Cool Fact of the Day
Supernova Frequency
How often do supernovae appear?
When a large, heavy star nears the end of its lifetime of millions of years, it uses up its store of
nuclear fuel and expands into a giant as large as our entire inner Solar System. Such a star is
ready to explode as a supernova, a tremendous blast that can release as much energy as a
whole galaxy.
On the average, a galaxy hosts a supernova explosion once per century. Because our Milky
Way galaxy is larger than most, its supernovae are more frequent, about once every 25-30
years. Across the entire visible universe, with billions of galaxies, a supernova happens about
once per second.
Only the largest stars explode as supernovae. Our sun will not do so, although it will expand
into a red giant when it uses up its hydrogen fuel in another four or five billion years. The bright
red star Betelguese (at the shoulder of the constellation Orion) may explode sometime in the
next hundred centuries. When it does, it will appear more than three times as bright as the full
moon in Earth's sky.
More about supernovas:
rog.nmm.ac.uk
How stars die:
observe.ivv.nasa.gov
How to find Betelguese, and a close-up of the star itself:
nscl.msu.edu
The largest known star will also explode as a supernova:
features.learningkingdom.com
Cool Word of the Day
modus operandi (m.o.) [n. MOE-dus op-uh-RAN-dee, -die]
A modus operandi is a particular way of working or functioning. Near synonyms include
technique, method, system, means, and process. Example: "The crimes all followed a certain
modus operandi, which led police to conclude that it was all the work of the Alphabet
Criminal."
Modus operandi is Latin. Modus means mode and operandi is a variation on operari (to
work). The plural is modi operandi.
Person of the Day
Oscar Straus, 1870-1954
Austrian composer
As a young man, Oscar Straus was advised to become a theater conductor by Johann Strauss
II, a fellow Austrian. Taking his advice, Straus spent three years conducting theater orchestras
while writing songs of his own. Soon his work found a warm reception in cabarets, and not
long thereafter, Straus was writing popular operettas including "The Chocolate Soldier" and
"The Waltz Dream."
In the early 1930s Straus began creating musical scores for motion pictures including "Jenny
Lind" in 1930 and 1935's "Make a Wish." In 1939, fleeing his homeland after the Anschluss
(the Nazi-led unification of Germany and Austria), Straus went first to Paris and then to
America. After the war ended, he returned to Austria, where he remained for the rest of his
life.
More about Oscar Straus:
getmusic.com
hnh.com
Quotes of the Day
Enemies; Some thoughts on enemies:
"I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my
enemies for their intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies."
-- Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Anglo-Irish playwright, author
"To have friends, you know, one need only be good-natured; but when a man has no enemy
left there must be something mean about him."
-- Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Anglo-Irish playwright, author
"The wise learn many things from their foes."
-- Aristophanes, 448?-385 B.C., Athenian playwright
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
-- Sun Tzu, 6th-5th century B.C., Chinese general
Today in History
May 29th
1453: Constantinople Fell
Constantinople, the capital of the once-powerful Christian Roman Empire, fell to the Ottoman
Empire. Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus led the defense of the city while Turkish Sultan
Mehmed II led the attack. The conquest of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine
Empire.
The siege of Constantinople lasted for almost two months:
greece.org
1500: Bartolomeu Dias Drowned
Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias (or Diaz), who led the first European expedition to
arrive to the Cape of Good Hope, drowned during a voyage. Dias's last trip had the East
Indies as final destination. When his expedition was nearing the Cape of Good Hope, a
ferocious storm destroyed four of the ships, one of which carried Dias.
Dias had arrived at Mossel Bay, South Africa, in 1488, where today a museum bears his
name:
gardenroute.net
1953: Mount Everest Summit Reached
The summit of Mount Everest was reached for the first time. Everest is the highest mountain in
the world, with a summit altitude of 28,028 feet (8,550 meters) above sea level. Sherpa
Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary reached the summit. Sherpa culture was
changed as a result of Norgay's feat.
1977: Janet Guthrie Qualified for Indy 500
Car racer Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for and participate in the
prestigious Indy 500 race. Although she had to abandon the race after the 27th lap due to
mechanical problems, the following year she participated again and finished ninth, defeating
some of the best car racers in the world.
More about Guthrie:
women.eb.com
1985: Tragedy of Liverpool v. Juventus
Fans attending the European Soccer Cup Final in Brussels, between Liverpool and Juventus
of Turin, clashed before the match started. Thirty-nine fans, mostly Italian, were crushed or
trampled to death during the rioting. More than 400 people were injured.
Holidays & Events
May 29
National Spelling Bee Finals, Ascension of Baha'u'llah
UNITED STATES: NATIONAL SPELLING BEE FINALS
Some 248 students will buzz into Washington, D.C., this week for the 74th Annual National
Spelling Bee. The young spellers have qualified after winning spelling bees at the state level.
Of the 76 National Spelling Bee Champions, 42 have been girls and 34 have been boys.
Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957, and 1962.
National Spelling Bee homepage:
spellingbee.com
BAHA'I: ASCENSION OF BAHA'U'LLAH
On May 29, 1892, Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, died at age 75; He was living in
exile at the time. The anniversary of the prophet's death is one of nine holy days celebrated in
the Baha'i community. Baha'u'llah is Arabic for "the Glory of God."
A brief introduction to Baha'u'llah:
bahai.org
More about the Baha'i faith:
bahai.com
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