MWC 922: The Red Square Nebula

What could cause a nebula to appear square? No one is quite sure. The hot star system known as MWC 922, however, appears to be embedded in a nebula with just such a shape. The featured image combines infrared exposures from the Hale Telescope on Mt. Palomar in California, and the Keck-2 Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. A leading progenitor hypothesis for the square nebula is that the central star or stars somehow expelled cones of gas during a late developmental stage. For MWC 922, these cones happen to incorporate nearly right angles and be visible from the sides. Supporting evidence for the cone hypothesis includes radial spokes in the image that might run along the cone walls. Researchers speculate that the cones viewed from another angle would appear similar to the gigantic rings of supernova 1987A, possibly indicating that a star in MWC 922 might one day itself explode in a similar supernova. via NASA http://ift.tt/1TuXUo7

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For the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Just This Once, Every Night Is Monday Night by NATE CHINEN

By NATE CHINEN

The Village Vanguard honors its namesake band, started by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis in 1966, with a weeklong engagement.

Published: January 31, 2016 at 07:00PM

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For Brazil’s Rich and Poor, Disparate Response to Zika by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two Brazilian women, two pregnancies, one nightmare. But two very different stories.

Published: January 31, 2016 at 06:43AM

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Paid Notice: Deaths MANDEL, KENNETH by Unknown Author

By Unknown Author

MANDEL–Kenneth, 76, of Briarcliff Manor, NY, passed away January 26, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer. Ken was a loving husband to his wife of 52 years, Carole Leshne Mandel, and a devoted father to his daughters Wendy, Laura, and Jodi,…

Published: January 30, 2016 at 02:03PM

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China Strongly Condemns US for Sending Warship Near Island by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

China strongly condemned the United States after a U.S. warship deliberately sailed near one of the Beijing-controlled islands in the hotly contested South China Sea to exercise freedom of navigation and challenge China’s vast territorial claims.

Published: January 30, 2016 at 09:33PM

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A Five Planet Dawn

As January closes and in the coming days of February, early morning risers can spot the five naked-eye planets before dawn. Though some might claim to see six planets, in this seaside panoramic view all five celestial wanderers were found above the horizon along with a bright waning gibbous Moon on January 27. Nearly aligned along the plane of the ecliptic, but not along a line with the Sun, the five planets are spread well over 100 degrees across the sky. Just arriving on the predawn scene, fleeting Mercury stands above the southeastern horizon in the golden light of the approaching sunrise. via NASA http://ift.tt/1Vxf42Y

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China Strongly Condemns US for Sending Warship Near Island by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

China strongly condemned the United States after a U.S. warship deliberately sailed near one of the Beijing-controlled islands in the hotly contested South China Sea to exercise freedom of navigation and challenge China’s vast territorial claims.

Published: January 30, 2016 at 03:43AM

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Kenny Sailors, a Pioneer of the Jump Shot, Dies at 95 by WILLIAM McDONALD

By WILLIAM McDONALD

A number of players can claim to be the one who created the shot that revolutionized basketball, but many students of the game give the distinction to Mr. Sailors.

Published: January 30, 2016 at 07:00PM

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Kenny Sailors, Star Wyoming Jump Shot Pioneer, Dies at 95 by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kenny Sailors, the college basketball Hall of Famer credited by some with being the first to use the modern jump shot, died Saturday. He was 95.

Published: January 30, 2016 at 10:15AM

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Hidden Galaxy IC 342

Similar in size to large, bright spiral galaxies in our neighborhood, IC 342 is a mere 10 million light-years distant in the long-necked, northern constellation Camelopardalis. A sprawling island universe, IC 342 would otherwise be a prominent galaxy in our night sky, but it is hidden from clear view and only glimpsed through the veil of stars, gas and dust clouds along the plane of our own Milky Way galaxy. Even though IC 342’s light is dimmed by intervening cosmic clouds, this deep telescopic image traces the galaxy’s obscuring dust, blue star clusters, and glowing pink star forming regions along spiral arms that wind far from the galaxy’s core. IC 342 may have undergone a recent burst of star formation activity and is close enough to have gravitationally influenced the evolution of the local group of galaxies and the Milky Way. via NASA http://ift.tt/1nCJE0C

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Inside The New York Times Book Review: Bill Bryson on Britain by Unknown Author

By Unknown Author

Bryson talks about “The Road to Little Dribbling” and Molly Young discusses new books about productivity.

Published: January 30, 2016 at 07:00PM

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Judge Allowing Key Evidence in Hot SUV Death Case by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A judge is allowing prosecutors to use key evidence collected by police in the case of a Georgia man accused of intentionally leaving his toddler son to die in a hot SUV.

Published: January 29, 2016 at 08:44AM

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Our Mediterranean, Our Survival by D. RACHAEL BISHOP

By D. RACHAEL BISHOP

Invasive species passing through the Suez Canal pose rising health and safety risks.

Published: January 30, 2016 at 06:30AM

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Wary of Culture Clash, Germans Teach Refugees Their Rules by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

First impressions are important in any culture, and Germany is keen that even refugees from conservative Muslim countries get it right.

Published: January 28, 2016 at 10:48PM

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Elliptical M60, Spiral NGC 4647

Giant elliptical galaxy M60 and spiral galaxy NGC 4647 do look like an odd couple in this sharp cosmic portrait from the Hubble Space Telescope. But they are found in a region of space where galaxies tend to gather, on the eastern side of the nearby Virgo Galaxy Cluster. About 54 million light-years distant, bright M60’s simpler egg-like shape is created by its randomly swarming older stars, while NGC 4647’s young blue stars, gas and dust are organized into winding arms rotating in a flattened disk. Spiral NGC 4647 is estimated to be more distant than M60, some 63 million light-years away. Also known as Arp 116, the pair of galaxies may be on the verge of a significant gravitational encounter, though. M60 (aka NGC 4649) is about 120,000 light-years across. The smaller NGC 4647 spans around 90,000 light-years, about the size of our own Milky Way. via NASA http://ift.tt/1ZVsRBG

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Movie Listings for Jan. 29-Feb. 4 by Unknown Author

By Unknown Author

A guide to movies playing at theaters in the New York City area, as well as select festivals and film series. A complete list of new releases is at http://ift.tt/1T8U7v3.

Published: January 28, 2016 at 07:00PM

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N.R.A. Victories in Congress Grow With Chief Lobbyist’s Role by ERIC LICHTBLAU

By ERIC LICHTBLAU

Chris Cox, who leads the National Rifle Association’s political action committee, has emerged as the group’s point man in pushing to defeat new gun control laws.

Published: January 28, 2016 at 07:00PM

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