galaxy passing through the middle of Auriga. You might be able to see three faint star clusters as slight brightenings near and inside of Auriga. The glow is fainter in this part of our sky because we are looking away from the center of our galaxy and toward the outer spiral arms. Last summer we were looking toward Sagittarius and the center of our galaxy and the glow was broader and brighter. To locate our main disk connect Auriga, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, and toward Sagittarius which is now below our western horizon. To do that we started in the northeast and then looked a little north of overhead and then to the west. Now turn and look toward the south. We see very few stars toward the south at this time because we are looking out the bottom of our Milky Way galaxy and away from our Milky Way’s main disk. I feel an obligation to keep track of my orientation relative to our Earth, our Solar System, our Milky Way Galaxy, and beyond. My ancient ancestors did not know!
This week keep an eye on the Pleiades, about the width from your outstretched thumb to little finger to the right of Capella. Then as soon as it is dark on Sunday December 3, look for our nearly full Moon. It is so bright that you might not be able to see the Pleiades with just your naked eye but with binoculars you will see that our Moon is moving in front of the Pleiades stars. This can happen only when our Moon is near its most northerly position (the Great Lunar Standstill) in its 18.6 year cycle. If you can stay up late enough you will see the stars of the Pleiades re-emerge from the other side of our Moon. We don’t get many opportunities to see this.
The planet Mercury is about as high as it is going to get so if you haven’t seen it, this is a good week to look for it low on the horizon just a little south of east an hour or so before sunrise.
Next week in our evening sky we will locate and tell the story of Taurus, the Bull, while we will see Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter dancing together in our morning sky.

11-18-06
“And now the stately-moving Pleiades,
In that soft infinite darkness overhead
Hang jewel-wise upon a silver thread.” From Stars by Marjorie Pickthall, (1883-1922)
The Pleiades (PLEE-ah-deez) or Seven Sisters have been marveled at since antiquity and after writing was invented they have appeared in prose and poetry throughout the ages.
By mid-evening the Pleiades will be due east and about half way up the sky. It is a faint group of stars so you might need to use averted vision, looking just to one side of the object, to find them the first time. The higher the Seven Sisters climb into the sky the more distinct they will become. Naked eye viewing of the Pleiades usually evokes a haunting or hushed and personal response while viewing it with binoculars always results in an audible – WOW! – Would you look at that?!
The Pleiades is the best naked eye open star cluster – a group of stars that formed in the same cloud of gas and dust in a spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy at about the same time and moving through space together. There are about 400 stars in the cluster and are only 20 million years old and 400 light years away.
Once in awhile someone new to observing will look at the Pleiades and think it is the Little Dipper they have heard about but have never seen. The stars do appear to be arranged in the shape of a tiny dipper but they never appear near Polaris, the North Star. The real Little Dipper has Polaris as the last star in its handle and its stars are much, much farther apart.
Years ago my family and I went on a camping trip to the West. One of our stops was in a national park in Wyoming. We came upon this huge pillar of rock reaching over 1,200 feet into the sky. What was it? There had to be a story. An American Indian legend tells us that seven little Indian girls were playing together but wandered far from their camp, and then great bears began to chase them. The Great Spirit caused a huge vertical tower of rock to rise under the girls that allowed them to escape the bears. Later, the Great Spirit placed them in the sky as the Pleiades cluster. The vertical tower of rock with what looks like bear claw marks is known as Devils Tower.
Even before writing was invented we know that our ancestors kept accurate track of and celebrated the Summer Solstice, the Fall Equinox, the Winter Solstice, and the Spring Equinox. They also invented reasons to mark and celebrate the midpoints, known as cross-quarter days, of each of these intervals. Long ago All Souls Day, All Saint’s Day, and All Hallow’s Eve were celebrations for the departed about halfway between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. For the ancients this coincided with the Pleiades being directly overhead at local midnight. For us with our modern calendar and time zones, the Pleiades are about directly overhead at midnight this week.
In about 280 BC a group of 7 poets in the great city of Alexandria became known as the Pleiad, derived from Pleiades. Later in 1553 a group of 7 French poets took on the name La Pléiade and they became known as the ‘brilliant group.’ Their purpose was to promote writing in French rather than Latin. They were credited with and honored for being the originators of French literature.
In his novel, Hawaii, James Michener tells the story of King Tamatoa and his entourage being forced to flee their island in the South Pacific. Knowing that they would we welcomed nowhere; they sailed north where other canoes had gone but had never returned. They chose to navigate on a chant that had been passed down through the generations but no one had ever verified it. The chant said to sail toward the Seven Little Eyes (the Pleiades). It was a long harrowing voyage but they eventually landed on Hawaii.
If you have a clear view on your southeastern horizon you might spot elusive Mercury no more than about a fist at arm’s length above the horizon just south of east about 60-90 minutes before sunrise for the next two weeks.
Next week we will locate and tell some stories of Auriga, the Charioteer.

11-09-06
Perseus (PURR-see-us), the Hero, was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and the mortal Danae. King Polydectes wanted to marry Danae but Perseus was opposed. The king thought he could get Perseus killed by tricking him into saying he would seek out and kill Medusa, a monster with snakes for hair and so ugly that anyone who looked at her would instantly turn to stone. Perseus didn’t have a chance until the various gods decided to help him. He received winged sandals, a powerful sword, a shiny shield, a special bag to hold the severed head, and a helmet that made him invisible. He wore the helmet so that he could sneak up on Medusa and her protective sisters. Using the shiny shield he was able to see Medusa without looking directly at her and with one swift swing of the powerful sword he beheaded Medusa and placed it in the special bag. Some blood from Medusa dripped into the sea foam and from that sprang the white winged horse, Pegasus. Using the winged sandals, Perseus made a quick escape into the sky. While flying home he saw Princess Andromeda chained to a rock by the sea about to be devoured by Cetus, the Sea Monster. Perseus called to Andromeda to hide her eyes so he could pull Medusa’s head out of the bag and when Cetus saw it he turned to stone and sank to the bottom of the sea. Perseus and Andromeda married and lived happily ever after.
Our ancient ancestors noticed that a star in Perseus changed significantly in its brightness over a few nights. This mysterious behavior probably explains why they named it Algol (AL-gall). Algol is derived from the Arabic “Al Ras al Ghul” and taken to mean “head of the demon” – referring to Medusa’s head. There are ancient references to the winking or blinking of Algol as the eye of the demon. Algol is the second brightest star in Perseus and it varies from magnitude 2.2 to 3.5 every two days, twenty hours and forty-nine minutes. Using the term ‘magnitude’ and a number for differentiating between the brightness of the stars is credited to Hipparchus (190 BC -120 BC). He declared the brightest stars to be of the first magnitude and ones not quite so bright as being of the second magnitude, down to the dimmest naked eye stars as being of the sixth magnitude. The smaller the number the brighter the object and the larger the number the dimmer the object. While his scale has been expanded to include negative and decimal numbers, it is impressive that his system has endured for over 2,100 years. In 1889 Hermann Vogel, using spectroscopic methods, proved that Algol was actually a two star system and the change in brightness that we see is due to a dimmer star passing in front of the brighter star that it orbits.
Perseus lies in the plane of the spiral arms that form the main disk of our Milky Way galaxy. The glow of the band of light passing through Perseus is fainter than the glow we witnessed in the summer as we gazed southward into Sagittarius. When we looked toward Sagittarius we were looking toward the center of our galaxy but when we look at Perseus we are looking away from the center of our galaxy and toward the outer arms; consequently there are fewer stars and the glow of the Milky Way band is fainter. If you have a dark sky, above Perseus and below Cassiopeia you will see a brightening in the Milky Way band – the Double Cluster of Perseus with a brightness of about the fifth magnitude. If you have binoculars you will be able to see some individual stars in the clusters. These are open clusters – groups of stars thought to have formed out of the same cloud of gas and dust in a spiral arm of our galaxy, they are fairly close together, gravitationally bound together, about the same distance from us, and about the same age. The Double Cluster in Perseus is about 7,000 light years from us and it is quite young at 3 to 6 million years old. In contrast, our solar system is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old while the Cosmos is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old.
Next week we will locate and tell some of the stories about the Pleiades, the famous and beautiful Seven Sisters.

11-02-06
The constellation Andromeda (an-DROM-eh-duh), the Princess, is connected to Pegasus, the Winged Horse, and she is not far from her mother and father, Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus.
We tend to think that the kids cause problems for the parents but here is a case where the mother, Queen Cassiopeia, put Princess Andromeda between a rock and a hard place. Queen Cassiopeia boasted so much about her own beauty that Poseidon, god of the sea, sent Cetus, the Sea Monster to destroy the coast of her country to teach her a lesson. King Cepheus was told by an oracle that the destruction could be avoided by sacrificing their daughter Princess Andromeda. Can you believe it - they chained her to a rock next to the sea to await Cetus. Perseus, our Hero, just happened to be flying by on the back of Pegasus and - you guessed it - he rescued the Princess in the nick of time and they got married and lived happily ever after.
Just after dark, face east and look about two-thirds of the way up the sky to locate the Great Square of Pegasus. From its left corner star you will see the long “>” shape of the Andromeda constellation sweeping out toward the northeast.
Long before the Greeks, most likely since humans looked up at the night sky, our ancestors made note of a faint fuzzy patch of light that lies among the stars of the Andromeda constellation. Eventually it acquired a name, the Great Nebula (cloud) in Andromeda or the Andromeda Nebula. The telescope was invented in the early 1600’s and steadily improved but they were unable to determine the actual content of the Andromeda Nebula. Over the years, most assumed it was a cloud of gas within our Milky Way galaxy. There were astronomers who conjectured it was a group of stars far far away but they had no accepted scientific proof. The prevailing thought was our Milky Way galaxy was the entire Universe. In 1924, Edwin Hubble (1889-1953), using the 100-inch reflecting Hooker telescope (most powerful in the world at the time) at Mount Wilson Observatory in California, was able to see individual stars in the “nebula” which clearly demonstrated that it was not a cloud of gas. Among the stars, he spotted a Cepheid variable star and he used Henrietta Leavitt’s research on Cepheid variables to calculate that the star was at least one million light years away (later corrected to 2.5-2.7 million light years). Hubble had shown that the Andromeda Nebula was not a nebula but really a separate galaxy well beyond our Milky Way galaxy.
