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A few NASA-funded astronomer teams are always on the hunt for potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, asteroids and comets whose orbits periodically bring them within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit.
At NASA, the Planetary Defense Coordination Office supports the search programs, while also planning and coordinating any response to possible asteroid impacts.
Lindley Johnson Heads up this NASA office.
“We oversee several NASA-supported search programs that detect and track near-Earth objects,” he explained. “The rate of asteroid discovery has increased considerably due to these dedicated astronomers and to upgraded telescopes coming online in recent years.”
As part of NASA’s planetary defense strategy, the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzes the data collected on near-Earth objects and publishes the running statistics on numbers and types discovered.
“After almost 20 years of searching, over 93 percent of the near-Earth objects larger than one kilometer (.62 miles) are already discovered,” he said. “The focus is now on finding 90 percent of those larger than 140 meters (450 feet). Almost 7,700 of these are now being tracked, but we believe there are still over twice that number out there to be found.”
NASA is not only hunting asteroids, it’s also working on ways to defend Earth against them. Astrodynamicists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies predict orbits a century into the future to determine whether there are any risks for impact.
“Asteroid impacts are predictable and preventable,” Johnson said. “If we can find them before they strike, we can precisely predict their paths and time of possible impact. And we now have the space technologies to divert them.”
For example, if an approaching asteroid were detected early enough, its path could be altered by using a large spacecraft as a “gravity tractor.” It would fly alongside the asteroid for an extended time and slowly pull it out of Earth’s path using nature’s virtual tug-rope – gravity. Another method involves sending a heavy, high-speed spacecraft into the path of an approaching object to strike it at the right time and place.
This technique, called the kinetic impactor, could slow or speed up the asteroid into a different trajectory, away from the Earth’s path.
And then there’s the Hollywood option.
“This is a last resort measure,” said Johnson. “It involves exploding a device close enough to an asteroid that the super-heated surface material blows off, creating a powerful, rocket-like push. Though quite effective if time is short, it would take a lot of coordination and approval not only within the U.S. government, but also with the international community. Another reason we should find any impactors as early as possible is so more benign methods can be used.”
All these techniques are in some stage of study or design. Meanwhile, the hunt for potentially hazardous asteroids goes on.
Johnson said, “After all, at NASA every day is an Asteroid Day.”
For more on objects in and around Earth’s neighborhood, visit http://science.nasa.gov.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is seeking information from the public after a Clearlake woman was hospitalized Thursday with gunshot wounds.
At approximately 10:45 p.m. Thursday, officers from the Clearlake Police Department responded to the 15600 block of Sharp Drive for an activated residential motion alarm, according to Det. Ryan Peterson.
Upon arrival, officers located the gunshot victim alone inside the residence, Peterson said.
Peterson said the victim was transported by air ambulance to an out-of-county hospital for further treatment.
Due to the nature of the investigation, Peterson said the victim’s name was not being released.
The Clearlake Police Department’s investigations Unit was called to the scene and subsequently took over the investigation, Peterson said.
Peterson said it was determined that the injuries sustained by the victim were not self-inflicted.
He said the Clearlake Police Department is pursuing leads, and no other details were being released about the case on Friday.
Individuals with information in regard to this investigation are asked to contact Peterson at 707-994-8251, Extension 320.
At approximately 10:45 p.m. Thursday, officers from the Clearlake Police Department responded to the 15600 block of Sharp Drive for an activated residential motion alarm, according to Det. Ryan Peterson.
Upon arrival, officers located the gunshot victim alone inside the residence, Peterson said.
Peterson said the victim was transported by air ambulance to an out-of-county hospital for further treatment.
Due to the nature of the investigation, Peterson said the victim’s name was not being released.
The Clearlake Police Department’s investigations Unit was called to the scene and subsequently took over the investigation, Peterson said.
Peterson said it was determined that the injuries sustained by the victim were not self-inflicted.
He said the Clearlake Police Department is pursuing leads, and no other details were being released about the case on Friday.
