Space Butterfly!

Newly fixed Hubble's deep space photos again amaze
By SETH BORENSTEIN - AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON -- A refurbished Hubble Space Telescope is showing Earth the sharpest photos yet of cosmic beauty, complete with heavenly glows. NASA on Wednesday unveiled the first deep space photos taken by Hubble since its billion dollar repair mission last spring. That work included installing two new cameras, other science instruments and replacing broken parts.
"Hubble is back in action. Together, NASA and Hubble are opening new vistas on the universe," astronomer and frequent Hubble user Heidi Hammel said.
The 10 images of galaxies and nebulas - clouds of stellar gas and dust - are sharper than previous photos taken of the same places by Hubble before its fifth and final upgrade. Some have brilliant glows of light that give them halos that to some people can appear heavenly. And one of those resembles an eerie cosmic butterfly, but is really a stellar nursery or nebula not too far awayThe butterfly photo shows details, such as gassy folds in what looks like butterfly wings, that the Hubble previously could not see, said Hubble senior scientist Dave Leckrone.
The glow in that photo and others is hot gas and dust pushed out from the stars, Leckrone said. In a way, it's like a lightbulb, with the star as the filament but the overall glow from the gas, he said.
The images, especially the butterfly, don't just show science, but can evoke a sense of spirituality, Leckrone said.
"What I see is the grandeur of creation, however it got there," Leckrone told The Associated Press.
The most stunning photos involve the cosmos at its most violent: the birth and death of stars.
One shows the stellar nursery Carina Nebula, about 7,500 light years away. A light year is nearly 6 trillion miles. The photo shows an eerie backlit reddish cloud being bombarded by radiation. When Hubble's new camera uses a different light spectrum, the cloud disappears and the infant stars appear. They are only about 100,000 years old with white jets shooting out.
Those jets are cosmic debris "being blasted out at very high velocity at what's going to be a planetary system," said University of Virginia astronomer Bob O'Connell.
Another image shows a compact cluster of thousands of stars - a field of white glimmering with dots of blazing hot blue stars and cooler red ones.

All but one of the Hubble photos are from inside the Milky Way galaxy. The exception caught five spiral galaxies in a single image.
Soon Hubble will turn its new cameras to the furthest edges of the universe and take photos from soon after the Big Bang.
"Our view of the universe and our place within it will never be the same," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who as an astronaut piloted the space shuttle that put Hubble in orbit 19 years ago.
Since the repairs, Leckrone said there has not been a single technical problem with Hubble, which was plagued by blurry images when it was first launched. The first photos from the repaired Hubble came earlier this summer, when the telescope took pictures of Jupiter when an asteroid or comet hit it. They were unscheduled quick black-and-white looks; the photos released Wednesday were planned, longer observations.
The astronauts who helped repair Hubble basked in the celebration of the new photos.
"The hair was standing up on the back of my neck to see the potential of this telescope," said John Grunsfeld.
Mike Massimino said his reaction on seeing the photos was: "Thank God, we didn't break it."

This article was in the NJ Star Ledger today, written by:
SETH BORENSTEIN - AP Science Writer

More Pictures from Yankee Opening Day!

Its actually a good thing that the first game day opener was cancelled, because I wouldn't have been there. When the chance came up to go to The 2nd time around of Opening day on Tuesday April 1, off I went to the Bronx for the night off our lives.

To start I took a walk around the old stadium as we were walking, a baseball came flying out of the stadium and hit me in the leg, everyone crowded around us to see what flew out, their was a gasp when I held up a baseball, complete with Mississippi Mud on it, which actually is made and manufactured not in Mississippi but in South Jersey in the Good Ole Jersey Shore.

After that amazing incident, I guess you could say we caught the first ball to fly out of the stadium on opening day. Usually the baseball players practice batting inside the stadium (indoors), since we were near the opening, it flew out, now that was pure luck.

After visiting the new stadium, we headed to our seats in section 80, Row D, which was 5 rows from third base area, the seats were amazing, the people around us were amazing, and The Yankees Won, Beating The Toronto Blue Jays!

What a night!

Opening Day at Yankee Stadium

A must visit to Halloween Land: UHAT

Alice didn't always visit Wonderland, she traveled deeper and stumbled upon a Halloweenland called UHAT which stands for Unique Halloween Art Treasures, Once you step into this magical world, you will never leave.
Welcome to Unique Halloween Art Treasures.

On the UHAT sites which consist of a website, blog, myspace and ebay groups for now and is filled with wonderful and talented Artists who display their works for what else, Halloween!
Every unusual piece are one of a kind originals made by each artist. You will find an array of paintings, Images, Sculptures, Jewelry, Dolls, Primitive, Gothic, Vintage, Wood, Folk Art and more.

