Ben Birnell

The Utica Comets will have a good opportunity to find out how well they play on the road to begin their fifth season.

The AHL schedule which was released Tuesday afternoon has Utica opening a season with a pair of games on back-to-back days at rival Toronto. The teams meet Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8 with both games set for 4 p.m., according to the AHL. It is the third time the Comets open the season against the Marlies.

The contests are part of a stretch in which the Comets play a franchise-most seven consecutive road games to begin the 2017-18 season, due to work being done at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. During the stretch, Utica will play at the Rochester Americans and new Eastern Conference opponent Charlotte twice and rival Syracuse once.

The Comets home opener, which was announced Monday, is set for Wednesday, Nov. 1 against Rochester. That contest starts a five-game homestand for the Comets and is part of a stretch when the the team plays nine out of 12 games at home. Charlotte makes its first and only visit to Utica during the homestand with games Wednesday, Nov. 8 and Friday, Nov. 10.

The Comets conclude the season at the Aud on Sunday, April 15 against division foe Binghamton, which is New Jerseys affiliate this season after a move from Albany.

There was no announcement on when the Comets promotional schedule will be released or when single-game tickets go on sale.

Here are five other things to know about the Comets schedule, which was part of an earlier release by the AHL this summer:

Heavy dose of North Division teams

For the second time in as many seasons, the Comets will meet North Division rival Syracuse a total of 12 times in the regular season. Syracuse, which new Comets coach Trent Cull helped make a run to the Calder Cup Finals last season, visits Utica for the first time Wednesday, Dec. 6.

Utica plays division foe Rochester 10 times (five home, five away) and eight each against Binghamton, Laval (Montreals affiliate in Quebec, which relocated from St. Johns) and Toronto (four home, four away). Utica plays Belleville (Ottawas new affiliate, which moved from Binghamton) six times (three home, three away).

Working for the weekend

A majority of the AHLs games are played on the weekend. This season, a total of 27 of the Comets 38 home games are part of that direction.

Of those games, 20 are on a Friday and six are on Saturday. All home games are set for 7 p.m. starts. The exception is the teams regular-season finale, which is set for 3 pm.

Utica plays 11 times on Wednesdays to round out its 38 home contests.

Quirks in the schedule

There are three times when the Comets are set to play road games early on a week day.

Two of the instances are on Mondays against North Division teams. The Comets play Rochester at 1:05 p.m. March 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and Belleville at 3 p.m. on March 19.

The Comets earliest game of the season is set for 11 a.m. Thursday, April 5 when they play Toronto.

Busy stretches

There are four times during the season when the Comets play three-games-in-three days. Three of these instances are in March, with another in April.

There are seven instances when the Comets play three games in four days. Familiar faces?

One Atlantic Division team Utica plays four times during the season is Springfield, which could feature Alex Grenier and Curtis Valk, who each had big seasons for the Comets in 2016-17. Springfield is set to visit Utica on Saturday, Feb. 24 and Friday, March 9.

Rome native Tom Sestito, who re-signed with the Pittsburgh organization this month, could return to Utica when the Penguins' affiliate (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) visits Friday, March 23.

Follow @OD_Birnell on Twitter or call at 315-792-5032.

Heres the Comets full schedule (all times Eastern; games subject to change):

October

Saturday, Oct. 7: at Toronto, 4

Saturday, Oct. 8: at Toronto, 4

Friday, Oct. 13: at Rochester, 7:05

Saturday, Oct. 14: at Syracuse, 7

Saturday, Oct. 21: at Rochester, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28 at Charlotte, 6

Saturday, Oct. 29 at Charlotte, 1

November

Wednesday, Nov. 1: vs. Rochester, 7

Friday, Nov. 3: vs. Binghamton, 7

Saturday, Nov. 4: vs. Rochester, 7

Wednesday, Nov. 8: vs. Charlotte, 7

Friday, Nov. 10: vs. Charlotte, 7

Wednesday, Nov. 15: at Laval, 7:30

Friday, Nov. 17: vs. Belleville, 7

Saturday, Nov. 18: vs. Hartford, 7

Wednesday, Nov. 22: vs. Toronto, 7

Friday, Nov. 24: at Laval, 7:30

Saturday, Nov. 25: at Laval, 3

Wednesday, Nov. 29: vs. Rochester, 7

December

Friday, Dec. 1: vs. Bridgeport, 7

Saturday, Dec. 2: at Bridgeport, 7

Wednesday, Dec. 6: vs. Syracuse, 7

Saturday, Dec. 9: at Providence, 7:05

Sunday, Dec. 10: at Providence, 3:05

Wednesday, Dec. 13: at Rochester, 7:05

Friday, Dec. 15: vs. Binghamton, 7

Saturday, Dec. 16: vs. Rochester, 7

Wednesday, Dec. 20: vs. Toronto, 7

Friday, Dec. 22: vs. Toronto, 7

Saturday, Dec. 23: at Syracuse, 7

Wednesday, Dec. 27: vs. Providence, 7

Friday, Dec. 29: vs. Providence, 7

Saturday, Dec. 30: at Syracuse, 7

January

Friday, Jan. 5: vs. Laval, 7

Sunday, Jan. 7: vs. Hartford, 5

Wednesday, Jan. 10: at Laval, 7:30

Monday, Jan. 15: at Rochester, 1:05

Wednesday, Jan. 17: vs. Rochester, 7

Friday, Jan. 19: at Hartford, 7:15

Saturday, Jan. 20: vs. Syracuse, 7

Wednesday, Jan. 24: vs. Hartford, 7

Friday, Jan. 26: at Binghamton, 7:05

Saturday, Jan. 27: at Lehigh Valley, 7:05

February

Friday, Feb. 2: vs. Syracuse, 7

Saturday, Feb. 3: at Syracuse, 7

Friday, Feb. 9: vs. Laval, 7

Saturday, Feb. 10: vs. Belleville, 7

Wednesday, Feb. 14: vs. Syracuse, 7

Friday, Feb. 16: vs. Binghamton, 7

Saturday, Feb. 17: at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05

Monday, Feb. 19: at Belleville, 3

Wednesday, Feb. 21: vs. Lehigh Valley, 7

Friday, Feb. 23: vs. Laval, 7

Saturday, Feb. 24: vs. Springfield, 7

March

Friday, March 2: vs. Belleville, 7

Saturday, March 3: at Hershey, 7

Sunday, March 4: at Binghamton, 5:05

Friday, March 9: vs. Springfield, 7

Saturday, March 10 at Springfield, 7:05

Friday, March 16: vs. Laval, 7

Saturday, March 17: at Belleville, 7

Sunday, March 18: at Toronto, 4

Friday, March 23: vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7

Saturday, March 24: at Syracuse, 7

Sunday, March 25: at Binghamton, 5:05

Wednesday, March 28: at Rochester, 7:05

Friday, March 30: vs. Hershey, 7

Saturday, March 31: at Springfield, 7:05

The rest is here:

Utica Comets' schedule features long road stretch, North Division teams - Utica Observer Dispatch

Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - by Chester Martin

Dr. Karel Hujer was Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for many years. He had been invited to come to Chattanooga from his position at Iowa State University by University of Chattanooga President Dr. David A. Lockmiller. Dr. Hujer had earlier been employed by the University of Chicago, and had worked at their famous Yerkes Observatory at Williams Bay, Wisconsin, which houses the largest refracting telescope ever built. Lockmiller offered Hujer the Directorship of our Clarence T. Jones Observatory, along with an Associate Professorship at the University - an offer Hujer accepted without hesitation.

Suddenly - and literally out of the blue - "flying saucers" burst onto the scene in 1947, about the time Hujer arrived in Chattanooga. These new phenomena became the "hot" topic du jour, causing quite an international stir, suddenly replacing Jules Verne's - and a handful of other writers of 19th Century Science Fiction. As a walking encyclopedia of scientific information, Hujer shunned such spurious fiction. His enthusiasm was directed toward what was "pure science", and he shared that enthusiasm with his students, including the public in general.

Eclipses of the sun and moon were his great delight, after the stars themselves. He would frequently open the observatory for such special celestial events, and this attracted a wide audience of spectators. Students got extra credit for attending. While "It Came From Outer Space" and other "Aliens" genre movies were starting up in full force (about 1950), Dr. Hujer stuck to the pure science involving eclipses, comets, and "transits".

Dr. Hujer had made special studies of all these celestial phenomena - had gone to Egypt to study Ancient Egyptian astronomy, and the same for both Peru and Mexico. He loved to show slides and describe such favorite places as Stonehenge, where he could virtually transport you back to the time of the Druids. These Druids, although primitive people by modern standards, had learned over the centuries how to calculate both solar and lunar eclipses, and we know that Stonehenge was principally an astronomical observatory, predicting sunrise on the Summer Solstice.

Eclipses were very important to Dr. Hujer, as to every astronomer I have ever known. In his younger years he travelled around the world more than once, always in quest of some scientific interest. One year, back in either the 1920's or 1930's, he had ventured off to the island of Hokkaido - that northernmost of Japanese territories. In that day it was far more primitive than now, and very difficult to get to. No big jets back then - only small boats that rolled and pitched in the rough Pacific waters. And all that effort for only two minutes of near-total darkness at midday! Consider that if that long-planned-for special day happened to turn out to be cloudy, all would be lost! It was fortunately a clear day for our Karel Hujer, and he spoke of the occasion frequently.

Solar eclipses are much rarer than the lunar sort. And they are restricted to a narrow band where total darkness occurs. Lunar eclipses, on the other hand, are much more general, and the "blood red" appearance of the moon's surface, which writers like to describe, is actually a dull, rusty brown color that your kids might best describe as "ikky"!

There are some good stories about lunar eclipses in the past - and one famous one tells how Christopher Columbus used his superior knowledge of one such eclipse to save his men from starvation. It happened in Jamaica in 1504 - and you can Google it for yourself.

A coincidence of the upcoming August 21st 2017 solar eclipse will be that I have a friend in Eugene, Oregon who will see it on the Pacific coast before it comes to our area, and then I have friends in Camden, South Carolina who will see it soon afterwards. Camden is not precisely a coastal city, but in this case let's claim it as being on the Atlantic (and make this a more interesting story, where both coasts are included!) Actually, Chattanoogans will not see it in its totality as we are a just a few miles south of that zone. Spring City, Tennessee, some 50 miles north, DOES lie directly in the eclipse's path, and every room that is rentable in that area has already been grabbed up for a year or more, by people from around the globe! And that is the power that eclipses continue to have over the human race in general - not just astronomers.

Let me mention this one small phenomenon connected with sun eclipses: Once when my daughter was in grade school, there was a partial eclipse of the sun visible here in Chattanooga. I was very anxious to see it and set up some recommended way to view it without using the naked eye. I was standing under one of my Japanese maple trees and aiming the device I was using toward the cloudless sky. As the surroundings got darker and darker I happened to look down and noticed that the sun was dappling down through the small leaves of the maple...and every tiny space between the leaves acted just like a camera obscura! For there on the brick of my front walk were thousands of perfect little images of the eclipse! I happened to have my (now long obsolete) film camera handy and got some shots of the eclipse by looking DOWN! DO try this at home!

Besides eclipses, Dr. Hujer would always tell us when there was a newly discovered comet in the sky. Amateur astronomers world-wide are constantly on the lookout for these, as they customarily get to name the new discovery for themselves! (Hale-Bopp was such a comet from about 20 years ago). Most famous comet of all, is HALLEY'S COMET, of course - and Dr. Hujer always liked to point out that the name was pronounced just like the "Cali" in California...or like in the "galley" of a ship - NEVER like "daily" or "Bailey". Everyone has heard of Halley's Comet, for sure, and it has quite a history, being first noted by Chinese scholars 200 years or more BCE! Halley's Comet appears all through history, once showing up just in time for the medieval astrologers and soothsayers to read meaning into it. In 1066, for example, it appeared just before the Battle of Hastings in England as a bad omen to King Harold, the last Anglo Saxon ruler of Britain. It was a good omen, however, to the victor, "William the Conqueror", from whose reign we date modern England. It appears regularly about every 76 years, doing so only a few years ago (1993). A recommended place to view it was from Chickamauga Battlefield. My family and I - plus a neighborhood kid or two - drove down to see it. We were underwhelmed, though, as it was just a fuzzy object, not terribly bright at all, and low on the southeastern horizon. No dramatically long tail, as we had read about in its past apparitions; but we saw it - as did a medium-sized crowd of other viewers.

So there you have a bit about both eclipses and comets. But back at the beginning I mentioned "transits". What, you ask is a "transit? It is nothing more than a very minuscule eclipse created by either Mercury or Venus when it crosses the face of the sun. Dr. Hujer offered us extra credit to visit his observatory to view a transit of Mercury about 1954. I believe we projected the image from the telescope onto a piece of cardboard to watch the tiny black dot (Mercury) pass between earth and sun. Only Mercury and Venus can do this, as they are the only two planets INSIDE the earth's orbit.

Before I go, I want to school you again in the correct pronunciation of that famous comet's name: Dr. Hujer would think it remiss if I did not remind you: it rhymes with "Alley", "Valley", "Tally", etc. Let's all just try to please the old Professor and say, "HALLEY'S Comet"! (And he might give us ALL extra credit if we do it!)

---

Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached atcymppm@comcast.net.

Original post:

Chester Martin Remembers Dr. Hujer, Eclipses And Comets - The Chattanoogan

Local Sports

Jul 11, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON BCLUW pitcher Samantha Ubben (16) fires the ball to first baseman Jordyn Beeghly (18) while Waterloo Columbus freshman Emily Mollenhoff legs it out during the Comets 1-0 loss in 11 innings to the Sailors on Monday night.

WATERLOO Both the humidity and the tension were thick enough to cut with a knife on Monday at Deviney Waterburg Field, as the No. 12 BCLUW softball team battled No. 5 Waterloo Columbus well into the night in an extremely tight contest with the winner moving onto the state softball tournament.

After 10 scoreless innings from both squads, Waterloo Columbus managed to finally capitalize off of some base runners as Emily Mollenhoff knocked in a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the 11th to secure a 1-0 victory in the Class 2A Region 3 championship game.

After talking with his clearly devastated Comets squad, who just missed out on a second-straight trip to State, head coach David Lee said the loss came down to his teams inability to knock in hits from Waterloo Columbus (34-5) starting pitcher Kayla Sproul.

We just couldnt get it figured out. I think we were trying too hard maybe, Lee said. I thought we laid off the bad pitches there after the first few innings pretty well but we just couldnt get the bat solid on anything she had. We tried taking some first pitches but then we would chase a bad second pitch and now we are in a hole and now we are getting the end of the bat on it. We just couldnt drive the ball.

Sproul pitched all 11 innings for the Sailors, only surrendering five hits and striking out four batters. Senior Jordan Beeghly was the only Comet with more than one hit in the game, as she knocked down a two-out single in the seventh and got into scoring position on a double in the 10th. Samantha Ubben and Kate Goecke each recorded the other two hits for BCLUW.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON Comets senior Jordyn Beeghly slides into second after hitting a tenth-inning double in BCLUWs 1-0 loss on Monday to Waterloo Columbus. Beeghly led the team with two hits in the game.

Lee said Mollenhoffs style of pitching is different than other pitchers his team has faced recently, but he said that is still no excuse for his teams performance at the plate.

We just didnt do a good job offensively and I dont really know why. Its hard to prepare for someone like her, someone bringing it with such a change of speed from slow to slower, not hard to slow, he said. One or two people cant take the blame for that because I told them nine of you had a chance to hit the ball and you had a chance four or five times. It is just a thing where we couldnt get anything going offensively, and we have been playing so well against all kinds of pitching. I didnt think this could happen to us but it did.

While the bats struggled, that wasnt the case on the defensive end, as Ubben pitched a fantastic game backed up by some stellar plays from her supporting cast. Ubben went all 10 2/3 innings for the Comets, allowing only eight hits and one run while striking out five and walking one.

Even when the ball was put in play, defensive stalwarts like Leah Yantis, Sara Sharp and Easton Swanson were there to make the out and end any threat the Sailors posed.

We made some great plays, Easton made a couple of great plays over at short stop, Lee said. I was disappointed that we didnt handle the bunt a little better because we talked about that. We knew they were quick bunting and that they could do that, the ground was just so soft too and it didnt go anywhere after they bunted. But that didnt hurt us, they were finally able to put some hits together and at some point in the game that is bound to happen.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

While the taste of this loss will take some time to wash out, Lee said the Comets should be proud of what they accomplished this season. They finish the year at 29-9 while repeating as NICL West Division champions for a second-straight season.

Lee, who returned to the squad at the beginning of last season after a three-year break, said he couldnt ask for a better group of girls to coach.

I feel blessed to have been able to coach these girls for the last couple years. It has been a great experience, weve had a great two years, he said. Weve won two conference titles and weve been in this game twice, with us going all the way to state last year. These kids have had a great last couple years and I am blessed to have been a part of that.

Marshalltown High School will host a Friday Night Lights youth football camp on July 28 at Leonard Cole ...

Read the original post:

Comets suffer walk-off heartbreak at Columbus - Marshalltown Times Republican

The Trish Belford Realty Group U16 girls Belleville Comets rolled a seven but came up second in the gold medal final of the Ambassador Cup hosted recently by the Kingston Clippers in The Limestone City.

In a nail-biting championship game against Aurora, neither team could find the back of the opposition net in regulation time.

"The Comets played beautiful football, said team manager Lynn Barnabi. There were some great passes and ball control, but Comets just couldn't score.

Barnabi also cited the strong defence of Annissa Bray, Andrea Sorokine, Lindsay Hannah and Molly McKinney for making potential Aurora snipers feel equally frustrated in the attacking zone.

The subsequent O.T. went to penalty shots seven of the them both ways before Aurora claimed the crown.

Here's a tournament recap:

Game 1

Comets opened the festivities with a 2-0 win over Oshawa Turel Hurricanes on goals by Natasha Luffman and Heidi LaCosta. In net, Belleville keeper Victoria Lippitt posted the clean sheet.

Game 2

In a closer contest, Comets clipped the Darlington Blizzard 2-1. Sorokine notched the first Belleville goal which was later matched by the Blizzard. Late in the second half, Peyton Barnabi did the honours by scoring the game-winning goal for the Comets.

Game 3

Comets were unable to find the range in a 2-0 loss to Markham Lightning, but with a 2-1 slate claimed top spot in their pool and advanced to the semi-final round against the host Kingston Clippers.

Game 4

Morgan Hawley and Anna Noronha supplied the local markers as Comets blanked the Clippers 2-0. Lippitt posted her second shutout of the tournament and the U16's were off to the final.

ON DECK: Comets return to SOSA league action Tuesday versus the host Wolverines at Quinte West.

ACE F.C. COMETS

The ACE F.C. boys Comets split a pair of recent ERSL matches, rebounding from a tough 2-1 loss to Kingston United to defeat the Nepean Hotspurs 2-1 on the road in Ottawa.

Karl Wachner scored in the loss to KU; Evan Zakos, Jackson Moore and Lucas Culhane deposited the Belleville goals in the victory over Nepean.

Zane Neill was in net for both games for the Comets.

U15 BOYS COMETS

In SOSA league competition, the U15 boys Comets tied the first-place Kingston United squad 1-1. Aidyn Goulah scored the Belleville goal his league-leading ninth of the season. Cayde Culhane, Blake Douglas, Brett Foley and keeper Aden Deryaw-Walsh were cited by the coaching staff for strong efforts.

Read more here:

Comets capture silver at Ambassador Cup - Belleville Intelligencer

With their inspirational skipper Craig Cook racing in Poland for Team GB in the World Cup final, and reserve James Sarjeant injured, the Comets resources were stretched, although augmented by guests Danny Ayres (for Sarjeant) and former captain and number one Ricky Wells, for Cook.

But Cook, the current British Champion and by far and away the best rider in the league, is irreplaceable and his absence proved too big a handicap to overcome as without him the Comets only took the chequered flag on five out of 15 occasions and it was that lack of race wins that ultimately proved costly.

Meanwhile, for the Tigers it was two former Comets, Josh Grajczonek and Kyle Howarth, who topped their score-chart with three race wins each in their double-figure returns on a night where on several occasions the visiting riders came from behind to take vital points from the home riders.

Heat 1 had to be re-run as Wells and Grajczonek became tangled on the first corner causing them both to fall. But the re-start saw Wells lead from tape to flag and with Mason Campton in third place the Comets took an early advantage.

The second heat saw guest Danny Ayres quickly endear himself to the home crowd by coming from behind to undertake Sheffields Rob Branford at the end of lap two while there was drama on the last bend as third-placed Nathan Stoneman fell heavily into the air fence to gift Rob Shuttleworth a point and double the Comets advantage.

Heat 3 took three attempts to get under way as, at the first attempt, Sheffields Josh Bates was adjudged to have touched the tapes and was excluded, to be replaced by reserve Rob Branford in the re-start.

However, his partner Lasse Bjerre then did the same thing, with him then re-starting from a 15-metre handicap. This played into the Comets hands with Proctor and Williamson racing to maximum points, although Bjerre, having passed Branford on lap three, hunted down second placed Williamson but simply ran out of laps to challenge for second place.

Comets asset Howarth raced to his first heat win of the night in the fourth and with Thomas Jorgensen and Shuttleworth packing the minor places the points were shared as the Comets maintained their eight-point advantage.

However, with Grajczonek getting the better of fellow Aussie Proctor in heat 5 while Todd Kurtz held off Williamson for third place, the Tigers were able to cut the Comets lead to six points but with heats 6 and 7 being shared, with Jorgensen and Howarth taking the chequered flag respectively, that remained the situation going into heat 8, which became the second race of the night to be re-run as a result of a first bend incident.

On this occasion it was Campton who was sent sprawling across the track after receiving a nudge from fellow-Aussie Todd Kurtz. Referee Phil Griffin again declared a re-start with all four riders and this saw Kurtz just get ahead of Campton who, despite pressing him throughout, could not find a way through. But, with Branford leading Shuttleworth home for the vital third place the Tigers further ate into the Comets advantage, which now stood at just four points.

Heat 9 saw Proctor and Williamson hit the front but, as they entered turn one for the second time, Howarth forced his way under Williamson for second place but was unable to catch Proctor as the heat advantage extended the Comets lead back up to six points at 30-24.

But that joy was short-lived for the Comets as Wells struggled away from the gate in the next, which saw Bjerre hit the front and although Campton valiantly resisted the pressure from Bates the former double British Under-21 Champion found a way round the Comet on the back straight of the third lap to seal the Tigers only maximum heat advantage of the night, which ultimately proved to be a turning point in the match.

Then, when the Tigers gained another heat advantage in heat 11 through Grajczonek and Kurtz the scores were tied at 33-33 and it was the visitors who now had the momentum.

For over three laps in heat 12 the Comets looked set to get their noses in front once more before Bjerre was able to force his way under Proctor on the back straight, while a vital third place from guest Danny Ayres at least kept the scores level.

Heat 13 always looked to be a crucial heat, and so it proved, as Wells led from the gate and held the lead for over two laps before Howarth forced his way under him as they entered turn one for the third time. As Howarth gradually pulled away Wells then had to defend second place from the hard-riding Grajczonek and only just held on as they crossed the finish line in a blanket finish. Meanwhile, a disconsolate Jorgensen was tailed off at the back on a very sick sounding machine as Sheffield took the lead for the first time in the match.

However, for three laps of the penultimate heat the Comets looked set to level the scores once more until Bates was able to drive under race-leader Danny Ayres to share the points and maintain the Tigers slender advantage going into the crucial final race.

This saw the Comets needing to take maximum points to win and gain a heat advantage to draw, but once again it was a case of the Tigers coming from behind to take the points as Wells led from the gate until Grajczonek powered under him as they entered turn one for the third time.

Then, no sooner had Grajczonek passed Wells than third-placed Howarth retired, but the resulting shared heat was not enough to save the Comets as the Tigers claimed their third away league success of the campaign by the narrowest of margins.

WORKINGTON COMETS 44: Ty Proctor 11+1, Ricky Wells 8+1, Thomas Jorgensen 7, Danny Ayres 6+1, Mason Campton 6, Matt Williamson 4+2, Rob Shuttleworth 2+1

SHEFFIELD 46: Josh Grajczonek 12, Kyle Howarth 11, Lasse Bjerre 8+1, Josh Bates 7+1, Todd Kurtz 5, Rob Branford 3, Nathan Stoneman 0

Championship points: Workington 0 Sheffield 3

More here:

Workington Comets slip to first home defeat of the season - News & Star

Back in the late 18th and early 19th centuries long before anyone had any real idea of all that lay out there among the stars a French astronomer spent his nights scouring the sky for his prey.

Charles Messier scanned the heavens in search of new comets, hoping that these would lead him to fame and fortune.

To discover a comet, he knew he had to spot these long before they entered the inner solar system and sprouted an obvious tail, while they still appeared as faint smudges of light.

Then he had to watch diligently from night to night as they drifted slowly among the pinpoint stars. Only in this way could he be sure his discovery was a wandering comet and not some permanent feature of the cosmos.

During his nightly searches, however, Messier encountered dozens of false comets hazy patches of light that never moved, no matter how long he watched.

What were these mystery objects? Messier didnt know, and, whats more, he didnt care. They werent comets, and that was that.

So to avoid wasting more of his time on these stationary smudges, and to prevent himself and other comet hunters from being fooled, he carefully recorded their celestial positions and compiled a list of all that he found.

During his long career, Messier discovered 13 comets, though none of these led him to the fame and fortune he was seeking. Ironically, its his list of celestial nuisance objects for which he is remembered!

The list today known to every astronomer as the Messier Catalogue contains more than 100 of the most remarkable sights in the heavens: star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and more.

Stargazers can use binoculars to find many of these faint fuzzies (as astronomers often call them today) and can even spot some with the unaided eye, but only if you observe from a dark location without city lights. Scan a small telescope along the thickest part of the Milky Way low toward the south-southeastern sky on early evenings in July and, just like Messier youll easily discover even more.

