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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Prisoners in their own home How do you feel about new cell towers? Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Education Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Hands-On work with robots at ScienceWorks Environment Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Ashland Rowing Club members put their backs into Emigrant Lake clean-up Business Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Politics and elections Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out today State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries James Ellis York Death Notices Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Karen June Shaw Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Wade scores 32, Heat rally to beat Blazers AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game High school Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Grizz snowboard team heads to state with repeat potential Southern Oregon University AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game Beavers get No. 3 seed, host NCAA games Young shoots Ducks into Pac-12 title game Raider softball team opens league play with split at Northwest Voices Latest Stories Our View: Tuition trauma Letters to the Editor, March 19 Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Landgren cartoon: Boston gets a ‘Frozen’ sequel Our View: SOU's economic clout Editorial Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Our View: Ashland backs residents over visitors in lodging decision Letters Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Columns Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Best bets for entertainment around Ashland, March 19 Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Movie listings: March 13-18 Theater Ticket Availability Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Theater review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' in Ashland Music Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Alice DiMicele plays Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Another career highlight for Kelly Clarkson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Movie review: ‘Cinderella’ is an instant classic Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Religion News: Presbyterian Church gives approval on same-sex marriage Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' Marketta Gregory: Going home again Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ticket Availability ... Our View: Tuition trauma ... Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet ... Ticket Availability ... Our View: Tuition trauma ... Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet ... Looking Up: Amazing age of discovery Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News By Peter Becker More Content Now These are truly exciting times to live. We know this on many levels, and one way is to consider the quick pace of discovery taking place as space probes launched from Earth continue to explore the solar system. On March 6, 2015, the first spacecraft to visit Ceres went into orbit around the asteroid. This is only four months away when another NASA mission, New Horizons, is due to pass close to Pluto after a nine-year voyage. The Dawn probe has already orbited the asteroid Vesta and greatly increased our knowledge of that body. This is the first time a space probe has visited, and orbited two solar system bodies (other than Earth and the moon). Much more surely lies ahead as Dawn’s instruments study Ceres. Just a few months ago, a spacecraft actually landed on a comet nucleus. As we look out at the night sky, we can still ponder the vastness and how incredible it is we are a part of a great universe far beyond our attempts at full comprehending. It is amazing to think we have had men walking on the moon and when we see the small red-orange speck in the sky we call Mars, there are robotic rovers at work and orbiting probes looking down on the Martian surface. Hopefully we are not distracted if we are tempted to be a little triumphant. We have been to the ocean’s floor and reached the poles; we have climbed the Earth’s highest peaks and encountered life forms unimaginable at one time, in all corners of our world. Yet there is ample room for humility, as we find more questions than answers and sometimes have to refigure what we thought we knew. Ceres, the largest asteroid, is nearly 590 miles wide and thus just over a third the size of Earth’s moon. It is the only object in the astroid belt that has been rounded by its own gravity. In fact it has been termed a “dwarf planet” as is Pluto. Astronomers would like to know if Ceres, long ago, wandered to its present orbit from far out in the Kuiper Belt, a vast outer region of the solar system beyond Neptune, which has numerous small rocky bodies. Pluto is one of them. The cratered surface revealed by Dawn’s camera shows amazing bright spots on Ceres. These are speculated to be sunlight reflecting off exposed ice. You can actually go outside at night and see Ceres, as well as other asteroids, for yourself. The brightest of the asteroids are easily viewed with binoculars. They will appear as dim stars, with no apparent motion. If you go back out over subsequent nights, however, you will be able to track the asteroid’s path in front of the background stars. Sky and Telescope and Astronomy are two popular magazines which often print star charts when a bright asteroid is in good position for viewing. It will take some practice, if you are relatively new to binocular astronomy. First you should learn the constellations. From there you work your way closer, identifying the area of the sky you want, and with the chart you can pick out the patterns of dim stars to point the way to the asteroid. The same method works for tracking down a star cluster, a distant galaxy or comet that happens to become visible. There is no limit to personal discovery awaiting you the next clear night. Enjoy the view! New moon is on March 20. Keep looking up! DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Mar. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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