Individuals with information in regard to this investigation are asked to contact Peterson at 707-994-8251, Extension 320.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission’s upcoming meeting will include a public hearing on the recently completed plan envisioning the future of the city’s lakefront.
The commission will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
On the commission’s agenda is consideration of recommending the adoption of the draft Lakeport Lakefront Revitalization Plan to the Lakeport City Council.
As part of the hearing, the commission will consider adopting a categorical exemption per the California Environmental Quality Act for the plan and its project, which city staff said is located on both public and private properties along the waterfront bounded by Clearlake Ave in the north to C Street in the south.
The document states that it’s meant to “provide the community and elected officials with a road map for future improvements as well as encouraging reinvestment.”
Based on a design team’s work, meetings with community members and consideration of previous studies, the plan offers a number of alternatives, including a promenade, water park, hotel development and beach access.
The full plan, which is 211 pages, is posted below.
Also on the commission’s Aug. 9 agenda is an application from North Coast Opportunities for a use permit for a preschool facility in an existing commercial building at the Vista Point Shopping Center, located at 864 and 868 Lakeport Blvd., and a small architectural and design review for
a fence, storage structure and arbor.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The commission will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
On the commission’s agenda is consideration of recommending the adoption of the draft Lakeport Lakefront Revitalization Plan to the Lakeport City Council.
As part of the hearing, the commission will consider adopting a categorical exemption per the California Environmental Quality Act for the plan and its project, which city staff said is located on both public and private properties along the waterfront bounded by Clearlake Ave in the north to C Street in the south.
The document states that it’s meant to “provide the community and elected officials with a road map for future improvements as well as encouraging reinvestment.”
Based on a design team’s work, meetings with community members and consideration of previous studies, the plan offers a number of alternatives, including a promenade, water park, hotel development and beach access.
The full plan, which is 211 pages, is posted below.
Also on the commission’s Aug. 9 agenda is an application from North Coast Opportunities for a use permit for a preschool facility in an existing commercial building at the Vista Point Shopping Center, located at 864 and 868 Lakeport Blvd., and a small architectural and design review for
a fence, storage structure and arbor.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Lakeport Lakefront Revitalization Plan by LakeCoNews on Scribd
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.
Meetings are open to the community.
All constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District are invited to attend.
The Fifth Congressional District includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
Thompson (D-St. Helena), was the first Vietnam veteran elected to the California State Senate, where he served prior to being elected to Congress in 1998.
Thompson is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He chairs the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus, and is a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition.
Also on Aug. 10, Thompson will host a “Coffee with our Congressman” event from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Lake County Board of Supervisors of Chambers, located on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse at 255 N. Forbes St.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
AccuWeather reports summer warmth will linger into fall across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, areas farther south will remain alert for tropical hits long after summer has faded.
In the southern Plains, conditions will become ripe for severe weather, including possible tornado outbreaks.
Warmth to linger into fall across the Northeast, mid-Atlantic
As children head back to school and swimming pools are closed down for autumn, warm air will linger across much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
"That doesn't mean it's going to be exceptionally warm, but we do feel [temperatures are] going to run above normal," AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.
However, rainfall will help to hold back extreme heat, letting balmy days kick off the fall season.
It's too soon to tell how these factors may affect the vibrancy of the region's foliage, but windstorms could prevent fall leaves from hanging around for too long, Pastelok said.
Late-season severe weather will threaten to kick in from Albany toward New York City and northern New Jersey.
Southeast to remain vulnerable to tropical hits
Though the Southeast had an easy start to the hurricane season in 2017, a few tropical hits may threaten to spoil the first half of fall.
"We think that the areas that are more vulnerable this year are still the Gulf Coast and along the Carolina coast," Pastelok said.
In addition to tropical threats, frequent showers and thunderstorms could lead to flooding, including in areas which had drought last year, such as northern Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Humidity will remain high across the region with few cooldowns predicted until late in the season.
Temperatures to bounce up and down in Midwest, northern Plains
Temperatures are predicted to fluctuate up and down throughout fall, as mild days are interspersed with cooler air.
