All posts by Cathy Palmer-Lister

Astronomy News

Surface Mass Ejection (SME) on Betelgeuse


Astronomers believe a chuck of matter ripped itself away from the surface of the star

Space Weather News for August 12, 2022
https://spaceweather.com
https://www.spaceweatheralerts.com

WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO BETELGEUSE? Astronomers have identified a new type of stellar explosion: An SME or “Surface Mass Ejection.” Think of it as a CME on steroids; SMEs outmass CMEs by 400 billion to one. An SME on Betelgeuse may be responsible for the red supergiant’s recent dimming. Full story @ Spaceweather.com.

Don’t miss the next CME: Subscribers to our Space Weather Alert Service receive instant text messages when CMEs are about to hit Earth.
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Above: An artist’s concept of a Surface Mass Ejection (SME) on Betelgeuse.

Awards

Aurora Awards ceremony on line tomorrow

Canvention 42 and the Aurora Awards

On Saturday, August 13, starting at 5pm MDT, we invite everyone to join us for the Aurora Awards ceremony. Our Master of Ceremonies, author Mark Leslie Lefebvre, will be live streaming the ceremony on both his YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPw6Cu3P1c) and our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO7p4geRW6k). The event will also be streamed live on Facebook, with the URL becoming available here about one week prior to the event. This event is open to everyone and is free to watch.

About the Auroras and the Hall of Fame, from the When Words Collide website:

Each year a Canadian convention or festival hosts the floating convention known as Canvention. This year Canvention is being organized by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA), a national non-profit society along with a host convention. CSFFA’s mandate is to give out the Aurora awards and induct people into CSFFA’s Hall of the Fame.

There are twelve different Aurora awards. They are given out for both professional and volunteer (unpaid) work in the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Works are nominated by members of CSFFA which all Canadians are welcome to join. The top nominated works are shortlisted for the Aurora ballot and voted on by CSFFA members. Through the generosity of the nominees and their publishers, CSFFA members also get to download electronic versions of almost all of the published nominated works.

The Hall of Fame inductees are determined by a jury of four experts and one coordinator from CSFFA.

For full details about CSFFA go to their site at: prixaurorawards.ca

 

Dinosaurs

Prehistoric podiatry – How dinos carried their enormous weight

From CTV :

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From Monash University website:

Sauropods were the largest terrestrial animals that roamed the Earth for more than 100 million years.

They were first thought to have been semi-aquatic with water buoyancy supporting their massive weight, a theory disproved by the discovery of sauropod tracks in terrestrial deposits in the mid-twentieth century.

Monash University’s Dr Olga Panagiotopoulou said it had also been thought sauropods had feet similar to a modern-day elephant.

“Popular culture – think Jurassic Park or Walking with Dinosaurs – often depicts these behemoths with almost-cylindrical, thick, elephant-like feet,” Dr Panagiotopoulou said.

“But when it comes to their skeletal structure, elephants are actually ‘tip-toed’ on all four feet, whereas sauropods have different foot configurations in their front and back feet.

“Sauropod’s front feet are more columnar-like, while they present more ‘wedge high heels’ at the back supported by a large soft tissue pad.”

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Events and Conventions

Imaginales à Épinal : “Le festival tel qu’il a existé pendant vingt ans est mort”

Imaginales à Épinal : “Le festival tel qu’il a existé pendant vingt ans est mort”

https://www.telerama.fr/livre/imaginales-a-epinal-le-festival-tel-qu-il-a-existe-pendant-vingt-ans-est-mort-7011532.php

Dans une interview au site ActuaLitté, le 8 juillet dernier, Stéphane Wieser met en avant la nécessité d’ouvrir le festival à d’autres médias que le livre (jeux vidéo, films…) et à des littératures plus diversifiées. Il parle aussi de « professionnalisation » du festival.

Fondé en 2002, le festival Imaginales est l’un des premiers salons internationaux de littérature de l’imaginaire. https://www.imaginales.fr/

https://www.cheryl-morgan.com/?p=29085

Grâce à des amis de la France (principalement Alitte de Bodard et Lionel Davoust), j’ai appris que le nouveau maire, Patrick Nardin, a licencié Stéphanie Nicot, le directeur créatif du festival, et de nombreux autres membres du personnel partent en signe de protestation.

To read more in English, view Cheryl Morgan’s Musings here.

Sounds oh so familiar. I actually remember a spokesperson for Montreal’s Comic-Con bragging about turning a fan run event into a real professional one with a HUGE attendance. Success for some people is measured by profits.

https://actualitte.com/article/106712/politique-publique/les-imaginales-doivent-evoluer-pour-preparer-demain-stephane-wieser?r=s9ol3&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Reading

Forthcoming Books August

AUG 2022

  • KATHERINE ARDEN • Empty Smiles • Penguin Random House/Putnam, Aug 2022 (ya, h, hc, eb)
  • ALAN DEAN FOSTER • Prodigals • WordFire Press, Aug 2022 (tp, hc, eb)
  • ALASTAIR REYNOLDS • Eversion • Orbit US, Aug 2022 (1st US, tp, eb)
  • BENJAMIN PERCY • The Sky Vault • HarperCollins/Morrow, Aug 2022 (hc, tp, eb)
  • BENJAMIN PERCY • The Sky Vault • Hodder & Stoughton, Aug 2022 (tp)
  • CHARLES BEAUMONT • The Carnival and Other Stories • Subterranean Press, Aug 2022 (c, hc)
  • EILEEN GUNN • Night Shift • PM Press, Aug 2022 (c, tp, eb)
  • GABINO IGLESIAS • The Devil Takes You Home • Little, Brown/Mulholland Books, Aug 2022 (h, hc, eb)
  • GEORGE MANN • The London Particular • NewCon Press, Aug 2022 (na, hc, eb, tp)
  • GEORGE R.R. MARTIN, ET AL. • Wild Cards: Full House • Tor, Aug 2022 (oa, hc, eb)
  • JIM C. HINES • Terminal Peace • DAW, Aug 2022 (hc, eb)
  • JOHN CONNOLLY • The Furies • Hodder & Stoughton, Aug 2022 (h, hc)
  • JULIET E. McKENNA • The Golden Rule • NewCon Press, Aug 2022 (na, hc, eb, tp)
  • KELLY ROBSON • High Times in the Low Parliament • Tordotcom, Aug 2022 (na, tp, eb)
  • L.E. MODESITT, JR. • Councilor • Tor, Aug 2022 (hc, eb)
  • LESLYE PENELOPE • The Monsters We Defy • Orbit US/Redhook, Aug 2022 (tp, eb)
  • MARGARET WEIS & TRACY HICKMAN • DragonLance: Dragons of Deceit • Penguin Random House/Del Rey, Aug 2022 (x, hc, eb)
  • MARKO KLOOS • Centers of Gravity • Amazon/47North, Aug 2022 (tp, eb)
  • PAUL DI FILIPPO • Visionary Pageant • NewCon Press, Aug 2022 (na, hc, eb, tp)
  • PAULA GURAN, ED. • The Year’s Best Fantasy: Volume One • Start/Pyr, Aug 2022 (an, tp, eb)
  • PETER McLEAN • Priest of Crowns • Quercus/Jo Fletcher, Aug 2022 (tp)
  • R.A. SALVATORE • Glacier’s Edge • Harper Voyager US, Aug 2022 (x, hc, eb)
  • R.F. KUANG • Babel • Harper Voyager US, Aug 2022 (hc, eb)
  • ROBERT FREEMAN WEXLER • The Silverberg Business • Small Beer Press, Aug 2022 (tp, eb)
  • SARAH KUHN • Holiday Heroine • DAW, Aug 2022 (tp, eb)
  • SIMON JIMENEZ • The Spear Cuts Through Water • Penguin Random House/Del Rey, Aug 2022 (hc, eb)
  • STEPHEN ARYAN • The Warrior • Angry Robot, Aug 2022 (eb, tp)
  • SUNYI DEAN • The Book Eaters • Harper Voyager, Aug 2022 (h, hc)
  • TANYA HUFF • Into the Broken Lands • DAW, Aug 2022 (hc, eb)
  • TASHA SURI • The Oleander Sword • Little Brown UK/Orbit, Aug 2022 (tp)
  • TASHA SURI • The Oleander Sword • Orbit US, Aug 2022 (tp, eb)
  • WESLEY CHU • The Art of Prophecy • Penguin Random House/Del Rey, Aug 2022 (hc, eb)
Obituary

Nichelle Nichols dead at 89

Nichelle Nichols, trail-blazing Star Trek actress, dead at 89

Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek television series, has died. She was 89.

Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, N.M.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Johnson wrote on his mother’s official Facebook page Sunday.

READ MORE https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nichelle-nichols-obituary-star-trek-1.6537750

‘Star Trek’ stars, celebs react to death of Nichelle Nichols

https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/star-trek-stars-celebs-react-to-death-of-nichelle-nichols-1.6009558

Tweet from NASA

We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars.