livescience--2020-12-20--Our galaxy's supermassive black hole is closer to Earth than we thought

The supermassive black hole hiding in the center of our galaxy is much closer to Earth , about 2,000 light-years closer , than scientists thought , according to new research out of Japan .
Not only that but our is moving faster than thought as it orbits this galactic center .
All this does n't mean you need to worry that Earth is zooming toward the central behemoth or that we will get sucked up by the gravity monster , the researchers noted .
We are still quite a ways from the black hole , dubbed Sagittarius A* ( Sgr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one light-year is about 6 trillion miles ( 9.5 trillion kilometers ) .
The study is part of the VERA Experiment , or the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry , whose aim is to explore the three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way .
Since we live within the Milky Way , scientists ca n't just take a snapshot of it to figure out its structure .
Instead , they take precise measurements of stars ' sizes , positions and orbital velocities — how fast they circle the galactic center — in a scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can shed light on details of our Milky Way , the stars in it and possibly the universe .
Researchers can now “ measure distances of stars located farther and 30,000 light-years from our solar system , ” said Tomoya Hirota , a professor in the Department of Astronomy at SOKENDAI and the leader of the data analysis team in VERA .
How do you measure the distance to a black hole as monstrous as Sgr A* , weighing in at 4.2 million times the mass of the sun ?
Very precisely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ VERA used four Very Long Baseline Interferometry ( VLBI ) telescopes in Japan .
These observatories work together to achieve results comparable to one telescope with a diameter about 1,400 miles ( 2,300 km ) across .
The resolution is so sharp that when compared to human eyesight , it would be like seeing a penny on the surface of the moon .
However , VERA is designed to see things that are much farther away than the moon .
For instance , VERA can distinguish the annual positional shift of a star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angle 1/360,000,000 of the distance between two tick marks on a protractor .
Using the four telescopes , researchers were able to measure the accurate positions , sizes and orbital velocities of Milky Way stars .
VERA published a catalog of 99 Milky Way objects .
From the catalogued information , they constructed a position and velocity map .
This map helped them project orbits around the galactic center and , in turn , hone-in on its location .
With this new location , they figured out the more accurate velocity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reveal our location within the Milky Way and to determine the three-dimensional velocity and spatial structure of the galaxy , which is a barred spiral .
They found that Sagittarius A* is 2,000 light-years closer to Earth than the International Astronomical Union ( IAU ) determined in .
Furthermore , our solar system is traveling 510,000 mph ( 227 km/s ) , which is faster than the earlier , official , recorded speed .
VERA ’ s measurements are thought to be more accurate than past ones because the group used more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth ’ s atmosphere blurred earlier measurements .
The new finding also agrees with a distance measurement reported in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics in 2019 , which put Earth around 26,660 light-years from Sgr .
A* , Nicholas Suntzeff , distinguished professor and director of the astronomy program at Texas A & M University , told Live Science .
As such , Suntzeff wondered why the team compared their results primarily with the 1985 data rather than this more recent measurement in an experiment called GRAVITY , which involves the GRAVITY instrument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( ESO ) Very Large Telescope ( VLT ) in northern Chile .
Hirota agreed that VERA findings should be compared to GRAVITY .
`` An important point is that we estimate the same parameters independently from the GRAVITY results by using a different method . ''
The new findings have implications for solving some of the most enduring mysteries in astronomy .
“ These results can be used to estimate other astronomical parameters such as the distribution of dark matter and its density around the solar system , and could even help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypothetical dark matter particles , if they exist , ” said Hirota , whose group has been working to improve astrometry techniques and accuracy for more than 15 years .
Many dark matter searches rely on a “ wind ” of dark matter blowing through the solar system .
It is thought that some of the dark matter will interact with Earth-based detectors .
Faster dark matter will make larger signals .
If the VERA experiment is correct , and the solar system is moving more quickly , it is possible that dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists currently think .
In their next collaboration , the VERA researchers will look at objects even closer to the heart of the Milky Way .
With each measurement , we will better know our place in the universe .

The European Southern Observatory’s GRAVITY instrument revealed clumps of gas swirling around just outside the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. Here, a visualization of that orbiting gas.
The supermassive black hole hiding in the center of our galaxy is much closer to Earth, about 2,000 light-years closer, than scientists thought, according to new research out of Japan.
Not only that but our solar system is moving faster than thought as it orbits this galactic center.
All this doesn't mean you need to worry that Earth is zooming toward the central behemoth or that we will get sucked up by the gravity monster, the researchers noted. We are still quite a ways from the black hole, dubbed Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*): 25,800 light-years, where one light-year is about 6 trillion miles (9.5 trillion kilometers).
Related: The biggest black hole findings
The study is part of the VERA Experiment, or the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry, whose aim is to explore the three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way. Since we live within the Milky Way, scientists can't just take a snapshot of it to figure out its structure. Instead, they take precise measurements of stars' sizes, positions and orbital velocities — how fast they circle the galactic center — in a scientific field called astrometry. The resulting maps can shed light on details of our Milky Way, the stars in it and possibly the universe.
Researchers can now “measure distances of stars located farther and 30,000 light-years from our solar system,” said Tomoya Hirota, a professor in the Department of Astronomy at SOKENDAI and the leader of the data analysis team in VERA.
Measuring a monster
How do you measure the distance to a black hole as monstrous as Sgr A*, weighing in at 4.2 million times the mass of the sun? Very precisely.
To do this, the researchers with VERA used four Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) telescopes in Japan. These observatories work together to achieve results comparable to one telescope with a diameter about 1,400 miles (2,300 km) across. The resolution is so sharp that when compared to human eyesight, it would be like seeing a penny on the surface of the moon. However, VERA is designed to see things that are much farther away than the moon. For instance, VERA can distinguish the annual positional shift of a star within 10 micro-arcseconds, which is an angle 1/360,000,000 of the distance between two tick marks on a protractor.
Using the four telescopes, researchers were able to measure the accurate positions, sizes and orbital velocities of Milky Way stars. VERA published a catalog of 99 Milky Way objects. From the catalogued information, they constructed a position and velocity map. This map helped them project orbits around the galactic center and, in turn, hone-in on its location. With this new location, they figured out the more accurate velocity of the solar system.
They used this information to reveal our location within the Milky Way and to determine the three-dimensional velocity and spatial structure of the galaxy, which is a barred spiral.
They found that Sagittarius A* is 2,000 light-years closer to Earth than the International Astronomical Union (IAU) determined in 1985 . Furthermore, our solar system is traveling 510,000 mph (227 km/s),which is faster than the earlier, official, recorded speed. VERA’s measurements are thought to be more accurate than past ones because the group used more advanced technology and corrected for how the Earth’s atmosphere blurred earlier measurements.
The new finding also agrees with a distance measurement reported in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics in 2019, which put Earth around 26,660 light-years from Sgr. A*, Nicholas Suntzeff, distinguished professor and director of the astronomy program at Texas A&M University, told Live Science. As such, Suntzeff wondered why the team compared their results primarily with the 1985 data rather than this more recent measurement in an experiment called GRAVITY, which involves the GRAVITY instrument attached to the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in northern Chile.
Hirota agreed that VERA findings should be compared to GRAVITY. "An important point is that we estimate the same parameters independently from the GRAVITY results by using a different method."
The new findings have implications for solving some of the most enduring mysteries in astronomy.
“These results can be used to estimate other astronomical parameters such as the distribution of dark matter and its density around the solar system, and could even help scientists predict how often we should see hypothetical dark matter particles, if they exist,” said Hirota, whose group has been working to improve astrometry techniques and accuracy for more than 15 years. Many dark matter searches rely on a “wind” of dark matter blowing through the solar system. It is thought that some of the dark matter will interact with Earth-based detectors. Faster dark matter will make larger signals. If the VERA experiment is correct, and the solar system is moving more quickly, it is possible that dark matter might be easier to detect than scientists currently think.
In their next collaboration, the VERA researchers will look at objects even closer to the heart of the Milky Way. With each measurement, we will better know our place in the universe.