"You may be mild for a period, and the next week you could be cooled down for a week. I think that's the kind of flavor that we're looking at in the fall coming up," Pastelok said.
This year, however, forecasters are predicting a bit of early-season snow, arriving as soon as October.
"It's always a tough call when you're going to see that first snowfall in places like Chicago and Des Moines and St. Louis," Pastelok said.
"Now, this fall may not be off that far from normal, but keep in mind it's been very difficult to get cold weather in these places over the last several [fall seasons]."
A few bouts of winter weather are also in the offing during November, he said.
Conditions to be ripe for tornado outbreaks across the southern Plains
Severe weather will threaten the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley as temperatures run above normal in the Gulf.
"If you get any of these mid- to late-season storms coming down in the northern Plains like we're expecting, you're going to get a clash of air masses [in the southern Plains]," Pastelok said.
This clash could cause to severe weather to erupt, with the threat for tornado outbreaks from Texas to Tennessee, he said.
Showers and thunderstorms may also lead to episodes of flooding in the lower valley of Texas.
Warmth, wildfires to linger across California; Storms to frequent Northwest
Rampant wildfires in the West will calm quickest in regions farther north, as storms stream in from the Pacific.
"Last year, they got slammed in late fall and winter in the Northwest as far as heavy rain and heavy snow go," Pastelok said.
A similar weather pattern this fall likely means the region will once again receive abundant precipitation - though not as much as during the fall of 2016.
According to Pastelok, water temperatures off the West coast are not as high as last year and, therefore, won't foster very strong storms.
Rain and snow will at least total normal levels and have the potential to climb slightly above normal, forecasters predict.
From southwestern Montana down toward California, drier conditions and lingering warmth mean it may take most of fall for wildfires to calm down.
In the southern Plains, conditions will become ripe for severe weather, including possible tornado outbreaks.
Warmth to linger into fall across the Northeast, mid-Atlantic
As children head back to school and swimming pools are closed down for autumn, warm air will linger across much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.
"That doesn't mean it's going to be exceptionally warm, but we do feel [temperatures are] going to run above normal," AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.
However, rainfall will help to hold back extreme heat, letting balmy days kick off the fall season.
It's too soon to tell how these factors may affect the vibrancy of the region's foliage, but windstorms could prevent fall leaves from hanging around for too long, Pastelok said.
Late-season severe weather will threaten to kick in from Albany toward New York City and northern New Jersey.
Southeast to remain vulnerable to tropical hits
Though the Southeast had an easy start to the hurricane season in 2017, a few tropical hits may threaten to spoil the first half of fall.
"We think that the areas that are more vulnerable this year are still the Gulf Coast and along the Carolina coast," Pastelok said.
In addition to tropical threats, frequent showers and thunderstorms could lead to flooding, including in areas which had drought last year, such as northern Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Humidity will remain high across the region with few cooldowns predicted until late in the season.
Temperatures to bounce up and down in Midwest, northern Plains
Temperatures are predicted to fluctuate up and down throughout fall, as mild days are interspersed with cooler air.
"You may be mild for a period, and the next week you could be cooled down for a week. I think that's the kind of flavor that we're looking at in the fall coming up," Pastelok said.
This year, however, forecasters are predicting a bit of early-season snow, arriving as soon as October.
"It's always a tough call when you're going to see that first snowfall in places like Chicago and Des Moines and St. Louis," Pastelok said.
"Now, this fall may not be off that far from normal, but keep in mind it's been very difficult to get cold weather in these places over the last several [fall seasons]."
A few bouts of winter weather are also in the offing during November, he said.
Conditions to be ripe for tornado outbreaks across the southern Plains
Severe weather will threaten the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley as temperatures run above normal in the Gulf.
"If you get any of these mid- to late-season storms coming down in the northern Plains like we're expecting, you're going to get a clash of air masses [in the southern Plains]," Pastelok said.
This clash could cause to severe weather to erupt, with the threat for tornado outbreaks from Texas to Tennessee, he said.
Showers and thunderstorms may also lead to episodes of flooding in the lower valley of Texas.
