APOD - Aurora over Sweden

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2020 May 31

Aurora over Sweden
Image Credit & Copyright: Göran Strand

Explanation: It was bright and green and stretched across the sky. This striking aurora display was captured in 2016 just outside of Östersund, Sweden. Six photographic fields were merged to create the featured panorama spanning almost 180 degrees. Particularly striking aspects of this aurora include its sweeping arc-like shape and its stark definition. Lake Storsjön is seen in the foreground, while several familiar constellations and the star Polaris are visible through the aurora, far in the background. Coincidently, the aurora appears to avoid the Moon visible on the lower left. The aurora appeared a day after a large hole opened in the Sun's corona allowing particularly energetic particles to flow out into the Solar System. The green color of the aurora is caused by oxygen atoms recombining with ambient electrons high in the Earth's atmosphere.

Tomorrow's picture: red lagoon

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Is It Safer To Fly Or Drive?

The Grandparent Dilemma

Shots Malaka Gharib/ NPR If I Travel This Summer, Should I Fly Or Drive? If you need to travel, what's the safest way to get to your destination these days? First of all, think hard about whether your trip is too important to put on hold, as the federal government advises that travel should still be limited to circumstances in which it's absolutely necessary. And people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for COVID-19, should avoid it as much as possible. The decision to fly or drive, experts say, requires you to weigh your own circumstances. Driving can give you a feeling of greater control over your surroundings, but then there's the risk of something unforeseen like car trouble or an accident.  Flying involves exposure to many people in the airport and plane, but the good news is, once you board, air in planes is very thoroughly filtered.  Read on for expert advice about how to make travel plans, and how to stay safe on your trip. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Antibody Studies Show COVID-19 May Be Less Lethal Than Originally Thought Mounting evidence suggests the coronavirus is more common and less deadly than it first appeared. The evidence comes from tests that detect antibodies to the coronavirus in a person's blood. Scientists are finding large numbers of people in the U.S. who were infected but never became seriously ill. And when these mild infections are included in coronavirus statistics, the virus appears less dangerous. "The current best estimates for the infection fatality risk are between 0.5% and 1%," says Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. That's in contrast with earlier estimates of death rates of 5% or more. But even with a fatality rate less than 1%, that makes the coronavirus "many times more deadly than seasonal influenza," Rivers says. Learn more about antibody tests and how the risk of dying from COVID-19 varies by age. BONUS: Immunity passports? They could do more harm than good Courtesy of the Victor family Grandparents Miss Their Grandkids But The Decision To Mix Generations Is Still Tough Of all the hardships imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, among the most poignant is the reshaping of relationships between children and the grandparents who love them. More than 70 million people are grandparents in the U.S, and the pandemic has meant self-imposed exile for many. Now as some states are easing restrictions, the risks posed by gathering in person haven't changed for grandparents, says Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. The risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 remains much higher for older people, and children can easily spread the disease. "It's hard to know if a child has been exposed or whether they have an asymptomatic infection," Kuppalli says. "I would definitely recommend staying away or definitely continuing to wear masks and perform good hand hygiene." Read on for more stories of how families are navigating these tough decisions and what experts advise. More of this week's health stories from NPR How the 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Help Calm Anxiety And Improve Sleep How New Zealand Got To Just 1 Active Coronavirus Case Get Crafty! How To Make A Mini-Zine About Your Life During The Pandemic ​​​​​​​They Chose To Quarantine Together, After Just One Date   We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth. Your Shots editor, Carmel Wroth   What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: shots@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Health emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy

How To Breathe The Right Way; Schools Are In Trouble; What's Safe This Summer — And What's Not

