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- Written by: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Astronomers are celebrating NASA's Hubble Space Telescope's 33rd launch anniversary with an ethereal photo of a nearby star-forming region, NGC 1333.
The nebula is in the Perseus molecular cloud, and located approximately 960 light-years away.
Hubble's colorful view, showcased through its unique capability to obtain images from ultraviolet to near-infrared light, unveils an effervescent cauldron of glowing gasses and pitch-black dust stirred up and blown around by several hundred newly forming stars embedded within the dark cloud.
Hubble just scratches the surface because most of the star birthing firestorm is hidden behind clouds of fine dust – essentially soot – that are thicker toward the bottom of the image. The blackness in the image is not empty space, but filled with obscuring dust.
To capture this image, Hubble peered through a veil of dust on the edge of a giant cloud of cold molecular hydrogen – the raw material for fabricating new stars and planets under the relentless pull of gravity. The image underscores the fact that star formation is a messy process in our rambunctious universe.
Ferocious stellar winds, likely from the bright blue star at the top of the image, are blowing through a curtain of dust. The fine dust scatters the starlight at blue wavelengths.
Farther down, another bright, super-hot star shines through filaments of obscuring dust, looking like the Sun shining through scattered clouds. A diagonal string of fainter accompanying stars looks reddish because dust is filtering starlight, allowing more of the red light to get through.
The bottom of the picture presents a keyhole peek deep into the dark nebula. Hubble captures the reddish glow of ionized hydrogen. It looks like a fireworks finale, with several overlapping events. This is caused by pencil-thin jets shooting out from newly forming stars outside the frame of view.
These stars are surrounded by circumstellar disks, which may eventually produce planetary systems, and powerful magnetic fields that direct two parallel beams of hot gas deep into space, like a double light saber from science fiction films. They sculpt patterns on the hydrogen cocoon, like laser-light-show tracings. The jets are a star's birth announcement.
This view offers an example of the time when our Sun and planets formed inside such a dusty molecular cloud, 4.6 billion years ago. Our Sun didn't form in isolation but was instead embedded inside a mosh pit of frantic stellar birth, perhaps even more energetic and massive than NGC 1333.
Hubble was deployed into orbit around Earth on April 25, 1990, by NASA astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. To date, the legendary telescope has taken approximately 1.6 million observations of nearly 52,000 celestial targets. This treasure trove of knowledge about the universe is stored for public access in the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes, at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble and Webb science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday joined with community members in honoring Clear Lake High School’s varsity football team for an incredible season that led them all the way to the state finals.
The Cardinals squad members were the 2022-23 Coastal Mountain League champions — the last time they won a league title was in 2008 — as well as the 2022-23 North Coast Section champions. This was the second section title for the team, the first being in 1998.
The team’s overall record was 12-2, with a 7-1 league record.
They also made school history by playing a record 14 games and winning 12 of them.
The team made it all the way to the state championship against the Orland Trojans, played on the Trojans’ home turf in December. Ultimately, the Trojans defeated the Cardinals, giving them one of only two losses for the year.
In honor of the Cardinal varsity football team’s brilliant season, the school, parents and other community members pitched in to raise the nearly $9,000 to give each of the team members a section championship ring, said Head Coach Mark Cory.
The city also presented the team with a certificate of achievement.
The council chambers and the lobby were filled with people who came to support the team.
Mayor Stacey Mattina read the names of the players as Cory presented them with their big square section rings.
Team members are:
• Jake Soderquist, quarterback.
• AJ Bruch, quarterback.
• Graden Greer, defensive back/wide receiver/quarterback.
• Hank “Kenny” Ollenberger, running back/linebacker.
• Ayden Williamson, wide receiver/strong safety.
• Jadin Vestal, wide receiver/defensive back.
• Peyton Portlock, linebacker.
• Jesse Hayes, wide receiver/strong safety.
• Issac Hassberg, wide receiver/defensive back.
• Saul Reyes, wide receiver/free safety.
• Kaden Graham, tight end.
• Cody Hayes, tight end/linebacker.
• Liam Orr, wide receiver/defensive back.
• Colton Mendonca, offensive line/defensive line.
• Fabian Moreno, offensive line/linebacker.
• Axel Alvarez, offensive line/defensive line.