Here, among the stars of the constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius, where the Milky Way appears its widest and most brilliant, Messier objects abound. Many of these in this region are star clusters immense families of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of stars bound together by gravitation.

Some of the finest are M11 (the 11th entry in Messiers Catalogue), M6, M7 and M22.

Others might be wispy clouds of gas and dust inside of which new stars and planetary systems are being born; M8, M16 and M20 are among the most spectacular of these.

Still, others appearing elsewhere around the sky might be distant galaxies island universes composed of hundreds of billions of stars each of which our Milky Way is just one.

Every summer when I gaze at these cosmic spectacles I cant help wondering whether Messier would have been so bothered by finding them had he known the marvels that he was inadvertently discovering.

This summer, be sure to get away from city lights and do your own search for Messiers amazing celestial gold mine!

Dennis Mammana is an astronomy writer, author, lecturer and photographer working from under the clear dark skies of the Anza-Borrego Desert in the San Diego County backcountry. Contact him at [emailprotected] and follow him on Twitter: @dennismammana. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

See the original post here:

Dennis Mammana: Comets Aside, a Search of Charles Messier's Gold Mine Is the Real Treasure - Noozhawk

With their inspirational skipper Craig Cook racing in Poland for Team GB in the World Cup final, and reserve James Sarjeant injured the Comets resources were stretched, although augmented by guests Danny Ayres (for Sarjeant) and former captain and number one, Ricky Wells, for Cook.

But, Cook, the current British Champion and by far and away the best rider in the league, is irreplaceable and his absence proved too big a handicap to overcome as without him the Comets only took the chequered flag on five out of fifteen occasions and it was that lack of race wins that ultimately proved costly.

Meanwhile, for the Tigers it was two former Comets, Josh Grajczonek and Kyle Howarth, that topped their score-chart with three race wins each in their double-figure returns on a night where on several occasions the visiting riders came from behind to take vital points from the home riders.

See the article here:

Comets slip to first home defeat of the season - Times & Star

Local Sports

Jul 8, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON BCLUW senior Samantha Ubben, left, celebrates with senior Macy Kock after the Comets won their Class 2A Region 3 semifinal game against South Hamilton on Friday 4-1. With the win, BCLUW moves on to face Waterloo Columbus on Monday with a trip to the state tournament on the line.

CONRAD Once again a standing room only crowd was on hand to watch the Class 2A No. 12 BCLUW softball team play their Class 2A Region 8 semifinal match against No. 13 South Hamilton on Friday night, and both the Comets and Hawks fans were treated to a great, tight game from both teams.

In the end, BCLUW came away victorious, defeating South Hamilton 4-1 and earning a second-straight trip to the Regional Finals match with a trip to the State Tournament on the line.

Comets head coach David Lee said his girls played an outstanding game against a team that beat them earlier this season.

I thought our game was complete tonight, Lee said after the win. Offensively I thought we were right on the edge, we took the extra base when we could just look at the number of close plays if you want to see about that and they have great arms. We beat some throws from people who have great arms. We know we have to challenge people but we have to push the envelope because thats how we get runs once in a while.

Both teams got off to a slow start at the plate on Friday, with BCLUW (29-8) starting pitcher Samantha Ubben fanning the first three batters for the Hawks and South Hamilton (20-9) pitcher Taylor Volkmann retiring her first three batters faced.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON BCLUW sophomore Easton Swanson slides around the tag at third base as she knocked down the first Comets hit of the game in the second inning of their 4-1 win over South Hamilton to advance to the Class 2A Region 3 finals match on Monday.

It was a similar setup in the second inning, with Ubben pitching yet another 1-2-3 inning on two ground outs and a fly ball, but after a strikeout from Comets first baseman Jordyn Beeghly to start the bottom of the second, sophomore Easton Swanson stepped up to the plate and belted a triple to get the offense rolling.

Senior Sara Sharp brought Swanson home in the ensuing at bat with a single, her first of three hits on the night for BCLUW. After the game, Sharp said she was knew it was a big moment for her in this game and she was ready to step up for her team.

I just got up to bat and I knew I had to get the job done, she said. I knew we had to score some runs in order to do what we needed to do.

Runs were at a premium all night, but after yet another extra-base hit from senior Leah Yantis in the third and an RBI single from Ubben, the Comets found themselves in a slightly comfortable lead up 2-0 after three innings played.

That comfort soon dissipated, however, as BCLUW was trapped in a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth with no outs, but after a discussion at the plate between Lee and his infield the girls got back on track and minimized the damage, allowing South Hamilton their only run of the night in the inning.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON Comets seniors Samantha Ubben and Sara Sharp attempt to tag out South Hamilton senior Alissa Moss during the fourth inning.

We really dug ourselves a hole there in the fourth, we had an error and they just had two bloop hits that we couldnt get to, Lee said. I thought Sam really bore down, we gave up one run there but boy we could have given up a bunch. Jenna (Willett) made a great play on that one ball in center field too.

Both teams went scoreless again for the next two innings, but the Comets were able to give themselves some insurance in the sixth, with Beeghley starting off the frame with a standing double, Swanson laying down a sacrifice bunt to score pinch runner Kiersten Kruse from second, and Sharp knocking in her second extra-base hit of the night, later being driven home by a single from catcher Kate Goecke.

Everybody stepped up a little bit, Lee said of his teams effort. Sara hit the ball, Swanson hit the ball. Sara made a great play here at third base at the end where she bobbled the ball but still was able to get the out, and that was one where we needed it.

The errors, whether at the plate or in the field, didnt seem to effect the team. The team just stepped up and made the next play, whatever it had to be. That is what I am so pleased with the kids about.

Ubben pitched a complete game for BCLUW, giving up only one run off four hits and striking out nine. Sharp went 3-for-3 offensively with an RBI and a run scored, while Ubben and Swanson each had a hit and an RBI.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

The Comets get a bit longer of a rest than the last couple weeks now, as they have two days off before taking on Columbus Catholic for the 2A Region 3 crown Monday night.

Lee said, though they have an extra day to prepare, the teams approach to this finals match wont be any different than what theyve done all season.

We will do what we have been doing all year, he said. We will actually take Saturday off, we wont do anything then and we will practice on Sunday night when it is cooler. Then we will do what weve done on Monday morning and get ready to go play the game. We are kind of in a little pattern with what we do to get ready so we will stay with that.

That game against Columbus Catholic is set for a 7 p.m. start in Waterloo on Monday.

LA PORTE CITY The East Marshall softball team got yet another win in the Class 3A Region 5 tournament on Friday ...

GILBERTVILLE Chandler Sponseller hit his first-career home run and the West Marshall baseball team ended the ...

Originally posted here:

Comets clip Hawks in semifinals - Marshalltown Times Republican

When Breana Thurness saw the throw from the West Burlington Notre Dame shortstop sail over the first basemans head, she couldnt help but smile as she dashed to home plate.

As the junior stomped on the plate, she capped off a three-run really in the bottom of the seventh that allowed West Liberty to top West Burlington, 5-4, in the Class 3A regional softball semifinal Friday.

"Im just glad that I got to have this because this is something Ill remember forever, Thurness said. I was so excited I just wanted to give the team a hug. It was a big moment.

It took some heroics from Thurness to even put the Comets in that position. They trailed 4-2 entering the seventh inning and with two runners on base and one out, she trailed 0-2 in the pitch count. She fought back, and eventually ripped a double down the third-base line to score two runs and tie the game.

Shes a good hitter, coach Dave Reynolds said. Shell drive the ball that way all the time. She probably deserves some all-league votes but didnt get them.

If things had gone just a little differently, that scenario never would have played out. Reynolds forgot to re-enter Thurness into the lineup, but West Burlington coach David Oleson didnt question it until Thurness was on second base after already tying the game with her two-RBI double. Had he noticed while she was in the batters box, she would have been out before having a chance to hit, which would have been West Libertys second out of the inning.

Thats a miscue I wont make again, Reynolds said.

Before all of that, the Comets appeared to be in complete control of the game entering the seventh inning after an RBI single by sophomore Skylar Wendt to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth. With the way junior pitcher Emma Martin had been hitting her spots through six innings, Reynolds said he thought they had the Falcons.

But the Falcons finally got to Martin and scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-2 lead. Even so, there was no panic in the Comets.

I knew we would start hitting the ball, Reynolds said. I could see it in those captains' eyes when we came up to bat. I never give up on these guys and they never cease to amaze me.

Reynolds said his entire team, even the young players, hasnt been fazed by pressure all season, and it was more of the same Friday night. At a time where it would have been easy to sulk, the Comets entered the seventh inning ready to make the Falcons work for the win.

Sophomore Macy Akers started the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and senior Haddie Anderson followed with a single on the next at-bat. Freshman Austyn Crees sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position for Thurness, who was confident even though she was 0-for-1 at that point.