Plus, photos of rural Vermonters in isolation

by Jill Hudson and Suzette Lohmeyer MB Internal Studio/Old Navy Stories and podcasts you may have missed ...  To mask or not to mask? That is the (apparently political) question. A recent poll shows overwhelming numbers of Democrats support wearing face masks, compared with about one-third of Republicans who feel the same. Government officials are striving to remind people that the issue is about public health, not politics.  Schools are in trouble. With the nation's attention still fixed on the COVID-19 health crisis, school leaders are warning of a financial meltdown that could devastate many districts and set back an entire generation of students. Traffic is about to get bad in cities across the U.S. —  as in, worse-than-before-the-pandemic bad. Why? Many city dwellers, trying to maintain social distance, are continuing to avoid public transit and are getting in their cars. Might be time to cue up those NPR podcasts before you hit the road.  The phrase President Trump used to denounce protesters following George Floyd's death — "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" — has an interesting history behind it. It dates back to the civil rights era, known to have been invoked by a white police chief cracking down on protests in the 1960s and a segregationist politician. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Listen Up! Miguel Navarro/Getty Images Living through a big historic event doesn't necessarily mean you'll remember it all that well. The Short Wave podcast explores what memory research and past events say we will and won't remember about living through the coronavirus pandemic and why essential workers may remember this time differently than people who are staying home. (Listen here) We often take the simple act of breathing for granted. But breathing the wrong way can actually impact your sleep and resilience. Do it right, and you can be more relaxed, which may improve your overall health. (Listen here or read the story) First dates don't usually amount to much. But for one couple, it led to months of quarantining together. Gali Beeri, 37, and Joshua Boliver, 42, met at a dance class in March as New York City was preparing to lock down. In a major leap of faith, the two decided to ride out the quarantine together after one date. (Listen here or read the story) Our Picture Show Picks Tyrone Turner/WAMU for NPR Prom is a big event during a transitional time for seniors in high school. Days, hours, weeks are often spent preparing — what should the theme be, who is wearing what dress and shoes, and how hair will be done. Yet for the class of 2020, that whole experience has been taken away. Two photographers decided to help seniors in Washington, D.C., capture a little bit of that prom feeling through photos of them all dressed up, even if they have nowhere to go.    Tara Wray for NPR In the best of times, a healthy portion of the year in rural Vermont requires a type of isolation and self-sufficiency unknown in many parts of the country. But the coronavirus has tested Vermonters like never before. The virus can be particularly dangerous for the elderly, and Vermont's population is the third-oldest by median age in the nation. Music Notes AFP/Getty Images Chromatica is both Lady Gaga's return to form and a full-circle moment — a complete revolution back to the music she not only loves to perform but also loves to hear. "Just Dance" remains timeless and "Shallow" is forever, but Chromatica is where she's at right now: happy, hopeful and healing in her hard-won electro-pop utopia. Here's how she got there. Talking about race can get real heavy, real fast. Listening to music is one way people have been lightening the mood and sorting through their feelings. So this week, CodeSwitch is sharing some of the songs that are giving all of us life during this especially taxing moment. (Listen here or read the story) Forty years ago this weekend, Washington D.C., got something new: the 9:30 Club. It called itself the "first non-disco niteclub to open in downtown D.C. in thirteen years." At a moment when clubs in cities everywhere have gone dark, NPR Music's Bob Boilen tells us how venues like the 9:30 Club affect the development of music and scenes and why they matter so much.  How To, For You Meredith Miotke for NPR There's no such thing as a zero-risk outing right now. So, what's safe? NPR asked a panel of infectious disease and public health experts to rate the risk of summer activities, from backyard gatherings to a day at the pool to sharing a vacation house with another household to letting a friend use your bathroom. Here’s what you need to know.   Students are completely rethinking where to attend college (stay closer to home in case there’s another outbreak?) or whether to even go at all. (Listen here or read the story)   What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: bestofnpr@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy

NASA And SpaceX Launch First Astronauts From U.S. Since 2011

After an aborted launch attempt to the International Space Station on Wednesday, the weather cleared and the launch went ahead on Saturday.

NASA And SpaceX Launch First Astronauts From U.S. Since 2011 After an aborted launch attempt to the International Space Station on Wednesday, the weather cleared and the launch went ahead on Saturday. Read More You received this message because you're subscribed to Breaking News Alerts emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy

APOD - Green Flashes: Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2020 May 30

Green Flashes: Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury
Image Credit & Copyright: Marcella Giulia Pace

Explanation: Follow a sunset on a clear day against a distant horizon and you might glimpse green just as the Sun disappears from view. The green flash is caused by refraction of light rays traveling to the eye over a long path through the atmosphere. Shorter wavelengths refract more strongly than longer redder wavelengths and the separation of colors lends a green hue to the last visible vestige of the solar disk. It's harder to see a green flash from the Moon, not to mention the diminutive disks of Venus and Mercury. But a telescope or telephoto lens and camera can help catch this tantalizing result of atmospheric refraction when the celestial bodies are near the horizon. From Sicily, the top panels were recorded on March 18, 2019 for the Sun and May 8, 2020 for the Moon. Also from the Mediterranean island, the bottom panels were shot during the twilight apparition of Venus and Mercury near the western horizon on May 24.