• Tony Gersalia, offensive line/defensive end.
• Wade Wittman Jr., linebacker.
• Pedro Sloan, offensive line/defensive end.
• Ethan Masterson, offensive line/defensive line.
• Carson Wikstrom, offensive line/linebacker.
• Diego Brewster-Ramirez, offensive line/defensive end.
• Bobby Bruhn, offensive line/defensive line.
• Michael Frease, offensive line/defensive line.
• Jace Beard, wide receiver/defensive back.
Cory’s coaching staff includes defensive coordinator Shady Cerezo and assistant coaches Billy Roberson, Augie Perez, Adrian Perez and Garrett Harwood, and filmer Hannah Garrity. They honor the late Rob “Rummy” Rumfelt as their “forever” coach.
Cory thanked the city for putting together the presentation to the players. “I appreciate it,” he said, adding that the players will remember it.
He also thanked the parents and community members who helped pay for the rings. “Luckily, we have a very supportive community.”
Cory presented a ring to Brian Sumpter, the Record-Bee’s longtime sports editor, for his coverage of this season.
The team is hoping to have another great season later this year, and Cory said they have a pretty good chance. “Let’s go back to back.”
Team member Michael Frease thanked all the coaches, who helped them when they were struggling.
“We had a lot of ups and downs, but Cardinals — we never break, we just keep pushing,” Frease said.
He also thanked the offensive line for their work in the trenches, and offered a big thanks to the parents for showing up and supporting the team.
“Congratulations. We’re really proud of you,” said Mattina.
The council then rose to join the audience in giving the team a standing ovation.
It also was reported this week that three of the seniors on the team, including Frease, will be playing football at the college level.
Frease has signed to play at College of the Redwoods, where he will major in business.
His teammates Anthony Gersalia and Pedro Sloan have signed to play with the Yuba College 49ers next season.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Rickelman will manage the creation of a countywide Economic Development Strategic Plan, support Lake County businesses, and work with partners throughout Lake County and the region to grow, diversify and bring greater resiliency to the local economy.
He has a decade of economic development experience, including work with the city of San Antonio, Montgomery County, Maryland, and the NoMa Business Improvement District in Washington DC.
In San Antonio, Rickelman focused on several targeted industries, which encompassed recruitment, retention/expansion and workforce development.
He managed prospects and incentives for the city of San Antonio with successful projects including the Navistar manufacturing plant and technology center, Scorpion Biological Services’ manufacturing and research facility, and the DeLorean headquarters.
He collaborated frequently with local universities, research institutes, the military and local public-private partnerships on capital attraction, business development, entrepreneurial support systems, federal funding opportunities, strategic planning initiatives and place-based economic development.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, Rickelman supported the assistant chief administrative officer, who was head of economic development for the county. He managed county relationships with industry and workforce development public-private partnerships, Opportunity Zones advocacy, and approval of an enterprise zone designed to drive private sector investment and entrepreneurship at a college campus.
At the NoMa Business Improvement District, he supported neighborhood based strategic planning, marketing, infrastructure projects and placemaking initiatives in an area transitioning rapidly from post-industrial to a mixed-use, 18 hour neighborhood.
Rickelman holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the George Washington University and is a Certified Economic Developer.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — More dogs are being adopted at Clearlake Animal Control, according to a report at the Clearlake City Council meeting on Thursday evening.
Clearlake Police Lt. Ryan Peterson, who oversees the shelter, reported that from Jan. 1 to April 20, 107 dogs have come in.
Of those, 30 were transferred to rescues, 33 returned to owners, 15 were adopted and none were euthanized, for a 100% live release rate, Peterson said.
Peterson said that, currently, there are 62 dogs at the shelter, down from 80 when he had last reported to the council in March. “So they are making progress on lowering the numbers.”
In response to issues with conditions at the shelter, run by North Bay Animal Services in contract with the city, City Manager Alan Flora made several directives about actions that needed to be taken.
In addition, Peterson was assigned the task of conducting an investigation into the matter.
This week, there are 26 dogs listed as available for adoption on the shelter website.
They include “Mikey,” a pit bull terrier mix, and “Josie,” a 3-year-old Labrador retriever mix.
The shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call the shelter at 707-762-6227, email
This week’s adoptable dogs are featured below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at