and wikpedia has a small page for it already
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_2014J[/url]
high resolution image on flickr
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/uclmaps/12086558286/[/url]

Thx for the S&T link, Richard, and the star chart, Paul - 10 mag is fainter than I had hoped, but should be decently visible in my little portable 4" Edmund RedBall[sup]tm[/sup] reflector.

[url]http://www.space.com/24418-stephen-hawking-no-black-holes.html[/url]

Just received the e-mail below - Wile it sounds like a lot of fun, I am alas not in a position to attend. I have asked Dr. Fillipenko if I might forward contact info of any bay area science-minded friends who express interest to him.

If any of SF bay area our readers is interested, please PM me your name/e-mail address.

[quote]I am contacting you at the suggestion of [mutual friend who was a member of FoLO but moved out the area last year]. As President of the Lick Observatory Council
(which, among other things, oversees the Friends of Lick Observatory
-- FoLO), I would like to bring to your attention our efforts to save
Lick Observatory. I hope you will consider joining FoLO at as high a
level as possible and encourage your friends to join; see
[url]http://www.ucolick.org/public/friends/[/url], as well as
[url]http://www.ucolick.org/SaveLick/[/url] for additional information.

The recent appearance of a Type Ia supernova in M82, just 11.5 million
light years away (pretty nearby, for astronomers!), affords the rare
and amazing opportunity to visually observe a supernova -- to have the
actual photons from a cosmic thermonuclear explosion be absorbed by
our very own retinas! Such a special occasion warrants the use of a
special telescope, so we hereby invite you to join us in the Dome of
the Great Refractor at Lick Observatory to observe this amazing event.

Supernova viewing through the 36-inch telescope will take place this
Saturday night, between 11:45 pm (Feb. 1) and 1:45 am (Feb. 2).
(We apologize for how late this will be, but the supernova does not
rise sufficiently high in the sky to be accessible before then.)
Viewing will be preceded by a short talk about James Lick and a
brief presentation highlighting astrophysical research on the
M82 supernova by astronomers from UC Berkeley.

We can only accommodate about 40 people for this gathering, so please
RSVP as soon as possible (preferably by this Thursday, but no later
than Friday) if you are interested in attending. You will then
receive the detailed information on how to participate, the agenda,
opportunities for mountain accommodations, and in the event of bad
weather, a cancellation notification no later than 8:00 pm on Sat.,
Feb. 1. Currently, the forecast is reasonably favorable.

Sincerely,

Alex Filippenko (UC Berkeley)[/quote]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;365451][URL]http://www.space.com/24418-stephen-hawking-no-black-holes.html[/URL][/QUOTE]

Stephen Hawking's Blunder on Black Holes Shows Danger of Listening to Scientists says Bachmann
[URL]http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/21739-stephen-hawkings-blunder-on-black-holes-shows-danger-of-listening-to-scientists-says-bachmann[/URL]

[URL="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/01/how-to-hack-okcupid/"]How a Math Genius Hacked OkCupid to Find True Love[/URL]

[URL="http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-molecules-make-memories-researchers-watch-brain-cells-form-memories-real-time-through-advanced"]How Molecules Make Memories: Researchers Watch Brain Cells Form Memories In Real-Time Through Advanced Imaging[/URL]

[URL="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/22/how-inactivity-changes-the-brain/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1&"]How Inactivity Changes the Brain[/URL]

[URL="http://physics.aps.org/articles/v7/5"]Focus: First Spectrum of Ball Lightning[/URL]

[URL="https://www.simonsfoundation.org/quanta/20140122-a-new-physics-theory-of-life/"]A New Physics Theory of Life[/URL]

[URL="http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/long-winter-nights-can-affect-the-bodys-natural-sleep-habits"]A long day’s night: Winter can affect the body’s natural sleep habits[/URL]

[QUOTE=ewmayer;365639]Just received the e-mail below - Wile it sounds like a lot of fun, I am alas not in a position to attend. I have asked Dr. Fillipenko if I might forward contact info of any bay area science-minded friends who express interest to him.

If any of SF bay area our readers is interested, please PM me your name/e-mail address.[/QUOTE]

Wow- if I were going to be in the area, I would jump at the chance, mainly for the sake of a trip down memory lane. Back in 1965 or 1966, as nerdy little teenagers, our small astronomy club was able to get tickets to look through that 36-inch scope when Saturn's rings were edge on. Was amazing to be looking through a telescope of that size, and [U][I]not[/I][/U] be able to see the rings.

Hope they can keep Lick going in some fashion. Near here, some of the scopes at Kitt Peak are also in danger.

Norm

[QUOTE=Spherical Cow;365703]Wow- if I were going to be in the area, I would jump at the chance, mainly for the sake of a trip down memory lane. Back in 1965 or 1966, as nerdy little teenagers, our small astronomy club was able to get tickets to look through that 36-inch scope when Saturn's rings were edge on. Was amazing to be looking through a telescope of that size, and [U][I]not[/I][/U] be able to see the rings.

Hope they can keep Lick going in some fashion. Near here, some of the scopes at Kitt Peak are also in danger.

Norm[/QUOTE]

FWIW, the Hale 60-inch is available for [URL="http://www.mtwilson.edu/60in.php"]rental[/URL].

[url]http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2014/01/29/tramin-rockfall/[/url]

First measurable rain in the SF bay area last night in 54 days, perhaps 0.10" where I live ... no more on tap for at least the.next few days, so were it not for that little squall, January would have been entirely rainless. Crazy.

[QUOTE=ewmayer;365712]Crazy.[/QUOTE]

So, climate change? Or did LaurV release a butterfly without permission? :wink: