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ALIBUT HERALDDecember 30, 2009

The mechanism that causes the aurora is more exotic sounding than the name. Essentially, it is the result of theemission of photons, which happens when ionized nitrogen atoms regain an electron and excited oxygen and nitrogenatoms return to a grounded state. All of this occurs about 50 miles above the surface of the earth, in the layer of theatmosphere known as the ionosphere.READ ON: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/12/aurora-borealis-natures-holiday-light-display.php

Aurora Borealis: Nature's Holiday Light Display

'Blue Moon' for New Year's Eve

yone hoping for something special in 2010 will get startedthe right foot: a rare blue moon will grace the skies Newars Eve, an event that happens only once every 19 years.

e moons arent really blue. Theyre second full moons thatwithin a single calendar month. At 29.5 days, the lunarle is slightly shorter than the typical month, which puts aond full moon on a monthly calendar every 2.5 years.

e double full moon can occur in any month, exceptbruary, which is too short. The last time it happened on Newars Eve was in 1990. The next one wont be until 2028.

AD ON: http://news.discovery.com/space/a-blue-moon--new-years-eve.html

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mous San Francisco Sea Lions Abandon Their Pier 39 Post

blubbery sea lions at Pier 39, one of San Franciscos smelliest and most famous touristactions are gone. During the last week of November, they left the wooden docks on whichyve spent the last 20 years (no one knows why they came) and no one knows if theyll be

ming back.

t last month, Pier 39, famous in San Francisco for its sea lions and the throngs of touristsy attract, was groaning under the weight of more than 1,500 of the animals. The recordmber delighted tourists and baffled experts.

AD ON: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/disappearing-sea-lions/ p://news.discovery.com/animals/sea-lions-san-francisco.html

Curlew quest: Voluntein 35 Countries to Seafor a 'Lost' Bird Speci

Like looking for a needle in an enfield of haystacks, volunteers anscientists will fan out across Euro

Africa and Asia this winter to try ta rare bird species that has not bseen in nearly a decade.

The critically endangered, possibextinct, slender-billed curlew (Nutenuirostris) was last observed inEven before that, it was rarely seOnly one curlew nest has ever bdiscovered, and that was in Sibecentury ago. The birds used to wMorocco, but they last appearedin 1995.READ ON:

http://www.scientificamerican.og/post.cfm?id=curlew-quest-volunteers-in-35-count-2009-12

Cooking Up Luck for the New Year

outh ring in the New Year with black-eyed peas.ere are six recipes for cooking up some good luck for the New Year.

READ ON: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/cooking-up-luck-for-the-new-ear/?src=twt&twt=nytimes

In this weeks Recipesfor Health, Martha RoseShulman explorestraditional lucky foodsfrom around the world.

In Italy, lentils andraisins resemble coinsand swell when cooked,and are usuallyaccompanied by pork, asymbol of prosperity. InProvence, the lucky dishis chickpeas, whileeo le in the American

l Londoners Will be Within a Mile of a Charging Station by

15

AD ON: http://www.ecogeek.org/component/content/article/3023

London mayor Boris Johnson launchenew plan called the Electric Vehicle DPlan for London that will allow all Londto be within one mile of an electric vehcharging station in five years.

The plan calls for the installation of 25charging points at public, residential a

commercial spaces by 2015 in order tencourage the addition of 100,000 EVwithin the cit ASAP.

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he Green Rich List: A special survey of how the world'salthiest people are turning into eco-pioneers

s first Sunday Times Green Rich List shows that the enthusiasm amongworlds wealthiest for investments in areas as diverse as electric cars,

ar power and geothermal energy is unaffected by the recession. The listmuch longer than pictured hereAD ON:p://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/article5816774.

MNNs 2009 Photos of the Year

A photographic review of 2009.VIEW ALL:http://www.mnn.com/technology/gadgets-

electronics/photos/mnns-2009-photos-of-the-y

Eco-photos of the week: Dec27-J

VIEW ALL:http://www.mnn.com/technology/gadgets-electronics/photos/eco-photos-of-the-week-dejan-2

Weird and Wacky Endangered Birds

W ALL & READ ON: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/7-rd-and-wacky-endangered-birds.php

Only about 600remain in Morocco,Syria, and Turkeycombined.The bill,while long, is moreflexible thandangerous, and the

birds rarely fightwith each other--though they do eateverything fromsnails andscorpions to smallbirds and lizards.

It's hard to miss therhinoceros hornbill,even in the wild:Though this three-foot tall bird weighsonly about 6pounds, the brightlycolored bill makes itstand out in anyenvironment. They

have long, thick,curly eyelashes andare one of the fewbirds witheyelashes!

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Events

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UVy7uUceXw

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The VAHC meetings begin at

7:30 p.m. in the Aquatic Planclassroom on the first Wedneof each month. Meet at theAquaquest reception entrancTalks generally get going aro8 p.m. after a hobby club Q &session. The talks/meetings free to attend, but if you findyourself coming to quite a fewmembership to the club is alwa great idea (a mere $20/yea