Imagine a group of people who work to destroy Italy because‚ they claim‚ Italy’s origins are illegitimate. Imagine further that these people maintain that of all the countries in the world‚ only Italy doesn’t deserve to exist. Then imagine that these people vigorously deny that they are anti-Italian. Would you believe them? Now substitute “Israel” for “Italy‚” and you’ll understand the dishonesty and absurdity of the argument that one can be anti-Zionist—that is‚ against the existence of a Jewish state—but not be anti-Jew. Yet‚ that is precisely what anti-Zionists say. They say that Israel’s existence is illegitimate. They don’t say this about any other country in the world‚ no matter how bloody its origins. And then they get offended when they’re accused of being anti-Jew. How can they make this argument? First‚ they change the topic. They say it’s unfair to charge those who merely “criticize” Israel with being antisemitic. No one says criticism of Israel is antisemitic. But anti-Zionism isn’t criticism of Israel. Anti-Zionism is opposition to Israel’s existence. Zionism is the name of the movement for the return of the Jews to their historic homeland. Over the past 3‚000 years‚ there were only two independent states located in what is called Israel. Both were Jewish states‚ and invaders destroyed both. No Arab or Muslim or any other sovereign country ever existed in that land‚ which was given the name “Palestine” by the Romans so as to remove all memory of the Jewish state they destroyed in the year 70. Second‚ anti-Zionists claim they can’t be anti-Jew because Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism. That is the same as saying Italy has nothing to do with being Italian. Judaism has always consisted of three components: God‚ Torah‚ and Israel (the people Israel and the Land of Israel). Israel is as much a part of Judaism as are God and the Bible. Moreover‚ the most pro-Israel‚ i.e. the most Zionist‚ Jews are the Orthodox‚ the most religious Jews. That there exists one tiny group of ultra-Orthodox Jews (Neturei Karta) that is anti-Zionist means nothing. They are as representative of Judaism as the Ku Klux Klan is of Christianity. Third‚ anti-Zionists claim that Judaism is only a religion; therefore‚ Jews are only members of a religion‚ not a nation. But the Jews are called a “nation” more than one hundred times in the Bible. That is why there can be irreligious‚ secular‚ and even atheist Jews—because Jews are not only a religion‚ but a people—a nation. No one thinks nonreligious Jews are not Jews. There can be no atheist Christians because Christianity is a religion‚ not a nation. Fourth‚ people point to anti-Zionist Jews to prove that anti-Zionism isn’t anti-Jewish. That would be like pointing to Americans who gave Stalin the secrets to the atom bomb to argue that siding with the Soviet Union in the Cold War was not anti-American. Or‚ to provide another Jewish example‚ it would be like pointing Jews who eat pork in Yom Kippur to argue that eating pork on Yom Kippur is Jewish. What Jews do or believe is not always the same as Judaism. Fifth‚ anti-Zionists claim that Israel is illegitimate because Zionism—and therefore‚ Israel—is “racist.” This is a libel. Half of Israel’s Jews are not even white‚ and anyone‚ of any race or ethnicity‚ can become a Jew. Furthermore‚ 1 in 5 Israelis isn’t a Jew. And these Israeli non-Jews‚ mostly Arab Muslims‚ have the same rights as Jewish Israelis. As for Israel’s presence in the West Bank and Gaza (Israel completely abandoned Gaza in 2005)‚ that has nothing to do with race and everything to do with security. It is because the Palestinians and other Arabs tried to destroy Israel in 1967 and lost the war. If the Palestinians would stop killing Israelis‚ Israel would have no problem with a “two-state solution.” But Palestinians have rejected offers to have their own state on four separate occasions since 1947. That is the only reason they don’t have their own state. And why have they always rejected having a Palestinian state? Because the only state they would accept is one that eradicates Israel. They have therefore been solely dedicated to destroying the Jewish state‚ not in having their own state alongside Israel. Sixth‚ and finally‚ anti-Zionists claim that Israel’s origins are illegitimate. Of all the world’s 200-plus countries‚ the only country anti-Zionists declare illegitimate is also the only Jewish one. That’s pretty much all you need to know about their motives. Why don’t they make this claim about Pakistan? In 1947‚ nine months before the establishment of Israel‚ India was partitioned into a Muslim state (Pakistan) and a Hindu state (India)‚ just as Palestine was partitioned into a Jewish state (Israel) and an Arab one (Palestine). But‚ unlike Israel‚ no Pakistan had ever existed. And unlike Israel’s founding‚ which created about 700‚000 Jewish refugees from Arab lands and about 700‚000 Arab refugees from what became Israel‚ the founding of Pakistan created about 7 million Muslim refugees from India and about 7 million Hindu refugees from Pakistan. And while the highest estimate of Arab deaths in the fighting that took place when Israel was established is 10‚000‚ the number of deaths as a result of Pakistan’s creation is around 1 million. So why is Israel’s legitimacy challenged while Pakistan’s isn’t? The only possible answer is because Israel is Jewish. Of course‚ not all anti-Zionists hate all Jews. But if you seek to destroy Italy‚ you don’t have to hate every Italian to be anti-Italian. Not every anti-American hates all Americans‚ but they are still called anti-American. If you seek to destroy the one Jewish state‚ you don’t have to hate every Jew to be called anti-Jew. And the name for that is antisemite. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Yes‚ Anti-Zionism Is Antisemitism appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance sent a letter Tuesday to Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason expressing strong concerns about legislation that would undermine Irish citizens‘ freedom of speech. Vance’s letter‚ first obtained by The Daily Signal‚ references the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022‚ which is supported by Irish politicians such as Sen. Pauline O’Reilly‚ who is in the country’s Green Party. “We are restricting freedom but we’re doing it for the common good‚” O’Reilly said in viral remarks earlier this year as she discussed the legislation. “Yes‚ you have rights‚ but they are restricted for the common good.” The Ohio Republican warns that this Irish bill is “full of vague prohibitions that would chill important public debate if they were to become law‚ particularly with respect to the most controversial and publicly significant matters.” Ireland senator wants to criminalize speech that causes too much “discomfort” for people. If this were happening in Russia or China or many other nations we would call it totalitarian and threaten economic sanctions. https://t.co/BgzB5aApXC— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) November 27‚ 2023 “Given that President de Valera himself was imprisoned for sedition in 1918‚ I urge your government to consider the impact of this legislation on Ireland’s proud tradition of free speech‚” Vance wrote. The proposed Irish legislation would criminalize “behav[ing] in a public place in a manner … that is likely to incite … hatred against a person or a group of persons on account of their protected characteristics [while] being reckless as to whether … hatred is thereby incited‚” as Vance pointed out. “What on earth does that mean?” questioned the senator. “Would the prohibition include ‘recklessly’ attributing social ills‚ like crime‚ to increased immigration to Ireland? Would it include ‘recklessly’ affirming that gender is biologically determined and that there are only two genders‚ male and female?” “Even if a court would not interpret the law to prohibit that sort of activity‚ Irish citizens could be forgiven for thinking that it does‚” he said. “And if those citizens self-censor to protect themselves from prosecution‚ Ireland will be robbed of the meaningful public discourse that all democracies need.” 112723_IrishHateSpeechLaw-v3Download Vance pointed out that the United States “routinely condemns” censorious conduct from countries like China‚ Iran‚ or Myanmar‚ noting that the State Department just imposed visa restrictions on Iranian government officials who are suspected to have been involved in censoring the rights of peaceful protesters. “I am alarmed that one of our closest friends‚ a democracy dedicated to upholding cherished freedoms‚ should undertake such legislation‚” the senator said. He concluded the letter by calling upon the Irish ambassador to explain whether the legislation would be consistent with Ireland’s treaty obligations and whether the bill would be applicable to all classes of foreign visitors to Ireland‚ including U.S. government officials. The ambassador did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Signal. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post EXCLUSIVE: Vance Slams Irish Legislation Targeting Free Speech appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. According to a recent study by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and allied organizations‚ cybersecurity concerns are taking on new dimensions. Misinformation and disinformation disseminated via the internet are now being framed as key challenges in ensuring “cybersecurity.” The troubling report was launched on December 5 and designated as “Cybersecurity Futures 2030: New Foundations.” The study postulates the future of cybersecurity lies rather in safeguarding the integrity and source of data. This introduces a novel perspective on the significance of locating and quashing fabricated information‚ cynically tagged as “mis”- or “dis-information” held in the cybersecurity domain. Various international conferences‚ both virtual and geo-located‚ were instrumental in shaping the insights of the study. Sessions held across the world‚ in conjunction with an online gathering inviting participants across Europe‚ were supposedly catalysts in outlining the futuristic‚ hypothetical scenarios catapulting cybersecurity to 2030. The WEF report pushes digital security “literacy training” as quintessential to warding off the threats posed by misinformation and disinformation‚ referring to them as the “core of cyber concerns.” This is similar to controversial proposals for “media literacy” that are taking place across some governments‚ most recently California. The authors opine that a widespread competence in internet literacy is the sine qua non in warred zones of data fraud and run-of-the-mill cybercrime. The report’s writers unfold an