Our Milky Way and Andromeda are the two major galaxies in what is known as the Local Group of galaxies. The Local Group is composed of about 30 galaxies spread over about ten million light years with a gravitational center somewhere between our Milky Way and Andromeda. The Andromeda galaxy is the most distant object that can be seen by the naked eye. You will need a clear, dark, moonless night, and perhaps averted vision in order to detect the Andromeda galaxy with your naked eye. It will not appear as spectacular as it does in the pictures in magazines but something about observing this fuzzy spot with my naked eye on clear fall evenings and knowing what it is, moves me. It helps me to orient myself on our Earth, in our Solar System, in our Milky Way galaxy, in our Local Group of galaxies, and in the Cosmos. We are living at a privileged time. Our Earth along with our Solar System is rotating about the center of our Milky Way galaxy. In about 100 million years we will have rotated to the other side of the center of our Milky Way and that will block our naked eye view of the Andromeda galaxy.
Astronomers have determined that the Andromeda galaxy is moving toward our Milky Way galaxy and in a few billion years the two galaxies will collide. The stars in each galaxy are so widely separated that it is unlikely that any direct collisions between stars will actually occur. Andromeda might pass completely through our Milky Way galaxy. If it does then it will return, due to gravity, and eventually the two will merge and form one much larger galaxy. What a sight to behold!
Next week we will locate and discuss Perseus, the Hero, his double cluster, and his ‘evil eye’, Algol.

11-02-06
“The stars about the lovely moon
Fade back and vanish very soon,
When, round and full, her silver face
Swims into sight, and lights all space” – ‘The Moon’ by Sappho (approximately 600 BC).
When we gaze at our Moon with our naked eyes we are seeing it as all humans saw it prior to Galileo’s looking at it through his telescope in 1609. From the most ancient of times there have been myths and conjectures about its composition, motions and phase changes. Prior to Galileo it had been assumed that our Moon was a perfectly smooth sphere and that the darker areas were areas of different densities.
Through his telescope Galileo could see craters, mountains, valleys, rough and uneven terrain. How could you contain yourself if you were the first person to witness this? It was such a dramatic step in the advancement of science and our knowledge of our Cosmos. As more people looked at our Moon through telescopes they began to think the dark areas might be bodies of water. In 1651 Giambattista Riccioli started giving them names such as Mare (MAH-ray) Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility). These large darker patches are easily visible to the naked eye and from these people have imagined faces (Man in the Moon) and creatures. We now know these are large flat areas of ancient lava flows. Near the bottom of our Moon you might be able to detect some bright lines radiating from a bright spot. These are called ‘rays’ and are streaks of rock and dust splashed over great distances by the impact that formed this crater. This is a relatively young impact crater, 63 miles wide, named for perhaps the most famous naked eye astronomer, Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). About half way up and left of center on our Moon is another young impact crater that still has some rays radiating from it. It is named for the man who published his work in 1543 and influenced scientists to accept the Sun centered system, Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543). Our Moon has always been impressive to the naked eye but if you have binoculars you will begin to see what Galileo saw in 1609. It changed his life. Perhaps it might change yours.
The first question might be – how did our Moon come into existence? Over the years a number of theories have been put forth. As time passes and more data and details are obtained some theories have been shown to be less likely while others more likely. A great deal of science was performed in preparation for and in completion of our Apollo program (1963-1972). The results support the leading contender: 4.6 billion years ago there were two planets orbiting our Sun in this part of our solar system. One was near the size of Earth and the other about the size of smaller Mars. The smaller one hit the larger one with a glancing blow and over time that resulted in our present Earth and orbiting Moon. Our Earth suffered many impacts in the early days of our Solar System but they have been eroded away over time by atmosphere, wind, water, and plate tectonics. The craters on our Moon have eroded but very slowly because of its lack of an atmosphere, wind, water and plate tectonics. Scientists want to study our Moon in greater detail because they believe that our Moon holds many clues to the origins of our Solar System.
While it takes just one year for our Sun to appear to return to its most northern point in our sky (the Summer Solstice), it takes our Moon 18.6 years to return to its most northern point (the Major Lunar Standstill). Ancient cultures developed calendars based on our Moon and places like Stonehenge show that they were aware of the 18.6 year cycle of our Moon. 2006 is the year of the Major Lunar Standstill. Our full Moon is rising and setting at the most northern point it ever reaches in our sky even farther north than our Sun ever reaches. The fundamental cause is Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt and our Moon’s 5.1 degree tilt to the plane of our Solar System and the precession of our Moon’s orbit.
