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SPIDER searches for water on the moon; Austin-area aerospace company partners for mission

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — An upcoming mission to the moon will enlist a SPIDER in the search for ice beneath the surface. The Seismic Payload for Interplanetary Discovery, Exploration & Research (SPIDER) is a mission to map just below the surface of the moon, conducted by Australia-based Fleet Space. It will travel aboard Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost II in 2026."(It will be) one of the first seismic experiments to go back to the moon since Apollo," said Fleet Space's Chief Exploration Officer Matt Pearson.The partnership between Fleet Space and Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace was announced last month. "We kind of share a passion for understanding the lunar surface," said Farah Zuberi, mission manager for the two Blue Ghost lunar landers built by Firefly.Blue Ghost I will launch next year, carrying with it several NASA experiments. Blue Ghost II is scheduled to launch to the dark side of the moon in 2026 with SPIDER aboard.What is the SPIDER going to space?According to Pear...

Mild afternoons ahead of weekend cold front

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A nice stretch of weather will take us through the work week with warmer than normal afternoons and sunshine expected for all.Today's temperature climb will leave most us close to 70° -- a good 5°-7° warmer than average for this time of year. Light and variable winds, plenty of sunshine and dry skies will make for a great day to be outside.Tuesday afternoon forecast high temperaturesSimilar conditions can be expected through midweek -- highs in the upper 60s/low 70s, more sunshine than clouds and dry conditions.Comfortable afternoons leading up to weekend cold frontBy the start of the weekend, our next cold front approaches. At the moment, this looks to be more of a wind-maker than rain-maker, but those along and east of I-35 could squeeze out a few hundredths of an inch of rain out of Saturday morning spot showers.Minimal rainfall associated with next cold front Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño could mean for rainfall and ice risk Austin Interacti...

Play of the Week winner - Stillwater defense

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

STILLWATER, NY (NEWS10) --  Congratulations to this week’s winner of our Play of the Week poll, the Stillwater defense! Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Warriors defense came up with a huge stop, as Haldane went for a two-point conversion to win the game in the state semifinals. Stillwater hung on for the 21-20 win to advance to their first every state championship game. Vote here for this week’s Play of the Week poll!

Siena men start MAAC play with a split

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Saints started conference play hot when they beat Rider 67-65, in a game where sophomore guard Zek Tekin scored a career-high 23 points. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! However, that momentum was halted when the Saints lost to Mount St. Mary's 80-48. Before the weekend, Siena was on a five-game losing streak and was able to snap it but took a step backward and now have a sour taste in their mouths from Sunday's loss to The Mount. Head Coach Carmen Maciariello believes it's time to turn the page and look ahead to regroup for their next challenge. Obviously, I thought the crowd was great. Guys sensed tremendous energy Friday night I thought we played extremely hard, I thought we won a ton of fifty-fifty balls, we made more winning plays in particular some of the play of our younger guys, obviously most of our guys are younger," said Maciariello. "The second part of that you know conference opene...

Ask Amy: Yoga friendship is out of alignment

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

Dear Amy: I made friends with “Bruce” at a yoga class about 10 years ago.We’d meet for classes and then grab dinner.I moved away about a year into the friendship, and we lost touch.Just before the pandemic, Bruce was visiting the city where I lived and looked me up.We grabbed dinner and he told me he had no close friends (his previous friends had ghosted him) and that he had considered suicide.I told him to get in touch any time, and that he was welcome to visit. I also told him to seek help.He took me up on the offer and started visiting every two or three months (including on Christmas and for his birthday) — and stayed for two or three days each time. We didn’t have much to talk about. Bruce was fussy and demanding and frankly, I hated the visits, but I felt responsible.He also complained nonstop about his family and coworkers. It sounded like he’d also complained to them about me.Now I’ve moved back to the city where Bruce still lives. He’s made more friends, is closer to ...

