Broccoli is so nutritious that it's considered a super food. Photo by Esther Oertel.

I may have kept this a secret until now, but my husband and I have a mixed marriage. Yes, a dividing line exists between us regarding a very important subject.

He’s a broccoli hater. I happen to think it’s one of the most incredible foods on the planet.

How can someone hate this amazing vegetable, I wonder? But many do.

Broccoli seems to evoke strong emotions. I don’t recall encountering anyone who, when the subject arose, didn’t have a vigorous opinion. While broccoli haters exist, this verdure also has its ardent followers, including me.

Even the elder President Bush got into the act. He famously said, “I do not like broccoli. I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. I’m president of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli!”

The truth is that broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse and remains a regular on every super foods list I’ve seen.

It’s a versatile vegetable that’s favored in pasta dishes, cream soups, casseroles and stir-fries. When steamed or boiled and served with butter, garlic and lemon, it becomes a comfort food to me.

Broccoli, with its thick stalks, branch-like appendages and heads that resemble forest canopies, is a member of the cabbage family. Native to Italy, it was developed from wild cabbage in ancient Rome.

Its large head is actually a bundle of unopened florets. When in bloom, the compact green buds give way to tiny yellow flowers.

Its Italian name, broccolo -- meaning “cabbage sprout” -- is derived from the Latin term brachium, which means branch or arm, a reference to broccoli’s tree-like shape.

While it was introduced to the United States in colonial times, chiefly through Thomas Jefferson’s European contacts, it didn’t become well-known here until Italian immigrants brought it with them from their homeland.

Varieties of broccoli include popular calabrese, named for Calibri, the region in Italy were it was first cultivated, and sprouting broccoli, with a larger number of heads on many thin stalks. White and purple varieties also exist, with the purple turning mostly green when cooked.

Romanesco broccoli, with lime green coloration and a unique spiral pattern, is actually a variant form of cauliflower, as is light green broccoflower.

Broccoli may be enjoyed in its crunchy, raw state (such as shredded in a slaw or on a vegetable platter), oven roasted, boiled, steamed, sautéed or stir-fried. Steaming it quickly is considered the most healthful cooking method, as it preserves most of the nutrients.

In addition, broccoli can provide special cholesterol-lowering benefits when steamed. Its fiber-related components do a better job of binding with bile acids for excretion of cholesterol when cooked in this way.

Raw broccoli also has this ability, though at a lower level. Raw broccoli and broccoli sprouts have been shown to support the health of the stomach.

Broccoli stems may be peeled prior to use, if desired, especially if they appear to be tough or woody.

The fibrous stems cook more slowly than the florets, so should be added to the sauté pan, steamer, or water a few minutes before florets are added.

If cooking broccoli with florets and stems intact, slits may be made in the stem after peeling to quicken the cooking process.

Interestingly, allowing cut broccoli to rest for five minutes before cooking can increase its health benefits by allowing health-promoting enzymes to become activated.

Roasting broccoli brings out a deep, rich, nutty flavor. To prepare it this way, toss cut broccoli in olive oil and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste, spread it out in one layer on a baking sheet, and slip it into an oven set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to cook until tender and caramelized. If desired, sprinkle on a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese when it comes out of the oven.

Broccoli is a wonderful addition to pasta dishes and is especially popular with farfalle, also known as bow-tie pasta.

To make a meal that’s delicious in its simplicity, blanch broccoli florets in boiling salted water until tender-crisp and cook pasta until al dente (meaning not too soft, but with a bit of chew). Combine them together in a bowl.

Meanwhile, sauté a generous amount of sliced garlic in extra virgin olive oil and when the garlic’s tender, pour the mixture over the hot pasta and broccoli. Toss to combine, adding salt, pepper, and fresh Parmesan cheese to taste. A squeeze of lemon juice or a light touch of lemon zest may be added for balance.

Now that’s dinner in a hurry!

Local farmer, Sky Hoyt, is pictured here with the broccoli grown on his farm in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Lightly steamed broccoli is wonderful when tossed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a bit of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and any of a myriad of additions, such as kalamata olives, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, thinly sliced red onions (soak them in water for 20 minutes or so to soften their pungency), finely diced red bell pepper or bits of marinated sundried tomatoes.

Broccoli’s health benefits are legendary. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties, and has been shown to be a cancer preventative.

According to the “World’s Healthiest Foods” Web site, broccoli is an excellent source of immune-supportive vitamin C, anti-inflammatory vitamin K, and heart-healthy folate.

It’s a very good source of free-radical-scavenging vitamin A, enzyme-activating manganese and molybdenum, digestive-health-supporting fiber, heart-healthy potassium and vitamin B6, and energy-producing vitamin B2 and phosphorus.

As well, it’s a good source of energy-producing vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, protein, and iron; bone-healthy magnesium and calcium; and antioxidant-supportive vitamin E and selenium.

Anchovies and broccoli is a traditional kitchen marriage, and today’s recipe, Chef Mario Batali’s “Christmas Broccoli,” highlights that match.

Its flavor base is what is known in Italy as a “soffriti,” meaning a fat, such as butter or olive oil, in which garlic or onion has been cooked.

If you’d like, sauté a bit of diced red bell pepper in the oil along with the garlic to add a touch of red, enhancing its Christmas appeal.

Enjoy!

Christmas Broccoli

3 pounds fresh broccoli, with leaves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half

10 salted anchovies, cleaned, filleted, and roughly chopped

Trim the broccoli into long stalks, removing the bottom two inches and leaving the stems attached.

Bring six quarts of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, place a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and anchovies and cook five minutes, until just golden brown and very fragrant.

While the garlic and anchovies cook, plunge broccoli into boiling water and cook for one minutes. Remove from water, drain well, and add to the pan with the garlic and anchovies. Cook ten to twelve minutes, until tender and yet holding its shape.

Remove from heat and season aggressively with pepper and timidly with salt.

This dish may be served hot or at room temperature.

Recipe by Mario Batali and courtesy of www.FoodNetwork.com.

Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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USCG Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent working together. Image courtesy of University of New Hampshire/NOAA.

A recent mission marked the completion of a five-year collaboration between the United States and Canada to survey the Arctic Ocean.

The bilateral project collected scientific data to delineate the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline, also known as the extended continental shelf (ECS).

The U.S. has an inherent interest in knowing, and declaring to others, the exact extent of its sovereign rights in the ocean as set forth in the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

For the ECS, this includes sovereign rights over natural resources on and under the seabed including energy resources such as: oil and natural gas and gas hydrates; “sedentary” creatures such as clams, crabs, and corals; and mineral resources such as manganese nodules, ferromanganese crusts, and polymetallic sulfides.

The 2011 joint Arctic mission spanned nearly six weeks in August and September and was the fourth year to employ flagship icebreakers from both countries, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent.

“This two-ship approach was both productive and necessary in the Arctic’s difficult and varying ice conditions,” said Larry Mayer, Ph.D., U.S. chief scientist on the Arctic mission and co-director of the NOAA-University of New Hampshire Joint Hydrographic Center. “With one ship breaking ice for the other, the partnership increased the data either nation could have obtained operating alone, saved millions of dollars by ensuring data were collected only once, provided data useful to both nations for defining the extended continental shelf, and increased scientific and diplomatic cooperation.”

Preliminary studies indicate the U.S. ECS, including the Arctic Ocean areas surveyed, total at least one million square kilometers, an area about twice the size of California. Additional data collection and analysis will lead to more accurate estimates of the extent of the U.S. ECS.

U.S. ECS work is not limited to the Arctic and includes areas in the Bering Sea, Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, Gulf of Alaska, Marianas and Line Islands, as well as areas off northern California and northwest of Hawaii.

In addition to Arctic survey work, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) led missions in 2011 to collect seismic data in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, and scientists from the Joint Hydrographic Center collected bathymetric data northwest of Hawaii. NOAA and USGS funded the 2011 U.S. missions.

Two U.S. ECS missions are planned for 2012, one in the Atlantic and one in the Arctic.

“The amount and quality of the data collected as part of these joint Arctic missions met and often exceeded the expectations we would set each year,” said Deborah Hutchinson, Ph.D., a geologist with the USGS and U.S. science lead and liaison on board CCG Ship Louis S. St-Laurent.

This year’s U.S. Arctic mission was led by the Joint Hydrographic Center, a partnership between NOAA and the University of New Hampshire, while the Canadian mission was led by the Geological Survey of Canada of Natural Resources Canada.

Track lines for USCGC Healy showing seafloor sonar data from cruises from 2003 to date in the Arctic. Credit: UNH/CCOM/NOAA.

Scientists on board Healy used a multibeam echo sounder to collect bathymetric data to create three-dimensional images of the seafloor.

Scientists aboard CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent collected seismic data to determine the thickness of the sediments under the seafloor and to better understand the geology of the Arctic Ocean.

The 2011 Arctic mission traversed more than 5,600 total miles over the Beaufort Shelf, Chukchi Borderland, Alpha Ridge, and Canada Basin and reached more than 1,230 miles north of the Alaskan coast.

“As in previous Arctic missions, we obtained data in areas we were not entirely sure the ice would allow us to proceed, even with a two-ship operation,” said Andy Armstrong, co-chief scientist on the Arctic mission and co-director of the NOAA-University of New Hampshire Joint Hydrographic Center. “This was especially true in the eastern part of the Canada Basin where some of the thickest Arctic ice is found.”

Data collected by these two nations tells other scientific stories for the first time. For example, USGS scientists collected baseline data on ocean acidification and scientists from the National Ice Center compared observed ice conditions with interpretations of the same ice seen on satellite imagery.

From 2006 to date, scientists on board CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent have collected nearly 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) of seismic data, vastly increasing the seismic data holdings in this area of the deep Arctic Ocean.

Scientists from the United States and Canada are using these seismic data to revise models of the origin and tectonic evolution of this poorly understood portion of the ocean.

Since the start of U.S. ECS work in the Arctic in 2003, Healy alone has mapped more than 320,000 square kilometers (123,000 square miles) of the Arctic seafloor, or about the size of Arizona.

“These data provided high resolution maps to help determine the outer limits of the U.S. ECS, while revealing previously undiscovered mountains, known as seamounts, and scours created by past glaciers and icebergs scraping along the ocean bottom 400 meters below the surface,” said Mayer.

The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force is responsible for delineating the U.S. ECS and is chaired by the Department of State with co-vice chairs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of the Interior.

Ten additional agencies participate in the task force, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Arctic Research Commission, and the Executive Office of the President.

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3-D view of an isolated seamount discovered during Arctic Ocean sonar work in 2009. The feature rises from a depth of more than 3800 meters (nearly 12,500 feet) from the abyssal plain to a least depth of 2622 meters (8,600 feet). In the far background approximately 440 kilometers (240 miles) away is the Chukchi Plateau. Credit: CCOM/JHC University of New Hampshire/NOAA.

“Most importantly, we urge everyone to not drive while impaired,” said Lt. Greg Baarts, the commander of the CHP's Clear Lake Area office.

“We are committed to making the roadways safe for everyone,” he added. “The holiday season is a time for family and friends; unfortunately, it is also a time when we see too many alcohol-related fatalities.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010 a Record low 791 persons were tragically killed in DUI crashes on California roadways, down from 950 in 2009.

“That means we are making great progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done” Baarts said. “We can not do it alone and we need everyone’s help. Make your plans to get home before you start celebrating. Have a non-drinking designated driver or someone you can call. The consequences are not worth it.”

It is estimated that a DUI conviction can cost over $10,000 when you combine the costs of fines, attorney fees and insurance premium increases. In 2010 the CHP arrested 91,492 persons for DUI statewide.

“In Lake County we have seen a drop in most DUI-related incidents and we hope this trend continues. We also hope the message of ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’ is making people think twice before getting behind the wheel,” Baarts said.

“We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season” Baarts continued. “We will be out there patrolling, giving up quality time with our families to ensure holiday travelers arrive at their destinations safely. All we ask in return is cooperation from the public to drive safely and not to get behind the wheel impaired.”

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A gray wolf like this one has been seen in southern Oregon. Photo by John and Karen Hollingsworth/US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Recent news accounts have reported that a gray wolf has been wandering in southern Oregon.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, this animal is a 2 and a half year old male formerly from a pack in northeast Oregon.

Since the animal has been collared with a global positioning system device that periodically transmits its location, biologists have been able to document its travels since early September. Based on the GPS data, he is now more than 300 miles from where his journey began.

As of yet, there are no direct observations confirming his presence, or that of any other wolves, in California.

“It’s too early to say with any certainty whether wolves will again become a resident species in California,” Department of Fish and Game Director Charlton Bonham said. “But it is definitely an historic predator surrounded by legend and lore.”

Any wild gray wolf that returns to California is protected as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

DFG has been following the recovery and migration of gray wolves in western states with the expectation that at some point they will likely reach California.

The last confirmed wild gray wolf in California was killed in Lassen County in 1924.

The available historic information on wolves in California suggests that while they were widely distributed, they were not abundant.

DFG has been compiling historic records, life history information, reviewing studies on wolf populations in other western states, enhancing communication with other agencies and training biologists on field techniques specific to wolves.

This effort is to ensure that DFG has all necessary information available when needed, it is not a wolf management plan and DFG does not intend to reintroduce wolves into California.

There are more than 1,600 wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains following a federal reintroduction effort which occurred in the mid-1990s.

In 1999 a single wolf crossed into Oregon from Idaho, after nearly a 60-year absence in that state.

There are now at least 23 wolves in Oregon in four reproducing packs. It has taken an additional 12 years for the first wolf to now approach the California border.

This particular animal is exhibiting normal dispersal behavior for a young male and there is no way to predict whether he will enter California, stay in Oregon, or travel east into Nevada.

Eventually, DFG expects that wolves will reach California. Whether this will lead to the establishment of packs or simply transient individual animals is unknown.

Gray wolf recovery in other Western states has been controversial, particularly regarding impacts on prey populations, livestock depredation and human safety.

There have been instances where gray wolf predation has contributed to declines in deer and elk populations, however, in most cases, predation has had little effect.

Some gray wolves have killed livestock – mostly cattle and sheep – while others rely entirely on wild prey.

In other Western states the impact of depredation on livestock has been very small, certainly less than predation by coyotes and mountain lions, although the effect on an individual livestock producer can be important, particularly when sheep are killed.

Concerns about human safety are largely based on folklore and unsubstantiated in North America.

In recent years there was one human mortality in Canada caused either by wolves or bears and one confirmed human mortality in Alaska by wolves.

Based on experience from states where substantial wolf populations now exist, wolves pose little risk to humans.

In the near future DFG expects to add information to its Web site, www.dfg.ca.gov, to provide extensive information on wolves to the public.

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Anderson said the caller claims to represent Medicare or the Social Security office and asks the consumer to verify or provide information, such as a Medicare number, bank and checking account information.

He said all consumers should be cautious when speaking to unknown individuals on the telephone, and to never give out any personal information over the phone including date of birth, Medicare or Social Security number, policy numbers, credit card numbers or bank account information.

When this information is obtained by con artists it is used for identity theft and to invade bank accounts and credit cards, Anderson said.

"If you receive one of these calls, hang up and do not give them any information," Anderson cautioned. "Medicare or Social Security employees will not contact you via phone requesting this type of information. If you have any questions about the status of your Medicare of Social Security benefits, you can contact the agencies directly."

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Mark Knaup, 52, who took the stand during his trial, had faced four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child and one count of sexual penetration with a victim under 16, according to Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg.

“We’re thrilled with the verdict,” said Knaup’s attorney, Stephen Carter of Carter & Carter in Lower Lake.

Carter added that Knaup was grateful for the verdict as well.

Knaup did not respond to messages Lake County News left on Wednesday seeking comment.

The trial included three days of testimony before it wrapped up on Wednesday, Borg said.

Borg said they delivered closing arguments and jury instructions on Wednesday and handed the case over to the jury, which he said was only out about an hour.

Afterward, he said jurors indicated that they weren’t sure of exactly what happened based on the evidence presented. He said that uncertainty is the definition of reasonable doubt, so they did the right thing in making the acquittal.

Knaup was arrested in April 2009 after his girlfriend’s then-15-year-old daughter accused him of fondling her several times in late 2008 and early 2009, Borg said.

Carter said the defense was a complete denial of the charges. “When we pled not guilty we meant it.”

The defense pointed out what they believed were serious conflicts in the teen’s story, but Borg countered, “There were discrepancies but I wouldn’t characterize it as telling different stories.”

A challenge for the prosecution was that there was no physical evidence. “It rises and falls on the credibility of the victim. That makes it difficult for juries,” said Borg.

Testifying for the prosecution were two witnesses, the alleged victim, now 18, and a doctor who discussed Child Sexual Assault Accommodation Syndrome, which is a therapeutic tool used to explain why sexual assault victims don’t always immediately report abuse, Carter said.

“I cross-examined the doctor who testified and got him to confirm that this does not take into account those allegations,” said Carter.

As for his approach to cross-examining Jane Doe, Carter said his approach was to be respectful. “It’s always challenging.”

Borg credited Carter with doing a good job with the case and with the cross-examination in particular, noting that there is a fine line between badgering a witness and getting the facts.

Knaup also took the stand, which Carter said he felt would be a good idea, and Knaup agreed.

“I thought he did well,” said Carter. “It’s difficult for someone who’s never been charged with a crime like that to go up and get cross-examined.”

Knaup testified that the teen, whose mother he had dated, was motivated to make the allegations because she wanted him out of the picture. Carter argued that there appeared to be a design to lie in order to get what the teen wanted.

“There was evidence that the mother in the family often relied on Mark to help her be more consistent in terms of enforcing the rules,” said Carter, adding that the teen had been at risk of losing her car over violating such rules of behavior.

Carter also presented to the court a letter that Knaup received from the teen a few months before the first allegation in which she confessed to a pattern of lying.

“We were able to present that to the jury to help explain why there was such a doubt as to Jane Doe’s credibility,” he said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews, on Tumblr at www.lakeconews.tumblr.com, on Google+, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

The anti-speed enforcement efforts of the “Focused Attention Towards Enforcing Speed” (FATES) continue through Sept. 30, 2012.

“We all know speeding is very, very dangerous. Leave a little extra time to get to your destination,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “It isn’t worth the consequences of injuries or worse yet, the death of your friends and loved ones.”

The objectives of the grant are to reduce the number of speed-related collisions occurring throughout the state, save lives, and prevent serious injury.

Some of the strategies that the CHP will employ to achieve these goals include enhanced enforcement and radar trailer deployments.

In addition to the enforcement efforts, public awareness campaigns and safety presentations will be held at schools, employee safety days, local auto events and other community functions throughout the state.

The consistent message to each audience is that speed kills.

“Nearly one-third of fatal and injury collisions in California are a direct result of speed,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Drivers need to be aware of the current conditions and the posted speed limit.”

Funding for the FATES project is provided by a grant awarded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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The projects, funded Dec. 1, are joint efforts by the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) and the Center for Economic Development at California State University, Chico (CED, CSU Chico), the Northeastern California Connect Consortium (NECCC) and the Upstate California Connect Consortium (UCCC). They received $449,991 and $448,184, respectively, over a period of three years.

The counties within the scope of the NECCC are Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou and Tehama. The counties within the scope of the UCCC are Colusa, Glenn, Lake and Sonoma.

"There is a deep awareness at the highest level in California of the importance of broadband availability and adoption to the state's historic global position of economic and technology leadership," said Tom West, manager for the two consortia. "These two funding decisions speak volumes of the state's commitment to ensuring that California remains a global leader in all areas of 21st century life."

Kelly Cox, Lake County’s administrative officer, added, "This grant will enable us to develop a much-needed comprehensive broadband plan for our county. Such a plan will enable us to pursue providers and funds to effectively implement broadband for our citizens and help us advance the county's economic development plans."

Both the NECCC and the UCCC reported that they will work with other consortia as part of a comprehensive Northern California Broadband Plan to set the stage for a robust, integrated, and open-access fiber-optic middle-mile – and combination fiber-optic and wireless last-mile – infrastructure throughout the 11 counties listed in addition to Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity and Yolo counties.

Many of these counties are rural with rugged terrain as well as relatively low population, all of which pose great challenges to the construction of such an infrastructure over which broadband services can be delivered.

As a result, the counties in the projects’ areas currently lack the broadband services that are an essential part of a healthy economy and a good quality of life in the 21st century, and which are already enjoyed in other regions of the state, according to the report from the sponsoring organizations.

The NECCC and UCCC both consist of a multi-phase, three-year planning effort.

During the first year, the two consortia will concentrate on developing and designing the 16-county Regional Middle-Mile infrastructure, as well as 11 countywide backbone systems and last-mile community plans.

The NECCC and the UCCC then will facilitate the implementation of these infrastructure plans as well as developing and implementing adoption and training programs to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to effectively use these capabilities.

"Developing and implementing a broadband plan for Northern California will help fuel the economies of counties like Modoc by enabling us to attract investment capital to make local resources and products available to consumers across the state and nation," said Chester Robertson, chief administrative officer of Modoc County and member of NECCC.

Consortia Associate Manager Cathy Emerson of CED is passionate about giving the rural communities a collective voice.

"I learned that the northern counties want action, not more studies, and that someone was needed to guide a process, not tell them what to do or how to do it,” Emerson said. “These consortia are intended to include people from all aspects of the region, and based on the membership pledges and letters of support we are receiving, I'd say that's what we have: a group of dedicated, committed individuals who at the end of the day can say they not only were a part of something, they actually affected change, and to the collective benefit of the whole region."

More information about the NECCC and the UCCC can be found at www.necalbroadband.org and www.upcalbroadband.org. Visit the Center for Economic Development at www.cedcal.com.

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On Friday morning, an armada of spacecraft witnessed something that many experts thought impossible: Comet Lovejoy flew through the hot atmosphere of the sun and emerged intact.

"It's absolutely astounding," said Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab in Washington, DC. "I did not think the comet's icy core was big enough to survive plunging through the several million degree solar corona for close to an hour, but Comet Lovejoy is still with us."

The comet's close encounter was recorded by at least five spacecraft: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and twin STEREO probes, Europe's Proba2 microsatellite, and the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.

The most dramatic footage so far comes from SDO, which saw the comet go in and then come back out again, shown in the videos on this page.

In the SDO movies, the comet's tail wriggles wildly as the comet plunges through the sun's hot atmosphere only 120,000 km above the stellar surface.

This could be a sign that the comet was buffeted by plasma waves coursing through the corona. Or perhaps the tail was bouncing back and forth off great magnetic loops known to permeate the sun's atmosphere. No one knows.

"This is all new," said Battams. "SDO is giving us our first look1 at comets travelling through the sun's atmosphere. How the two interact is cutting-edge research."

“The motions of the comet material in the sun’s magnetic field are just fascinating,” adds SDO project scientist Dean Pesnell of the Goddard Space Flight Center. “The abrupt changes in direction reminded me of how the solar wind affected the tail of Comet Encke in 2007.”

Comet Lovejoy was discovered on Dec. 2, 2011, by amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy of Australia.

Researchers quickly realized that the new find was a member of the Kreutz family of sungrazing comets.

Named after the German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who first studied them, Kreutz sungrazers are fragments of a single giant comet that broke apart back in the 12th century (probably the Great Comet of 1106).

Kreutz sungrazers are typically small (~10 meters wide) and numerous. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory sees one falling into the sun every few days.

At the time of discovery, Comet Lovejoy appeared to be at least 10 times larger than the usual Kreutz sungrazer, somewhere in the in the 100 to 200 meter range. In light of Friday's events, researchers are re-thinking those numbers.

"I'd guess the comet's core must have been at least 500 meters in diameter; otherwise it couldn't have survived so much solar heating," said Matthew Knight. "A significant fraction of that mass would have been lost during the encounter. What's left is probably much smaller than the original comet."

SOHO and NASA's twin STEREO probes are monitoring the comet as it recedes from the sun. It is still very bright and should remain in range of the spacecrafts' cameras for several days to come. Researchers will be watching closely, because there a good chance for more surprises.

"There is still a possibility that Comet Lovejoy will start to fragment," continued Battams. "It’s been through a tremendously traumatic event; structurally, it could be extremely weak. On the other hand, it could hold itself together and disappear back into the recesses of the solar system."

"It's hard to say," agreed Knight. "There has been so little work on what happens to sungrazing comets after perihelion (closest approach). This continues to be fascinating.”

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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The two Mars launches of Nov. 26, 2011. On the left, a solar explosion hurls a CME toward the Red Planet (Credit: SOHO). On the right, the Mars Science Lab or "Curiosity" lifts off from Cape Canaveral (Credit: Howard Eskildsen of Titusville, FL).

On Nov. 26, Curiosity blasted off from Cape Canaveral atop an Atlas 5 rocket.

Riding a plume of fire through the blue Florida sky, the car-sized rover began a nine month journey to search for signs of life Mars.

Meanwhile, 93 million miles away, a second lesser-noticed Mars launch was under way.

Around the time that Curiosity’s rocket was breaking the bonds of Earth, a filament of magnetism erupted from the sun, hurling a billion-ton cloud of plasma (a “CME”) toward the Red Planet.

There was no danger of a collision – Mars rover versus solar storm. Racing forward at 2 million miles per hour, the plasma cloud outpaced Curiosity’s rocket by a wide margin.

Next time could be different, however. With solar activity on the upswing (Solar Max is expected in 2012-13) it’s only a matter of time before a CME engulfs the Mars-bound rover.

That suits some researchers just fine.

As Don Hassler of the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in Boulder, Colorado, explained, “We look forward to such encounters because Curiosity is equipped to study solar storms."

Hassler is the principal investigator for Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector – "RAD" for short.

The instrument, developed at SWRI and Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, counts cosmic rays, neutrons, protons and other particles over a wide range of energies.

Tucked into the left front corner of the rover, RAD is about the size of a coffee can and weighs only three pounds, but has capabilities of Earth-bound instruments nearly 10 times its size.

Encounters with CMEs pose little danger to Curiosity. By the time a CME reaches the Earth-Mars expanse, it is spread so thin that it cannot truly buffet the spacecraft. Nevertheless, RAD can sense what happens as the CME passes by.

"RAD will be able to detect energetic particles accelerated by shock waves in some CMEs1," says Arik Posner of NASA’s Heliophysics Division in Washington DC. "This could give us new insights into the inner physics of these giant clouds."

There’s more to this, however, than pure heliophysics. Future human astronauts will directly benefit from RAD’s measurements during the cruise phase.

"Curiosity is nestled inside its spacecraft, just like a real astronaut would be," notes Frank Cucinotta, Chief Scientist for NASA’s Space Radiation Program at the Johnson Space Center. "RAD will give us an idea of the kind of radiation a human can expect to absorb during a similar trip to Mars."

Of particular interest are secondary particles. Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles hit the walls of the spacecraft, creating an inward spray of even more biologically dangerous neutrons and atomic nuclei. RAD will analyze the spray from the only realistic place to make such measurements – inside the spaceship.

In this way, “RAD is a bridge between the science and exploration sides of NASA,” says Hassler. “The two objectives are equally exciting.”

RAD was activated on Dec. 6. Of the rover's ten science instruments, it will be the only one active during the cruise to Mars. Daily transmissions to Earth will let Hassler and colleagues monitor what's going on "out there."

"We're very excited about the possibility of more solar storms," he added.

As important as RAD’s cruise phase measurements are, the instrument’s primary mission doesn’t really begin until it lands on the Red Planet.

Mars has a very thin atmosphere and no global magnetic field to protect it from space radiation. Energetic particles reaching ground level might be dangerous to life – both future human astronauts and extant Martian microbes.

RAD will find out how much shielding human explorers need on the surface of Mars. RAD will also help researchers estimate how far below ground a microbe might have to go to reach a radiation “safe zone.”

Solar storms are just for starters. Stay tuned for the second installment of this story: Curiosity and the Habitability Mars.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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With so much happening outside of the vehicle, the California Highway Patrol is unleashing a traffic safety campaign reminding motorists to focus on driving, and worry about all the other distractions after they have safely arrived at their destination.

“There are so many drivers who understand the dangers of distracted driving and focus their attention on the road instead of responding to a phone call or text message,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Unfortunately, many drivers still don’t understand the hazards, yet statistics has shown that traffic collisions caused by distracted driving are on the rise. This campaign focuses on these individuals.”

Distracted driving is one of the leading contributors to collisions and near-collisions.

According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, in 2009, California drivers age 20 years or older were involved in more than 23,000 collisions within CHP jurisdiction in which inattention was documented as an associated factor.

“The CHP urges drivers to stay focused on the primary task of driving,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Through education and enforcement, we are dedicated to curb this dangerous behavior.”

The yearlong, grant-funded Adult Distracted Driving II campaign consists of an education component, as well as several distracted driver enforcement operations throughout the state.

By the end of the grant, Sept. 30, 2012, a minimum of 50 distracted driving enforcement operations will have been conducted, and at least 20 traffic safety presentations completed.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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