Ccalifornia health care district reforms are on hold

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by Jennifer Gollan for California Watch

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- An effort to impose spending restrictions on California's taxpayer-funded health care districts is on hold until next year.

Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, said he plansto introduce a bill in January requiring more "transparency" and more "accountability" from those districts. The new legislation would mandate how much tax revenue districts must spend on community health care programs.

The state's 74 health care districts were created to provide medical care to low-income and rural communities, but a recent Bay Citizen investigation found about 30 of those districts no longer run hospitals. Instead, some districts are managing real estate, stockpiling cash and pouring millions of taxpayer dollars into dubious projects at the expense of community health care programs.

But lawmakers failed to take action on his bill last week, after some Assembly members said that some districts could not afford to comply with the bill's reporting requirements.The Assembly Appropriations Committee had estimated those requirements would cost districtsmore than $100,000.

The lawmakers who opposed the bill were in session yesterday and unavailable for comment.

Gordon said he would consider ways to bring down those costs before he introduces his new bill.

"It gives us an opportunity to say how can we make this bill better," said Gordon,who co-authored the legislation withAssemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento. "I remain concerned that health care districts, particularly those that are no longer running hospitals, should guarantee that tax dollars are being well spent."

Supporters of Gordon's bill were disappointed that lawmakers chose not to vote on his legislation.

"It's unfortunate," said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a nonprofit health advocacy organization based in Sacramento. "It was a common sense reform. The bill that was introduced was reflective of new scrutiny that is on these districts. We hope that legislators will continue to look at this issue, especially as the state continues to make very tough cuts."

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Coventry Health Care, HCA Virginia Health System settle insurance coverage dispute – www.roanoke.com

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A contract dispute that prevented patients covered by insurance policies from Coventry Health Care from using HCA Virginia Health System hospitals has been resolved.

HCA is the parent company of Salem-based LewisGale Regional Health System. Because of the expired contract, patients with Coventry insurance were told that they could not seek inpatient treatment at any of the for-profit system's hospitals, including the four in Southwest Virginia.

The two reached an agreement Wednesday, two months after the previous contract expired, LewisGale spokeswoman Nancy May said. The contract dispute did not affect outpatient services at surgery centers, imaging centers or physician offices, May said.

The new contract covers hospital services for all Coventry products, which are known by names, including Southern Health and CareNet.

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MURRIETA: Health-care provider fined $100,000

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State health officials announced Friday they have fined the operator of Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta $100,000 for a violation involving a fetal death in 2010.

The fine against Southwest Healthcare System was the highest among penalties levied by the California Department of Public Health on 13 hospitals around the state as a result of Southwest having incurred numerous violations over a three-year period.

The most recent fine resulted from the failure of a nurse to notify a physician of an abnormal fetal heart pattern shortly before a woman was to give birth, according to the health department's report.

Upon delivery, the baby was not breathing and lacked a heart beat, the report states, and resuscitation efforts failed.

The doctor who performed the delivery told state investigators there was a partial separation of the placenta that had disrupted the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.

Riverside County coroner's officials determined the delay in notifying the physician and in performing emergency measures contributed to the death.

The health department concluded the hospital was at fault.

"Based on interview(s), record review and facility document review, the facility failed to ensure the labor and delivery nurses provided emergency measures in order to sustain life," the report states.

In response to the incident, the hospital's Women's Services management introduced an educational program for nurses on fetal assessment and instituted stricter monitoring in advance of child birth.

Also, the report states the nurse responsible for the error resigned after going through educational counseling at the hospital.

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MURRIETA: Health-care provider fined $100,000

Idaho leads at helping people die their own way

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BOISE, Idaho -- Several times a week, health care workers show up on Tom Thompson's doorstep south of Boise.

A nurse and health care worker make sure that Thompson, 82, is taking the right medications and that his breathing isn't too labored from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema.

Thompson won't recover from his disease, and he's already made choices about the end of his life: no artificial means.

Being able to leave detailed instructions is possible thanks to a relatively new and sophisticated approach that is making Idaho one of the most advanced states in the nation for helping residents get exactly the care they want at the end of their lives.

Idahoans now have access to a detailed form approved by the state to be filled out with the help of health care professionals. Once signed by a doctor or nurse practitioner, the document is legally binding. Patients can register the document with the secretary of state, making it available online to any provider.

Thompson got assistance with his form from workers at Boise's Life's Doors Hospice and Home Health Care.

"I don't want to be on life-support garbage," Thompson said. "I don't want to live longer than my kids. I've signed it all."

When many Idaho residents approach the end, they want to know that their wishes for care -- or the lack thereof -- are respected and followed.

For a while, that was a problem. As recently as 2002, Idaho received a D-plus grade from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation when it came to looking after the wishes of elderly and dying patients.

Until 2007, Idaho offered only the form known as Comfort One, a do-not-resuscitate form. Such DNRs, as they are known, inform doctors and nurses when a patient doesn't want heroic measures to prolong life.

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Idaho leads at helping people die their own way

Health care officials say changes needed

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By JOY BROWN

STAFF WRITER

Regardless of the politics involved, the 2010 federal health care law has put a necessary spotlight on medical drawbacks in this country, two hospital administrators told a Findlay audience Friday.

Speaking personally rather than as representatives of their organizations, Dr. William Kose and Chris Press said changes must be made to address health care's efficiency, expense and effectiveness.

Kose, chief quality officer for the nonprofit Blanchard Valley Health System and a former physician, said he thinks the federal health care law, intended to overhaul insurance coverage, reduce costs and prevent fraud, may be repealed.

"But we're still going to have to do something as a society," Kose said at a Republican Party First Friday lunch.

The hospital administrators used the recent case of a 93-year-old Blanchard Valley Hospital patient with back problems to advocate health care reform.

Kose said the woman was diagnosed with a collapsed vertebrae. Traditional treatment for the elderly with this condition includes bed rest and pain management.

But the woman didn't meet the criteria for a three-day hospital admission which, under Medicare rules, would have qualified her for subsequent placement in a nursing home.

The patient also had no family living nearby who could take her in, Kose said. Keeping her in the hospital as an "observation patient" who didn't merit serious medical intervention would have been more costly than actual admission, he said, and would risk a hefty Medicare penalty for not adhering to standards.

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Health care career camps target teens

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Editors note: One in a series of activities for youth available this summer.

Two camps for teenagers set for July will offer a look at health care careers and a little bit extra.

Not only will our camps be free, but participants will get paid, said Lisa Wade Raasch, the executive director of the Eastern Oklahoma Health Care Coalition.

The coalition is sponsoring the two camps with Indian Capital Technology Center and the Northeast Area Health Education Center. The camps will take place at the ICTC Muskogee campus, 2401 N. 41st St. N.

Students in grades 10-12 can take part in the MASH Camp the week of July 9-13. MASH stands for Muskogee Area Science and Health.

Students in grades seven through nine can take part in Camp MD (Medical Detective).

Applications are due by June 11, and space is limited, Raasch said.

The camps are geared to interest kids interested in health care careers. Part of the camps professional atmosphere includes payment of a stipend to students of $25 to $50, depending on what the budget allows, Raasch said.

ICTC health care instructor Andrea McElmurry said: There is a big demand for health care professionals in the area. And there are so many different careers.

Participants will get How to Examine Patients kits that contain authentic medical devices such as stethoscopes, she said.

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'Jack Spratt' diabetes gene identified

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Public release date: 1-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrew Gould andrew.gould@pcmd.ac.uk 44-018-843-8346 University of Exeter

Type 2 diabetes is popularly associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. However, just as there are obese people without type 2 diabetes, there are lean people with the disease.

It has long been hypothesised that type 2 diabetes in lean people is more 'genetically driven'. A new study from a research team led by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, which involved research institutions from around the world, has for the first time proved that lean type 2 diabetes patients have a larger genetic disposition to the disease than their obese counterparts. The study has also identified a new genetic factor associated only with lean diabetes sufferers.

The study is published in PLoS Genetics.

Using genetic data from genome-wide association studies, the research team tested genetic markers across the genome in approximately 5,000 lean patients with type 2 diabetes, 13,000 obese patients with the disease and 75,000 healthy controls.

The team found differences in genetic enrichment between lean and obese cases, which support the hypothesis that lean diabetes sufferers have a greater genetic predisposition to the disease. This is in contrast to obese patients with type 2 diabetes, where factors other than type 2 diabetes genes are more likely to be responsible. In addition, genetic variants near the gene, LAMA1, were linked to type 2 diabetes risk for the first time, with an effect that appeared only in the lean patients.

Dr. John Perry, one of the lead authors of the study, said: "Whenever a new disease gene is found, there is always the potential for it to be used as a drug target for new therapies or as a biomarker, but more work is needed to see whether or not this new gene has that potential."

He added: "This is the first time that a type 2 diabetes gene has been found to act in this way we do not know why it should be associated in one sub-group of patients and not another. It could point to the fact that type 2 diabetes may not be one disease, but may represent a number of subgroups. Again, more work is required to prove this hypothesis."

Dr. Perry concluded: "This study is a truly international one, bringing together research teams from around the world and leading UK institutions such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, King's College London, the University of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh."

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'Jack Spratt' diabetes gene identified

Mutant flies confirm genetic link to restless legs syndrome | Not Exactly Rocket Science

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In a lab in Atlanta, a group of flies is sleeping fitfully. Their naps are fragmented, and their legs are twitching. Their behaviour is uncannily similar to people who have a condition called restless leg syndrome (RLS). When such people are awake, they experience uncomfortable sensations in their limbs that compel them to move to get some relief. Their sleep, which is fragmented and disturbed, is characterised by the same involuntary movements.

Theres a good reason for these similarities. Amanda Freeman from the Emory University School of Medicine has engineered the flies so that they have a faulty copy of BTBD9, a gene that has been linked to RLS in humans. The fact that they show the same constellation of symptoms strongly suggests that this gene is genuinely involved in the condition.

In 2007, two teams of scientists linked BTBD9 to the repeated limb movements that occur during RLS. A single change in the genes sequence increased the risk of such movements by more than 50 per cent, and was probably involved in around half of such cases. One of the teams wrote that the discovery provides evidence that periodic limb movements in sleep is a genuine syndrome with a detectable genetic basis. Thats important, especially since critics have suggested that many RLS cases are the product of disease-mongering by the pharmaceutical industry in order to sell more drugs.

But showing a correlation between a gene and a symptom is just the first step. You also need to work out what the gene is doing and that was unclear. The gene was switched on throughout the brain, but no one really knew what it did. Freeman has gone some way to solving that mystery, and cementing BTBD9s connection with RLS, by studying fruit flies.

Flies also have a version of BTBD9, which is also switched on throughout the nervous system. When Freeman mutated the gene so it could no longer be used, it affected how the flies slept. (Like use, flies stay still for distinct periods throughout the day, when they become unresponsive to the outside world; if theyre deprived of such bouts, they need more rest later.) Those with inactive copies of BTBD9 slept for the same amount of time as normal flies, but in fragmented bouts.

They also walked more during their sleep, moving their limbs in a way that mirrored the restlessness of people with RLS. In the video above, the flies in the blue lanes are normal, while those in the red lanes are the mutants. Note how much more active they are.

This suggests that the original human studies were pointing in the right direction, says Subhabrata Sanyal, who led the new research. However, he cautions that it is too early to say whether this gene does exactly the same things in flies and humans. The symptoms look superficially similar, but theyre not an exact match. People with RLS also rhythmically flex their feet, something that Sanyal says is virtually impossible to see in flies.

On top of that, we still understand very little about RLS as a human condition. Its diagnosis involves a questionnaire rather than a clinical test, and its still unclear if it is one syndrome with a consistent set of symptoms, or many. It is conceivable that not all RLS patients have the same disorder, says Sanyal.

This is another area where basic science could help. In humans, RLS has been linked to a lack of dopamine (a signalling chemical in the brain), and a deficiency of iron. Freeman found evidence to support both ideas. Her mutant flies had around half as much dopamine in their brains as normal ones, and they slept more soundly once she gave them a dopamine-boosting drug. In human cells, she also found that BTBD9 controls the levels of ferritin, a protein that stores and releases iron.

Its a start, and Sanyal emphasises that its a tiny step. He also wants to study the role of the gene in rodents, and he suspects that it is involved in a process called ubiquitination, where small chemicals are attached to proteins to control where they are sent and when they are destroyed. Studying [BTBD9] in much greater detail is necessary to understand exactly what it does in neurons, he says.

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Mutant flies confirm genetic link to restless legs syndrome | Not Exactly Rocket Science

Mailbox 2.6.2012

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Today in Mailbox: Prague Writers' Festival, Czech and British journalism, listeners' mothly quiz. Listeners quoted: Mohamed Elsayed Abd Elraheim, Colin Law, Roger Tidy, Mary Lou Krenek, Jayanta Chakrabarty, Charles Konecny, Zara Modu, Ian Morrison, Paul Peacock.

Hamdi El-Gazzar Hello and welcome to Mailbox. Thank you very much for all your feedback, including reception reports and of course, you quiz answers. Before we get to those, here are some of your recent e-mails.

Mohamed Elsayed Abd Elraheim from Egypt responded to Radio Pragues coverage of this years Prague Writers' Festival:

Thank you for the interview and dialogue with the Egyptian novelist Hamdi El-Gazzar who participated in the Prague Writers' Festival.

Colin Law from New Zealand alerted us to an amusing typo he spotted in our e-mail news bulletin:

Thanks for the laugh when I read the Radio Prague news this morning! So what is the age when a driver should give up driving and shooting?

According to the news story, police in Prague arrested a 256-year-old driver who had tried to ram their car off the road. Of course, he was ten times younger and we apologize for the typo.

Roger Tidy from London responds to this weeks One on One:

Jindich dlo, photo: Hospodsk noviny/Martin Svozlek I enjoyed listening to your interview with Jindich dlo. I thought, however, that he was a little too complimentary about British journalism, which he thought was superior to the Czech product. His basis for saying this was his one month's experience at The Times in London. The Times is indeed a good paper, but as recent events concerning phone hacking by certain other British papers have shown, there is much that is rotten in British journalism, and in this respect it is hardly a good model.

Thank you for your comments and now onto our monthly quiz:

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Mailbox 2.6.2012

Freedom of ‘worship' vs. ‘religion' continues to stir debate

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By Terry Mattingly Scripps Howard

Associated Press file

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori shown speaking on religious freedom at Novembers United States Conference of Catholic Bishops annual fall assembly in Baltimore continued spreading his message during a recent conference sponsored by the American Religious Freedom Program of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

With the sounds of protests echoing across campus, President Barack Obama knew his 2009 commencement address at the University of Notre Dame would have to mention the religious issues that divided his listeners.

"The ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt," he said. "It is beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what he asks of us."

With this sweeping statement, Obama essentially argued that religious faith contains no rational content and, thus, offers no concrete guidance for public actions, noted Thomas Farr, director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University. This would shock America's Founding Fathers or anyone else who has used religious doctrines and arguments in favor of human equality or in opposition to tyranny.

The president's views were even more troubling when combined with remarks weeks earlier at Georgetown by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, said Farr, during a conference sponsored by the American Religious Freedom Program of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. The daylong event drew a variety of scholars and activists, including Catholics, evangelical Protestants, Jews, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Mormons.

Clinton's speech contained repeated references to freedom of "worship," but none to freedom of "religion." She also argued that "people must be ... free to worship, associate and to love in the way that they choose."

Thus, the secretary of state raised sexual liberation to the status of religion and other central human rights, said Farr. This evolving political doctrine is now shaping decisions in some U.S. courts.

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Freedom of ‘worship' vs. ‘religion' continues to stir debate

Dr. Barry Ryan Welcomes Freedom Dogs Director as Guest Lecturer to Nursing Students at West Coast University

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nursing students at West Coast University currently in the Mental Health Theory course rotation had the opportunity to learn from guest lecturer Maribeth Russell, Director of Freedom Dogs, a California nonprofit organization that uses Specialty Service Dogs in a novel way as an adjunct to the rehabilitation process for wounded military personnel returning from armed conflict.

With more than 10,000 wounded service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the ability to recognize signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), the signature injuries from these areas of conflict, has become a national crisis. Ms. Russell is a former ICU RN at UCSD Medical Center. In her previous line of work as a critical care nurse, she saw a rise in the demand to treat veterans affected with PTSD. Russell discussed with students the correlation between returning veterans who are transitioning from active duty to inactive duty and the growing rates of PTSD.

As we continually look for ways to introduce the latest nursing techniques into our classrooms, we are pleased to include this topic in our curriculum, said Dr. Barry Ryan, President of West Coast University. We are honored to partner with Freedom Dogs and support the important work they do in helping provide innovative solutions to the health issues faced by our returning troops.

Freedom Dogs currently works with Marines from the Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, California, and hopes to expand their program to additional branches of the military. Freedom Dogs pairs disabled Marines with a Specialty Service Dog / Trainer team for goal setting and treatment planning. The dog and trainer then conduct a series of therapeutic encounters that support and facilitate medically recommended activities. The dogs are trained to take directions from the Marines, who train the dogs to conduct daily routines. These therapeutic exercises reduce the impact of their disabling conditions on the Marines health, mobility, mood, and social interaction.

The West Coast University nursing students saw the benefits of a Specialty Service Dog firsthand through Charlie, a 10-year-old Labrador Retriever. He was not only able to give the students a visual of how the Specialty Service Dogs act, but to show how the dogs are extremely adaptable to any environment. Students were able to ask questions about a future in the critical care nursing field and how different approaches to diagnoses like PTSD can increase the probability of treatment for society in general.

In addition to sharing vital information on spotting signs of PTSD with the students, Freedom Dogs honored West Coast University by presenting Dr. Barry Ryan with the Friends of Freedom Dogs award for WCUs previous contribution to the organization.

About West Coast University

West Coast University is one of Southern Californias leading health care educators, offering programs in nursing, health care management and dental hygiene at campuses in Los Angeles, Orange County and Ontario, and nursing programs at its new campus in Dallas, Texas. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) awarded programmatic accreditation to WCUs Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in October 2009 and its Master of Science in Nursing program in May 2012. WCUs Dental Hygiene program at the Orange County Campus is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to offer the only Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) in the County. It is one of only four BSDH programs in California. West Coast University is institutionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC - http://www.wascsenior.org) and Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS http://www.acics.org). For more information, visit West Coast University. For regular updates on WCU news visit the Dr. Barry Ryan Blog.

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Dr. Barry Ryan Welcomes Freedom Dogs Director as Guest Lecturer to Nursing Students at West Coast University

Freedom Communications Announces Close of Sale of Four Midwest Newspapers

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Freedom Communications announced today that the sale of the print and online publishing assets of four Midwest newspapers to an affiliate of Versa Capital Management, LLC has closed. The four newspapers involved are The Telegraph in Alton, IL, The Journal-Courier in Jacksonville, IL, The Sedalia Democrat in Sedalia, MO and The Lima News in Lima, OH.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Substantially all of the employees of the four newspapers transitioned to the new ownership.

This transaction presented an excellent opportunity to enhance the value of our shareholders investments while also ensuring that the communities involved will continue to receive great service, said Mark McEachen, Freedom Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal advisors to Freedom.

About Freedom Communications

Freedom Communications, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a national privately owned information and entertainment company of print publications and interactive businesses. The Companys print portfolio includes approximately 100 publications, including 20 daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, plus ancillary magazines and other specialty publications. The Companys news, information and entertainment websites and mobile applications complement its print properties. For more information, visit http://www.freedom.com.

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Opening Plenary: Governance, Security, Economy, and the Ecosystem of the Changing Arctic – Video

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31-05-2012 08:24 American Geophysical Union presents: Science Policy Conference Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Washington, DC Tuesday, 1 May 2012 8:15 - 8:30 am: Welcome Ballroom B Opening Remarks: Michael McPhaden, President, American Geophysical Union Opening Remarks and Moderator: Vera Alexander, President, Arctic Research Consortium of the US Panelists: Fran Ulmer, Chair, US Arctic Research Commission Alan Thornhill, Chief Environmental Officer, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, US Department of Interior Rapidly changing Arctic conditions require constant evaluation of economic, social, and security considerations for the most northern portion of the United States. Our speakers will address the risks and rewards related to the evolving energy landscape of the region and the many inherent social considerations related to energy development in the Arctic landscape, including lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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Opening Plenary: Governance, Security, Economy, and the Ecosystem of the Changing Arctic - Video

Rhino Linings Introduces Long-Term RV Roof Repair and Restoration Product

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Rhino Linings Corporation will showcase Rhino Eco-Coat®, a protective roof coating offering a long term barrier that protects from water intrusion, in a San Diego RV service center demonstration.San Diego, CA (PRWEB) June 01, 2012 Rhino Linings Corporation (“Rhino Linings”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of spray-on protective linings and coatings, is helping to revolutionize the ...

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Rhino Linings Introduces Long-Term RV Roof Repair and Restoration Product

Supertrailer – The best trailers of the week packed into one cinematic video

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For those of you not aware, E3 is next week, which means there were a handful of trailers (and release dates) that came out this week prior to the upcomingexcitement! As usual Konami held their annual Pre-E3 conference last night unveiling new trailers for Metal Gear Rising: RevengenceandCastlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Square Enix also released trailers for upcoming Tomb Raider as well as Hitman: Absolution. We finally got to see from gameplay from Dishonored, along with a debut ofGuardians of Middle Earth. See if you can guess all the trailers we used in this week's Supertrailer (If not, they're listed bellow)!

LEGO Lord of the Rings -Announcement trailer

Lollipop Chainsaw - Combat trailer

Defiance -E3 2012 trailer

DOOM 3 BFG Edition - Debut Trailer

Metal Gear Rising: Revengence -E3 2012 trailer

Mass Effect 3 - Rebellion Pack trailer

Tomb Raider -E3 2012 Crossroads trailer

Among the Sleep - Gameplay Teaser

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Supertrailer - The best trailers of the week packed into one cinematic video

Astronomy: June astronomy highlights

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Jun 1 2012 By Ninian Boyle

You need to stay up late to get dark skies this month and they are short lived, but don't let that stop you from going out and having a look around at the wonders of the heavens.

So the planet Venus is going to transit the face of the Sun. So what? Well to astronomers the world over this is a big event. It happens once every 105.5 or 121.5 years and then has a gap of 8 years. Why it happens like this is a little complex, but suffice it to say, because of its rarity, it is an interesting event.

We are now in the season of Noctilucent Clouds. The best time to try and see these, if there are any to see that is, will be about an hour after sunset or before sunrise. You'll need clear skies and look towards the northern horizon. They have a distinctive look, having an almost 'electric blue' colour to them and they often occur in herring bone patterns. Check out my blog for more information on these and what you can expect to see.

We have two planets left to view in the evening skies, that of Mars and Saturn. We are moving away quite rapidly from Mars now and it can be disappointing through a telescope due to it showing a very small disc. However, with patient observing through a telescope, it may still show a few dark markings and a polar cap.

The Sun is very active now and is heading towards 'Solar Max' in 2013. You need to take great care if you plan to observe our nearest star and this includes if you plan to see the Transit of Venus across its face. Sunspot counts are rising and if you have access to a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope you will be able to see lots of activity including prominences and filaments.

The constellations and asterisms of Summer are now coming well into view, including the 'Summer Triangle', the 'Keystone' asterism in the constellation of Hercules and the 'Northern Cross' of Cygnus the Swan. Asterisms are a great way of navigating your way around the sky. If you would like to know more about this, then I'll be describing how you can find out how you can use them, next month.

The Moon This Month

We see a Full Moon on the 4th. The Full Moon in June is otherwise known as the Rose Moon, Flower Moon, Strawberry Moon or the Honey Moon. Whatever you may like to call it, it certainly looks impressive. The Full Moon though, is not the best time to go exploring our nearest neighbour in space with a telescope or binoculars, as there is little shadow to make the features such as craters, stand out.

The Planets This Month

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Astronomy: June astronomy highlights

Astronomy: Astronomy summer imaging targets

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Jun 1 2012 By David Moulton

Sadr

The summer months give the opportunity to image some spectacular large Nebulae, some of which span many times the size of the full moon.

The surprise to many is the fact that only very small telescopes are needed to capture these vast dust and gas clouds

On the one hand,imaging the Night Sky during the summer months has the bonus of being warm outside, much more comfortable from the Astronomers perspective . However the nights are very short this time of year and this poses a major challenge for most of us that image the night sky. The problems get worse the further North in the UK you are.

DuringJune the nights not only are very short but just to add difficulty, they dont get completely dark either. For me with my equipment it becomes near impossible to get enough imaging time on an object to producea finished colour picture out of the camera in one sitting, two or three nights are usually required.

The included image I tooklast week usinga Hydrogen Alpha Narrowband filter. The image shows a wide field view of the Sadr region of Cygnus (Sadr being the central foreground star in the cross of Cygnus) .This is a new imaging target for me and this Ha monochrome image shows masses of detail in the Hydrogen gas clouds.

The Nebula itself lies some 3,000 light years away from us and covers a vast area. The foreground Star, Sadr is so bright it is difficult to control and produces large halos when using Narrow band imaging filters. The star itself is not associated with the Nebula in any way and is just a line of sight effect

Ineed at least one more night on this target to get enough data to produce a colour image of the region and I am very keen to get it finished. Hopefully I will get the opportunity and will post up the finished result soon

If you want to learn more about imaging the night sky or any aspect of astronomy you can visit us at our website where we have contact details for anyone that wants to get in touch we are always happy to help

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Oklahoma City Astronomy Club will host viewing for rare transit of Venus

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Copyright 2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Members of the astronomy club will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Science Museum Oklahoma for a live viewing of the transit of Venus across the sun. Experts say the event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sixty-six million miles away might feel a lot closer Tuesday.

Astronomy fans are in for a once-in-a-lifetime event next week as a transit of the planet Venus will be visible from Oklahoma.

TO LEARN MORE

For more information about the viewing party, call 602-3760 or go to http://www.sciencemuseumok.org.

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Its orbit takes it across the face of the sun, making it visible from Earth as a small, black dot.

The Oklahoma City Astronomy Club will host a live viewing of the transit of Venus, starting at 5 p.m. at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52.

Club President Brad Ferguson said Earth won't be in a position to see the cosmic phenomenon again until December 2117.

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Oklahoma City Astronomy Club will host viewing for rare transit of Venus