Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, April 29, 2017

THE WORLD AROUND US

11

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 29, 2017 


RARE HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGE OF EXPLODED STAR

Scientists will now be able to measure how fast 
the universe is truly expanding with the kind of 
precision not possible before.

 This, after an international team of astronomers 
led by Stockholm University, Sweden, captured 
four distinct images of a gravitationally lensed 
Type Ia supernova, named iPTF16geu.

 To get a high-resolution view, the discovery 
team used the W. M. Keck Observatory’s OSIRIS 
and NIRC2 instruments with laser-guided 
adaptive optics at near-infrared wavelengths.

 The resolution of the Keck adaptive optics 
images was equivalent to being able to distinguish 
the individual headlights of a car in San Francisco 
as viewed from Hawaii. The measurements 
confirmed the four separate images originated 
from iPTF16geu and that its light traveled for 4.3 
billion years before reaching Earth.

 “Resolving for the first time, multiple images 
of a strongly lensed supernova is a major 
breakthrough,” said Ariel Goobar, Professor at 
the Oskar Klein Centre at Stockholm University 
and lead author of the study. “We can measure the 
light-focusing power of gravity more accurately 
than ever before, and probe physical scales that 
may have seemed out of reach until now.”

 iPTF16geu was initially observed by the 
intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF), 
a Caltech-led international project that uses 
the Palomar Observatory to scan the skies 
and discover, in near real-time, fast-changing 
cosmic events such as supernovas using a fully-
automated, wide-field survey.

 It took some of the world’s leading telescopes 
to gather more detailed information about 
iPTF16geu. In addition to Keck Observatory, the 
discovery team also used the NASA/ESA Hubble 
Space Telescope and the European Southern 
Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope in 
Chile.

 Astronomers detect thousands of supernova 
every year, but only a few of those found are 
gravitationally-lensed. Because they are only 
visible for a short time, spotting them can be 
difficult.

 “iPTF is known for finding supernova 
candidates, but the key is to image them with Keck 
Observatory’s cutting-edge adaptive optics while 
the supernova is still bright,” said Shri Kulkarni, 
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of 
Astronomy and Planetary Science and co-author 
of the study. “Thanks to Keck Observatory’s 
ability to respond to such supernova events 
on short notice, the discovery team was able to 
produce fine images, which allowed them to 
successfully observe the light rise and fall from 
each of iPTF16geu’s four images.”

 This discovery is highly interesting to scientists 
because Type Ia supernovas can be used as a 
“standard candle” to calculate galactic distances.

 A standard candle is an astrophysical object 
that emits a certain, known amount of light. In 
this case, the object is a Type Ia supernova, a class 
of dying stars that always explode with the same 
absolute brightness. If astronomers know such 
an object’s true luminosity, they can infer its 
distance from Earth. The dimmer the object, the 
farther away it is.

 This rare discovery is made possible through 
gravitational lensing, a phenomenon that was first 
predicted by Albert Einstein in 1912. As light of 
the distant object passes by a massive object such 
as a galaxy cluster in the foreground, it gets bent 
by gravity, just as light gets bent passing through 
a lens. When the foreground object is massive 
enough, it will magnify the object behind it. In 
iPTF16geu’s case, its light was magnified by up to 
50 times and bent into four separate images by a 
galaxy in front of it.

 

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@
MtnViewsNews.com.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

PLANTING TREES IN SIERRA MADRE TO FIGHT 
DROUGHT

 

Trees, grey water recycling, and welcoming the rain are all needed

Low-tech solutions to Urban Density

 

[Nyerges operates the School of Self-reliance, offering classes in self-reliance 
and survival. The web site is www.self-reliance.net. ]

We are not advocates of the “front lawn.” Our 
front area is planted with fruit trees, herbs, and 
ornamentals. Once, while we were tending this 
area, a visitor of ours stated that he does not 
grow anything in his yard. He told us he was so 
concerned about dry weather conditions, and 
drought conditions, that he regarded any sort of 
plant cultivation as “wasting water.” 

Of course, our visitor was tacitly suggesting that 
we were wasting water.

We realized that this idea was rather widespread 
when yet a second person suggested that we forget 
about planting any more trees, bushes, or 
vegetables due to what seems to be regular periods 
of drought and water shortages in Southern 
California. 

This counter-productive idea seems to have 
gained a foothold in the minds of many residents 
of our Southland. We’ve even heard some 
“garden experts” suggest this idea, that to “save 
water” we should simply not grow plants.

We are able to grow fruit trees and roses and 
herbs and other edible plants partly because we 
direct all of our washing machine water, and 
most of our dish water, out into the garden areas 
and not down the city’s sewer line. We are using 
the water twice!

To the visitor who suggested that we stop growing 
for awhile, we casually asked, as we were 
showing him our water recycling system, “So 
where does all your used water go?” He was silent 
for a moment, and then told us that it all 
goes into the sewer.

In fact, with careful attention to the type of detergents 
purchased, we can direct virtually all of 
our water into our yards. This is done in many 
possible ways. The dish basin, full of used water, 
can simply be carried outside and poured manually 
around your plants. Or you can fill one gallon 
plastic buckets with your used bath, shower, 
or dish water, and then carry it outside to where 
it is needed. With a bit more work, you can disconnect 
from your sewer line and permanently 
direct all of your used water into your own yard, 
as we’ve done with the washing machine.

There are two major benefits of sending your 
used household water into your own yards, rather 
than letting it flow unceremoniously down the 
sewer. 

As more and more people move into this coastal 
mountain-locked desert plain, we have quickly 
begun to use the water faster than nature’s ability 
to replenish the supply. Thus, our underground 
water table has steadily dropped. Directing 
all our household water into our yards 
could have at least a minimal positive affect on 
the water table (as long as we avoid bleaches and 
dyes in our detergents that could be harmful to 
the soil and water). 

More importantly, one of the best “weapons” 
to combat desertification and the serious effects 
of the cycles of drought is the presence of trees! 
Throughout recorded history, the harvest and 
non-replenishment of trees has led to weather 
changes that have resulted in large deserts. All 
the major deserts on earth were once forests, 
but the trees were cut down for making boats or 
other products. Conversely, since the transpiration 
cycle of trees releases large amounts of water 
into the environment, the planting of trees 
on a large scale can reduce the effects of drought, 
can alter weather and can reverse the downward 
cycle towards desertification.

We don’t want to stop our efforts to plant -- and 
to nurture -- trees just because there is a period 
of drought. But we must do so wisely. By using 
all possible grey water, we’re able to keep our 
necessary trees and plants alive and transpiring.

When we read that the average residence of Los 
Angeles County uses about 400 gallons a day, we 
were astounded. We’re not sure what constitutes 
an “average” family, but when we average out 
out water usage, it doesn’t come close to 400 gallons 
on a daily basis. Imagine how astounded we 
both were to learn that Hugh Hefner’s Playboy 
mansion uses 25,000 gallons of water daily!! Or 
that the Hotel Bel-Air, an 11 acre retreat, uses 
98,000 gallons a day! 

No wonder we have water troubles. People flock 
her to the desert and they use water profligately, 
as if they were living in Canada or the Rockies or 
some other water-rich environment.

With all this in mind, we wonder:

n Where doesn’t every single family residence 
in Southern California direct all their own gray 
water into their own yard? This raises the water 
table, and allows plants to grow with water that 
was already used and paid for?

n Why isn’t the city, or various water agencies, 
actively promoting not just low-flush toilets 
but composting toilets, which use NO water at 
all?

n Why does the average residence pay more 
for the water they so-carefully use, when the “big 
users” get to buy their water wholesale?

n Why do we allow any new construction at 
all, either residential or business? If our water 
situation is only going to get worse as population 
increases, shouldn’t we take some steps to 
encourage development elsewhere? Or are we so 
caught up in the suicidal money-making mindset 
that “development is always good for business” 
that we are blind to what we are doing to 
ourselves?

 

We know that there are countless other “easy” 
and practical ways to fight water shortages and 
to live lightly on the earth. 

Another deep-seated idea that all should root 
out of our thinking is that “Sunny weather is 
good weather, and rainy weather is bad.” Most 
Southern California weather reporters have 
interpreted the weather this way for decades 
(with a few rare exceptions, such as the former 
television meteorologist Dr. George Fischbeck). 
Though we are not badmouthing sunny weather, 
we need to begin to think about rain as a valuable, 
friendly, needed gift from heaven, without 
which our home here between the sea and the 
mountains would quickly revert to a semi-barren 
desert.

