LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The current and emeriti Lake County Poets Laureate have selected three candidates in the search for the 2016-2018 Lake County Poet Laureate.

Julie Adams of Middletown, Bill Gottlieb of Cobb, and Lourdes Thuesen of Lucerne are the finalists for the selection event, which takes place at 6 p.m. Friday, April 8, at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport.  

The finalists will be interviewed by the current and emeriti poets laureate that afternoon, and will read selections of their poetry at the event.  

The event, titled “A New Poet Laureate for Lake County,” also will feature readings by the current and former poets laureate and a performance by guest musician Sarah Ryan.

The event concludes with the selection and announcement of the 2016-2018 Lake County Poet Laureate.

“We’ve gained considerable momentum in our poetry community during these past two years,” said current Poet Laureate Casey Carney. “Yet we are in a time of recovery due to the profound impact of the devastating fires of last summer.”

Carney added, “I see this event and transition as a very hopeful gathering, regathering and movement forward of Lake County’s vibrant literary community. Poetry will support us through this endeavor of healing and recovery.”

Sponsored by the Lake County Arts Council, the Riviera Common Grounds Coffee House and the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro, the event is free to the public.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two Lake County-based nonprofit organizations have provided much-needed financial support to assist in the reforestation efforts for the areas ravaged by last September’s Valley fire.

#LakeCountyRising is a collaborative fundraising effort of the Lake County Winegrape Commission, Lake County Winery Association, and Lake County Wine Alliance.

The Lake Area Rotary Club Association (LARCA) is a nonprofit foundation comprised of the four Rotary Clubs in Lake County – Lakeport, Middletown, Clearlake and Kelseyville.

Together, these two entities have provided the necessary dollars to jumpstart the much needed reforestation in the fire affected areas.

They have allocated nearly $60,000 to the East Lake Resource Conservation District (RCD) to get the seedlings planted and the program in place.

By collaborating with the El Dorado/Georgetown Divide RCDs established native plant seed collection and propagation program, the funds have resulted in the greenhouse planting of 100,000 native conifers – mostly ponderosa pine but also including some Douglas fir and sugar pine – that will be ready for distribution in time for the late Fall 2016/Spring 2017 planting season.

The species available are suitable for higher elevation burned areas such as Cobb Mountain.

The discussions regarding funding for reforestation began in early October when Greg Giusti, county director and forestry advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension, and Korinn Woodard, district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS), began to formulate a plan that would make it possible to distribute seedling trees to private landowners as promptly as feasible.

“We determined that 100,000 trees could be needed this first year,” Giusti said. “We knew getting the seeds ordered and in the planting medium during the winter was the only way to have seedlings ready for planting in late 2016, early 2017.”

#LakeCountyRising representatives were interested in helping to support the effort but any donation would need to go to an established organization responsible for the program.

At the same time, LARCA had also identified funding for reforestation efforts as a major priority.

That’s when East Lake Resource Conservation District (RCD) decided they could help bring this monumental effort to fruition.

“An experienced agency was needed to lead this effort, and our board agreed that we had the experience and resources to make it happen, if funds were available,” said East Lake President Charlotte Griswold.

This is where #LakeCountyRising and LARCA stepped up to the plate.

Timing was of the essence as seeds would need to be purchased in time for winter planting in order to have seedling stock available by late 2016.

“It was evident there was urgency, so we presented it to our steering committee and they wholeheartedly supported it,” said Debra Sommerfield, president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission, one of the three organizations that established the #LakeCountyRising fundraising effort.

“Getting our forest lands replanted as soon as possible is a cornerstone in the healing process of the spirit of these communities. The LARCA Fire Relief Committee identified that as a top priority from day one and we are extremely pleased to be partnering with these other agencies to get that done,” said Andy Peterson, chair of the LARCA Fire Relief Committee.

“The intention is to make conifer seedlings available for planting each winter for the next few years at a pace that will align with the community rebuilding process and demand,” Griswold said. “We expect to work with NRCS to start taking advance orders before the end of April and to partner with the Ag and Natural Resources programs at area high schools to organize several community planting projects.”

#LakeCountyRising is a fundraising effort to support community rebuilding in the areas ravaged by the Valley fire with a focus on livelihood, housing, and community needs.

The effort was initiated by three Lake County organizations – the Lake County Winegrape Commission, the Lake County Winery Association, and the Lake County Wine Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that manages the collection and distribution of tax-deductible donations.

#LakeCountyRising works with local organizations and government agencies to identify the most pressing community needs and, to date, has raised more than $800,000 and has distributed approximately $250,000 to more than 20 community-based organizations so far to assist with post-fire recovery.

To learn more or to donate, visit www.lakecountyrising.org .

LARCA is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization comprised of the four Rotary Clubs in Lake County: Lakeport, Kelseyville, Clearlake and Middletown.

The Fire Relief Committee was formed just two days after the outbreak of the Valley fire and to date has raised nearly $700,000 with over $300,000 distributed so far to the businesses, individuals and communities affected by the 2015 fires.

To learn more or to donate visit www.larca5130.org .

With its blue skies, puffy white clouds, warm beaches and abundant life, planet Earth is a pretty special place.

A quick survey of the solar system reveals … nothing else like it.

But how special is Earth, really?

One way to find out is to look for other worlds like ours elsewhere in the galaxy.

Astronomers using NASA’s Kepler space telescope and other observatories have been doing just that.

In recent years they have been finding other planets increasingly similar to Earth – but still none that appear as hospitable as our home world.

For those researchers, the search goes on ...

Another group of researchers have taken an entirely different approach.

Instead of looking for Earth-like planets, they have been looking for Earth-like ingredients.

Consider the following:

Our planet is rich in elements such as carbon, oxygen, iron, magnesium, silicon and sulfur – the stuff of rocks, air, oceans … and life.

Are these elements widespread elsewhere in the universe?

To find out, a team of astronomers led by Aurora Simionescu, an astrophysicist at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Sagamihara, Japan, used Suzaku, a Japanese X-ray satellite with NASA participation, to survey a cluster of galaxies located in the direction of the constellation Virgo.

The Virgo cluster is a massive swarm of more than 2000 galaxies, many similar in appearance to our own Milky Way, located about 54 million light-years away.

The space between the member galaxies is filled with a diffuse gas so hot that it glows in X-rays.

Instruments onboard Suzaku were able to look at that gas and determine which elements it is made of.

Reporting their findings in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, Simionescu and her colleagues reported findings of iron, magnesium, silicon and sulfur throughout the Virgo galaxy cluster.

“The elemental ratios are constant throughout the entire volume of the cluster and roughly consistent with the composition of the sun and most of the stars in our own galaxy,” Simionescu said.

When the Universe was born in the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, elements heavier than carbon were rare. These elements are present today mainly because of supernova explosions.

Massive stars cook elements such as carbon, oxygen, iron, magnesium, silicon and sulfur in their hot cores and then spew them far and wide when the stars explode.

According to the observations of Suzaku, the ingredients for making sun-like stars and Earth-like planets have been scattered far and wide by these explosions. Indeed, they appear to be widespread in the cosmos.

"The elements so important to life on Earth are available, on average, in similar relative proportions throughout the bulk of the universe," added Simionescu. "In other words, the chemical requirements for life are common."

Earth is still special. But according to Suzaku, there might be other special places, too.

Suzaku recently completed its highly successful mission. On Feb. 17, JAXA launched a followup mission to continue the survey: Hitomi, previously named ASTRO-H before launch, is a Japanese-led observatory carrying a key NASA instrument.

The observatory will extend such studies to clusters of galaxies far beyond Virgo.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Upper Lake High School Academic Decathlon team – winners at the county level – participated at the state competition earlier this month.

The 37th annual California Academic Decathlon was held March 17 to 20 in Sacramento.

Granada Hills Charter High School from the Los Angeles Unified School District won this year's competition, coming out on top of 69 competing schools in three divisions with a score of 61,149.6.

Upper Lake High won the Lake County Academic Decathlon Competition on Feb. 6, earning the right to travel to the state competition.

Competing in Division 3 for smaller schools, Upper Lake High finished No. 60, with a score of 36,051.5, according to the state academic decathlon competition results.

Mercedes De Los Santos was Upper Lake's highest scoring student, with 5,902.1 points.

In the interview competition, Katie Foster placed fourth in the scholastic division, with 990 points, according to event results.

This year's topic was India.

Teams consist of three members each from three academic levels: Honors, with a grade point average of 3.75 to 4.00; Scholastic, 3.00 to 3.74 GPA; and Varsity, GPA of 2.99 or below.

The 10 academic disciplines that make up the competition are arts, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science and speech.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department held its first “Coffee with a Cop” event on Friday afternoon.

The informal gathering invited community members to drop in at Main Street Bar and Grill to chat with local law enforcement.

Lt. Tim Celli, the acting chief of the Clearlake Police Department, said police heard about issues related to animal control, marijuana, abandoned vehicles and drug activity in neighborhoods.

“We've had really good discussion about some of the challenges and things that law enforcement face,” said Celli, as well as the frustrations that both community members and police experience.

In the video above, Celli and community members discuss some of their impressions from the event.

Celli said more “Coffee with a Cop” events are planned in the future.

“Together we can make a difference in our community,” Celli said. “That's the bottom line.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The latest quilt block on the Lake County Quilt Trail is “Luther Rose.”

It has been installed on Galilee Lutheran Church, located at 8860 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.

Galilee Lutheran Church celebrated 50 years this past October. They are active in the local community,
supporting food programs and Healthy Start, and it is a meeting space for several organizations.

The church provides a place for voting during elections. The Clear Lake Performing Arts has used its worship center for concerts.

The Luther rose is a widely recognized symbol for Lutheranism. It was designed for Martin Luther in 1530 by the request of John Frederick of Saxony.

The Lake County Quilt Trail is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote community pride.

The 4-foot by 4-foot quilt block was drawn and painted by the Lake County Quilt Trail team from the design suggestion given by members of Galilee.

The Lake County Quilt Trail is a group of dedicated volunteer quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers,
carpenters and a videographer.

For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or go to Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-Quilt-Trail-187014251326163/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf .

LUCERNE, Calif. – Once a month “The Castle,” as the Marymount California University Lakeside Campus is often called, will be open to the public for tours and information gathering.

The open house events will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. March 30, April 13, May 4, June 15, July 13 and Aug. 9. Reservations are not necessary.

Anyone interested in a tour, information on MCU Lakeside’s bachelor’s degree programs or general use of the facility is encouraged to drop in.

Prospective students are highly encouraged to stop by to tour and learn more about the degree programs and educational opportunities available. 

The MCU Lakeside Campus is housed in the former Lucerne Hotel, a very large and imposing multi-story building which was originally constructed as a hotel in the late 1920s. 

The campus is becoming a community hub for events such as the Distinguished Speaker Series, hosted in partnership with the Lake County Land Trust. 

The beautiful building, spacious rooms, state of the art classrooms and technology make it a perfect venue for meetings, trainings, parties and retreats which may be scheduled at the facility.

The campus is located at 3700 Country Club Drive in Lucerne.

For more information, call Kathy Windrem at 310-303-7699 or visit www.marymountcalifornia.edu .

“A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal and strengthen.” – John O'Donohue

“Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced, but must be represented by something else – by color.” – Paul Cezanne

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Here in Lake County we can witness a seemingly infinite variety of ways that our star, the sun – our light source shines down upon us.

The blue hues on Clear Lake, for instance, supply us with a beauty – fix any time of the year. It gleams with a brilliance provided by the angles of light and continually dazzles us.

Light, or electromagnetic radiation, comes in wavelengths with frequencies of 430 to 750 terahertz.

Without the light from the sun, of course we would not have life as we know it!

We are conveniently provided with sun's energy for plants to photosynthesize. The plants “know” how to collect energy from light which is soaked up by proteins that hold within them chlorophyll – green pigments.

In March, April and May during our spring season – the season of new beginnings, we are privy to the tilt of Earth's axis becoming more pronounced, relative to the sun, when the length of our daylight increases.

When all of this annual magic occurs and our part of the world warms, all forms of plant-life "spring forth" – hence the term for our season of spring.

Another wonder of the effects of light is our human need to wake to the light and sleep during dark hours.

This circadian rhythm, as it is known, or our internal clock established itself during each of our infancies.

Chemicals in our brains tell us to sleep at night, then awake at dawn, when a dance of biological patterns occurs involving our blood pressure and body temperature.

An amazing light effect we have seen in our county and beyond is a circular halo or sun halo. This stunning sun effect comes into play when sunlight beams through ice crystals in clouds in the upper atmosphere when the ice causes a refraction. It is also called the 22-degree halo.

If you traverse any one of our many abundantly flowing creeks now, you will be rewarded with Claude Monet-like visual impressions.

Monet once said, while painting, "I have to work very hard to reproduce what I seek: the instantaneous."

The light and shadows on the coursing waters as they ramble around rocks produce a transient beauty each and every moment.

The annular solar eclipse of several years ago, when the moon progressed in front of the sun but didn't block the sun completely, was another stunning example of light-play in Lake County.

It caused repeated disc-shaped patterns on the ground, bringing with it an other-worldly effect. Things looked the same, but they didn't!

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

The California Revocable Transfer on Death Deed (“TOD deed”), which became law on Jan. 1, 2016, has numerous risks and drawbacks both for the transferor and the beneficiaries.

Let’s examine.

To the extent that the estate of the deceased creditor has creditors, the TOD deed creates liability and headaches for any surviving beneficiary.

For a period of up to three years after the death of the transferor, the personal representative in probate of the decedent’s estate may demand restitution from any of TOD deed’s surviving beneficiaries in order to satisfy the debts of the decedent.

That means that the beneficiary not only inherits an the real property but also inherits personal liability to pay the decedent’s debts, even those debts that are unsecured (like credit card debts) and unrelated to the real property that the beneficiary received. Let’s examine that predicament.

Typically speaking most transferors who use a TOD deed do so as a cheaper alternative to a living trust in order to avoid a probate. When they die the beneficiaries of their estate are unlikely to need to open a probate to inherit assets.

They will rely on the TOD deed to transfer title to the decedent’s residence and the small estate procedure to transfer title to other assets; this is assuming that the assets in the decedent’s estate collectively have a gross value of under $150,000 (excluding any non probate assets that pass to designated death beneficiaries – such as life insurance and retirement accounts – or to surviving joint tenants).

Nonetheless, the deceased transferor’s creditors may themselves commence a probate proceeding, within one year of the decedent’s date of death, solely for the purpose of timely filing their own creditor claims.

The personal representative appointed by the court has up to three years from the decedent’s date of death to demand restitution from any beneficiary of any TOD deed executed by the decedent.

Restitution requires that the transferor return the real property and any net income (such as rents less expenses) received by the beneficiary since he or she became the new owner.

Restitution becomes more burdensome if, after transferring title into his or her name, the beneficiary encumbers the property with a loan, improves the property or sells the property.

If the beneficiary borrows money and secures the loan against the real property, then restitution means both transferring title to the property and sufficient money to pay-of the debt.

If the beneficiary sells or gifts the property prior to the demand for restitution, then the beneficiary must return the following: (1) any net income received prior to the transfer; (2) the fair market value of the property at the time of the transfer (which may be different than any sale proceeds received); and (3) statutory interest at the annual rate of 10% from date of the transfer to the date of restitution (repayment). 

If the beneficiary improves the property then the beneficiary then the beneficiary is only entitled to reimbursement if the improvements were “significant.” What is significant is left to be argued.

Given the foregoing, a beneficiary is well advised to find out as much as possible about the decedent’s debts and creditors.

If the beneficiary would prefer not to deal with potential liabilities, then the beneficiary must file a written disclaimer in writing within nine months of the decedent’s death to prevent becoming the owner with all attendant liabilities.

Dennis A. Fordham, Attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235. His Web site is www.DennisFordhamLaw.com .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The South Lake County Fire Sirens organization will celebrate its 31st birthday following its April 4 general meeting held at the South Lake County Fire Station.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. and is chaired by President Pat Hallman.

“The mission of the South Lake County Fire Sirens is to raise funds to purchase equipment and supplies and to assist the South Lake County Fire Department wherever we are able,” Hallman said.

“To date, South Lake County Fire Sirens has raised more than $300,000,” Hallman added.

A potluck birthday celebration lunch will take place immediately after the April business meeting.

All interested community members are welcome to attend the 31st birthday celebration of this important volunteer organization.

The group also runs the Fire Siren Thrift Shop located at 21095 Highway 175, Middletown.

The Fire Siren Thrift Shop, “Second Hand But Grand,” is open every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Fire Sirens meetings are held on the first Monday of every other month for the remainder of 2016.  New members are welcome. 

A coffee social kicks off the morning at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting begins at 10 a.m.

For more information contact Pat Hallman at 707-987-3991.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you're looking to kick off spring with a new four-legged buddy, Lake County Animal Care and Control has a shelter filled with dogs that could fit the bill.

The dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of border collie, boxer, cattle dog, Chihuahua, German Shepherd, hound, Labrador Retriever, terrier and pit bull.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix has a short black coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he is very sweet and submissive, and is great with other dogs both male and female. Very sweet and submissive. Because he is very undersocialized it's suggested that he go home with an experienced owner.

He's in kennel No.4, ID No. 4511.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has an all-white coat.

He's in kennel No. 4, ID No. 4591.

Female boxer mix

This female boxer mix has a short gray coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said she needs basic leash training, but is manageable for her size. She also allows handling of her ears, mouth, paws and body, and tolerated nail clipping without pulling away.

She has no food aggression, and would do great in a home with no cats. Staff said she has been tested with another dog and got along well.

They believe she will be happiest in a quiet home and will form a very strong bond with her handler.

She's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 4551.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a sable, black and tan coat.

He's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 4565.

Male shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

Shelter staff said he needs leash training but is very manageable, and in the play yard came when called when food was used as a motivator. He doesn't know basic commands yet, but did volunteer the behavior when another dog was doing it for treats.

He has no food aggression towards people or dogs, and allows handling of ears, mouth, paws and tail without any problems. He avoided the cats.

He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 4560.

Female hound mix

This female hound mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 9, ID No. 4298.

Female pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix has a short brown coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 4612.

Male pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix has a light brown and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 12, ID No. 4608.

Female pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix has a short light brown and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 13, ID No. 4609.

'Buddy'

“Buddy” is a handsome male Labrador Retriever-hound mix with a short tricolor coat.

He was assessed with every dog in the kennel and loved them all, although shelter staff said he would do best in a home without livestock, small dogs or cats.

Shelter staff said he is a very well-mannered, tolerant dog with low energy.

He's in kennel No. 22, ID No. 4487.

Male German Shepherd

This handsome male German Shepherd has a short tan and black coat.

Shelter staff said he is good with other larger dogs, male or female, and would do best in a home with no small dogs or cats and children above age 5.

He's friendly and likes to play.

He's in kennel No. 23, ID No. 4514.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix has a short gray and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 4588.

Labrador Retriever puppy

This male Labrador Retriever mix puppy has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 4423.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix has a short brown brindle coat with white markings.

She loves cuddles and attention, and does very cute play bows, enjoys playing and is great with other dogs, but would do best in a home without cats.

She's in kennel No. 29, ID No. 4337.

'Tank'

“Tank” is a male cattle dog-pit bull terrier mix, according to shelter staff.

He has a short black coat.

Shelter staff said he's great with other submissive dogs.

He's in kennel No. 33, ID No. 4497.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

Astronomers were watching when comet P/2016 BA14 flew past Earth on March 22.

At the time of its closest approach, the comet was about 2.2 million miles away, making it the third closest comet flyby in recorded history.

Radar images from the flyby indicate that the comet is about 3,000 feet in diameter.

The scientists used the Goldstone Solar System Radar in California's Mojave Desert to track the comet. 

"We were able to obtain very detailed radar images of the comet nucleus over three nights around the time of closest approach," said Shantanu Naidu, a postdoctoral researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, who works with the radar team and led the observations during the comet's flyby. "We can see surface features as small as 8 meters per pixel.”

Naidu added, "The radar images show that the comet has an irregular shape: looks like a brick on one side and a pear on the other. We can see quite a few signatures related to topographic features such as large flat regions, small concavities and ridges on the surface of the nucleus. "

According to the new radar observations, comet P/2016 BA14 appears to spin around its axis once every 35 to 40 hours.

Vishnu Reddy, of the Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona, also observed comet P/2016 BA14 using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. 

Data collected (infrared spectra) indicate that the comet reflects less than 3 percent of the sunlight that falls on its surface.

Comet nuclei are as dark as fresh asphalt. However, infrared spectra can often yield clues to the makeup of these primitive denizens of the solar system.

More information on the IRTF observations of comet P/2016 BA14 is available at http://www.psi.edu/news/darkcomet2 .

The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) Web site has a complete list of recent and upcoming close approaches of comets and asteroids, as well as all other data on the orbits of known near-Earth objects, so scientists, the media and the public can track information on known objects. Visit  http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov .

For more information about NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, visit http://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense .

For asteroid and comet news and updates, follow AsteroidWatch on Twitter http://twitter.com/AsteroidWatch .