Our full Moon on November 5 is called the Frost or Beaver Moon.
On Sunday, July 20, 1969 at 4:17:39 P.M. EDT in the Sea of Tranquility on our Moon, Neil Armstrong communicated, “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”   And later when he was the first human to set foot on our Moon, he uttered the now famous quote, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Next week we will locate and discuss the Andromeda constellation and the Andromeda galaxy, the most distant object that can be seen by the naked eye.

10-26-06
“ As I lay awake in the white moon light,
I heard a faint singing in the wood,
‘Out of bed, Sleepyhead’,
I looked out of window, in the white moon light,
The trees were like snow in the wood--” – from ‘Sleepyhead’ by Walter de la Mare.
Our Moon - out of sight, out of mind? I hope not! We haven’t seen our Moon in our evening sky since October 13. Those who have been out in the early morning hours have witnessed the crescent growing smaller as our Moon has moved toward our rising Sun in the east.
When we watch our Moon for an evening, it appears to move from east to west but that apparent motion is caused by Earth’s 1,000 mph rotation toward the east. Our Moon actually travels eastwardly across our sky, moving by about 12 degrees (a little more than the width of a closed fist at arm’s length) from night to night. Look at our Moon two nights in a row at the same time and you will see that it is about12 degrees farther to the east on the second night. Our Moon reached its New Moon phase early on October 22. This is an ideal time to think about and to start tracking the motions and phases of our Moon. From our vantage point when our Moon is at its New phase it rises and sets with our Sun. We don’t see our Moon as it crosses our sky with our Sun because 1) our Sun is too bright to look at and 2) the side of the Moon toward us is not receiving any sunlight to reflect to us. The other (far) side of the Moon from us is fully illuminated by our Sun while the near side is getting no sunlight. A few days after the New phase our Moon has moved far enough away from being aligned with our Sun that we can see a very thin crescent low on the western horizon shortly after sunset. Observing the first appearance of this minute crescent was extremely important for the ancient cultures that kept their calendars by our Moon. Someone within the group was given this very important task and when they spotted it that became the first day of the new month. If you have a clear view of your western horizon look for our Moon as soon as possible after its New phase. You will notice that you can vaguely see some surface features of the rest of our Moon in a sort of gray light. Our ancient ancestors observed this and referred to it as “the old Moon in the new Moon’s arms.” No one could explain this phenomenon until Leonardo Da Vinci did in 1510. The Sun’s light hits our Earth and is then reflected to our Moon and our reflected light is what allows us to see the part of our Moon not directly illuminated by our Sun. It has become known as ‘Earthshine.’ If you miss it this month then maybe you can spot it after its New phase on November 20. About seven evenings after the New phase our Moon will reach its First Quarter phase – October 29. It is called the First Quarter because our Moon will be approximately one quarter through its cycle or orbit. It doesn’t mean that we only see a quarter of our Moon. By about fourteen evenings after the New phase our Moon will reach its Full phase – November 5. Our Moon will be opposite our Sun in our sky, that is, Earth will be between our Sun and Moon. Our Moon will be rising in the east at about the same time our Sun will be setting in the west. Each successive night our Moon will rise later and will be less illuminated. By about 22 days after the New phase our Moon will reach its Last Quarter phase – November 12. It will be rising in the early morning hours and as it approaches the Sun it becomes a thinner crescent until we can’t see it as it rises with our Sun and it is at its New phase again – November 20.
Our word “month” is derived from Moon. Our Moon takes about 29.5 days to complete its cycle and it takes about 29.5 days to rotate on its axis. Consequently the same side of our Moon always faces us and we never get to see the far side. The far side of our Moon is completely illuminated by our Sun when our Moon is at its New phase. When we see our Full Moon then the far side of our Moon is dark. At any given moment half of our Moon is illuminated and half is in the dark. This is also true for our Earth.
Use the graphic to help visualize a three dimensional model of our Sun, Earth, and Moon as our Moon orbits Earth.
Next week we will discuss more details and history of our Moon.

Pegasus (PEG-uh-sus)
the Winged Horse, while not looking like a horse to most of us, is an easy constellation to spot. Just after dark face due east and look about two thirds of the way up the sky. The four main stars are often called the Great Square of Pegasus but as it rises out of the east at this time it looks like it is on its side and so it appears more as a huge diamond shape. Your outstretched hand at arm’s length will just about fill the inside of the square.
Pegasus was involved in one of the most famous rescues of a damsel in distress. Princess Andromeda, through no fault of her own, was chained to the rocks by the sea for Cetus, the Sea Monster, to devour. Andromeda’s mother, Queen Cassiopeia, had angered the gods by boasting about her beauty. You would think that Queen Cassiopeia would be the one to be sacrificed. Among the many tasks that Perseus, the Hero, had to perform was the slaying of the Medusa, a monster with snakes for hair. When Perseus cut off the Medusa’s head, a drop of her blood fell into the sea foam and from that the magical, white Winged Horse, Pegasus, sprang. Perseus spied Andromeda in her predicament while he was riding Pegasus, returning home with the head of the Medusa. Pegasus swooped down just in time and Perseus rescued Andromeda.
According to Greek myth the source of all poetic inspiration flows from the famous spring of Hippocrene, which Pegasus started with a single kick of a hoof. This explains why Pegasus is a favorite among poets.
While 51 Pegasi is at the very limit of naked eye visibility and therefore not very noticeable, it is very significant in the recent history of searching for exoplanets, planets that are outside of our solar system. 51 Pegasi is a star that is very similar to our Sun and 40 light years away. It is here in 1995 that Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz discovered the first exoplanet orbiting a main sequence (normal) star. That exoplanet is about the size of our Jupiter and it completes an orbit about 51 Pegasi every 4.2 days. Two hundred exoplanets have been discovered with the closest being 10.5 light years away and the farthest being at 21,000 light years. While the discovery and investigation of each new exoplanet will add to our body of knowledge, finding an exoplanet very similar to our Earth would be the most exciting and interesting. We will always be on the look out for evidence of life on an exoplanet.   Our Milky Way Galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter – a mighty big place to search. In order to make the search as efficient as possible, scientists have developed the criteria or requirements for what they call the ‘habitable zone.’ We know a lot about the conditions on Earth that support the type of life we know about. It is natural that we look for an exoplanet that is located so that it has liquid water and where it is unlikely to be disturbed in any life threatening way. Our solar system is not near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy where there are greater interactions and disturbances that could destroy emerging life. Our solar system is not located in a densely populated part of a spiral arm which could harbor similar threats. Our Earth is not too close nor too far away from our Sun. Earth is at just the right distance (known as the Goldilocks effect).
Most of the work on exoplanets so far has been done with Earth based telescopes but over the next 10 years (depending on budgets) we might have five different space-based systems looking for exoplanets. Perhaps in the next several years one like Earth will be found.
Next week we will discuss our Moon, its motions, phases, and history.

Kentucky Residents Urged to Prepare for Fall Severe Weather Season
What do the nation’s strongest tornado in 2005 and the longest track tornado in Kentucky since 1974 have in common? They both happened during autumn severe weather outbreaks across the Bluegrass State.
We all know about spring and severe weather. Spring and violent weather seem to go hand-in-hand for much of the southern and central United States, and Kentucky is often in the weather crosshairs. During this transition from winter to summer, the clash of warm moist air colliding with the cold dry Canadian air nearly always sets the stage for some of the most violent weather that Mother Nature has in her arsenal.
According to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC), May and June are the peak months for tornado and other aspects of severe weather development. But there is also the surprising statistic, at least to the lay-person, that late autumn also has a surge of severe weather. This “second season” occurs mainly across the southeast portion of the United States, including Kentucky, with November as the focus of the greatest number of severe weather instances.
Here are a few other facts...
* The nation’s strongest tornado in 2005 occurred in Kentucky - the Hopkins county F4 that struck Nov. 15, 2005. This was the strongest tornado in KY since the May 28, 1996 Bullit county F4.
* The F3 tornado that was spawned over Henderson County KY around 2 AM on Nov. 6, 2005 killed 25 people just as it crossed into Vanderburgh County, Indiana. A separate F3 tornado occurred in Crittenden County KY during the same hour.
* The longest track tornado in Kentucky since April 3, 1974 occurred on Nov. 15, 2005 cutting a 44.1 mile path of F3 destruction across Graves, Calloway, Marshall and Lyon counties.
Why a resurgence in tornado potential in the autumn months? It all has to do with a combination of fast Jet Stream winds and strong frontal systems which reappear in fall.
During the late summer months thunderstorms are common, but winds throughout the atmosphere rarely are strong enough to allow tornadoes to form. During the spring fall however, a strong gradient of temperatures across the hemisphere typically drives powerful Jet Stream winds, and creates much stronger frontal systems which help initiate thunderstorm development.
Over the last decade, the Lower Ohio/Middle Mississippi Valley, including much of Kentucky, ranks among the nation’s highest frequency of strong and violent tornadoes. Several of these violent and deadly tornadoes have occurred during the fall, a time not many Kentuckians associate with severe weather. Your Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee reminds all of you that being ready for severe weather is not just for the spring season. Tornadoes and other forms of severe weather can happen year round, day or night.
The Kentucky Weather Preparedness Committee is dedicated to helping residents of the Bluegrass State prepare for the ravages of severe weather including tornadoes, flash floods, winter storms and all other weather hazards. KWPC is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies as well as private sector entities, and is the authority for weather preparedness throughout Kentucky.
