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UVA team discovers new ring on Saturn

A UVA team of astronomers have discovered a new ring orbiting Saturn. The ring is 13 million kilometers in radius and is the largest planetary ring in the Solar System.

After four to six weeks of intense work, a team of UVA scientists discovered a new, tenuous ring on Saturn. “The ring is the smoking gun in solving a mystery in planetary science that has existed for more than 300 years,” team leader Anne Verbiscer told C-VILLE.

“It is extremely large. In terms of the volume of space it occupies, you could fit a billion earths inside of it,” said Anne Verbiscer, leader of the team, in a recorded interview with BBC. Despite its size, the ring was difficult to detect because it is very tenuous, containing only about 20 tiny particles in one cubic kilometer of space. It took four to six weeks of intense work before the team could confirm the existence of the ring.

The Phoebe Ring, named so because it is mostly composed of debris from Saturn’s moon Phoebe, helps explain the appearance of Iapetus, another of Saturn’s moons that is pitch black on one side and bright on the other.
 
“The ring is the smoking gun in solving a mystery in planetary science that has existed for more than 300 years,” Verbiscer told C-VILLE via e-mail.

Verbiscer has been overwhelmed by the international response to the discovery of the Phoebe Ring, yet also disappointed by the lack of attention in the United States. “It’s a somewhat sad commentary on the importance of science and discovery in America that very few (one!) requests have come from stations in the United States,” said Verbiscer. “I don’t intend to let that fact go unnoticed.”

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

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University addresses H1N1 preparedness

Though still weeks away from the peak of flu season, the UVA Elson Student Health Center’s running tally of “influenza like illness” cases among University students rose to 342 as of October 8.

Worst-case scenario projections estimate about 40 percent of the U.S. population contracting the H1N1 virus, the so-called “swine” strain of the flu, this season, equating to approximately 8,000 UVA students. As of September 30, six deaths associated with H1N1 have been reported in Virginia, including the death of a man from the Thomas Jefferson Health District in late September.

Luckily, the first shipments of the H1N1 vaccine have reached Virginia last week. According to the Virginia Department of Health, 83,700 doses of live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) have been delivered to hospitals and local health departments. This initial shipment will be given to health care and emergency medical services workers. Approximately 6 to 7 million doses of LAIV are expected to be ready to order in the next week, and additional doses will be produced and made available regularly thereafter. 

James Upshaw, a UVA junior, was diagnosed with swine flu a couple of weeks ago.

“I was diagnosed but not actually tested,” he says. “Isolation and quarantine were the doctor’s orders, but of course it was really on me to make sure it happened. I live with four other guys, so I stayed to myself and kept a mask on around the house.”

UVA’s Health System and student health center received a preliminary shipment on October 6 and are administering the vaccine to employees.

At a Center for Disease Control press conference on Oct. 1, Dr. Anne Schuchat assured the public that this vaccine is made very similarly to the seasonal flu vaccine, and that it has been adequately tested. “As a doctor and health expert, I would strongly recommend the H1N1 vaccine … for anyone who wants to reduce their risk of this virus,” she said. 

The University has implemented a campaign advocating sanitation and isolation as the best means to contain the spread of swine flu among students. Students, staff and faculty are reminded to wash their hands and cover their coughs and sneezes.

At the general medicine wing of the Student Health Center, signs are posted asking students to use hand sanitizer dispensers and to don surgical masks in order to contain the spread of germs through coughs and sneezes. About 10 to 20 cases of flu are reported daily to Student Health.

According to the UVA’s Influenza Information Phone Hotline, in most cases students do not need to come in and see a clinician, and coming into the health center without an appointment is discouraged. At-home self-care is the recommended course of treatment for students.

As of Oct. 2, 5,639 employees have been vaccinated, which is over half of the workforce. The University is holding its Annual Flu and Immunization Clinics on Oct. 26. H1N1 vaccination clinics are planned for November as well, once more information regarding availability is known.