You just have to stay positive through everything, Thurness said. Even if youre nervous, you have to stay strong. The team always has your back, and thats kind of what calmed me down is I know I have them to fall back to.

But Thurness came through in the biggest moment of the night, and after narrowly avoiding a tag on a ground ball to the short stop, made it clear home to clinch the Comets biggest win of the season and a birth in the regional championship.

West Liberty will now face its biggest test of the season in Davenport Assumption in the regional championship Monday night in Davenport. Assumption is 39-1, and its only loss came in its first game, to Moline 4-3.

We have to come out and play the best we can, Reynolds said. Whatever happens, happens. Its a tall task, but theyre up for it. Well leave it all out on the field.

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Thurness' heroics saves Comets' season - Muscatine Journal

After going 2-1 in pool play, the Comets turned to the 3-pointer to get to the second round in the championship bracket at the AAU Division 1 seventh-grade tournament in Kingston, Tennessee.

The Comets hit eight triples to roll to a 56-10 victory over the Central Kentucky Storm Wednesday. The win sends the Comets into the round of 16 against the Potomac Valley Vogues Thursday.

Maggie Grant led the way with 12 points. Grace ONeil had eight points, while Jordyn Thomas and Maggie Doogan chipped in with seven points apiece.

In pool play, Thomas and Nikki Mostardi tallied eight points each in a 50-40 victory over the Titans. Julia Dever scored 14 points, but it wasnt enough as the Comets fell to North Tartan of Minnesota in overtime, 44-39. Maeve McErlane tossed in 14 points as the Comets bounced back with a 49-44 win over Georgia Hardball Elite to advance to the championship round.

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Jack Lemon and Owen Dreger had it going on for Dairy Cottage.

Lemon scored 18 points and Dreger hit four 3-pointers and finished with 17 points to lead DC to a 40-28 Senior League win over Pat McKnight Construction.

Rohan Bhattacharya put up eight points for McKnight.

In other Senior League action:

Slacks 32, Thunderbird 19 >> Adam Henry tallied 10 points to lead Slacks. Kevin Waters netted six points for Thunderbird.

In the Junior League:

McKeon Allstate 31, Tavola 14 >> Tanner Coll paced the winners with 10 points.

PDS 15, A&A Custom Signs 12 >> Connor Meenans six points led the way for PDS. Logan McBride had five points for A&A.

Lydia Scotts basket in the final minute lifted the Cougars to an 18-17 victory over Glenolden in the junior division. Bridget Doerr led the winners with seven points.

Erin Boyer had six points for Glenolden.

In another junior game:

Springfield Gold 26, Springfield Blue 16 >> Skyler Poehner and Sophia Ward combined for 15 points for Gold.

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Summer Basketball: Comets rain down 3's, advance to 2nd round - The Delaware County Daily Times

Former Comets No1 Ricky Wells is set to lead Workington for tomorrow's Championship clash against Sheffield.

Provided the USA do not pull off a huge shock by winning tonight's Speedway World Cup race-off to reach the final, last season's Comets skipper Ricky Wells will fly back to replace Craig Cook for Workington against the Tigers.

Great Britain's Cook-inspired victory in the first World Cup event at the weekend means they progressed straight to tomorrow night's final so Wells, who still lives in West Cumbria, agreed to return to his old stomping ground as a guest.

Redcar reserve Danny Ayres will also step in to guest for James Sarjeant, who faces up to four weeks out with a broken thumb.

Wells joined Edinburgh this season but still knows his way around Derwent Park and team manager Tony Jackson expects him to be an able deputy.

He said: "It's going to be tough but Ricky was the best bet by far.

"They've got a full team with Josh Grajczonek and Kyle Howarth in there who know the track.

"They were obviously very disappointed because they were tipped to be top of the pile and one of their first away meetings was at Workington when we beat them 54-37.

"They'll be fired up and they're riding quite well, plus with Craig Cook missing they'll sense an opportunity.

"It's got all the makings of a good match and hopefully we can continue our unbeaten home record."

Jackson will be absent for tomorrow night's meeting, with Comets co-promoter Steve Whitehead taking on managerial duties.

Meanwhile, Thomas Jorgensen and Ty Proctor have been confirmed as Comets' duo for the Championship Pairs at Somerset on July 21, with Cook missing due to his British Grand Prix commitments.

Excerpt from:

Ex-Comets skipper Ricky returns in bid to tame the Tigers - Times & Star

Saturdays guest Ricky Wells (red) seen here leading from the front at Derwent Park last season as the Comets number one! (picture: Dave Payne)

At 7:00pm this Saturday evening at Derwent Park the Workington Comets return to SGB Championship action when they entertain the Sheffield Tigers for the second time this season.

Back in early April the Comets ran out 54-37 victors when the two sides met at Workington but all the indications are that it will be a totally different situation this time around and one that could go right down to the wire.

On that occasion the Comets were at full-strength while the Tigers were without the injured Lasse Bjerre, however this time around it is the Tigers that are at full-strength!

The Comets are missing their inspirational skipper and number one Craig Cook, who will be captaining Team GB in the World Cup Final over in Poland that evening, while also missing is their injured reserve James Sarjeant, who is currently sidelined with a broken right thumb following his crash at Newcastle at the end of June.

Coming in as a guest to replace Cookie is last years number one and captain, Ricky Wells, who will be flying back to the UK from Poland where, barring what would be the biggest upset in Speedway World Cup history, his Team USA side will have been taking part in the previous evenings race-off where they are not expected to top the score-chart to claim the remaining place in the Final itself. Additionally, coming into the Comets side as a guest for the evening to replace James Sarjeant is Redcars Danny Ayres.

Meanwhile, the Sheffield Tigers are led by two former Comets that certainly know their way around Derwent Park number one Josh Grajczonek, who was the Comets number one back in 2014, and Kyle Howarth, a Comets asset, who rode for the club for four seasons from 2012 to 2015 inclusive; both of whom will be keen to score points against their former club.

Looking ahead to the fixture, club owner Laura Morgan said: Obviously it is not ideal to be going into the meeting without Cookie but unfortunately we have no choice as this is a fixture on the list and, having ridden less matches than any other side in the Championship right now, and missed a number of weekends due to the weather or other events taking place at the stadium, we really have to catch up on our league fixtures.

We urge everyone to get down to the stadium to watch live speedway, which promises to be a cracking fixture and, if need be, record the televised speedway and watch it when they get home!

We are delighted that Ricky has agreed to help us out, and by being prepared to jump straight back on a plane in order to do so shows his commitment to the cause of his former club and the friendships that we all built up during his time with us. Ricky is a very capable replacement, who knows the track as good as anyone. He still lives locally, shares a workshop with Mason Campton and is often seen down at Derwent Park on race-night when his own racing commitments allow.

We are also very grateful to Danny Ayres for agreeing to also help us out this Saturday while James recovers from his broken thumb. Hopefully another couple of weeks or so will see James back in the saddle in time for what promises to be a very busy spell for the club throughout July, August and early September as we look to catch up on our fixture backlog and make a push for the play-offs!

COMETS UPCOMING FIXTURES:

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Comets take on the Tigers - Cumbria Crack

Around 65 million years ago, a huge asteroid hit Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs and up to 30% of all life on the planet. But this was not a one-time occurrence.

Celestial bodies have hit Earth before and are bound to do so again. The billion dollar question is: Could the impact trigger another mass extinction?

To answer this question properly, we need to understand the origin of objects set on a collision course with our planet. Three best sources of Earth-bound celestial material are the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the Oort cloud and Kuiper belt. The Oort cloud is believed to be a thick bubble of icy debris that surrounds our solar system, and a probable origin of most of the long-period comets that have been observed. The Kuiper belt is a disc-shaped region populated with hundreds of thousands of icy bodies larger than 100 km (62 miles) in diameter, and an estimated one trillion or more comets beyond the orbit of Neptune.

These two regions, while both rich in gigantic space debris, contribute to the extinction scenarios in vastly different ways. While the Oort cloud is quite dense, consisting of billions of comets, its very unlikely that many of them jeopardized Earth in the past. In fact, simulations run by scientists confirm that in the past 500 million years, just two or three comets may have struck Earth, causing powerful meteor showers.

The Kuiper belt is next on our list of suspects. Its disc-like structure makes it easier for the comets to find their way to our solar system, but more often than not, they get pulled in by the Sun and evaporate.

Still, movements of both Oort cloud and Kuiper belt objects are complex, and their interactions with other celestial bodies are far from predictable and periodic. In fact, many of them can get pulled from their initial state into orbits of planets and various other celestial bodies, where they can be further slung toward our solar system. The majority of them leave the solar system, collide with other planets and moons, or simply evaporate, passing too close to our Sun. Those that do hit Earth either burn out in the atmosphere or lose a significant amount of their mass before actually hitting planets surface.

What about the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter?

Out of 50,000 meteorites found on Earth to date, 99.8% are believed to have come from this region including the dinosaur-killer. But because the asteroids that leave the belt dont get replenished, as time passes, so does the danger. The proof of this theory can be found on celestial bodies such as Earths Moon or the planet Mercury, where older craters (created 3 -3.5 billion years ago) are the most numerous, with considerable fallout in frequency as we move further up the timeline.

Our solar system is also constantly moving along with our Sun, which revolves around the center of the galaxy, passing through various regions of the Milky Way on its 225 million-years long journey. During that period, also known as a cosmic year, occurring every 31 million years or so, we pass through the denser areas of the galaxy. Some claim that these periods coincide with mass extinctions in Earth's history, which means these extinctions are likely periodic. Yet this excellent article by astrophysicist Ethan Siegel shows that there is no scientific evidence to support that claim.

Still, dont rest just yet. Complex movements of our solar system, paired with those of the galaxy, could excite asteroids and comets lying in wait in the Oort cloud or the Kuiper belt, sending them on a collision course with Earth. With billions of them out there, theres a good chance a few could end up at our doorstep.

But, is there an increased risk of mass extinction such as the one Earth faced 65 million years ago? At this point, I dont think so. That is not to say that there is no risk. The universe is complex, and the interactions between planets, asteroids, stars and galaxies are intricate and multi-layered. Anything can happen. If you are interested in humans current capabilities to avert such a disaster, click here (Hint: its not pretty).

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Opinion: These visitors from space could kill us - MarketWatch

Scientists pursue research through observation, experimentation and modeling. They strive for all of these pieces to fit together, but sometimes finding the unexpected is even more exciting. That's what happened to University of Central Florida's astrophysicist Gal Sarid, who studies comets, asteroids and planetary formation and earlier this year was part of a team that published a study focused on the comet 174P/Echeclus. It didn't behave the way the team was expecting.

"This is another clue that Echeclus is a bizarre solar system object," said University of South Florida physics research Professor Maria Womack, who leads the team.

Comets streak across the sky and as they get closer to the sun look like bright fuzz balls with extended luminous trails in their wake. However, comets are actually bulky spheres of mixed ice and rock, many of them also rich in other frozen volatile compounds, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide and methanol.

Comets heat up as they get closer to the sun, losing their icy layers by sublimation and producing emission jets of water vapor, other gases and dust expelled from the comet nucleus, Sarid said. Once they move away from the sun, they cool off again. But some comets start showing emission activity while still very far from the sun, where heating is low.

That's what Sarid and Womack research as they study these kinds of distantly active comets. Womack and graduate student Kacper Wierzchos used the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter telescope to observe Echeclus last year as it approached the sun. This work will be part of Wierzchos' doctoral dissertation in applied physics at USF. Sarid provided theoretical expertise for interpreting the observational results.

Echeclus is part of the population of objects called centaurs, which have orbits around the sun at distances between that of Jupiter and Neptune. It is also part of a special group within the centaurs, which sometimes exhibit comet-like activity. Previous research indicated that Echeclus might have been spewing carbon monoxide as its icy material changed phases.

The team found that the levels of carbon monoxide were nearly 40 times lower than typically expected from other comets at similar distances from the sun. This suggests that Echeclus and similar active Centaurs may be more fragile than other comets. Echeclus may have gone through a different physical process from most comets that caused it to lose a lot of its original carbon monoxide, or it may have had less of that substance to begin with.

Understanding the composition of comets and how they work will help researchers understand how our solar system was formed. It will also aid space explorers plan for their travels - things to avoid and perhaps hidden resources found within the nucleus of comets that may be useful on deep space missions.

"These are minor bodies that we are studying, but they can provide major insights," Sarid said. "We believe they are rich in organics and could provide important hints of how life originated."

Sarid is determined to solve the puzzle. This week he hosts a group of comet experts at UCF to discuss the mysterious activity of Echeclus and other similar bodies. The idea for the workshop is to capitalize on the local expertise in observation, laboratory and theoretical work that is required to fully understand the mysteries of active comets at great distances from the sun. The inaugural Florida Distant Comets workshop was held a year ago at USF.

"I guess I've always liked challenges," Sarid said from his office at the Florida Space Institute at UCF, where he spends his days trying to decipher the models and mathematical equations related to his work.

Sarid has a Ph.D. in geophysics and planetary Sciences from Tel Aviv University in Israel and completed postdoctoral work at the Institute for Astronomy and the NASA Astrobiology Institute in Hawaii, followed by a second postdoctoral research appointment at Harvard University. He was a part of a team that used the telescopes in Hawaii for several years chasing comets and asteroids for NASA observing campaigns and space missions before joining UCF in 2014.

He teamed up with Womack in 2016 and on this most recent study provided theoretical expertise for interpreting the observational results. The National Science Foundation funds the project, under a grant awarded to USF, with Womack as the principal investigator and Sarid as a co-investigator.

They will continue to look at centaur-type comets and measure the level of their carbon monoxide emission and related activity.

Research Report

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Excerpt from:

Bizarro comet challenging researchers - Space Daily

Local Sports

Jul 6, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON BCLUW pinch-runner Parker Scurr slides into second base off a steal attempt in the top of the first inning while Aplington-Parkersburg second baseman Maddie Waller catches the throw-out attempt in the Comets 16-0 win over the Falcons on Wednesday evening.

CONRAD The last time a highly ranked BCLUW team faced off against Aplington-Parkersburg in the first round of regionals, the 20-win Comets lost to the six-win Falcons in a 1-0 tilt that cut a promising season short in 2015.

On Wednesday, when the two teams met up in a similar fashion, Class 2A No. 12 BCLUW was clearly out to wash that two-year-old taste from its mouth as the Comets took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and stretched it all the way to 16-0 by the end of the third, securing a spot in the semifinal round of the Region 3 tournament.

Senior and winning pitcher Samantha Ubben, who was just coming up through the ranks last time these teams faced off in regionals, said the team definitely didnt lack for motivation in its quarterfinal match.

I was on that team when we lost to A-P so it was kind of revenge in a way, Ubben said after the win. I was just starting to play varsity my sophomore year, so this game kind of meant a lot and obviously our goal is state so we have to take it as seriously as we could and I think we really did that.

Ubben was perfect in her two innings of work Wednesday night, striking out four and retiring all six batters she faced with relative ease. Junior Lauren Anderson closed out the third inning with one hit, one walk and one strike out.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON Comets pitcher Lauren Anderson delivers a strike to catcher Kate Goecke during the third and final inning of BCLUWs 16-0 rout of Aplington-Parkersburg on Wednesday in Conrad. Anderson pitched the final frame, giving up one hit while striking out one.

Due to a coin flip before the game, the Comets were actually the away team though they were playing at home, and Ubben said a furious first inning of batting helped her out before she took the mound.

I had to think it was a big game, the girls who were up there could hit the ball even though they arent the best team or whatever, she said. I really focused on that and batting-wise we had to treat it like we were away, not think we are at home. Start off well early because we were visitors.

Every BCLUW batter came to the plate in the first inning, and every batter made an appearance in the second inning as well. Four Comets Ubben, seniors Leah Yantis and Sara Sharp and sophomore Easton Swanson were perfect swinging the bat against A-P (7-13), with Yantis leading the way by going 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Ubben, Sharp and Swanson all went 3-for-3 at the plate, with Ubben driving in two RBIs, Sharp recording an RBI and three runs, and Swanson scoring three times while knocking in two RBIs.

Yantis, who has hit safely in each of her last eight at bats, said her approach at the plate makes it easier to knock down hits.

I can hit, I know I can hit, and if I swing for the fences its not going to happen so if I just poke it, it will do whatever I want it to, she said. Its just a mental game, hitting is not just a talent, you can do it if you put the bat on the ball. Throughout the years you get the hang of it. Most people think oh I want to hit it super hard! but its not really that, if you just put the bat on the ball it will go.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

After BCLUWs conference title win against West Marshall Monday night, head coach David Lee said Yantis is the cog that makes his offense go. Yantis said having that kind of role on the team is no problem considering the experience she has playing for the Comets.

Youd think its a lot of pressure but after doing it for a while and as a senior you kind of do what you want and people will follow, she said. If you make it look easy everyone thinks they can do it and that builds their confidence. I try my hardest to help everyone get more confidence throughout the year and I think we have done a pretty good job putting the bat on the ball.

Though the team seemed to thoroughly enjoy every hit and every run scored against the Falcons, Lee said his team was more focused on making sure they are playing at their best, rather than avenging a loss from when he wasnt even coaching.

It wasnt really on our mind, we just have to play and do our thing and play our game, but we did mention it this morning in batting practice just to get everyone focused on whats going on, Lee said. Everybody knows what peoples records are, but you look at any level the pros, college, anything upsets happen when somebody is not ready to play. Everybody has athletic people, and if someone gets things going sometimes you dont get it shut off before you get it turned around. We were determined not to let that happen.