livescience--2020-12-21--Coronavirus outbreak: Live Updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live Updates

London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible , London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown , according to The New York Times .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday ( Dec. 19 ) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70 % more transmissible than previous versions , according to the Times .
The new version of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries , according to the Times .
But it 's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made , scientists cautioned .
In South Africa , a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90 % of new cases detected since mid-November , according to The Times .
It 's common for viruses to mutate , and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the pandemic .
But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective .
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S .
There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU .
California is facing a massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday ( Dec. 17 ) , according to the state 's .
By comparison , at the start of November , California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases , compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday , .
`` We 're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge , '' Dr. Barbara Ferrer , Los Angeles County Public Health Director said , according to CNN .
Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state ; there are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the dashboard .
Current closures across California are impacting around 98 % of the state 's population , according to CNN .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna 's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday ( Dec. 18 ) .
Once authorized , it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week , with Pfizer 's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11 .
Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first deliveries arriving Monday ( Dec. 21 ) , according to .
Unlike the Pfizer vaccine , Moderna 's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures , and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers , the Times reported .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California , once praised for its early pandemic response , is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections .
The state has reported an alarming surge in cases , breaking previous records for daily cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours , and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours , according to .
That 's more than the daily cases reported in many countries , including India , Germany and Britain , the Post reported .
The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday , with 379 fatalities reported , up from the previous high of 293 .
Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically , with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our hospitals are under siege , and our model shows no end in sight , '' said Christina Ghaly , director of Los Angeles County 's Department of Health Services , the Post reported .
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna 's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday ( Dec. 17 ) , a Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna ’ s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval , according to The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of independent experts , will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company , FDA scientists and the public , according to The Times .
Last week , the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization ; the authorization came the next day .
There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths , according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard .
There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus , it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first `` free-ranging , native wild animal '' confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 , according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) , Live Science reported .
The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus spread to other minks or wild animals ; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals , it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans , according to the report .
`` If it does [ establish a reservoir ] , then we 've got a long-term issue here , where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia , '' Sarah Olson , associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Agriculture 's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah , Michigan and Wisconsin , but all of them have tested negative so far , according to a statement .
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test , which can be done at home and does not need a prescription .
The test , made by the Australia-based company Ellume , provides results in as little as 20 minutes , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flow antigen test , '' meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test , by running a `` liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules , '' the FDA said .
The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app .
Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer , which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth .
The results are delivered through the app , and also reported to public health authorities ( based on a user 's zip code ) through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ramping up production of its test , and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021 , and 20 million within the first half of 2021 .
FDA analysis confirms Moderna 's vaccine is safe and effective , emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new from the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) released on Tuesday ( Dec. 15 ) confirmed that Moderna 's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective , .
Moderna 's COVID-19 vaccine is 94 % effective and has `` a favorable safety profile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday ( Dec. 17 ) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine .
Last week , the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine ; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday ( Dec. 15 ) .
The FDA will likely approve Moderna 's vaccine for emergency use on Friday ( Dec. 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York , the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic , just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials , kicking off a long , massive effort to vaccinate the American people , Live Science reported .
Around 9 a.m. E.T .
on Monday ( Dec. 14 ) , the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech 's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens , New York , according to The New York Times .
This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
Since the start of the pandemic , New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths , according to The Times .
`` This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a live broadcast of the first vaccination .
`` It 's the beginning of the last chapter of the book , but now we just have to do it . ''
An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests .
On Friday ( Dec. 11 ) , Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine , which was being developed by The University of Queensland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , according to .
In an early trial with 216 participants , the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19 , according to a .
But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV , which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine , the Times reported .
The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein , which helped stabilize the vaccine .
Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments , and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection , because it contains harmless fragments of the virus .
Vaccine approval could come this weekend , as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths , a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths , .
“ Probably for the next 60 to 90 days , we ’ re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Redfield , the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday , according to Reuters .
`` The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that , I think , to any degree for the next 60 days . ''
On Thursday , the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed , voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer 's coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been approved in the U.K. and in Canada , and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend .
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high , surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) , the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths , the highest daily death toll to date , .
In comparison , 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks .
The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus , according to The COVID Tracking Project .
A from the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2 , according to CNN .
There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S. ; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
On Thursday ( Dec. 10 ) , the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine .
Canada has authorized Pfizer 's new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be administered there as early as next week .
Health Canada , the country 's health regulatory agency , said in a statement on Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) that it had determined that the vaccine `` meets the Department 's stringent safety , efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada , '' according to .
`` We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [ Dec. 14 ] .
It takes time to prepare the vaccine , '' said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin , the top military general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Agency of Canada , according to CTV News .
The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week , he said .
Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine , following the United Kingdom and Bahrain .
The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December , and has purchased 20 million doses total , with the option to purchase more , CTV News reported .
The U.K. 's Regulatory Agency is advising people with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine , after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) , Live Science reported .
`` As is common with new vaccines the MHRA ( Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday , '' Stephen Powis , the national medical director for England 's National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday ( Dec. 9 ) .
Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors ( such as EpiPens ) around with them , according to The Guardian .
Shortly after receiving the vaccine , both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms , or severe allergic reactions , but have recovered after receiving treatment .
The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation , according to Reuters .
`` Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines , and perhaps even more frequently with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Stephen Evans , a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain 's Science Media Center .
“ What would be wise , as the MHRA have already advised , would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen , to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified , '' he said .
For the general population this does not mean that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccination , he added .
`` One has to remember that even things like marmite [ a quintessential British food spread ] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.
” 90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine , FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman ( who will turn 91 next week ) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer 's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials , according to the BBC .
Margaret Keenan , who is originally from Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University Hospital in Coventry , England .
She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks , according to the BBC .
`` I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19 , '' Keenan said , according to the BBC .
`` It 's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it .
If I can have it at 90 , then you can have it too , '' she added .
Up to four million doses of Pfizer 's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month .
Meanwhile , a 53-page Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) review published Tuesday ( Dec. 8 ) confirmed that Pfizer 's vaccine is safe and effective , according to The Washington Post .

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-12-21--Gargantuan chunk of 'cosmic web' discovered. It's 50 million light-years long.

The map of our universe looks astonishingly like a road map of the United States .
Big , bustling clusters of galaxies swell like brightly lit cities , while long , sparse highways of gas connect them in a giant molecular web .
Beyond this web : dark , empty space .
( Nowhere worth stopping for a selfie , anyway . )
Astronomers believe this is a vestige of the early universe , when big clouds of gas grew denser and denser as their gravity drew more and more matter toward them .
Today , these galaxy clusters are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , each one containing hundreds or thousands of individual galaxies and billions of stars .
Those clusters are easy enough to see with good telescopes ; but the long , wispy roads — or `` filaments '' — between them , however , are much harder to detect .
Now , using a powerful telescope , astronomers believe they 've taken one of the clearest images of a filament ever — or at least one of the longest .
Related : The 12 strangest objects in the universe In a study published Dec. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an object called A3391/95 — a group of three galaxy clusters sitting some 700 million from Earth .
Using the eROSITA X-ray telescope , the team not only saw the three individual clusters , but also the enormous gas filament connecting them .
According to the team 's calculations , this filament stretches more than 50 million light-years across — the single largest ever captured in an image .
This finding is exciting , as filaments are thought to contain an enormous proportion of the universe ’ s missing baryonic matter ( that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and neutrons ) .
`` According to calculations , more than half of all baryonic matter in our universe is contained in these filaments , '' study author Thomas Reiprich , an astronomer at the University of Bonn in Germany , .
Astronomers have calculated that all the galaxies in the cosmos only account for about 40 % of the universe ’ s baryonic matter .
The remainder is thought to reside inside the filaments between galaxy clusters , although proving that with concrete evidence is difficult ; the gas inside these filaments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particles per cubic meter , according to the researchers ) that imaging them has been near-impossible .
With those filaments finally showing up in X-ray images of distant galaxy clusters , astronomers may finally be able to study their wispy depths and find out if they really do contain the universe ’ s missing matter .

This optical image of the Abell 3391/95 system is superimposed onto other images showing the density of gas (darker areas have higher density) and the radio outlines (yellow).
The map of our universe looks astonishingly like a road map of the United States. Big, bustling clusters of galaxies swell like brightly lit cities, while long, sparse highways of gas connect them in a giant molecular web. Beyond this web: dark, empty space. (Nowhere worth stopping for a selfie, anyway.)
Astronomers believe this cosmic web is a vestige of the early universe, when big clouds of gas grew denser and denser as their gravity drew more and more matter toward them. Today, these galaxy clusters are the largest known structures in the universe, each one containing hundreds or thousands of individual galaxies and billions of stars.
Those clusters are easy enough to see with good telescopes; but the long, wispy roads — or "filaments" — between them, however, are much harder to detect. Now, using a powerful X-ray telescope, astronomers believe they've taken one of the clearest images of a filament ever — or at least one of the longest.
Related: The 12 strangest objects in the universe
In a study published Dec. 4 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics , researchers studied an object called A3391/95 — a group of three galaxy clusters sitting some 700 million light-years from Earth. Using the eROSITA X-ray telescope, the team not only saw the three individual clusters, but also the enormous gas filament connecting them. According to the team's calculations, this filament stretches more than 50 million light-years across — the single largest ever captured in an image.
This finding is exciting, as filaments are thought to contain an enormous proportion of the universe’s missing baryonic matter (that is, matter made up of protons and neutrons).
"According to calculations, more than half of all baryonic matter in our universe is contained in these filaments," study author Thomas Reiprich, an astronomer at the University of Bonn in Germany, said in a statement .
Astronomers have calculated that all the galaxies in the cosmos only account for about 40% of the universe’s baryonic matter. The remainder is thought to reside inside the filaments between galaxy clusters, although proving that with concrete evidence is difficult; the gas inside these filaments is so diluted (less than 10 particles per cubic meter, according to the researchers) that imaging them has been near-impossible.
With those filaments finally showing up in X-ray images of distant galaxy clusters, astronomers may finally be able to study their wispy depths and find out if they really do contain the universe’s missing matter.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-21--How to watch tonight's 'great conjunction' of Jupiter and Saturn

This evening , on the first day of astronomical winter , you may be able to see a rare phenomenon witnessed when the famous astronomer was alive : Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close to one another in the night sky , the gassy behemoths will look like one star : the Christmas star .
Called the great conjunction , the seemingly snuggled-up planets will appear just a tenth of a degree apart , or about one-fifth the diameter of a full moon .
While the great conjunction occurs every 20 years , the planets have n't been this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 1623 , or 397 years ago , .
And the last time the planets were this close to each other at night , when the sun 's glare did n't make it impossible to see , was in 1223 — nearly 800 years ago !
Related : Cassini 's greatest hits : Best photos of Saturn and its moons How can you catch the great conjunction ?
Shortly after sunset , in the Northern Hemisphere , look into the southwestern sky and you should see the duo shining brightly .
Hold your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you spot the spot and that should be enough to block out Jupiter and Saturn , which are 11 and nine times the diameter of Earth , respectively .
The great conjunction should also be visible from the Southern Hemisphere , just in the western sky .
Jupiter , being the solar system 's largest planet , will be the brighter of the two .
Wherever you are on Earth , the great conjunction will occur near the horizon .
If you get out your skywatching binoculars or a telescope , the duo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of view , Live Science reported .
Though you should be able to see the heavenly sight for the rest of December , the two planets will be outshined by the sun come January .
As for why they generally have such a long-distance relationship , Jupiter and Saturn take very different treks around the sun .
Saturn 's orbit much longer , taking 30 years for a full orbit compared with Jupiter 's 12 .
And they also have very different tilts during their travels .
Whereas Jupiter has an axial tilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explaining why the giant has no seasons ) , Saturn leans over a whopping 27 degrees , according to NASA .
So from Earth 's perspective , the two rarely appear so close to one another .
`` You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack , with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium , '' Henry Throop , astronomer in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington , D.C. , said in a NASA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we 'll be able to see Jupiter on the inside lane , approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21 . ''
If you miss tonight 's event , you 'll have to wait another 20 years .
The next great conjunctions will occur on Nov. 2 , 2040 and April 7 , 2060 , timeanddate.com reported .
But the show will be a little less impressive , as the planets will appear 11 times farther apart , or a 1.1-degree separation , compared with tonight 's great conjunction @