Tomorrow's picture: green arches

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
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The Songs Giving Us Life Right Now

Plus, a Tiny Desk (home) concert from Rhiannon Giddens.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Aurélia Durand/NPR Our friends at NPR’s Code Switch podcast go deep on the overlapping themes of race, ethnicity and culture and how they play out in our lives and communities – and, not for nothing, the team also has pretty great taste in music. This week, Code Switch dedicated an episode of its podcast to the music that’s helping them make it through this time of crisis: Things can seem pretty bleak right now. At Code Switch, we’ve been covering various aspects of the coronavirus pandemic: the way it’s disproportionately infecting and killing black communities; the hurdles minority business owners are facing when it comes to trying to save their small businesses; and the tough questions about race our listeners are thinking about. So on this week’s episode of Code Switch, we went back to a favorite segment of ours, born years ago when the podcast was just a young’n: Songs Giving Us Life. The news can feel exhausting and dark year-round, so we like to take a few seconds at the end of some of our podcast episodes to share songs we hope make you smile. This time, we asked our listeners what they’re dancing to while they’re isolated at home. For one listener, Missy Elliot’s “Cool Off” is the perfect song to bring the party vibe back home. We also called some of our past guests (like actor Yara Shahidi, and musicians Flor de Toloache and Amara La Negra) to ask them what their “quaran-tunes” look like right now. (Spoiler alert: One guest’s answer inspired an epic ’90s rap battle.) We hope it inspires you to sing along with our hosts, Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji. Dianne Lugo, NPR’s Code Switch P.S. Subscribe to Code Switch to get the latest episode in your feed each week, or listen on Spotify. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Featuring Pulitzer-winning composer Steve Reich has been keeping busy during quarantine by writing a new piece from his winter getaway in Los Angeles. He told NPR Music’s Tom Huizenga about composing during the crisis. Lady Gaga’s latest album, Chromatica, came out this week. After a brief detour from the sound that first made her famous, the return to high-concept dance pop is something new and old at the same time. At this point in a normal year, Bob Boilen would have already seen over 200 bands – many of them at D.C.’s 9:30 Club. That, of course, isn’t the case this year. The venue, whose 40th anniversary is this weekend, changed Boilen’s life. And for many years, NPR Music streamed concerts from the club. We’ve rounded up over 100 of them for you to listen to: from Bright Eyes to Femi Kuti to Sleater-Kinney to Robert Glasper and many, many more.   Jon Batiste spent his 33rd birthday playing an intimate, private concert with his band in the round while Jazz Night in America captured the show – and now, you can watch the entire performance. New Music Being homebound means hearing more birds. This week’s NPR Classical playlist includes composers with birds on the brain, including Respighi, Messiaen, Biber, Bartók and Rautavaara, some of whom mimicked birds and others who used recordings of birdsong.  A good cover song can be hard to find, but look no further than this week’s All Songs Considered mix, which features Soccer Mommy and Jay Som covering each others’ tunes, plus Lucy Dacus taking on a Yo La Tengo song released on the day she was born and Caroline Spence making Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” an Americana anthem.  Bright Eyes’ latest preview of its forthcoming new album – the group’s first in nine years – feels eerily prophetic, or at the very least, perceptive: Awash in haunting strings, “One and Done” is a dystopian scene of end times.  Tiny Desk Kisha Ravi/NPR For the past four decades, Wire has consistently crafted artful, inventive rock sounds. For Bob Boilen, who’s been a fan since the British band’s earliest days, bringing the pioneering group to his desk was a thrilling treat.  Sometimes you just need the comfort of classic tunes. Rhiannon Giddens – who has passed the time in quarantine making homemade pasta – understands. Together in Dublin with her partner Francesco Turrisi, the duo, who blew us away at the Tiny Desk last year, recorded a Tiny Desk (home) concert of lived-in tunes. One More Thing Forget Colbert, Kimmel and Fallon: Elmo’s got his own talk show now, and he’s bringing serious star power with guests Lil Nas X and Kacey Musgraves.  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy