A high-school sophomore from West Virginia has discovered a new astronomical object—a rotating radio transient. Predicted theoretically, this is indeed the first ever confirmed hit, although some candidates had been identified. A rotating radio transient is like stuttering, slow pulsar: instead of a steady whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of radio waves spinning off a collapsed, dead star, the RRAT gives off a whoosh…and then takes time to build up again, like a geyser but less predictably. Catching one in mid-whoosh is virtually impossible, but that indeed is what Lucas Bolyard of South Harrison High School (home of the Hawks!) near Lost Creek, WV, found and correctly identified.

This is like hoping to see an interesting astronomical sight one evening, and having a meteorite drop right into your shirt pocket.

When the Czar was 15, he discovered that if he drank 14 pony beers in 2 hours, all he wanted to do was sleep the afternoon away.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.