This evening, on the first day of astronomical winter, you may be able to see a rare phenomenon witnessed when the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei was alive: Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close to one another in the night sky, the gassy behemoths will look like one star: the Christmas star.
Called the great conjunction, the seemingly snuggled-up planets will appear just a tenth of a degree apart, or about one-fifth the diameter of a full moon. While the great conjunction occurs every 20 years, the planets haven't been this close to each other since July 16, 1623, or 397 years ago, according to timeanddate.com . And the last time the planets were this close to each other at night, when the sun's glare didn't make it impossible to see, was in 1223 — nearly 800 years ago!
Related: Cassini's greatest hits: Best photos of Saturn and its moons
How can you catch the great conjunction? Shortly after sunset, in the Northern Hemisphere, look into the southwestern sky and you should see the duo shining brightly. Hold your pinkie finger at arm's length once you spot the spot and that should be enough to block out Jupiter and Saturn, which are 11 and nine times the diameter of Earth, respectively. The great conjunction should also be visible from the Southern Hemisphere, just in the western sky. Jupiter, being the solar system's largest planet, will be the brighter of the two.
Wherever you are on Earth, the great conjunction will occur near the horizon. If you get out your skywatching binoculars or a telescope, the duo will show up in the same field of view, Live Science reported. Though you should be able to see the heavenly sight for the rest of December, the two planets will be outshined by the sun come January.
Live webcasts of the great conjunction
If you can't get outside to view the conjunction or your skies are cloudy, Space.com put together a list of webcasts so you don't miss out:
—The online observatory Slooh begin their webcast at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT). You can watch the event on Slooh's YouTube channel.
—Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, will also host a webcast: The event will include commentary from astronomers and educators as well as evening telescope views at the Lowell Observatory website or on their YouTube channel starting at 7 p.m. EST (0000 GMT on Dec. 22).
—The great conjunction webcast by Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory at Vanderbilt University in Brentwood, Tennessee, is hosted by Billy Teets, acting director and outreach astronomer at the observatory. The webcast will start at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) on the observatory's YouTube channel.
—The online observatory Virtual Telescope Project will webcast the great conjunction from Ceccano, Italy, beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT). You can watch the event on the website of the Virtual Telescope Project.
In this close-up illustration, Jupiter and Saturn appear quite cozy when seen with binoculars. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Planets' long-distance relationship
As for why they generally have such a long-distance relationship, Jupiter and Saturn take very different treks around the sun. Saturn's orbit much longer, taking 30 years for a full orbit compared with Jupiter's 12. And they also have very different tilts during their travels. Whereas Jupiter has an axial tilt of a mere 3 degrees (also explaining why the giant has no seasons), Saturn leans over a whopping 27 degrees, according to NASA. So from Earth's perspective, the two rarely appear so close to one another.
"You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium," Henry Throop, astronomer in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a NASA statement. "From our vantage point, we'll be able to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21."
If you miss tonight's event, you'll have to wait another 20 years. The next great conjunctions will occur on Nov. 2, 2040 and April 7, 2060, timeanddate.com reported. But the show will be a little less impressive, as the planets will appear 11 times farther apart, or a 1.1-degree separation, compared with tonight's great conjunction.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-21--Here's the science of the winter solstice

For many of us on Earth this year , celebrating the first day of winter , astronomically speaking , is more than a yearning for snow-covered landscapes and sips of hot chocolate — It also means we 're closer than ever to the end of the year … and the beginning of a new one !
But the winter solstice is an astronomical marvel in its own right .
Today , the Northern Hemisphere experiences the fewest hours of daylight for the year all because of our blue marble 's tilt as it treks around the sun .
This year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it ’ s the day that Jupiter and Saturn will appear to almost touch in an event called the great conjunction .
Although the solstice gets an entire day of recognition , it happens in an instant : At 5:02 a.m. EST ( 10:02 a.m. GMT ) on Monday ( Dec. 21 ) , when the North Pole is at its farthest tilt of 23.5 degrees away from the sun .
This position leaves the North Pole beyond the sun 's reach , and plunges it into total darkness , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sun will shine directly overhead at Noon at exactly 23.5 degrees south of the equator , along the imaginary latitude line known as the Tropic of Capricorn , which runs through Australia , Chile , southern Brazil and northern South Africa .
This is when when the sun appears to be at its southernmost point in the sky ; as such , the Southern Hemisphere has its longest day of the year , and the Northern Hemisphere has its shortest day of the year , on the December solstice , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solstice , the sun will also reach its southernmost point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere .
After that moment , the sun will stop moving southward and will begin its trek northward in the sky — hence the name `` solstice , '' which means `` sun stands still '' in Latin , according to NASA .
After the winter solstice , the days will begin to get longer in the Northern Hemisphere .
But that does n't mean temperatures will increase immediately .
Rather , northern midlatitudes will experience the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get about 9 hours of daylight in the weeks following the solstice , compared with the roughly 15 hours of daily sunlight they get around the summer solstice , Live Science previously reported .
In addition , the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun , making it colder .
In addition , even as the days get longer , the oceans , which moderate temperatures on land , need a vast amount of energy from the sun to heat up .
Countless cultures have recognized the winter solstice .
The most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the sun sets on the shortest day of the year , the sun 's rays align with Stonehenge 's central Altar stone and Slaughter stone , which may have had spiritual significance to the people who built the monument , Live Science reported in 2013 .
Across the world in Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula , the ancient stonewalled Mayan city of Tulum also has a structure honoring the solstices .
When the sun rises on the winter and summer solstices , its rays shine through a small hole at the top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creates a starburst effect .
Editor 's note : This article was originally published Dec. 21 , 2017 .
It was updated on Dec. 21 , 2020 .