Up next for the Comets is 2A No. 13 South Hamilton, a team they lost to way back in their second game of the season. Ubben said both teams have come a long way since that game in late May, and neither team is looking to end their postseason run just yet.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

We did lose to South Hamilton at the beginning of the year so that will be another game we are looking for revenge in a way, she said. Lauren and I split that game and we arent the same team we were when we faced them but neither are they, so we want to go out and play hard.

That game for the right to play for the Region 3 title will be at 7 p.m. in Conrad on Friday.

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Comets carve up Aplington-Parkersburg 16-0 in three innings - Marshalltown Times Republican

Ben Birnell

Another forward from last season's Utica Comets team has moved on.

Forward Derek Hulak, who missed much of the 2016-17 season due to an injury, is one of five players signed to an American Hockey League contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Atlantic Division team announced Thursday.

Hulak, who had back-to-back 40-point seasons with Texas before joining Utica, was limited to 17 games with what then-Comets coach Travis Green called an upper-body injury. Hulak finished with four goals and an assist, but didn't play after Dec. 3.

Hulak, who remained with the team during his injury, was active in the community and earned the team's Man of the Year honor. After earning the honor late in the 2016-17 season, Hulak said he was hopeful he might return to the Comets' lineup, but did not.

The other players to sign with different teams since free agency began Saturday are the Comets' franchise leader in multiple offensive categories Alex Grenier and forward Curtis Valk. The forwards, who were among the Comets' top offensive players in combining for 91 points last season, both signed one-year contracts with the Florida Panthers.

Comets earn honor

The Comets' front office staff is among the AHL teams to be recognized for their work on the business side.

As part of the league's Team Business Services program, Utica was the Eastern Conference's recipient for outstanding fan experience at home games. Cleveland was recognized from the Western Conference.

The Comets have sold out 93 consecutive games at the Utica Memorial Auditorium dating back to the team's 2014-15 Calder Cup playoff run.

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Hulak signs with another AHL team - Utica Observer Dispatch

KEOSAUQUA The road to Fort Dodge is officially underway.

In an instant, however, it came to an end this season for the young Cardinal softball squad.

The first round of Class 2A, Region 6 tournament playin Keosaqua on Monday night pitted two rivals and Southeast Iowa Superconferenceteams. Van Buren downed Cardinal 14-8 and will move on tonight to take on ninth-ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremontin Eddyville.

Cardinal's team is made up of one senior, one sophomore, and everybody else is a freshman or eighth-grader. The young Comets, who have struggled this summer, jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Maddy Cloke led off with a single, one of her two hits in the game, and later scored on a Warrior error. Lydia Moses, who reached on an error, also scored on the play.

"We've been able to do that some this summer," said Cardinal coach Sabrina Morrison. The two-time state championship player for the Comets wrapped up her first season as the head coach of the program.

Van Buren took the lead in the top of the second with a two-out rally that produced three runs. Hannah Hudson doubled, Grace Thomas beat out an infield hit, and Kortney Banks singled to drive in both runners. The third run scored on a Comet error.

The Warriors went up 7-2 after a four run fourth. They used five hits and a Comet error to score the runs. Hudson golfed a low pitch for her second double. One inning later, she flied out at the fence in center field.

"It's not hard to stay ready to hit in the dugout. Our coaches make sure we are mentally in the game," said Hudson. "I thought that last ball was going to get out."

Thomas' second hit drove in a run but the big hit was a two RBI double by Annalysa Noll. A hit from Hannah Heiserman drove in the final run.

The Comets, who have had trouble with big innings, gave up seven runs to the Warriorrs in the top of the sixth. Van Buren only needed three hits as the Comets contributed five errors, causing all seven runs to be unearned.

"Our defense has been better than that for most of the summer," said Morrison.

Thomas led off the Warrior sixth by drawing a walk. She would score all the way from second on a Comet error in the infield.

Thomas, who also made all the plays in center field, talked about her game.

"My speed plays a big role for my offense and defense," Thomas said. "I take the extra base whenever I can."

Sabrina Sayre singled for Van Buren and then the Warrior bench got involved. Pinch hitters, Darby Booth and Taylor Thornsberry each singled. Booths was good for an RBI.

After the Comets got the Warrior 11-hitter parade to the plate stopped, they came to bat in the bottom of the sixth down 14-2 and facing a shortened end to the game.

Cardinal did not go quietly. the first three hitters all reached base (a walk and two hits). Alexia McClure doubled in a run and Alexandra Herrera drove in two runs.

The game continued to the seventh and after Comet relief pitcher Megan Fitzsimmons blanked Van Buren in the seventh, the Comets headed to their last at bat down 14-5.

Again Cardinal cut into the Warrior lead. They used three hits and three Van Buren errors to score three times.

"We've been streaky on offense and defense some this summer," said Warrior coach Randy Smith. "We hit the ball okay tonight (12 hits) but we had way too many errors (six)."

Cloke's second hit, a double led off the Comet seventh. Two hitters later, Rachel Lewman singled in a run. Two Warrior errors after a single by Kassidy Verrips plated the seventh run and a ground out scored the third and final run in the 14-8 Warrior win.

"We made some OKcontact tonight but didn't hit enough balls solid," said Morrison.

Each coach and their team will have different roads ahead.

Morrison and the 2-26 Comets will be looking toward next summer.

"We will undoubtedly be better because of the experience for our young players," said Morrison. "Our pitching staff got stronger this season and will contribute to improve.

The Warriors (9-16) have a shorter road. Tonight they take on a highly ranked EBF team in Eddyville looking for a huge upset that would secure a berth in the Class 2A regional semifinal round.

"All the pressure is on them," said Smith. "We will need to be almost flawless and hang in there early."

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Warriors down Comets in regional softball opener - Ottumwacourier

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Jul 4, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON BCLUW senior Leah Yantis cranks one of her four hits during the Comets 5-2 win over West Marshall in State Center on Monday night. With the win, BCLUW locked down its second-straight NICL West Division title.

STATE CENTER It was standing-room only at the West Marshall softball field on Monday when the Class 3A No. 10 Trojans welcomed in 2A No. 12 BCLUW with a NICL West Division title on the line, but the game almost didnt happen thanks to an approaching thunderstorm.

Thankfully, after a roughly 45-minute delay, the game was able to get underway, and after withstanding two early home runs from West Marshall, BCLUW (27-8, 11-1) came back and won their second-straight NICL West crown.

After the game, Comets head coach David Lee said starting pitcher Samantha Ubben was slightly effected by the long lightning delay, but once she got rolling the Trojans couldnt touch her.

I thought Sam was a little shook there early, she didnt make bad pitches and they hit those two perfectly, he said. She might have been a couple MPH off her speed early on because of the delay and the waiting. All I can tell you is she got better as the game went on, there was no doubt from the third inning on she really was in good command of her pitches and what was going on.

And recover she did, as Ubben would pitch all seven innings in the game, giving up only three hits and two runs the two homers by Katie Price and Karisa Blocker while striking out nine batters on the night.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON Comets senior Sara Sharp (9) slides into home plate after being tagged out by West Marshall third baseman Brooke Snider (42) during the second inning of Mondays NICL West Division title match between the Trojans and BCLUW in State Center.

Ubben said, though this was the final regular season game of her career and a conference title match, she approached her start like it was just a normal day.

I just tried to think it was a normal game, rain delays happen and there isnt anything we can control on that, she said. In the first inning, obviously I was missing my spots a little bit but I couldnt really control that they were hitting it but I knew if I came back stronger throughout the innings they wouldnt keep hitting off me, so I tried to be confident in myself and my skills.

Ubben also got it done of the offensive end, as she hit a key two-base line drive that scored two Comets and broke up a 2-2 tie in the top of the fourth.

Another BCLUW senior had a great cap to her final regular season match, as leadoff hitter Leah Yantis went 4-for-4 from the plate with an RBI of her own.

Lee said Yantis is invaluable to his teams success, and when she is on at the plate all of the Comets play better.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

She is really a key for what happens for us, he said. When she gets on, that really changes our whole offensive philosophy. Then with Sam and (Jordyn) Beeghly and (Easton) Swanson driving the ball the way they have the last couple weeks, we just need that to happen. We have a lot of seniors and they stepped up tonight.

On the other side of the field, West Marshall (30-6, 10-2) played a tight game of their own, especially with senior ace Kallie Malloy resting her arm for the postseason starting Wednesday.

Eighth-grader Loran Nicholson got the start for the Trojans, and she pitched seven full innings while giving up five runs off 12 hits and striking out one.

West Marshall head coach Todd Verwers said he saw what he needed to from his team on Monday night, and he feels confident about their chances heading into Wednesdays playoff match.