European Commissions approves two new Geographical Indications from Turkey

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

On 4 December, the European Commission approved the addition of the Turkish table olive ‘Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini' to the register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and ‘Maraş Tarhanası', a Turkish fermented food, to the register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI).‘Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini' (pictured) is a table olive obtained from the Edremit variety, one of Türkiye's most popular varieties, by scratching and brining Edremit olives.Olive cultivation has a long tradition in the Edremit Gulf region. The area is of significant importance for olive cultivation in Türkiye. Olive trees have been cultivated here for thousands of years and are an important economic sector today. The main distinguishing feature of the production of ‘Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini' is the natural fermentation. There is no human intervention or chemical treatment during the fermentation of the olives. Therefore, the production process lasts at least six months after...

Bridge: Dec. 5, 2023

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

A woman member of my club approached me, wearing a look of exasperation.“Nobody told me,” she said, “that when you get a husband, the ears are sold separately.”“What happened?” I sighed.“We defended four spades in the morning duplicate,” she told me, displaying today’s deal. “I led a low heart against four spades. My husband was East. He took the ace and shifted to his singleton club. South won and led a trump to dummy’s queen.”MAKING FIVE“My husband took the ace and … returned a heart. Declarer won, drew trumps and ran the clubs, making five. I told my husband that he could easily beat the contract, and he acted as if he didn’t hear me. Maybe he needs a hearing aid.”The problem may not be hearing-related. East needs to know where West’s entry lies (assuming she has one). West might have either the king of hearts or the ace of diamonds. To find out, East ducks the first trump and wi...

Israel strikes in and around Gaza’s second-largest city in a bloody new phase of the war

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ali Alqam, 32, during his funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Qalandia, south of Ramallah, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. The Palestinian health ministry said Alqam was killed during an Israeli army raid in Qalandia on Monday morning. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)(AP/Nasser Nasser) Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ali Alqam, 32, during his funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Qalandia, south of Ramallah, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. The Palestinian health ministry said Alqam was killed during an Israeli army raid in Qalandia on Monday morning. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)(AP/Nasser Nasser) KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel intensified its bombardment in and around Gaza’s seco...

Analysis: NFL’s Week 13 featured a phalanx of flags, curious non-calls and strange sideline squabble

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

While college football fans debate the merits of keeping unbeaten Florida State out of the playoffs because of a key injury and disqualifying Georgia following the Bulldogs’ first loss in 728 days, the NFL can preen over a postseason bracket that’s determined on the field itself.By the players and the coaches.OK, sometimes by the officials, too.An NFL season chock full of erratic enforcement of the rule book reached bedrock in Week 13, which kicked off with Dallas’ 41-35 win over Seattle in a rare Thursday night shootout that featured a phalanx of flags to go with its plethora of points.Sunday’s pair of marquee afternoon attractions featured crucial calls and non-calls alike as the two teams with the league’s longest active winning streaks both lost.In Houston, the Texans had a scoop-and-score wiped off by a quick whistle in their crucial 22-17 win over the Broncos, but they also got away with an obvious pass interference that denied Denver an early tou...

South Carolina and UCLA head to Connecticut as part of women’s basketball tripleheader

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:54:01 GMT

UCLA coach Cori Close has been impressed with how teams have challenged themselves so far this season with many of the top schools playing each other.This weekend will be no exception with six ranked teams descending on Connecticut for the Hall of Fame Showcase on Sunday. Second-ranked UCLA will face No. 20 Florida State in the opener. Top-ranked South Carolina meets No. 11 Utah in the second game and No. 17 UConn plays 24th-ranked North Carolina in the finale. “There are so many great matchups early on. For me it’s so good for the game,” Close said Monday night. “It continues to build the momentum and put eyeballs on the game.”Close’s Bruins were in the Cayman Islands over Thanksgiving, which also had a slew of talented teams that included UConn, LSU and Virginia Tech.“The biggest thing from Cayman and here is TV exposure,” Close said. “Getting more eyeballs on these matchups. There’s intrigue at every level. There’s different styles of play, and I encourage people to t...