Warmth, wildfires to linger across California; Storms to frequent Northwest
Rampant wildfires in the West will calm quickest in regions farther north, as storms stream in from the Pacific.
"Last year, they got slammed in late fall and winter in the Northwest as far as heavy rain and heavy snow go," Pastelok said.
A similar weather pattern this fall likely means the region will once again receive abundant precipitation - though not as much as during the fall of 2016.
According to Pastelok, water temperatures off the West coast are not as high as last year and, therefore, won't foster very strong storms.
Rain and snow will at least total normal levels and have the potential to climb slightly above normal, forecasters predict.
From southwestern Montana down toward California, drier conditions and lingering warmth mean it may take most of fall for wildfires to calm down.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Have you ever finished a great book and wanted to find more just like it? Or wanted to help your child find just the right book to read?
The Lake County Library now offers NoveList Plus, a resource that helps match readers with books that are right for them.
The NoveList Plus database makes recommendations so readers can choose what to read next.
One of the most popular features is read-alikes which suggests titles that are "just like" other titles.
If you’ve just finished a great book, log into NoveList Plus and find great read-alikes for titles, authors and series.
Consider NoveList Plus with its lists of recommended and award-winning books as your one-stop guide to great reading. It covers both fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages from the youngest readers to adults.
It also has extra content like reviews (both professional reviews and reader reviews), book discussion guides, curriculum guides, and other book-oriented articles. Book groups and teachers find these resources especially helpful.
Library usage is a critical component in literacy and educational success, and NoveList Plus provides valuable support. By identifying the right books for every reader, it helps younger readers achieve reading success. Parents, teachers, and students can search by age, reading level, grade, and more.
Audiobook recommendations are a recent addition to NoveList Plus. When you want to find the perfect listening experience – whether that means short books, long books, something for the whole family, or a specific narrator – this service will help you find lots of suggestions. Sound clips are included so you can get a preview.
Ask about NoveList Plus on your next visit to the library. You can find Novelist Plus recommendations right inside the library catalog. Simply search for a book, click on a title, and then scroll down and expand the Novelist tab to find series information, similar book recommendations, and more.
For more information, please call 707-263-8817 or contact any Lake County Library branch.
Lake County Library branches are located at 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, 21256 Washington St. in Middletown and 310 2nd St. in Upper Lake.
The Lake County Library is on the internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.
Jan Cook is a technician with the Lake County Library.
The Lake County Library now offers NoveList Plus, a resource that helps match readers with books that are right for them.
The NoveList Plus database makes recommendations so readers can choose what to read next.
One of the most popular features is read-alikes which suggests titles that are "just like" other titles.
If you’ve just finished a great book, log into NoveList Plus and find great read-alikes for titles, authors and series.
Consider NoveList Plus with its lists of recommended and award-winning books as your one-stop guide to great reading. It covers both fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages from the youngest readers to adults.
It also has extra content like reviews (both professional reviews and reader reviews), book discussion guides, curriculum guides, and other book-oriented articles. Book groups and teachers find these resources especially helpful.
Library usage is a critical component in literacy and educational success, and NoveList Plus provides valuable support. By identifying the right books for every reader, it helps younger readers achieve reading success. Parents, teachers, and students can search by age, reading level, grade, and more.
Audiobook recommendations are a recent addition to NoveList Plus. When you want to find the perfect listening experience – whether that means short books, long books, something for the whole family, or a specific narrator – this service will help you find lots of suggestions. Sound clips are included so you can get a preview.
Ask about NoveList Plus on your next visit to the library. You can find Novelist Plus recommendations right inside the library catalog. Simply search for a book, click on a title, and then scroll down and expand the Novelist tab to find series information, similar book recommendations, and more.
For more information, please call 707-263-8817 or contact any Lake County Library branch.
Lake County Library branches are located at 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, 21256 Washington St. in Middletown and 310 2nd St. in Upper Lake.
The Lake County Library is on the internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.
Jan Cook is a technician with the Lake County Library.