General Daily Insight for July 31, 2024

Everything may not be as it seems. The emotional Moon is at odds with serious Saturn, so disappointment or an abundance of responsibility could wear us out and make it harder to relax. Thankfully, Luna blends well with friendly Venus, encouraging us to reach out for friendship from those around us and offering sparks of creativity. That said, a lack of clarity can set off emotional confusion when the Moon squares perplexing Neptune at 10:46 pm EDT. Decision-making might require extra careful thought.

“On an island in the sun, We’ll be playing and having fun

And it makes me feel so fine I can’t control my brain”

That essentially sums up the experience of visiting Peanut Island, a nearly 80-acre haven for boaters, paddlers and beach enthusiasts who like to spend their days soaking up sunrays or visiting with marine life on a snorkeling excursion. For many area boaters, the island tucked just inside the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet presents a place to pull up for an afternoon beach cookout and swim.

This small slice of paradise also allows the option to stay overnight in one of 17 reservable sites, allowing campers to enjoy the island long after daytime revelers have pulled up anchor and headed back to shore.

Getting There

The only access to Peanut Island is by boat on the Intracoastal Waterway. Those with access to a pontoon, a fishing boat or personal watercraft will have no problem pulling up for a few hours or a night of camping. Kayakers and paddlers are also commonly seen around the island, and launching and rentals are available at nearby Riviera Beach Marina.

This is also where visitors can catch the Peanut Island Shuttle Boat, which departs at regular intervals daily for $25 per adult and $12 per child (online advance reservations). Dogs are allowed on the shuttle boat free of charge and permitted on the island as long as they are leashed.

The Palm Beach Water Taxi ($20 per person) makes multiple daily trips from the Sailfish Marina Resort on the eastern side of Peanut Island.

For those with their own vessels, launching at Phil Foster Park just to the north of Peanut Island is also an option — but parking may be limited on the weekends.

Things to Do

Paddling or boating around Peanut Island is inherent in the experience, and there are plenty of places to pull up on a sandy stretch of shoreline.

The island’s main draw is swimming, with a dedicated snorkeling lagoon and guarded beaches on the southeast side. The best time to snorkel is during the hour before and after high tide.

Get Wet Watersports, which offers snorkeling tours to Peanut Island, advertises that visitors will see plenty of colorful fish, rays and the occasional manatee or shark.

Fishing is also available to anglers at various points on the island, including a fishing pier near the campground.

A 1.25-mile walking trail takes visitors on a scenic stroll around the island. Plenty of picnic tables, pavilions, charcoal grills and a few chickee huts are spread out for daytime visitors to enjoy.

An Island Overnight

On a sunny weekend, especially during the summer, the island and surrounding waterways can get quite congested and loud, with revelers on boats blasting music and partying. But as the sun goes down and the riff-raff retire for the evening, all daytime visitors must leave the island, and only those who have reserved one of 17 campsites can stay.

Fourteen of those sites are single sites ($30 plus tax) meant for one tent and a maximum of six campers, while three are double-wide ($60 plus tax) for up to two tents and 12 guests. Each spot contains a tent pad, charcoal grill and picnic table.

Individual sites don’t have campfire rings, but there is a communal firepit and wood available for purchase on the island.

Although alcohol isn’t allowed for daytime visitors, it is permitted in the campground for overnight guests. Showers are available in the restrooms, exclusive to campers and only accessible by punching in a code.

As the moon rises, it’s nice to enjoy dinner and a beverage outdoors while taking in the sensations of wind whispering through the palms, crickets chirping and stars emerging overhead.

Peanut Island also makes for an interesting vantage point to watch cruise ships and giant cargo vessels pull out to sea under the setting sun, not to mention plenty of larger-than-life yachts.

A Nearly Nutty History

Originally named Inlet Island, the man-made enclave originally encompassed 10 acres created in 1918 with material excavated while dredging the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet. By 1923, the Port of Palm Beach was using the island as a spoil site, and eventually, the island grew to 80 acres.

The name came from a plan to ship peanut oil from the island, and while that idea was abandoned in 1946, the name Peanut Island always stuck.

Amid the Cuban missile crisis of the 1960s, a nuclear bunker was built on the island for President John F. Kennedy, who vacationed with his family at his “winter White House” in Palm Beach. The bunker was previously open for tours but closed in 2017. Historic buildings that previously served as a Coast Guard station sit near the site of the Kennedy bunker.

Brighter Days Ahead

While these facilities are currently fenced off and off-limits to visitors, Palm Beach County plans to renovate the historic structures, bunker and docks in a yearslong, multi-million dollar improvement project.

According to a sign placed in front of the site, the boat house will serve as home to exhibits and a gift shop while the Coast Guard station will house educational and historic displays. Eventually, the plan is also to reopen the Kennedy bunker for tours.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.

If you go

Peanut Island is located in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Lake Worth Inlet in Riviera Beach and is open for day use from sunrise to sunset. There is nothing for sale or rent on the island, so visitors should be prepared with supplies for a half-day away from the mainland.

The Peanut Island Shuttle can be reserved online or by calling 561-777-0438, or the Palm Beach Water Taxi can be booked online or by calling 561-683-8294. Peanut Island aims to offer online camping reservations in the future, but for now, sites can be booked by calling 561-845-4445 or toll-free at 866-383-5730 or by emailing pnutcamp@pbcgov.org. A maximum of three nights can be reserved up to 90 days in advance. For more information, visit discover.pbcgov.org.

In rare cases, a misadventure is so awful it becomes news, such as climber Aaron Ralston’s self-amputation in 2003 to unpin his right arm from a boulder. Yet as any search-and-rescue team can share, there are countless stories every day of ordinary people who find themselves in precarious situations while trying to enjoy time outdoors.

And they’re now being told in a variety of podcasts.

Some of these stories are inherently a lesson without the need for a teaching moment spelled out. Others might include a footnote about how to properly prepare for even the simplest outing so there can hopefully be a safe rescue, if needed, or what the reality is of being up close to wild animals.

“One of the common themes in our survival stories — that I don’t think I would have fully appreciated if we weren’t making so many of them — is that it’s almost never just one thing that goes wrong,” shared Peter Frick-Wright, host of the Outside Podcast, in an email interview. “Most people who come close to dying in the wilderness are unlucky or unprepared in two or three different ways that compound on each other to cause a crisis. You lose your firestarter AND fall in the freezing river AND you don’t have a dry set of clothes. You can overcome any two of those problems, but when all three happen you’re in trouble. It’s amazing how consistent it is.”

The Outside podcast is part of Outside Magazine, which is now based in Boulder, Colorado, and not all of its episodes involve accidents. In fact, many of the episodes are the opposite: people who have pushed themselves physically and conquered challenges in the outdoors and now they are sharing how they did it.

“Way, Way Too Close to a Whale” is an episode from earlier this year about two women who go kayaking off the coast of California to chase humpback whales. The story builds with why they went kayaking, what fears and experience they had beforehand, and the dramatic moment when they were suddenly swallowed by a whale. Lesson: Keep your distance from wildlife.

Colorado-based adventure photographer Pete McBride is also interviewed for a brief episode that highlights his startling encounter with an orca.

While many of these stories are told solely from the perspective of the individuals who experienced the near mishap, some episodes get the other side of the story from rescuers. For example, “A Bold Rescue on a Moab Cliff” is not about the BASE jumper whose chute got snagged on the cliff when he struck the rocks and was seriously injured, but the mountain biker who literally swung into action to save his life.

KZMU Community Radio in Moab has decided to take the stories from Grand County Search and Rescue (GCSAR) for a new podcast that will debut later this year.

“The goal of this podcast is to entertain and also educate,” said Molly Marcello, news and public affairs director at KZMU. “There are so many ways to recreate here, which is one of the reasons that Moab is so special for outdoor enthusiasts. That also means there are so many ways to get into trouble.”

Upcoming episodes will highlight the many (!) broken ankles that happen on a popular hike where, despite signs warning against doing so, people jump into a small pond at the bottom of a waterfall; mountain bikers experiencing extreme dehydration on Whole Enchilada Trail; and inventive ways to self-rescue from a slot canyon using your pants.

“The stories that I’ve heard involve a mixture of tourists and locals,” Marcello said. “People can get into trouble by not being prepared or by making sketchy decisions, but accidents do also just happen. We’re hoping people will plan for the worst even if it’s a short hike.”

It’s important to note that search-and-rescue organizations like this are typically made up of volunteers and there can be costs to your rescue, depending on what resources are needed.

Wyoming Public Radio’s HumaNature podcast is recorded in Laramie, and it also has stories of people from anywhere, not just in Wyoming, who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances in the wild. Maybe you just want to hear about the guy who broke a record by pushing a peanut with his nose up Pikes Peak (the summit is 14,115 feet above sea level), but you can also listen to episodes about an experienced hunter who gets lost in the woods or more tales of people who learned the hard way that you need to keep your distance from wildlife.