The winter solstice heralds the astronomical start of winter and marks the day with the fewest hours of daylight for the year. But what's the science behind the shortest day and longest night?
The winter solstice — and for that matter, the four seasons — occur because Earth is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to the sun. Instead of rotating on a straight axis, our planet is "tipped a bit," said Michael S. F. Kirk , a research astrophysicist in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
This tilt means the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive different amounts of sunlight, and the amount of light each hemisphere gets varies throughout the year as our planet moves around the sun — which is why we experience seasons. Much of the Northern Hemisphere receives scant daylight during its wintertime months, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite — enjoying summer during the Northern Hemisphere's winter and enduring winter just as the Northern Hemisphere basks in summertime.
But although the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice gets an entire day of recognition, it happens in an instant, when the North Pole is at its farthest tilt of 23.5 degrees away from the sun . This position leaves the North Pole beyond the sun's reach, plunging it into total darkness, Kirk said.
In 2022, the winter solstice happens at 4:48 p.m. EST (21:48 UTC) on Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. In 2023, it will take place at 10:27 p.m. on Dec. 21 EST in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the Southern Hemisphere, this moment will mark the summer solstice, or the day this year with the greatest number of daylight hours, as the South Pole will be tilted toward the sun and have more sunny exposure. "The [northern] winter solstice is when the North Pole is entirely shrouded in darkness; the South Pole is entirely bright — it's the opposite down there, it's summer," Kirk told Live Science.
Our planet has four seasons that start and end on the solstices and equinoxes, due to the Earth's tilt relative to the sun. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
What happens to the sun on the winter solstice?
On the December winter solstice, there are fewer hours of sunlight the farther north you go in the Northern Hemisphere. People in this hemisphere might notice that the sun is not that high in the sky, even at noon.
On the equinox — the two days of the year when both hemispheres experience the same amount of daylight and nighttime — the sun appears directly overhead, at 90 degrees above the equator at noon. But on the northern winter solstice, the noon sun appears directly overhead at a lower latitude: the Tropic of Capricorn, which sits about 23.5 degrees south of the equator and runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil and northern South Africa. The Tropic of Capricorn is the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon, according to the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System , a project based at the University of Hawaii.
Because the sun reaches its zenith at noon at such a southerly latitude, at higher northern latitudes, the sun "just barely comes up over the horizon and goes back down again," Kirk said.
On the winter solstice, the sun appears low in the sky at noon. In contrast, the noon sun will appear high in the sky on the summer solstice. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
Each year, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere falls on one of two days: Dec. 21 or Dec. 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice happens on June 20 or June 21.
The date varies because the Gregorian calendar has 365 days, with an extra leap day added in February every four years. In reality, Earth's orbit around the sun takes 365.25 days, NASA reported . Due to this discrepancy, the winter solstice doesn't always occur on the same day.
Earth's distance from the sun
Some parts of the Northern Hemisphere get so cold during the wintertime, you might think that Earth is farther from the sun at this time. "Actually, it's the exact opposite," Kirk said. "In the Northern Hemisphere, winter happens when we're closest to the sun."
On average, Earth is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from the sun, according to NASA . Earth will be closest to the sun, or at perihelion, at 11:17 am EST on Jan. 4, 2023, when it will be 91,403,034 miles (147,098,924 km) from the sun, according to Almanac .
Earth will be at its farthest from the sun, or at aphelion, at 4:06 pm EDT on July 6, 2023 when it will be 94,506,364 miles (152,093,250 km) away from our star.
How long is winter?
Astronomically, or according to the solstices and equinoxes, winter begins on the winter solstice and ends on the spring equinox. So, winter in the Northern Hemisphere lasts from Dec. 21 or 22 until March 19, 20 or 21. Because Earth has an oval, or elliptical orbit, the seasons aren't the same length; winter lasts an average of 89 days in the Northern Hemisphere and an average of 93.6 days in the Southern Hemisphere, according to timeanddate.com .
Meteorologically speaking (looking at the climate), in the U.S. winter lasts from Dec. 1 through Feb. 28 or 29, which are usually cold months in much of the country, according to Weather Underground . Using this definition, winter lasts 89 or 90 days.
What does solstice mean?
A few days before and after the solstice, the sun's trek across the sky looks so similar, it appears like it's taking the same path every day — hence the name "solstice," which means "sun stands still" in Latin, according to NASA . That's not really the case; the sun's path is slightly different on these days, but it can be hard to notice without modern instruments.
Why isn't the winter solstice the coldest day?
If there's such little sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter solstice, why isn't it the coldest day of the year?
"The most intuitive way [to understand it] is that it takes time for everything to cool off," Kirk said. "The sun is getting less radiation, less heat down on the Earth. It takes a long time for the Earth and the oceans to radiate all that energy out and cool off from all of that lack of sunlight."
Once the land and the oceans cool off, it can take weeks or months for them to heat up again. After the winter solstice, the days begin to get longer in the Northern Hemisphere. But the sun still doesn't shine as long as it does in summertime; for instance, northern midlatitudes experience about 9 hours of daylight in the weeks following the solstice, compared with the roughly 15 hours of daily sunlight they get around the summer solstice. In addition, the Northern Hemisphere is still tilted away from the sun, making it chilly.
When is the winter solstice?
Swipe to scroll horizontally Year Northern Hemisphere winter solstice Southern Hemisphere winter solstice 2022 4:48 pm EST, Dec. 21 June 21 2023 10:27 pm EST Dec. 21 June 21 2024 4:19 am EST Dec. 21 June 20
Winter solstice celebrations
Many cultures have recognized the winter solstice. The most famous prehistoric site that ties in with the solstice is at Stonehenge in England. When the sun sets on the shortest day of the year, the sun's rays align with Stonehenge's central Altar stone and Slaughter stone, which may have had spiritual significance to the people who built the monument.
In Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the ancient stonewalled Mayan city of Tulum also has a structure honoring the solstices. When the sun rises on the winter and summer solstices, its rays shine through a small hole at the top of one of the stone buildings, which creates a starburst effect.
"I think there's a deep connection between our lives as humans and the amount of daylight and the seasonal patterns that we experience," Kirk said.


livescience--2020-12-21--What was the Star of Bethlehem?

What was the Star of Bethlehem?