I knew Loran was going to be fine, she had beat the fifth ranked team in 2A last weekend, Verwers said. She did a good job of getting herself physically ready, I knew mentally she would be fine because she doesnt seem to be phased by a whole lot. She threw strikes and that allowed us to have balls put in play and get tested, get reps defensively. Had we thrown Kallie she would have had probably 10 or 12 strikeouts which was 10 less opportunities for someone else to make a play.

T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON

Of course questions could be raised about Verwers decision to not throw his best pitcher with a conference championship on the line, but he said when it comes to the end of a season, he is more focused on having his team fully ready to compete for a state title.

I know a lot of people dont understand that mentality of not throwing your number one even though it is a conference championship game, but where I come from there are more important things like the postseason, he said. We have to do whats smart for us and that was to handle it the way we did.

BCLUW had a different philosophy on Monday night, hence starting their No. 1 pitcher, and Lee said he never passes up an opportunity to nail down a conference title.

We dont look any further than that, as long as there is a chance to be a conference champion that is what we are playing for, Lee said. Now this is over and we will retool and get our mind on what will happen in the tournament.

Ubben echoed her coachs statement, saying that she is extremely proud of her team for winning a second-straight NICL West title and accomplishing the goals they put forth at start of the year.

Goal one of our season was to win our first game and goal two was to win conference, so now we are looking toward state, Ubben said of the teams mindset. Wednesday is another game we have to take seriously since it is a big game, but it has been a great season so far. I wouldnt want anything better, winning conference is a huge goal so I am glad we got that accomplished.

West Marshall and BCLUW each host their first-round matches on Wednesday, with the Trojans kicking off the 3A Region 8 bracket by hosting Creston and the Comets starting 2A Region 3 play by welcoming Aplington-Parkersburg. Both games are set for a 7 p.m. first pitch.

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Back-to-back crowns for Comet softball | News, Sports, Jobs - Times ... - Marshalltown Times Republican

The chances of dying via an asteroid impact are very, very small.

Asteroids that pose an existential threat to life on Earth only strike once every 500,000 years or more. Even the 140-meter-wide asteroids that could destroy cities and regions rain down death once every 10,000 years. And the risk of being even injured from a 20-meter object like the one that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013 and hurt nearly 1,500 people is tiny.

But, okay: WHAT IF? If a huge asteroid were to smash into Earth, what would happen to us? We all know Hollywoods take: Either well be engulfed by a huge fireball or swallowed by a massive tsunami.

The journal Geophysical Research Letters recently published an analysis of the likely source of casualties from an asteroid impact. In it, the scientists ran a computer model where they simulated the impact of 50,000 asteroids from the very tiny to 400-meter monsters all over the globe. They estimated how each of the asteroids would create chaos (i.e., if they hit in water, theyd perhaps create a tsunami, if they hit land, they would generate debris and a shockwave), and estimated the causalities of each of the impacts based on the population density in the area.

In sum, heres what they found: If youre going to die via an asteroid, it will be the wind and shockwave that gets you.

Surprisingly "effects such as cratering, seismic shaking and ejecta deposition [i.e., ejected debris] provide only a minor contribution to overall loss," the study concluded.

Why wind? Its because if a large-enough asteroid explodes in the air before hitting the Earth (and generating tsunamis, craters, and fire-filled torrents of death), the resulting shockwave could blast winds powerful enough to flatten cities. The pressure from the blast could rupture internal organs. Bottom line: An asteroid doesnt have to reach the ground intact to cause chaos. In their analysis, 60 percent of all asteroid deaths were caused by wind and pressure.

The chart above shows that as the asteroids get larger, your chances of dying of anything other than wind increase, but the wind would still the No. 1 cause of death.

Tsunamis arent as much of a factor, relatively speaking, because in many areas, the geography of the shoreline would dampen their destructive reach, New Scientist explains in its report on the study. Also: Wind is a factor in every asteroid collision, and tsunamis are only implicated in impacts over water.

So, should this graphic keep you up at night? No.

Talking about the risk of asteroid impact is tricky. Were not likely to see a huge destructive asteroid in our lifetimes. Those threaten future generations. You have to think about the risk in terms of its not a risk to a person or a city, but a risk to humanity, said Eric Christensen, who hunts asteroids for NASA at the Catalina Sky Survey.

Small asteroid strikes are much more likely. But for one to land near you would be an incredible stroke of bad luck.

One of the most remarkable things about the Chelyabinsk impactor for me was that it happened over a populated area, Christensen says. Ninety-eight percent of the planet is unpopulated or very sparsely populated.

And thats why NASAs tracking these baddies now. The more we keep an eye on them, the more we can devise engineering solutions to push a deadly asteroid off a collision course. The Center for Near Earth Object Studies at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has logged around 16,000 asteroids that come close to Earths orbital neighborhood. And there are thousands more to find.

How NASA hunts for asteroids, explained: To date, the center has tagged 16,000 asteroids, comets, and bits of space debris that orbit in the neighborhood around Earth. Heres how.

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If you die via asteroid, this is how it will happen - Vox

July 3, 2017

What do astrophysicist Steven Hawking, Queen guitarist Brian May and the country of Luxembourg have in common? They're all key figures in Asteroid Day - a UN sanctioned day of education to raise awareness about protecting our planet from dangerous impacts from space.

Asteroid Day is June 30th, the anniversary of the 1908 Tunguska impact, when a space rock, approximately 120 ft wide detonated in the sky, the largest impact in recent history. Asteroids and comets remain a threat to Earth.

To assist in NASA's efforts to tackle the challenge of understanding space hazards and knowing what to do about them, the Frontier Development Lab (FDL) has brought together a team of expert researchers and invited them to apply artificial intelligence to develop techniques to help protect our planet from space threats such as asteroids, comets and solar storms.

FDL is an applied artificial intelligence research accelerator and public / private partnership between NASA Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute. The program tackles knowledge gaps in space science by pairing machine learning and deep learning expertise with planetary scientists and heliophysicists at the PhD level. Interdisciplinary teams address tightly defined problems and through rapid iteration and prototyping create outputs with meaningful application to the space program.

FDL features partnerships with Luxembourg Space Resources and technology leaders in artificial intelligence from the private sector and academia including IBM, Nvidia, Lockheed Martin, USC Mascale, Kx Systems, Miso Technologies and Intel. Partners bring advanced GPU hardware, software and cloud-based resources, and provide coaching and support on cutting edge approaches.

Entering its second year, FDL strives to create research outcomes that support NASA goals, while simultaneously showcasing cutting-edge partner capabilities in deep learning and other artificial intelligence techniques.

"Grand challenges like planetary defense require ingenious new approaches. We wanted to create a platform that industrializes breakthrough work useful to the space program and the task of protecting our planet" says FDL Director, James Parr.

To this end, exemplary PhD researchers from around the world are gathered at FDL to tackle planetary defense and space weather challenges such as (1) using machine vision and deep learning to locate and model the orbits of long-period comets (2) automate the translation of 2D sparse radar images of asteroids into accurate 3D models to help determine shape and spin (3) use massive data mining techniques to look for new, yet unidentified space weather relationships between our star and Earth (4) use machine intelligence to detect early warning indicators of detrimental solar storms. The FDL team is also (5) apply machine vision and other data fusion techniques to look for landing sites on the Moon for obtaining lunar water.

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3-D-printed scale models of asteroids and other planetary bodies are used for real-life testing of spacecraft navigation and landing systems martian moon Phobos seen in the foreground here.

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Luxembourg has staked its claim to the final frontier with an ambitious plan to profit from the mining of asteroids, the government said Thursday.

One of Europe's smallest states, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, cast its eyes to the cosmos on Friday, announcing it would draw up a law to facilitate mining on asteroids.

Google said on Monday that it had agreed to buy British artificial intelligence start-up company DeepMind for an undisclosed amount.

(Phys.org)Astronomers have detected a new faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy using Japan's Subaru Telescope located in Hawaii. The newly found dwarf, designated d1005+68, belongs to a nearby galaxy group known as the M81 Group. ...

A SpaceX Dragon capsule that brought supplies to the International Space Station has splashed down as planned in the Pacific Ocean.

New models of massive stellar eruptions hint at an extra layer of complexity when considering whether an exoplanet may be habitable or not. Models developed for our own Sun have now been applied to cool stars favoured by ...

An international team of researchers has shown that the hot diffuse gas that fills the space between the galaxies has the same concentration of iron in all galaxy clusters that were studied in sufficient detail by the Japanese ...

An international research team, led by Chin-Fei Lee of the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA, Taiwan), has used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to detect complex organic ...

On the first day of the year 1801, Italian astronomer Gioacchino Giuseppe Maria Ubaldo Nicol Piazzi found a previously uncharted "tiny star" near the constellation of Taurus. The following night Piazzi again observed this ...

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NASA FDL developing new approaches to asteroid, comet and solar threats using AI - Phys.Org