If you have a wild tale to tell, you can submit it to HumaNature and possibly be featured on a future episode. Frick-Wright said that the majority of their stories come from contributors to Outside — or even just when a producer hears a good story around the campfire.

The next time you live to tell after a narrow escape in the great outdoors, consider which podcast you want to interview you about the nitty-gritty details.

The flavors vary from grassy to nutty, but I like one of the descriptions that cheese expert Laura Werlin wrote in her book “Cheese Essentials” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang).

“Think butter and you’ll have a head start in knowing what to expect …” Werlin wrote. Yes, think of adding that buttery taste and creamy texture to a wide variety of dishes, everything from burgers to pasta, salads to quesadillas.

Of course, it is delicious served room temp on a cheese board, but the following recipes give Brie the heat treatment. One uses Brie to be the cornerstone in a melt-on-the-pasta sauce, two use baked Brie for appetizers augmenting each dish with components with a sweet edge.  And one utilizes sliced Brie as a creamy melted garnish atop piping hot leek soup.

When buying Brie for these recipes, be sure to check the buy-by date on the packaging. The Brie needs to be young enough to have no hint of ammonia.

Linguine With Tomatoes and Basil

Julie Rosso and the late Sheila Lukins changed the way many of us cook. In the early ’80s, when their classic cookbook, “The Silver Palate,” took off, it gave home cooks from coast to coast a shot of courage. A few years ago, to celebrate the 25 years in print and their new reissued “Silver Palate Cookbook 25 Years Anniversary Edition (Workman), they joined me in my home kitchen to cook up a favorite dish from their book. They prepared this delicious linguine that showcases Brie, tomatoes and basil. Enjoy.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pound cold Brie, rind removed, torn into irregular pieces; see cook’s notes

1 cup fresh basil leaves, rinsed, patted dry, cut into thin strips

3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon, best-quality olive oil; divided use

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds linguine

Optional: Freshly grated black pepper

Optional garnish: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook’s notes: Rosso told me that she likes the Brie rind, so she leaves it on the cheese. But if you want to remove the rind, it is easier to peel if you freeze the cheese.

DIRECTIONS

1. At least two hours before serving, combine tomatoes, Brie, basil, garlic, 1 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl.

2. Bring 6 quarts salted water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and linguine. Boil until al dente (tender but still firm), about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Drain pasta and immediately toss with tomato sauce. Serve at once, passing pepper mill and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Source: “The Silver Palate Cookbook 25 Years Anniversary Edition” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, $19.95)

Baked Brie with Honeyed Apricots

To create sweet, creamy flavor in this delicious Brie appetizer, the wheel of Brie has the rind trimmed and is cut into cubes. This allows a honey-apricot mixture to be evenly distributed throughout this deconstructed cheese. An extra drizzle of honey and some minced chives at the finish reinforce the sweet-savory flavor profile. Be sure to use a firm, fairly unripe Brie. Serve with baguette, crackers, or Melba toast.

Yield: 8 to 10

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup honey, divided

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 (8-ounce) wheels firm chilled Brie cheese, rind removed, cheese cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Microwave apricots, 2 tablespoons honey, rosemary, salt, and pepper in medium microwave-safe bowl until apricots are softened and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring halfway through microwaving. Add Brie and toss to combine.

2. Transfer mixture to 10-inch cast-iron skillet and bake until cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons honey and sprinkle with chives. Serve.

Source: “Modern Bistro” by America’s Test Kitchen

Three-Ingredient Brie with Preserves

Need a quick-to-prepare appetizer? This very easy three-ingredient baked Brie is the ticket.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 7- to 8-ounce Brie cheese

1/3 cup your favorite preserves (such as cherry or mixed berries)

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

For serving: Sliced baguette or crackers

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Brie in center of small baking dish (the one I use is 5-by-7-inches). Spoon preserves on top of cheese. Sprinkle with chopped thyme leaves.

2. Bake 16 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven; the some of the cheese should be oozing out and should be piping hot. Let is sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sliced baguette or crackers; provide a spoon for scooping.

Source: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Leek and Tarragon Soup with Melted Brie Cheese

Soup isn’t just for winter.  A one-dish soup dinner, eaten outdoors in the cool of the evening, can be a welcome break from traditional summer fare. The soup can be prepared ahead, reheated and topped with cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 slices, about 1/2-inch thick, French bread

4 tablespoons butter, divided use

7 large leeks, trimmed, white and green part halved, washed, cut into thin crosswise slices

3/4 pound fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

21/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups fat-free, low sodium, chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/3 cup whipping cream or whole milk

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces chilled brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch slices

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place bread on baking sheet in single layer. Bake in preheated oven until toasted, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Spread with about 2 tablespoons butter and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

2. In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add leeks, mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are soft and most of liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in broth and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add tarragon and pepper.

4. Ladle into 6 (2-cup) oven-proof soup bowls or large mugs.  Place bowls (or mugs) on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each with a piece of toasted bread and top bread with cheese. Bake uncovered, in 425-degree oven until bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. If you want to further brown the topping,  remove baking sheet from oven and move rack to 6- to 8-inches below broiler element. Turn oven to broil and broil soup on baking sheet about 1 minute. Turn on oven light and watch carefully to prevent burning.

Source: “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.

For more than 50 years — and with three generations of ownership — Orapax has provided delicious Greek food in an intimate environment.

Orapax, in Norfolk’s Chelsea district, offers traditional dishes such as spanakopita, chicken souvlaki, gyros and moussaka. The menu has wing, pasta, pizza and sandwich sections and plant-based alternatives for most of the regular options.

The rustic dining room is dimly lit while oversized windows let heaps of natural light in. The dark ceiling beams and tile floors give a slightly upscale look, but the wait staff in its “Everything’s betta with fetta” and “There’s Greece on my shirt” T-shirts provide a casual dining experience.  Black and white photos of the building and its patrons highlight the restaurant’s deep family roots.

I started with the lavender lemonade cocktail and saganaki appetizer — both presented exquisitely. My drink, topped with lemon, blackberry and a sprig of rosemary, was light and refreshing without being too sweet; but the appetizer was the star.

The saganaki — kevalotyri (or kefalotyri) cheese battered and fried — was brought out in a mini black cast iron serving bowl, lit on fire, then put out by a squeeze of lemon.

The cheese reminded me of mozzarella with a stronger taste and it paired nicely with the tangy lemon juice. It was warm and gooey, still bubbling in the bowl.

I opted for the gyro pita and a Greek side salad for my main course — how could I not at a Greek place?  I’ve eaten gyros from street stands in Athens and Orapax’s did not disappoint. The tzatziki to meat ratio was perfect and the grilled lamb and beef were flavorful. The vegetables were crisp and fresh. The pita was my favorite part. It was covered in creamy tzatziki sauce, crisp and a perfect golden brown on the outside, and soft on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised with the sizable portion of meat in my gyro, especially because it seemed to be almost all lamb.

The Greek salad was piled high with a mountain of shredded feta cheese — just the way I like it. (Though it could be overkill for those who aren’t feta fanatics.)  It came with a large pepperoncini, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes and bell peppers. The Greek dressing tasted house-made with its oil, vinegar and mix of spices. It was a bit more sour than other Greek dressings I’ve had but it paired excellently with the veggies and saltiness of the feta. I was surprised by the generous size of the salad, considering it was only a side salad.

I can’t wait to try Orapax’s other signature dishes and be transported to the ancient city of Athens.

Reach Avery Goodstine at averygoodstine@gmail.com

IF YOU GO

Where: 1300 Redgate Ave., Norfolk

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday

Details: 757-627-8041; orapaxrestaurant.com

On Wednesday, July 31, customers can get as many doughnuts as they like for $1 each, while supplies last, the North Carolina-based chain said in a news release.

The offer is only available in-store and no additional purchase is necessary.

Rewards members can get $1 original glazed doughnuts starting Thursday, Aug. 1, for a limited time, according to Krispy Kreme.

The doughnut and coffee chain is also rolling out a few limited-time treats to celebrate the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The new “Go USA” dozen features three fan-favorite doughnuts:

• Go USA doughnut
• Chocolate iced glazed with sprinkles doughnut
• Original glazed doughnut

Find your nearest Krispy Kreme here.

Watch the docuseries, “Finding Edna Lewis,” available on VPM Culture YouTube and social media channels. Host and award-winning food writer and podcaster Deb Freeman explores the life and legacy of Virginia chef Edna Lewis, the “Queen of Southern Cooking.”

A seven-minute episode drops the third Friday of each month until February, leading to a one-hour television broadcast sometime that month. There will be an in-person premiere event in Richmond, which will include some never-before-seen footage. Dates and times for the event will be announced. 

The first installment was released on July 19 and featured chef Leah Branch of The Roosevelt in Richmond. Freeman and Branch prepared Lewis’ pan-fried quail with country ham while discussing Branch’s plans to have an Edna Lewis dinner at the restaurant.

Lewis was born in 1916 in Freetown, about 85 miles northwest of Richmond in a village co-founded by her grandfather who was born enslaved. In 1948, she became a cook at Café Nicholson in Manhattan, New York, which was frequented by big names such as Gloria Vanderbilt and Eleanor Roosevelt. John Nicholson, the owner, offered her a job after attending a dinner party in her home. She was one of few Black female chefs at that time. Lewis worked there for five years. At some point, she opened and closed her restaurant. She gained acclaim for her books; “The Edna Lewis Cookbook,” which was published in 1972 and four years later “The Taste of Country Cooking,” which became a bestseller and was reprinted 23 times. It took 12 more years before fans read her next release, “In Pursuit of Flavor.” Before retiring in 1995, she cooked at the historic Gage and Tollner in Brooklyn, New York.  Lewis’ final book, “The Gift of Southern Cooking,” was co-authored with Scott Peacock in 2003. Lewis is credited with changing the way people perceived Southern cooking and became one of the first pioneers of the farm-to-table movement.

Each episode of the docuseries will reveal more about Lewis through conversations and cooking with guests such as historian and cookbook author Jessica Harris and chef Adrienne Cheatham, author of “Sunday Best: Cooking Up the Weekend Spirit Everyday.”

Freeman hopes the documentary makes people proud of Virginia food, helps them understand the variety of Black foodways and encourages people to open a cookbook and cook.

“Eating something at its peak of flavor and being intentional with ingredients can create something special,” she said. “That’s what Edna Lewis did with her cookbooks and legacy.”

Lewis died in 2006.

Rekaya Gibson, 757-295-8809, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com; on X, @gibsonrekaya

General Daily Insight for July 30, 2024

Our inner fires are crackling to life. As the intuitive Moon works hand-in-hand with passionate Mars in intellectual Gemini, we’re ready to follow our gut instincts — though we may be more easily irritated as well. Social Venus trines cautious Chiron at 3:54 pm EDT, providing opportunities for healing through connection and creativity. To wrap things up, the Moon conjoins abundant Jupiter, amplifying emotional reactions while improving our luck and expanding our horizons. Make sure to rest to avoid getting burnt out!

Every clear night for the last three weeks, Bob Stephens has pointed his home telescope at the same two stars in hopes of witnessing one of the most violent events in the universe — a nova explosion a hundred thousand times brighter than the sun.

The eruption, which scientists say could happen any day now, has excited the interest of major observatories worldwide, and it promises to advance our understanding of turbulent binary star systems.

Yet for all the high-tech observational power that NASA and other scientific institutions can muster, astrophysicists are relying on countless amateur astronomers like Stephens to spot the explosion first.

The reason? It’s just too costly to keep their equipment focused on the same subject for months at a time.

“I think everyone will look at it while it happens, but sitting there just looking at it isn’t going to make it happen,” said Tom Meneghini, the director of telescope operations and executive director emeritus at the Mt. Wilson Observatory. “It’s like a watched pot,” he joked.

The star is so far away that it takes 3,000 years for its light to reach the Earth, meaning the explosion occurred before the last of the Egyptian pyramids were built. It will appear about as bright as the North Star for just a few days before fading into the darkness.

Once it’s spotted, some of the most advanced observatories on Earth and in space will join in watching, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

“A lot of people are eagerly waiting to spot the new jewel in the crown,” said Mansi Kasliwal, the Caltech astronomy professor who is planning to use the Palomar Observatory in northeast San Diego County to observe the event. The nova will erupt in the Corona Borealis, or Northern Crown, constellation.

T Coronae Borealis, also called the Blaze Star, is actually two stars — a hot, dense white dwarf, and a cooler red giant.

The dwarf star, which ran out of fuel long ago and collapsed to roughly the size of Earth, has been siphoning hydrogen gas from its larger neighbor for about a human lifetime.

This stolen gas has accumulated in a disk around the dwarf like a hot, messy version of Saturn’s rings. Soon, the disk will grow so heavy that it will become violent and unwieldy, and inevitably, explode like a thermonuclear bomb.

Neither star is destroyed however, and the process repeats itself roughly every 80 years.

This time around, there’s an army of enthusiasts like Stephens ready to sound the alarm when the star goes nova.

Far from mere hobbyists, a number of these amateur observers have published their own scientific research. Stephens even built his own observatory as an addition to his house in Rancho Cucamonga.

“The city thinks it’s a sunroom,” Stephens said. After the inspector stopped by, he removed the screws securing the roof, allowing him to roll it off to reveal the clear sky to his telescope.

Every night, he turns on the telescope and spends more than an hour taking data, which he later posts to an online community of amateur astronomers who monitor the star almost nonstop.

Major observatories simply cannot keep such constant watch. Hundreds of scientists compete for time to look at a wide range of astronomical targets every night. For them, keeping these telescopes glued to the Blaze Star is a waste of valuable observation time.

Estimates on when the nova will occur vary, but most astrophysicists agree it will happen before the end of the year, and likely by the end of August.

Once it blows, there are a few alert systems set up to notify amateurs and professionals. Some observatories have even programmed their telescopes to autonomously ditch their current observation plan and look at the star when the notification comes in, Stephens said.

Major observatories also face another complication. Many of their telescopes are designed to look at the faintest and dimmest targets, but the Blaze Star nova will be anything but faint. Pointing these telescopes at the nova would overwhelm sensors, resulting in a washed-out, overexposed picture.

That’s why Palomar Observatory, Caltech’s research station in north San Diego County, isn’t using its iconic 16-foot-wide Hale telescope under its massive white dome. Instead, it’s using a much smaller telescope, called Gattini-IR, located in a small unsuspecting brick building about a quarter mile down the road.

Once the nova happens, Gattini-IR will go from observing the Blaze Star every couple nights to every couple hours.

Scientists say they still have a lot to learn about novas. For example, physicists are still unsure why some erupt every decade while others likely don’t for millennia.

Some researchers suspect that novas like the Blaze Star could be precursors to supernovas. These explosions — billions of times brighter than the sun — destroy the star, often leaving behind a black hole. Supernovas are also a useful tool for astronomers to measure distance.

Studying similar events has already led to discoveries, however.

Recently, scientists determined that novas tend to fling material into space at faster speeds than what would be predicted based on the intensity of the explosion.

“We want to understand the physics of novae, so having a nova that’s as close as T Coronae Borelias, which will hopefully be very well studied by all telescopes … we can get a very full picture,” said Caltech professor Kasliwal.

Some of that understanding will be due in part to amateur astronomers.

Thanks to the rapid development of telescopes, amateurs are working with technology that professionals didn’t have just 20 years ago, let alone 80, said Forrest Sims, an amateur astronomer from Apache Junction, Ariz., who is also observing the star every clear night.

And the amateurs can achieve better coverage than the big telescopes because “we typically have complete control over when and where we can point [our telescopes],” said Sims. “A professional may have to write a grant to get a half hour or two hours time on a big telescope.”

That allows them to collect a lot of data. And with hundreds in the community observing from around the world, they can achieve almost continuous coverage of the Blaze Star. Many, including Sims and Stephens, post their data to the American Assn. of Variable Star Observers website, allowing everyone to use the data.

Stephens remembers reading a journal article from a professional who managed to observe five asteroids over two years. “I thought, I could do that in a month,” Stephens said. He went on to publish a paper with 10 observations.

One professor was so shocked by the number Stephens was able to see that she reached out and agreed to fly to Puerto Rico for an asteroid conference just to meet him. They ended up working together — Stephens had the telescopes; she had the connections in the field.

Today, amateur astronomers’ work is getting so sophisticated, many in the field have a hard time calling them amateurs.

“We call ourselves ‘small telescope scientists,’ ” said Sims. “It sounds more fun, and in some respects, professionals — and not even grudgingly — will admit that the work we’re doing is often professional caliber.”

___

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

They recently featured readers’ takes on the top 10 historic small towns in the U.S., a list that includes Winterset, Iowa (No. 10 on the list), the county seat of Madison County which is known for its covered bridges — as in the 1995 movie, “The Bridges of Madison County.”

Arizona’s Winslow takes the No. 6 spot not only for its place in pop culture — cue the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” — and setting on historic Route 66, but for its Anasazi history. And 17th century architecture rules supreme in Wickford, Rhode Island, which holds the No. 2 ranking.

Take a peek at the list below, then check out the full story, complete with photos and snippets of history, at https://10best.usatoday.com.

1 Ludington, Michigan

2 Wickford, Rhode Island

3 Abilene, Kansas

4 Ruston, Louisiana

5 San Elizario, Texas

6 Winslow, Arizona

7 Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

8 Cumberland, Maryland

9 Jonesborough, Tennessee

10 Winterset, Iowa