As the well-known story in the Gospel of Matthew goes , three Magi , or wise men , followed the Star of Bethlehem to Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago .
And after consulting with King Herod of Judea , the men found newborn baby Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem .
Whether such an event really happened in history is difficult to prove , but if it did , what was the Star of Bethlehem ?
This is a question scholars have long pondered , not just from a religious or historical perspective , but from a scientific one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been proposed , from an astronomical event to an astrological horoscope , but thanks to modern astronomy , scientists are getting closer to an answer .
`` If what is in the New Testament is a historical account of something , then that historical account requires an explanation , '' David Weintraub , a professor of physics and astronomy at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee , told All About Space in an email .
`` As an astronomer , you want an astronomical explanation . ''
Related : As heavenly bodies converge , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a comeback ?
The Star of Bethlehem was n't a comet or a supernova We know that Halley 's Comet was visible in the sky in 11 B.C .
However , as the Magi trekked toward Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem , it seems unlikely that they followed a comet because its position would have changed as the Earth rotated , so the comet would not have led them in a single direction .
What 's more , in the ancient world , comets were often regarded as bad omens .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice picture having a comet and a tail but in those days comets up in the sky were usually a harbinger of impending disaster , '' Grant Mathews , a professor of theoretical astrophysics and cosmology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana , told All About Space in an email .
Related : Was the Star of Bethlehem a star , comet … or miracle ?
We can also rule out novas and supernovas .
Either event would have resulted in a detectable remnant , but astronomers have not found anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Furthermore , had the Magi followed one , they probably would have walked in a circle .
`` You ca n't follow a star from Baghdad to Jerusalem to Bethlehem , '' Weintraub said .
`` Stars do n't do that .
They rise and set , and they do n't sit in the sky . ''
Such an event would surely have been seen by others at the time , too .
Although novas are reportedly quite rare , you 'd still expect to find other historical accounts of a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other theories suggest a supernova in the Andromeda galaxy as the cause , as described in a 2005 study published in journal The Observatory .
Although it 's possible to see the galaxy with the unaided eye , it would n't have been possible to see a star going supernova and exploding within it — even with the help of a telescope .
Related : Best telescopes 2020 : Top picks for beginners , viewing planets , astrophotography and all-arounders The `` star '' could have been an entire sky of stars This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The first is that the Magi were making an astrological interpretation of the sky .
The fact that they needed to ask Herod for directions when they arrived suggests they were not being led to their final destination by a single bright object .
Astrology was widely used at the time , and with the Magi coming from Babylon , it 's plausible that they were astrologers .
And due to a particular alignment of planets and stars , they may have read a hidden meaning among the stars , leading them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jupiter 's display could have been of great significance here , as astrology associated the planet Jupiter with royalty , so the moon passing it in the constellation of Aries on April 17 , 6 B.C .
could have heralded the birth of Christ .
`` Modern astronomers do n't put any credence in astrology , but 'modern ' is important in this context , '' Weintraub said .
`` What 's important is what people thought 2,000 years ago .
Astrology was a big deal back then .
The explanation I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was astrological . ''
Or , the `` star '' could have been a conjunction The other , more astronomical explanation is that there was indeed a bright object in the sky — a conjunction between planets and stars .
A conjunction occurs when two or more celestial bodies appear to meet in the night sky from our location on Earth .
These events can continue every night in a similar location for days or weeks .
If the wise men were to follow the moment of conjunction , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a specific direction .
Related : 'Great conjunction ' of Jupiter and Saturn will form a 'Christmas Star ' on the winter solstice Astronomer Michael Molnar suggested that a conjunction theory might be correct in his book `` The Star of Bethlehem '' ( Rutgers University Press , 1999 ) .
If the `` star '' was the result of a conjunction ( and this historical event did really happen ) , then there are a number of different alignments that could be the culprit .
Perhaps the most promising , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alignment of Jupiter , Saturn , the moon and the sun in the constellation of Aries on April 17 , 6 B.C .
This conjunction fits with the story for a few reasons .
First , this conjunction happened in the early morning hours , which aligns with the Gospel 's description of the Star of Bethlehem as a rising morning star .
The Magi also lost sight of the star , before seeing it come to rest in the place where baby Jesus lay in the stable .
This could have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jupiter , which means that it appears to change direction in the night sky as Earth 's orbit overtakes it .
`` Normally , planets move eastward if you 're following them in the sky , '' Mathews said .
`` But when they go through retrograde motion , they turn around and go in the direction that the stars rise and set at night [ westward ] . ''
Two other conjunctions around a similar time also look promising .
One is the meeting of Jupiter , Venus and the star Regulus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 , 2 B.C .
Without the aid of a telescope , the two planets would appear as a single `` star , '' brighter than Venus and Jupiter individually .
Another conjunction occurred in 6 B.C.
, between Jupiter , Saturn and Mars in the constellation of Pisces .
But neither of these latter two conjunctions match the description in the New Testament as closely as the conjunction that occurred on April 17 , 6 B.C .
Although scientists have ruled out several possibilities , we may never know for sure what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it even really happened , barring some remarkable archaeological finding .
But it 's a question that comes up year after year , and it will continue to pique the interest of scientists and historians alike for many years to come .
`` Nothing in science is ever case closed , nor is it in history , '' Mathews said .
`` We may never know if the Star of Bethlehem was a conjunction , astrological event or a fable to advance Christianity .
Maybe it was simply a miracle . ''
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Star of Bethlehem on The Conversation .
• Here are some fun facts about 2020 's great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn .
This article was adapted from a previous version published in All About Space magazine , a Future Ltd. publication .