BLACK EYE CAUSES QUANDARY OF THE 
FIRST ORDER

Quandaries come in a variety of sizes, shapes 
and colors. As someone who is somewhat of a 
connoisseur in this area, I can readily attest to this. 
However, many do not realize quandaries come in 
two categories.

 First are those quandaries that come about 
through no fault of the person in said quandary. 
For all practical purposes (and those in a quandary 
are usually not practical), it is impossible to 
adequately prepare for such an event in life.

 Second are self-imposed quandaries. This, 
unfortunately, is the area where I flounder the most. 
To be perfectly honest, and I’m not suggesting that 
I’m perfect; I have created most of the havoc in my 
life.

 Believe me, I would like to put the blame on 
someone other than myself in many of these 
situations but, alas, I am to blame. What I am 
about to relate belongs to the first category.

 I found myself in a quandary recently through 
no fault of mine. And yet, I’m not able to prove it. 
This is the most discouraging thing. I know it was 
not my fault, but nobody will believe me.

 Through the years, I have adopted a certain 
nocturnal procedure. When I get up in the middle 
of the night to go to the bathroom I keep my eyes 
closed. There is a very simple reason for this.

 One, I know exactly where I am going, so I don’t 
need to open my eyes.

 Two, I do not want my body to know that I’m 
awake. I want to fool my body into believing I’m 
asleep.

 I used to do what everybody else does. Get up, 
open my eyes and go to the bathroom. However, 
whenever I did, my body thought I was up for the 
night and try as I might, I could not convince my 
body to go back to sleep until I made one trip to the 
kitchen, and you know what that meant. Exactly . . 
. the refrigerator.

 This kitchen appliance holds no appeal for me, 
but I do enjoy the contents. Moreover, my body 
knows this only too well. So, I devised a plan to 
outwit my body.

 Some people would let their body dictate to 
them, but I am not of that breed. When I have to 
go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I am 
careful not to open my eyes.

 With this strategy, I am able to get up, go to 
the bathroom and return without my body being 
aware of what is going on. My plan worked quite 
well without a quandary in sight for years, until 
one night recently.

 About 2:37 a.m., according to the digital clock 
by my bedside, the urge to go the bathroom came 
upon me like a roaring lion. Being careful not to 
arouse my body, I slunk out of bed, wary to keep 
both eyes closed.

 Everything chugged along quite well and then, 
all of a sudden there was a resounding “whack,” 
a flash of blinding light and a twinge that danced 
from my right eye all the way down to the soles of 
my feet, only to return.

 Quickly following this, a loud squawk emitted 
from my mouth. All this commotion completely 
aroused my body to a state of full awakeness. By 
this time, my body, my wife and I were wide-awake.

As it turned out, someone, and I’m not mentioning 
any names, left the bathroom door open. It opens 
into our bedroom and I had run smack, dab into 
it. The result was a black eye to beat all black eyes.

There are worse things in this world than running 
into a door - like explaining to your devoted public 
how you got that black eye.

 While my right eye was throbbing, I never gave 
any thought to how I would explain it. However, it 
was a quandary and it was not of my doing.

 “How did you get that black eye?” A friend 
asked me the next day. It was a perfectly innocent 
question so I cheerfully (if you can be cheerful 
with a black eye) said, “I ran into a door last night.”

 I thought this would be the end of the matter. 
Boy, was I ever in for a shock.

 “Sure, you did,” my friend replied sarcastically. 
Then he winked. I soon realized I was in for some 
trouble. You can only do so much to hide a black 
eye.

 Another friend: “What happened to your eye? 
You talked back to your wife or something?” This 
is usually followed by that insidious laugh, “Tee, 
hee, hee.”

 Why is it that when a person gets a black eye 
from running into a door nobody believes him? 
After all, I’m not in the habit of telling outright lies. 
I may exaggerate or rearrange the facts, but I never 
would outright lie about anything. Especially if 
related to my wife.

 While feeling a little blue over my black eye, I 
discovered something in my Bible. David knew of 
quandaries and wrote many Psalms celebrating 
this fact of life.

 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou 
wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand 
against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right 
hand shall save me” (Psalms 138:7).

 It is inevitable that quandaries will come. Some 
from out of the blue and some of my own creation. 
The comforting truth is, God will always “revive 
me” in His own special way.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God 
Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He 
lives with his wife in Silver Springs Shores. Call him 
at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. 
The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.


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