On UHAT you will also find info about the group, the artists, complete with photos and links for each artist.

UHAT's members sell their Unqiue and Magical Halloween Art through websites, blogs, and online auction sites such as Ebay. When on Ebay please search for UHAT on the Ebay home page, search engine to find UHAT Auctions.

UHAT Unique Halloween Art Treasures

UHAT Blog

Ghost-like white stag spotted

Ghost-like white stag spotted

Below is the main article I found online which I had to share!
Magic and Joy!
Lisa!

Tue Feb 12, 1:09 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - A mythical and ghostly creature has appeared in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands -- and has been caught on camera
The rare white stag, from the red deer species, is believed to be among just a tiny handful living in Britain, according to a conservation group.
The John Muir Trust is now keeping the stag's location secret for fear of poachers.
"To see him amongst the other stags was truly thrilling because he does look like a ghost: you do a double-take," Trust Partnership Manager Fran Lockhart, who filmed the stag, told Reuters.
White stags are seen as a magical and powerful force in many mythologies.
The animal's ghostly glow comes from a recessive gene which causes leucism, a condition which reduces the normal brown coloring in hair and skin. They are not albinos, which have red eyes due to lack of pigment.
In Celtic traditions, white stags represent messengers from the afterlife. Arthurian legend has it that the creature can never be caught -- King Arthur's pursuit of the animal represents mankind's spiritual quest.
It is also said that for those who set eyes on the animal, a momentous moment is near.
"They say their appearance is meant to herald some profound change in life for those who encounter them -- but I am still waiting," said Lockhart.
Her dog, though, stood transfixed for 45 minutes watching the white stag, instead of his usual scampering around.
Lockhart believes the Scottish Highlands' white stag is between 6 and 7 years old. She said he is maturing well, with a good set of antlers.
The last official recording of a white red stag in Britain, not to be confused with the more common white fallow deer, was last October when the body of one was found decapitated on the moors between Devon and Cornwall.
A rare white stag that has appeared in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands is believed to be among just a tiny handful living in Britain, according to a conservation group.

The Faerie Zine Volume 4, Now Available!

Hello Everyone,
Here is the cover of the new issue of The Faerie Zine: Winter Carnival, Vol. 4.

In this new and exciting issue of the zine we have:
-An interview with Jade Adams by Gina Smith.
-A visit into a world of Enchantment with Twinkle, Twinkle, Shabby Star's Jennifer Hayslip.
-The Amazing art of Gina Smith.
- A look into the Queen of Collage: Dorte Sorensen.
-A preview of my new illustrated underground book: The Side Show Follies.
-From the Files of Doctor London Wimbatt: Cryptozoology, The Mummy and The Museum.
-Trolls and The Fjord.
-1920's Egyptology, London and Cairo.
-Apothecary Tales and Potionology.
-A Winter Carnival: The Swiss Masquerade.
-Vintage Valentines
-The History of Mr. Claus.
-Little Obelia.
-The Story of The Little Princess.
-The Gingerbread House and Spicey Treats.
-Altered Treats and Projects.
-Teatime, Scones and Mildred.
-Freebie Collage Sheet.
-Along with other surprises and works.

This Volume is going to print tonight.
Pre-order your copy today!

New Shipping Policy, Orders and Back Orders of The Zine:

From now on we will be printing in batches, every batch comes in within three weeks, please allow three weeks for your order to be delivered from the date you purchase. If we are out of inventory, you will receive an email informing you, along with a delivery date.
We try to include coupons and honor lost or missing issues of the zine. Please inform us if you haven't received your zine after 3 weeks.

This new order will be ready for delivery three weeks from tommorrow Jan. 22.

Remember if we sell out of this first batch, you will be on the next re-order
list.

All contributing artists get a complimentary copy of the zine on cd.

Thank You for all your patience and support of: The Faerie Zine!

Magic and Joy!
Lisa!

P.S. To pre-order your advanced copy, go to my webstore, blog, ebay or etsy:
www.moonfairesworld.com
thefaeriezine.blogspot.com/
faerieenchantment.blogspot.com/

Captain Kidd Ship Found

Captain Kidd Ship Found
The wreckage of a pirate ship abandoned by Captain Kidd in the 17th century has been found by divers in shallow waters off the Dominican Republic, a research team claims.

The underwater archaeology team, from Indiana University, says they have found the remains of Quedagh Merchant, actively sought by treasure hunters for years.

Charles Beeker of IU said his team has been licensed to study the wreckage and convert the site into an underwater preserve for the public.

It is remarkable that the wreck has remained undiscovered all these years given its location, just 70 feet off the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic in less than 10 feet of seawater.

"I've been on literally thousands of shipwrecks in my career," Beeker said. "This is one of the first sites I've been on where I haven't seen any looting. We've got a shipwreck in crystal clear, pristine water that's amazingly untouched. We want to keep it that way, so we made the announcement now to ensure the site's protection from looters."