As the well-known story in the Gospel of Matthew goes, three Magi, or wise men, followed the Star of Bethlehem to Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. And after consulting with King Herod of Judea, the men found newborn baby Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem. Whether such an event really happened in history is difficult to prove, but if it did, what was the Star of Bethlehem?
This is a question scholars have long pondered, not just from a religious or historical perspective, but from a scientific one, too. Plenty of theories have been proposed, from an astronomical event to an astrological horoscope, but thanks to modern astronomy, scientists are getting closer to an answer.
"If what is in the New Testament is a historical account of something, then that historical account requires an explanation," David Weintraub, a professor of physics and astronomy at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told All About Space in an email. "As an astronomer, you want an astronomical explanation."
Related: As heavenly bodies converge, many ask: Is the Star of Bethlehem making a comeback?
The Star of Bethlehem wasn't a comet or a supernova
We know that Halley's Comet was visible in the sky in 11 B.C. However, as the Magi trekked toward Jerusalem and on to Bethlehem, it seems unlikely that they followed a comet because its position would have changed as the Earth rotated, so the comet would not have led them in a single direction. What's more, in the ancient world, comets were often regarded as bad omens.
"For Christmas cards, it makes a nice picture having a comet and a tail but in those days comets up in the sky were usually a harbinger of impending disaster," Grant Mathews, a professor of theoretical astrophysics and cosmology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, told All About Space in an email.
Related: Was the Star of Bethlehem a star, comet … or miracle?
We can also rule out novas and supernovas. Either event would have resulted in a detectable remnant, but astronomers have not found anything that might date back to this time.
Furthermore, had the Magi followed one, they probably would have walked in a circle. "You can't follow a star from Baghdad to Jerusalem to Bethlehem," Weintraub said. "Stars don't do that. They rise and set, and they don't sit in the sky."
Such an event would surely have been seen by others at the time, too. Although novas are reportedly quite rare, you'd still expect to find other historical accounts of a large, bright event in the sky.
Other theories suggest a supernova in the Andromeda galaxy as the cause, as described in a 2005 study published in journal The Observatory. Although it's possible to see the galaxy with the unaided eye, it wouldn't have been possible to see a star going supernova and exploding within it — even with the help of a telescope.
Related: Best telescopes 2020: Top picks for beginners, viewing planets, astrophotography and all-arounders
Comets can be spectacular, such as Comet NEOWISE, seen here. But the Star of Bethlehem probably wasn't a comet. (Image credit: © Martin Deja via Getty Images)
The "star" could have been an entire sky of stars
This leads us to one of two possibilities. The first is that the Magi were making an astrological interpretation of the sky. The fact that they needed to ask Herod for directions when they arrived suggests they were not being led to their final destination by a single bright object.
Astrology was widely used at the time, and with the Magi coming from Babylon, it's plausible that they were astrologers. And due to a particular alignment of planets and stars, they may have read a hidden meaning among the stars, leading them to King Herod. For example, Jupiter's display could have been of great significance here, as astrology associated the planet Jupiter with royalty, so the moon passing it in the constellation of Aries on April 17, 6 B.C. could have heralded the birth of Christ.
Related: Images: World's oldest astrologer's board
"Modern astronomers don't put any credence in astrology, but 'modern' is important in this context," Weintraub said. "What's important is what people thought 2,000 years ago. Astrology was a big deal back then. The explanation I have found that makes the most sense is that it was astrological."
Or, the "star" could have been a conjunction
The other, more astronomical explanation is that there was indeed a bright object in the sky — a conjunction between planets and stars. A conjunction occurs when two or more celestial bodies appear to meet in the night sky from our location on Earth. These events can continue every night in a similar location for days or weeks. If the wise men were to follow the moment of conjunction, it's possible they would have been led in a specific direction.
Related: 'Great conjunction' of Jupiter and Saturn will form a 'Christmas Star' on the winter solstice
Astronomer Michael Molnar suggested that a conjunction theory might be correct in his book "The Star of Bethlehem" (Rutgers University Press, 1999). If the "star" was the result of a conjunction (and this historical event did really happen), then there are a number of different alignments that could be the culprit.
Perhaps the most promising, and the one favored by Mathews, is an alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, the moon and the sun in the constellation of Aries on April 17, 6 B.C. This conjunction fits with the story for a few reasons. First, this conjunction happened in the early morning hours, which aligns with the Gospel's description of the Star of Bethlehem as a rising morning star. The Magi also lost sight of the star, before seeing it come to rest in the place where baby Jesus lay in the stable. This could have been the result of the retrograde motion of Jupiter, which means that it appears to change direction in the night sky as Earth's orbit overtakes it.
"Normally, planets move eastward if you're following them in the sky," Mathews said. "But when they go through retrograde motion, they turn around and go in the direction that the stars rise and set at night [westward]."
Two other conjunctions around a similar time also look promising. One is the meeting of Jupiter, Venus and the star Regulus in the constellation of Leo on June 17, 2 B.C. Without the aid of a telescope, the two planets would appear as a single "star," brighter than Venus and Jupiter individually. Another conjunction occurred in 6 B.C., between Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in the constellation of Pisces. But neither of these latter two conjunctions match the description in the New Testament as closely as the conjunction that occurred on April 17, 6 B.C.
The mystery persists
Although scientists have ruled out several possibilities, we may never know for sure what the Star of Bethlehem was or if it even really happened, barring some remarkable archaeological finding. But it's a question that comes up year after year, and it will continue to pique the interest of scientists and historians alike for many years to come.
"Nothing in science is ever case closed, nor is it in history," Mathews said. "We may never know if the Star of Bethlehem was a conjunction, astrological event or a fable to advance Christianity. Maybe it was simply a miracle."
Additional resources:
Read more about astronomers' theories on the Star of Bethlehem on The Conversation.
Learn how ancient Babylonian astronomers tracked Jupiter, from Space.com.
Here are some fun facts about 2020's great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.
This article was adapted from a previous version published in All About Space magazine, a Future Ltd. publication.


livescience--2020-12-21--Is the new UK coronavirus variant more contagious?

A new and seemingly fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus in the U.K. has prompted more than a dozen countries to ban travel from Britain .
But we still do n't know that this variant is indeed more contagious , according to news reports .
Over the weekend , U.K. officials announced a lockdown on London and parts of southeastern England after evidence emerged that a variant of SARS-CoV-2 ( the virus that causes COVID-19 ) was up to 70 % more contagious than other variants , according to .
By Monday ( Dec. 21 ) , some 40 countries had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That estimate comes in part from the fact that the virus had replaced other , long-circulating variants to become dominant , according to The Times .
New variants of SARS-CoV-2 — caused by mutations in the virus 's genetic material — are not surprising and occur quite frequently , .
But officials are concerned about the new variant in part because of how quickly it seemed to take off and become the dominant variant in the area .
The variant was first detected in the U.K. in September , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for about one-quarter of new COVID-19 cases in London , and by mid-December , it was responsible for nearly two-thirds of cases , according to the BBC .
A similar variant was found in South Africa , and now accounts for 80 % to 90 % of new cases in the region , The Times reported .
`` We normally see 20 to 30 lineages in our samples at a given time , '' Tulio de Oliveira , a professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal 's Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
`` Now , we see only one . ''
Still , it 's possible that this variant became more common simply by chance , rather than due to some inherent advantage of the virus , the BBC reported .
Laboratory experiments will be needed to confirm whether it is indeed more transmissible .
So far , the variant does not appear to cause more severe or deadly illness than other variants .
The new variant has 17 new genetic alterations compared with previous variants , including some mutations in the infamous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bind to the ACE2 receptor and infect human cells .
In theory , such mutations could allow the virus to spread more easily .
For example , one of the mutations is in the so-called receptor-binding domain , the site where the virus first docks with human cells , and this may make the virus `` sticker , '' or allow it to bind more tightly to human cells .
`` The way that I like to think of it is that it 's a little bit more sticky than the COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date , '' Dr. Mark Ghaly , secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency said in a news conference about COVID-19 on Monday ( Dec. 21 ) .
But it 's unlikely that the mutations will render COVID-19 vaccines less effective , at least in the near-term .
That 's because the two vaccines that have approval prompt the immune system to make antibodies to a number of sites on the coronavirus , so even if a mutation develops in one spot , there are still antibodies that target other sites @ @

A new and seemingly fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus in the U.K. has prompted more than a dozen countries to ban travel from Britain. But we still don't know that this variant is indeed more contagious, according to news reports.
Over the weekend, U.K. officials announced a lockdown on London and parts of southeastern England after evidence emerged that a variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) was up to 70% more contagious than other variants, according to The New York Times . By Monday (Dec. 21), some 40 countries had banned entry from the U.K., The Times reported . That estimate comes in part from the fact that the virus had replaced other, long-circulating variants to become dominant, according to The Times.
New variants of SARS-CoV-2 — caused by mutations in the virus's genetic material — are not surprising and occur quite frequently, Live Science previously reported . But officials are concerned about the new variant in part because of how quickly it seemed to take off and become the dominant variant in the area.
The variant was first detected in the U.K. in September, according to the BBC . By November, it was responsible for about one-quarter of new COVID-19 cases in London, and by mid-December, it was responsible for nearly two-thirds of cases, according to the BBC. A similar variant was found in South Africa, and now accounts for 80% to 90% of new cases in the region, The Times reported.
"We normally see 20 to 30 lineages in our samples at a given time," Tulio de Oliveira, a professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, in South Africa, told The Times. "Now, we see only one."
Still, it's possible that this variant became more common simply by chance, rather than due to some inherent advantage of the virus, the BBC reported. Laboratory experiments will be needed to confirm whether it is indeed more transmissible. So far, the variant does not appear to cause more severe or deadly illness than other variants.
The new variant has 17 new genetic alterations compared with previous variants, including some mutations in the infamous " spike protein ," which allows the virus to bind to the ACE2 receptor and infect human cells. In theory, such mutations could allow the virus to spread more easily. For example, one of the mutations is in the so-called receptor-binding domain, the site where the virus first docks with human cells, and this may make the virus "sticker," or allow it to bind more tightly to human cells.
"The way that I like to think of it is that it's a little bit more sticky than the COVID virus that we've been seeing to date," Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency said in a news conference about COVID-19 on Monday (Dec. 21).
But it's unlikely that the mutations will render COVID-19 vaccines less effective, at least in the near-term. That's because the two vaccines that have approval prompt the immune system to make antibodies to a number of sites on the coronavirus, so even if a mutation develops in one spot, there are still antibodies that target other sites, Live Science previously reported .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-12-21--Could the Christmas Star visible tonight actually be the Star of Bethlehem?