UVA scientist leads discovery of new ring around Saturn

A team of astronomers at the University of Virginia have discovered a new ring orbiting Saturn, according to BBC News.

The ring is 13 million kilometers in radius and is the largest planetary ring in the Solar System. “It is extremely large. In terms of the volume of space it occupies, you could fit a billion earths inside of it,” said Anne Verbiscer, leader of the team, in a recorded interview with BBC.

Despite its size, the ring was difficult to detect because it is very tenuous, containing only about 20 tiny particles in one cubic kilometer of space. The ring is most likely composed of debris from Saturn’s moon Phoebe.

Norris, Szakos propose platform to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety

Democratic candidates for City Council, Dave Norris and Kristin Szakos, and Democratic candidate for City Sheriff James Brown are seeking to promote greater bike and pedestrian access and safety in Charlottesville.

Szakos and Norris held a joint news conference today outside of the IGA Supermarket, where they laid out their bike and pedestrian safety platform.

According to the candidates, enhancing pedestrian traffic will provide substantial health, environmental and economic benefits for the city without necessarily requiring significant funding. Though some proposals will need capital investments, other steps can be taken in terms of education, city government structure and local ordinances to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety.

“These are all things we could do right now,” said Szakos. “It’s a quality of life issue for all of us.”

During today’s press conference, Dave Norris and Kristin Szakos addressed questions from the local press regarding the costs of their proposals. "Ultimately, it’s about saving money," said Szakos.

Charlottesville scored a 7 out of 11 in a recent Virginia Active Transportation Index, whereas Albemarle County scored a 10 out of 11. This study, conducted by BikeWalk Virginia, notes that Charlottesville does not have bicycle, pedestrian, or transportation advisory committees. Additionally, Charlottesville has yet to pass an ordinance requiring bicycle helmets for children under the age of 14, as authorized by the state.

The candidates feel that Charlottesville is an ideal city for bicycle commuting, and as such, more designated bicycle lanes on city streets and off-road paths are needed, specifically for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. There is also a need for better pedestrian protection in crosswalks. For example, road-level flashing lights at some crosswalks downtown and in the University area have been installed; the candidates propose that their use should be expanded.

They also believe that city schools should expand bicycle safety programs for students, such as on-bike safety instruction, and should provide safe routes to walk to all city schools.

“It’s not enough to have ideas. We really need leaders to take these ideas and put them into action,” said Norris. “We need to start now.”

Virginia tourism industry brings in increased revenue

According to an announcement made by Gov. Tim M. Kaine yesterday, the Virginia tourism industry generated $19.2 billion in revenue, supported 210,620 jobs, and provided $1.28 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2008.

These economic impact figures show a 2.8 percent increase in revenue from tourism in Virginia compared to 2007.

Tourism is one of Virginia’s strongest industries and appears to remain so despite the recent economic downturn, said Kaine. The industry is expected to continue its success through the next year, as 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the state slogan “Virginia is for Lovers.” 

Forbes.com recently named this slogan as one of the top 10 tourism campaigns of all time.
 

Student with gun arrested at Charlottesville High School

A 16-year-old Charlottesville High School student was arrested Wednesday after a school resource officer found an unloaded .32 caliber handgun in the student’s possession, according to the Newsplex.

The arrest was made after school administration broke up an altercation between two students, and the handgun was found while patting down the student.

No injuries were reported. The student, whose identity is not being released, was taken to a local juvenile detention center.

UVA fox caught, expected to be euthanized

The trapper hired by UVA to capture an “aggressive” fox roaming the Lambeth Field area claimed success on Wednesday, reports the Newsplex.

Though trapper Steve Colvin found that the animal appeared to be calm and healthy, Charlottesville Animal Control believes it to be the same fox that bit two university students last week, based on its similar coloring.

The fox was expected to be euthanized at the Charlottesville SPCA, then transported to Richmond to be tested for rabies. Some question whether this measure was necessary, as signs of rabies should have been apparent upon capture.

Results of the rabies test should be known in a week.