Please visit our website at:
www.prepareforkyweather.org

Do You Know? The Mystery of Migration
As autumn rolls across the Bluegrass bringing the first crisp feel to the air and trees beginning to change colors; this change in weather also triggers another phenomenon of nature. It is the time for birds and some species of butterflies to migrate. Millions of birds are in the transition between their winter and summer homes. In the northern hemisphere, many birds are migrating south for the winter, while in the southern hemisphere, they are flying north in preparation for summer.
According to scientists with the Audubon Society, migration for some species of birds is just several hundred miles, while others make an incredible journey. The Artic Tern has the longest route, traveling from the South Pole during our winter, to the North Pole during our summer. The amazing tiny humming birds travel from the central regions of South America during our winter, to the United States during our summers.
Scientists have wondered what forces will trigger migration for hundreds of years. The biggest influence for triggering migration tends to be weather conditions. Ornithologists have observed solitary birds beginning to “flock-up” as the seasonal change approaches. The flocks will grow from a few birds to hundreds of thousands over a short period of time, but only when the weather conditions are right.
At the Cornell University Ornithology Department, scientists have discovered that just as long-term changes in climate have molded the evolution of bird migration, seasonal and day-to-day changes in weather dramatically influence the timing and course of migration. When the weather conditions are right, the number of birds in flight can reach millions. Not only are the immediate flight conditions important, but the weather at the destination or starting point of the flight may also be critical to a bird's survival. For example, water birds must not arrive at northern latitudes before the ice has melted, and many tend to follow the spring thaw northward; in late fall many linger in the north until freezing temperatures force them to move. For most birds, however, it pays to anticipate seasonal changes in climate and to be gone well before conditions deteriorate. Many warblers, flycatchers, and other insect eaters begin their fall migration in late summer while the days are still warm and the insect life abundant.
Ornithologists have discovered that during migration, the most critical weather factors are wind direction and changes in temperature. In spring, northbound birds select the warming temperatures and southerly winds that characterize the western side of high-pressure systems; in fall, they favor the lower temperatures and north winds that occur following the passage of a cold front. Birds also tend to avoid rainy, overcast weather, fog, and high winds, and even stop in the middle of their journey if they encounter deteriorating weather while over land. Recent research has shown that pigeons are quite sensitive to small changes in air pressure; birds are able to anticipate weather before any overt signs are evident.
When are the conditions right for migration? The winds must be blowing in the direction that the birds want to go. Birds will usually wait until the most favorable weather pattern, and then set off on their journey. Ornithologists watch the weather to help predict when large numbers of birds will be passing through their area. A strong wind in the right direction will speed the birds on their way. If there are strong headwinds, the birds' speed will be greatly reduced, therefore it will need more fat reserves to travel the same distance. Many birds that encounter storms and strong headwinds perish into the seas. If these weary birds are over land, they will drop down and land, find food and rest before continuing.
The route that some birds instinctively take may seem strange until you look at the winds. For instance, many birds on the east coast of the U.S., head out to the Atlantic during a fall cold front. The northwest winds take them on a southeastern course over Bermuda and beyond. Then they meet the northeast trade winds and make it to South America. This unbelievable journey will take them over 1,800 miles of water and will last over 80 hours. But it is actually easier for them than the land route along the coast, down through Central America, and then onto their destination in South America. The winds are the key factor here.
Flapping of wings uses quite a bit of their stored energy, therefore, many birds, especially the larger ones, will soar and glide as much as possible, using the winds and thermals. However, the journey will take longer than if the migration was made by more flapping flight. Spectacular kettles of hawks are seen at various places where thousands of hawks climb to the greatest height possible then glide and ride the thermals, soaring without flapping for great distances.
How high do birds fly during migration? Pilots have reported seeing birds as high as 26,000 feet! Cornell University scientists report that a bird's lungs are different than human's so the colder air at these high altitudes actually helps the birds. However, most birds fly less than 3,000 feet in the air.

Do You Know? FOG
Living in east Kentucky and driving on sometimes narrow and twisting mountain roads, perhaps nothing is more stressful for the early morning commute to work than encountering dense fog. Sometimes fog is hanging low in the valleys, other times it obscures the higher ridges, and sometimes, it blankets everything.
What is fog and how does it form? In the simplest of terms, fog is a cloud at the earth's surface. Technically, fog is a suspension of small water droplets in the air, reducing horizontal visibility at the earth's surface. Fog is formed when the temperature of the air reaches its dew point. The dew point is the temperature to which the air must be cooled for water vapor to condense. Fog is classified into different types, depending on how it forms: radiation fog, advection fog, steam fog, upslope fog, and precipitation fog.
How does fog form? Fog forms when the air near the ground becomes saturated and condensation occurs on tiny particles suspended in the air. It also forms in stable air with light winds, high relative humidity and conditions that bring the air to its dew point. There are basically three ways to bring the air to its dew point: by cooling the air, by evaporating water in to the air and, by mixing of air parcels.
Fog is formed by cooling the air in three different ways: radiation, advection and upslope. In discussion of weather, radiation refers to the physical phenomenon of radiating energy in the form of waves or particles. A clear sky at night with light winds will allow the ground to radiate, or cool, by releasing heat from the warmer ground to the cooler air of the nighttime sky. Radiation Fog is produced at night or in the early morning when radiational cooling at the earth's surface cools the air to the dew point temperature. The resulting layer of fog is normally only a few hundred feet thick. Ground fog (layer of fog is less than 20 feet) and valley fog (that forms in low lying areas) are types of radiation fog.
The ideal conditions for radiation fog to develop are: clear skies, light winds (2 to 12 mph). Winds less than 2 mph will result in dew (or frost if the surface is below freezing) forming on the ground, while winds greater than 12 mph will result in mixing and will prevent the fog from forming. A shallow layer of moist air near the ground and cooler nighttime temperatures, combine as an ideal condition for radiation fog to develop.
The term “Advection” in the science of meteorology means that there is a horizontal transport of air or atmospheric properties such as heat or moisture. Advection Fog forms when wind moves warm, moist air over a cooler surface. The cold surface cools the warmer air and lowers the air to its dew point.   Condensation occurs, resulting in the formation of a layer of fog. The layer of fog will deepen as wind speed increases up to about 15 mph. With winds stronger than 15 mph, the fog will lift as stratus cloud.
This type of fog persists unless there is a change in the air mass or the wind direction. Advection fog is common during the winter, especially after a fresh snowfall, when a warm front moves warm moist air over the colder land areas. The air is chilled from below, lowering the air temperature to its dew point, thus forming fog.
Upslope Fog is formed as moist air flows up an elevated plain, hill or mountain. As the air moves up the slope, it is cooled by expansion. When it is cooled to its dew point temperature condensation occurs and fog forms. Upslope fog often forms with moderate winds and it can persist for several days until there is a change to a drier air mass or the wind direction changes. Upslope fog commonly forms in winter and spring on the east side of the Appalachian Mountains.
Fog is also formed by evaporation and mixing of the atmosphere. Steam Fog is formed when cool air moves over warm water. Moisture from the warm water evaporates into the cooler air. Since the air is so much cooler than the water, the air quickly reaches its dew point (becomes saturated) and the added water vapor condenses into fog. Since the layer of fog is less dense and warmer than the surrounding air, it rises, resembling steam. Steam fog often forms when cold air moves over   heated water in an outside swimming pool. Water evaporates from the pool into the colder air and the air becomes saturated and then condenses. The colder air is heated from below and rises as steam. Steam fog often forms over lakes in autumn or winter or above a wet surface on a sunny day. A good example is rising steam off the highway after a rain shower.
Evaporation or mixing fog forms by the mixing of two unsaturated air masses.   If the mixing of warm, moist air with cooler air results in saturation, then condensation occurs and fog will form. This type of fog often forms ahead of a warm front when the Relative Humidity of the cold air is raised to saturation by warm rain falling through it (sometimes called precipitation fog). Another example of this process occurs when moist air from your mouth and breath meets the cold air of the environment and condenses to form a "cloud".
Meteorologists often say that the sun will "burn off” fog as the day progresses. While the sun does not actually burn the fog off it does play a part in getting rid of the fog by disrupting the fog forming process. Some sunlight penetrates the layer of fog and warms the ground and the air near the ground is warmed as well. The relative humidity of the warmed air is lowered (as warm air can hold more moisture than cold air.) The warmer, drier air mixes upwards with the cooler, moister air, and the fog is dissipated. It will either dissipate totally or lift into a stratus cloud.
For additional information on fog, or for other types of weather affecting your area, check out the Internet web address of the National Weather Service at Jackson at:
www.weather.gov/jacksonky

Do you Know? Dog Days of Summer
Summertime can be brutal sometimes. Especially true for some of the residents of eastern Kentucky where air conditioning is not available, summertime can turn deadly. Summer heat combined with high humidity can feel utterly unbearable. It is the dog days of summer.
We all know that the “dog days of summer” as the hottest and muggiest part of the season. A quick look in Webster defines “dog days” as: 1) the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere. 2) a period of stagnation or inactivity.
But where does the term come from? Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?” The brightest of the stars in the constellation Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky of the summertime. In fact, it is so bright that the ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it. During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the Dog Star.
During an average year, 175 people succumb to the heat in the United States. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. The heat wave of July 1995 caused 600 deaths in the Chicago inner city alone, which marked the greatest heat-related disaster in the United States. In Europe, the scorching summer of 2003 equates to devastation, as more than 50,000 people succumbed across the continent, with the majority, nearly 35,000 deaths in France. These are the direct casualties. No one can know how many more deaths are advanced by heat wave weather, as diseased or aging organs that surrender to the heat stress, but under better conditions would have continued to function.
Considering this tragic death toll, the National Weather Service (NWS) has stepped up its efforts to alert more effectively the general public and appropriate authorities to the hazards of heat waves - those prolonged excessive heat/humidity episodes. The NWS will issue Heat Advisories and Warnings to advise people that extreme heat is expected. Based on the latest research findings, the weather service has devised the “Heat Index” HI. The HI, given in degrees F, is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity (RH) is added to the actual air temperature.
For eastern Kentucky, a heat advisory will be issued for a HI reading if 105 or higher for at least 3 hours or more, with a minimum HI around 75 degrees during a 24-hour period. An Excessive Heat Warning will be issued for a HI of 110 or higher for 3 hours or longer, with a minimum HI of 75 during a 24-hour period.
But it does not have to reach the warning or advisory stage for heat to take a toll on people outdoors, especially when working.   Heat is a killer. Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities, where in a normal year, about 175 Americans succumb to the demands of summer heat.
Know These Heat Disorder Symptoms
SUNBURN: Redness and pain. In severe cases swelling of skin, blisters, fever, and headaches. First Aid: Ointments for mild cases if blisters appear and do not break. If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. A physician should see serious, or extensive cases.
HEAT CRAMPS: Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen possible. Heavy sweating. First Aid: Firm pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use.
HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heavy sweating, weakness, skin cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. A normal body temperature is possible. Fainting and vomiting is likely. First Aid: Get victim out of sun. Lie down and loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air-conditioned room. Sips of water should be given. If nausea occurs, discontinue use. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.
HEAT STROKE (or sunstroke): High body temperature (106° F. or higher). Hot dry skin. There will be a rapid and strong pulse. Possible unconsciousness. First Aid: HEAT STROKE IS A SEVERE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. SUMMON EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR GET THE VICTIM TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY. DELAY CAN BE FATAL. Move the victim to a cooler environment Reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners. If temperature rises again, repeat process. Do not give fluids.
For additional information, contact your American Red Cross, or check the NWS Weather Safety Internet page at: http://www.weather.gov/om/heat/index.shtml

Do You Know? Children, Elderly, Pets, and Vehicles
It is summertime, and so far this year across the United States, there have been at least seven deaths of small children after being left inside a vehicle that quickly turned into a hot oven. In 2005, there were 42 child fatalities due to hyperthermia after being left in hot cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs. Some of these deaths occurred on days with relatively mild temperatures of less than 75 degrees. Since 1998, there have been at least 290 of these needless tragedies. There are unknown amounts of pet deaths or of heat stroke with the elderly brought on by being left in hot cars as those statistics are not tracked.
Several university, medical and governmental studies have produced some sobering statistics. Heatstroke occurs when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees F. A core body temperature of 107 degrees F is considered lethal. Children’s thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as an adult’s and their bodies warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s. Likewise, the elderly loose their ability to regulate heat and will succumb quickly to high temperatures.
In studies of temperature rises within an enclosed vehicle, the average temperature rise was 19 degrees above the outside ambient temperature within 10 minutes elapsed time. In 20 minutes, there was a 29 degree rise. 30 minutes equaled a 34 degree rise, and after 60 minutes, the average climb was 43 degrees. In other words, 80% of the heat rise occurs within the first 30 minutes. Cracking the windows a few inches had very little effect, with the average total cooling effect of only 2.3 degrees. Interestingly, windows all the way down only reduce the overall heat rise by only 11 degrees in direct sunlight. Cars with dark interiors have a higher temperature climb than those with light colored interiors. Higher humidity levels compound the extreme heat levels by further reducing the body’s natural ability to cool itself as evaporation of sweat slows.
On an average summer day with 85 degrees outside, within 10 minutes the parked car will rise to 108 degrees F. With 50% humidity, that equates to an equivalent temperature of 144 degrees F. With the windows all the way down, this 10 minute errand still translates into the inside car temperature of 97 degrees with a heat index for humidity creating an equivalent temperature of 110 degrees F. And that is within 10 minutes. How long does it take to go inside a grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk, pay, and return to the car? Chances are, more than 10 minutes will elapse for this “brief” errand. Within 60 minutes, the internal temperature of this parked car will reach 128 degrees, and with the heat index factored in, the equivalent interior temperature of the parked car reaches an astounding 238 degrees! Water will boil at 212 degrees!
Even on relatively “cool” days when the outside ambient temperature is 72 degrees, the internal vehicle temperature will rise to 117 degrees F within 60 minutes for a vehicle parked in the sun. Eighty percent of that rise occurs within the first 30 minutes.
Heat illness is a condition that is divided into 3 phases. The mildest form is heat stress when the body is reaching a level of serious discomfort and a physiological strain, but no real lasting effect. The second phase is heat exhaustion which is classified as a mild to moderate illness associated with dehydration and a core body temperature ranging from 98.6 to 104 degrees F. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include intense thirst, weakness, discomfort, anxiety, dizziness, fainting, and headache. Finally, heat stroke is the third and final stage of heat illness. Heat stroke is a life-threatening illness characterized by an elevated core body temperature in excess of 104 degrees F with central nervous system dysfunction resulting in delirium, convulsions, coma, and death. Immediate medical attention is required.
Studies have indicated various reasons people have given for leaving child