Was the `` Star of Bethlehem '' that led the magi to the infant Jesus in the Bible the same as the Christmas Star that will be visible on Monday ( Dec. 21 ) ?
In other words , will we be seeing what the Wise Men ostensibly saw 2,000 years ago ?
It would n't be crazy to think so .
Jupiter and Saturn will come together on Monday , nearly merging in the sky , a phenomenon known as the Great Conjunction that happens roughly once every 20 years .
Jupiter and Saturn may have appeared to come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each other in the sky during a period of conjunction close to when Jesus was reportedly born , during the year 7 B.C .
It 's conceivable that that combined light in the sky was recorded as a star , and associated with Jesus ' birth , and thus named the Christmas Star , according to .
That , in fact , is why the Great Conjunction , as it ’ s more correctly called , is also known as the Christmas Star — because of its connection with the birth of Jesus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indication , it does seem like people remembered seeing something bright in the sky back then .
Related : The 12 strangest objects in the universe '' Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem… magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem , saying , 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews ?
For we saw His star in the east , and have come to worship Him . '
'' ( Matthew 2:1 , New American Standard Bible ) '' ... and lo , the star , which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on before them until it came and stood over where the Child was .
And when they saw the star , they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy .
And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother , and they fell down and worshiped Him ... '' ( Matthew 2:9 , New American Standard Bible ) Related : See images of the 'Jesus ' house and Nazareth artifacts So according to the Gospel of Matthew , a bright star in the sky at the time of Jesus ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was it ?
Winding back the orbits of the planets to the time of Jesus is fairly simple .
As reported , Jupiter and Saturn 's orbits aligned in 7 B.C .
such that from they appeared to come together three times in the constellation Pisces — a relatively rare event , first proposed as the true Star of Bethlehem in the 1600s by Johannes Kepler , according to The Conversation .
According to , before Dec. 21 , 2020 , Jupiter and Saturn had n't come so close together in the sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night for nearly 800 years .
( Meanwhile , , the exact year of Jesus ' birth is uncertain . )
But if the Star of Bethlehem was a planetary conjunction , Astronomy reported , a Jupiter-Saturn pair-up is n't the only candidate .
In 3 B.C.
, Jupiter and Venus came just as close from Earth 's point of view as this year 's Jupiter-Saturn conjunction , and Venus usually looks brighter from Earth than both Jupiter and Saturn .
They then appeared to `` merge into a single star '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are n't the only options , Astronomy noted .
Chinese astrologers noted a `` broom star '' in the sky in 5 B.C.
, likely a comet , that could also explain the Star of Bethlehem .
And supernovas throughout history have looked to people on Earth like big bright stars .
But there 's no evidence of a supernova around the time of Jesus ' birth .
Writing for The Conversation , Eric M. Vanden Eykel , a professor of religion at Ferrum College in Virginia , said : `` I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to inform readers about a specific astronomical event , but to support claims that he is making about the character of Jesus . ''
In other words , maybe Matthew , writing decades after Jesus ' death , was n't recalling something physical seen in the sky but instead a spiritual idea .

Was the "Star of Bethlehem" that led the magi to the infant Jesus in the Bible the same as the Christmas Star that will be visible on Monday (Dec. 21)?
In other words, will we be seeing what the Wise Men ostensibly saw 2,000 years ago?
It wouldn't be crazy to think so. Jupiter and Saturn will come together on Monday, nearly merging in the sky, a phenomenon known as the Great Conjunction that happens roughly once every 20 years. Jupiter and Saturn may have appeared to come together three times as they danced around each other in the sky during a period of conjunction close to when Jesus was reportedly born, during the year 7 B.C. It's conceivable that that combined light in the sky was recorded as a star, and associated with Jesus' birth, and thus named the Christmas Star, according to EarthSky . That, in fact, is why the Great Conjunction, as it’s more correctly called, is also known as the Christmas Star — because of its connection with the birth of Jesus.
If the Biblical account is any indication, it does seem like people remembered seeing something bright in the sky back then.
Related: The 12 strangest objects in the universe
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem… magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.'" (Matthew 2:1, New American Standard Bible)
"...and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him..." (Matthew 2:9, New American Standard Bible)
Related: See images of the 'Jesus' house and Nazareth artifacts
So according to the Gospel of Matthew, a bright star in the sky at the time of Jesus' birth announced his birth. But what was it?
Winding back the orbits of the planets to the time of Jesus is fairly simple. As Astronomy Magazine reported, Jupiter and Saturn's orbits aligned in 7 B.C. such that from Earth they appeared to come together three times in the constellation Pisces — a relatively rare event, first proposed as the true Star of Bethlehem in the 1600s by Johannes Kepler, according to The Conversation . According to NASA , before Dec. 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn hadn't come so close together in the sky for 400 years, and not at night for nearly 800 years. (Meanwhile, as Live Science previously reported , the exact year of Jesus' birth is uncertain.)
But if the Star of Bethlehem was a planetary conjunction, Astronomy reported, a Jupiter-Saturn pair-up isn't the only candidate. In 3 B.C., Jupiter and Venus came just as close from Earth's point of view as this year's Jupiter-Saturn conjunction, and Venus usually looks brighter from Earth than both Jupiter and Saturn. They then appeared to "merge into a single star" in June of 2 B.C.
Planetary conjunctions aren't the only options, Astronomy noted. Chinese astrologers noted a "broom star" in the sky in 5 B.C., likely a comet, that could also explain the Star of Bethlehem. And supernovas throughout history have looked to people on Earth like big bright stars. But there's no evidence of a supernova around the time of Jesus' birth.
Writing for The Conversation, Eric M. Vanden Eykel, a professor of religion at Ferrum College in Virginia, said: "I believe Matthew's story of the star exists not to inform readers about a specific astronomical event, but to support claims that he is making about the character of Jesus."
In other words, maybe Matthew, writing decades after Jesus' death, wasn't recalling something physical seen in the sky but instead a spiritual idea.