The find is valuable because of what it could reveal about William Kidd and piracy in the Caribbean, said John Foster, California's state underwater archaeologist, who is participating in the research.

Historians differ on whether Kidd was actually a pirate or a privateer — a ship or captain paid by a government to battle the enemy. After his conviction of piracy and murder charges in a sensational London trial, he was left to hang over the River Thames for two years.

Historians write that Kidd captured the Quedagh Merchant, loaded with valuable satins and silks, gold, silver and other East Indian merchandise, but left the ship in the Caribbean as he sailed to New York on a less conspicuous sloop to clear his name of the criminal charges.

IU Anthropologist Geoffrey Conrad said the men Kidd entrusted with his ship reportedly looted it and then set it ablaze and adrift down the Rio Dulce. Conrad said the location of the wreckage and the formation and size of the cannons, which had been used as ballast, are consistent with historical records of the ship. They also found pieces of several anchors under the cannons.

"All the evidence that we find underwater is consistent with what we know from historical documentation, which is extensive," Conrad said. "Through rigorous archeological investigations, we will conclusively prove that this is the Capt. Kidd shipwreck."

The IU team examined the shipwreck at the request of the Dominican Republic's Oficina Nacional De Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático.

"The site was initially discovered by a local prominent resident of Casa De Campo, who recognized the significance of the numerous cannons and requested the site be properly investigated," said ONPCS Technical Director Francis Soto. "So, I contacted IU."

Visit:

Live Science

for the original artical. Also visit:

Treasure Hunting

for sunken ships, treasure and artifacts

Fairy Mummy! Is it real or a hoax?

Genre: Cryptozoology, Fairyology!

A few days before April 1, 2007, Dan Baines, a 31-year-old illusion designer for magicians from London, posted on his website some images illustrating the corpse of an unknown eight-inch creation. The unusual corpse was claimed to be the mummified remains of a fairy which was discovered by a dog walker at Firestone Hill in Duffield, Derbyshire. The remains, as shown in the pictures, were complete with ears, wings, hair, skin, teeth and claimed to ‘have been examined by anthropologists and forensic experts who can confirm the body is genuine’. According to the website, X-rays of the 'fairy' showed that its bodys structure was the same as that of a child. The bones, however, were described to be ‘hollow like those of a bird, making them particularly light.

As soon as the images of the “dead fairy" were published, the event claimed worldwide attention and interest. In spite of the coming of April Fool's Day, the website got responses and feedback from a large number of Internet fairy believers, with the surprising 20,000 hits in one day. Pictures of the supposed dead fairy were soon put on other websites, forums and blogs. On April 1st, Baines finally appended a note to the website, thanking the readers for expressing their interest in his story and acknowledging that the the fairy corpse was fake. He wrote: "Even if you believe in fairies, as I personally do, there will always have been an element of doubt in your mind that would suggest the remains are a hoax. However, the magic created by the possibility of the fairy being real is something you will remember for the rest of your life."

Subsequently, Baines listed the mummified fairy on ebay and the model attracted nearly 40 bids. The highest at the close of the sale was made by a private art collector in the US and the fairy was sold for £280.

Baines received hundreds of emails from the Internet readers, in which he had heard all sorts of comments including people who say they've seen exactly the same things. He was also told to bring the remains back to its grave 'as soon as possible or face the consequences.''There was one person who was quite upset because I revealed the place where the fairy was found.' - he said.

When Baines admitted that the dead fairy was a hoax, and that the model was in fact created by himself as an April Fools' prank, many conspiracy theorists did not believe him. There were people who still believed that the mummified fairy was genuine. In addition, it was suggested that the fact Baines himself made it public that the corpse was a hoax was due to 'Government pressure to stop people digging the ground up'.
While most of the April Fool's Day pranks which emerge on the Internet generally fade out after a few days, the dead fairy hoax was acknowledged as an interesting trick which was able to survive and held the public attention long after the creator confessed to making the joke. It was noted that the number of queries sent to Baines regarding the dead fairy didn't slow down after the revelation of his hoax. After the event, Baines described the response to his prank as uncanny and that it had taken him up to four hours a day to respond to all the emails he had been receiving regarding the fairy.
Considering the huge response from the Internet fairy believers, Baines admitted addiction to April Fools' tricks and told people to "watch this space" for more pranks in the future.

For more on this story visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_fairy_hoax or visit Baines' website at:

http://www.lebanoncircle.co.uk/DeadFairy_redirect.htm

Some other great sites:

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/

http://www.sideshowworld.com/ It is filled with the most unusual and interesting things, reg. carnivals, circus, sideshow and eclectic oddities!

http://fairies.forthedead.net/