interesting perspective where “stable governments‚” with long-term tech and cybersecurity strategies up their sleeves‚ morph into reliable and trustworthy information gatekeepers. The study also puts the roles of government and the private sector in preserving trust under its lens‚ particularly in the US context‚ deliberating who should be entrusted with the key censorship task. The post WEF Likens “Misinformation” To A Cybersecurity Issue In Calls For More Action appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The Mail on Sunday reported that UK Royal Air Force (RAF) intelligence agents participated in a covert operation run by Whitehall‚ which was suspected of surveilling private citizens speaking out against Covid lockdown measures. This secretive operation was led by The Army’s “information warfare brigade‚” tasked with analyzing online commentary – a charge the Ministry of Defence repeatedly rebuffed publicly until the recent reveal. Documentation furnished by this publication suggests the Armed Forces‚ particularly those located at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire‚ assisted various government bodies‚ such as the Department for Digital‚ Culture‚ Media‚ and Sport’s Counter Disinformation Unit and the Cabinet Office’s Rapid Response Unit. Their engagement in these initiatives was much more substantial than formerly known‚ per this latest revelation. The clandestine operations in focus took on the challenge of countering “disinformation” and “harmful” narratives throughout the pandemic. However‚ they also garnered severe backlash for allegedly gathering data from lawful social media posts that challenged the Government’s lockdown maneuvers. Prominent public figures‚ like David Davis MP‚ who voiced skepticism over the Covid mortality rates’ computed projections‚ and journalist Peter Hitchens‚ were the subjects of government reports. Insiders from the defense department conceded that the military’s contribution to such operations might be portrayed as spying on UK citizens‚ a segment from the furnished documents revealed. However‚ the MoD alleged that the absence of Armed Forces support in overseeing online discourse could catalyze the propagation of “misinformation‚” which could cause harm. Jake Hurfurt‚ representing the advocacy group Big Brother Watch‚ didn’t mince his words‚ slamming these activities asking for a review on how the government monitored the British people throughout the pandemic period. He stated to the Mail on Sunday‚ “The revelations that the RAF as well as the Army spied on the British people during the pandemic is yet more evidence that the MoD misled the public about the role of its psyops troops in 2020.” The government responded to these allegations stating‚ “Online disinformation is a serious threat‚ which is why in the pandemic we brought together expertise from across government to monitor disinformation about Covid.” They alleged that all data collected were from public sources and the units did not target individuals or interfere with public discussions. The post UK Government Justifies Using Royal Air Force To Monitor Online COVID Speech‚ Calls “Disinformation” a “Serious Threat” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If Russia Wins in Ukraine‚ America Loses Too

Haley: How Dare 'Unelected Judges' Decide an Abortion Case Based on the Law ... or Something

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MSNBC host Joy Reid doesn’t live in reality‚ so it’s expected that her questions to Senior Israeli Advisor Marl Regev would be completely detached from reality too. During Monday’s edition of The ReidOut‚ Reid tried to trip up Regev with a series of manipulatively worded gotcha questions meant to paint Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces as a bloodthirsty group of rampaging genocidal maniacs. Arguably the pinnacle of the stupidity was a question about if Israel would bomb a hospital in Israel‚ if a Hamas terror leader was hiding in it. The hospital question was meant to show that Israel put more value on Israeli lives and infrastructure than that of the Palestinians and Gaza. Witness the ridiculousness of the question or yourself: If you were to discover the Israeli‚ you know‚ military were to discover that Yahya Sinwar‚ who is the Hamas militant who planned the 10/7 attacks was actually hiding in Israeli territory‚ hiding in a hospital there with his militants‚ with his men‚ would Israel drop 2‚000-pound bombs on that hospital? Again‚ Reid wasn’t living in reality and didn’t care for the facts of it. Israel had already sent its troops deep into Gaza City intending to capture and secure al Shifa Hospital and the Hamas headquarters underneath it. It would have been easier for Israel to drop bunker-buster bombs and level the hospital but they instead chose to do it a harder way. That’s not to mention that other claims about Israel bombing hospitals have long been debunked. “No‚ we probably‚ if it was inside Israel and we had control of the ground‚ we’d send in our special forces‚ as we have in the past when you have sort of terrorist situations‚” Regev told her. “We have sent ground forces into Gaza. We're losing soldiers in very difficult firefights between us and the Hamas terrorists.”     Reid also parroted Hamas’s propaganda death toll numbers without an ounce of skepticism and even defended them (Click “expand”): REID: [H]ow does killing 18‚000‚ 80 percent of whom are women and children‚ about half of whom are children‚ how does that achieve the goal of eliminating Hamas' military infrastructure? REGEV: Joy‚ can I urge you please to be a little bit circumspect of those numbers? They are put out by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza. And therefore‚ you have to presume that Hamas has reasons for playing with the numbers. You know that they were very cruel‚ they have no qualms whatsoever about killing people‚ innocent civilians. We saw that on October 7. And so‚ you can presume also they have no qualms about killing the truth. REID: So‚ are you saying that you do not agree with the United Nations agreeing with those numbers‚ most human rights groups agree with those numbers. You're casting doubt on that 18‚000 number? Regev reiterated that she should do better and show a basic level of discernment when using numbers that come from Hamas and its allies. “What I'm saying is we have to be very careful with numbers that are put out by Hamas. They would have you believe that they're all innocent civilians‚” he said. The radical MSNBC host even defended Hamas terrorists by whining about the IDF forcing them to strip down to their underwear as part of the surrendering process. She erroneously suggested that Israel was violating the Geneva Convention by doing so. The Israeli official schooled her by pointing out that Hamas “has been one of the pioneers of the use of explosive vests. And we have had too much experience with people from Hamas blowing themselves up and in the process‚ killing Israelis around them.” And while Reid’s ilk on the extreme left were playing word games and attempting to rewrite what genocidal Palestinian cries of “from the river to the sea” mean‚ Reid smeared Israelis by claiming they were using “the Bible” to carry out “Amalek‚” which she claimed called for “killing the women‚ the children‚ and the oxen.” According to Chabad‚ Amalek was a Canaanite nation and “the first nation to attack the Jewish people after the Exodus from Egypt‚ and they are seen as the archetypal enemy of the Jews.” “The nation of Amalek is long gone‚ but they live on as the internal enemies that we each battle on a daily basis‚” they add. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: MSNBC’s The ReidOut December 11‚ 2023 7:32:56 p.m. Eastern (…) JOY REID: Let's start with what I just began with. 18‚000 dead so far in Gaza. Tens of thousands injured. The U.S. media has estimated that 2‚000-pound bombs are being dropped‚ some 22‚000 of them in just over six weeks. How has causing that much death and destruction‚ 80 percent of those dead estimated to be women and children‚ how does that achieve the goal of eradicating Hamas? MARK REGEV (Snr. Advisor to Israeli PM): So‚ Joy‚ first of all‚ I want to thank you for allowing me to come on The Reidout. It is appreciated. I know you have been a critic of Israeli behavior and I appreciate the opportunity to make my case. And that is very much appreciated. Our goal in this operation is‚ of course‚ not to target Gaza civilians. Our goal is to target the Hamas military machine. We have to eliminate that machine because of the threat it poses to the civilian population of Israel. Israeli people simply refuse to live any longer next to this terror enclave in constant fear that terrorists will cross the border in the middle of the night and murder their children. That's the bottom line. We have to end Hamas' rule of Gaza. REID: And may I ask how -- I'll re-ask again‚ how does killing 18‚000‚ 80 percent of whom are women and children‚ about half of whom are children‚ how does that achieve the goal of eliminating Hamas' military infrastructure? REGEV: Joy‚ can I urge you please to be a little bit circumspect of those numbers. They are put out by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza. And therefore‚ you have to presume that Hamas has reasons for playing with the numbers. You know that they were very cruel‚ they have no qualms whatsoever about killing people‚ innocent civilians. We saw that on October 7. And so‚ you can presume also they have no qualms about killing the truth. REID: So‚ are you saying that you do not agree with the United Nations agreeing with those numbers‚ most human rights groups agree with those numbers. You're casting doubt on that 18‚000 number? REGEV: What I'm saying is we have to be very careful with numbers that are put out by Hamas. They would have you believe that they're all innocent civilians. While it's clear Israel has been targeting Hamas operatives‚ Hamas terrorists‚ the Hamas infrastructure. Now‚ I have no doubt that there have been civilians caught up in the cross fire between the Israeli Defense Forces and the Hamas terrorists. Unfortunately‚ that's a reality of war. (…) 7:36:06 p.m. Eastern REID: Let me ask you this question: If you were to discover the Israeli‚ you know‚ military were to discover that Yahya Sinwar‚ who is the Hamas militant who planned the 10/7 attacks was actually hiding in Israeli territory‚ hiding in a hospital there with his militants‚ with his men‚ would Israel drop 2‚000-pound bombs on that hospital? REGEV: No‚ we probably‚ if it was inside Israel and we had control of the ground‚ we’d send in our special forces‚ as we have in the past when you have sort of terrorist situations‚ and we would eliminate him. And we would now send ground-- REID: And you would not do that in Gaza? REGEV: No‚ we have. We have sent ground forces into Gaza. We're losing soldiers in very difficult fire fights between us and the Hamas terrorists. We will reach Sinwar‚ it's only a matter of time. REID: Let me show you a piece of video. And take a look at it. This is a group of Palestinian men who were marched out of‚ per U.S. media‚ including CNN‚ U.N. Facilities placed on the ground in their underwear and displayed in this way. Who took these pictures sir‚ and is this not a violation of the Geneva conventions to display these men in this way? REGEV: So‚ can I say that the reason they have been asked to strip‚ except for their underwear‚ is because Hamas‚ of course‚ has been one of the pioneers of the use of explosive vests. And we have had too much experience with people from Hamas blowing themselves up and in the process‚ killing Israelis around them. And that we would ask people who have surrendered to strip off temporarily. That is a necessity of difficult combat with a terrorist group‚ that has used this tactic repeatedly in the past. Too many Israelis have died from Hamas terrorists who have exploded themselves with explosive vests. (…) 7:42:04 p.m. Eastern REID: Let me ask you one final question and then I really do have to go. There have been some statements by leaders in Israel including your prime minister referring to things like the Amalek‚ which in the Bible means killing the women‚ the children‚ and the oxen; referring the deputy mayor of Jerusalem‚ saying that Palestinians should be buried like ants‚ buried alive; talking about using nuclear weapons in Gaza‚ flattening it; saying turning it into a parking lot; saying this will be a new Nakba. Those kind of statements by leaders in Israel‚ how should the world interpret them? REGEV: So‚ we will defeat Hamas. We have to dismantle its military machine and we have to remove it from Gaza. That's for the elementary safety of Israelis. In achieving that goal – [Reid attempts t cut in] – In achieving that goal‚ it's not just good for Israel‚ because we'll be safer and more secure‚ our people won't have to live in fear of Hamas coming across‚ as I said before. [Reid attempts to cut in twice] But it's also for the people of Gaza. REID: You stand by these statements? The people of Gaza being referred to as ants. REGEV: It's good for the people of Gaza too because Hamas has been ruling the Gaza strip for 16 years‚ and what is their record of government? Just poverty‚ misery‚ bloodshed. They have been terrible for the people of Gaza. Both sides of the frontier‚ Israelis and Palestinians‚ will be better off without Hamas. REID: We are out of time. (…)

The core of our Milky Way is buzzing with stars. Recently astronomers reported that it contains at least one ancient star that formed outside our galaxy. Now‚ an international research team reports finding a grouping of very young ones there‚ as well. Their presence upends ideas about star birth in that densely packed region of space. These stellar youngsters live in a dense collection called the “nuclear star cluster” (NSC). It lies about 27‚000 light-years away from us and surrounds the area holding the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. Observers have long considered the NSC to be one of the more ancient parts of the Galaxy. Proving that requires detailed observations of the stellar populations in the core. But‚ studying this region is somewhat difficult‚ at least visually. That’s because of dense clouds of gas and dust that block the view. In addition‚ the thick population of stars makes it difficult to distinguish their characteristics. The nuclear star cluster at the Milky Way’s heart‚ as seen by the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Credit: ESO. One of those characteristics is age‚ which is not always easy to determine. Since astronomers want to know more about the lifetimes of stars in the galaxy’s core‚ the best way to find out how old they are is to look at something called their “metallicity”. As a general rule‚ old ones tend to be more metal-poor‚ while younger ones are more metal-rich. Recent observations found several very young stars there with very high metallicities. That’s an indication that things in the core aren’t always what they seem. This infrared image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows hundreds of thousands of stars crowded into the swirling core of our spiral Milky Way galaxy. Infrared light can penetrate the dense clouds of gas and dust and reveal the richness of the stellar population there. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Studying the Nuclear Star Cluster A team of astronomers at Lund University in Sweden used the Keck II telescope in Hawaii to take infrared spectra of stars comprising the NSC to determine their ages and metallicities. Previous observations hinted that at least three members of the cluster could be unusually young in a region where older ones normally predominate. “We can now confirm this‚” said Rebecca Forsberg‚ a Lund graduate student and member of the research team. “In our study‚ we have been able to date three of these stars as relatively young‚ at least as far as astronomers are concerned‚ with ages of 100 million to about 1 billion years. This can be compared with the Sun‚ which is 4.6 billion years old.” The three stars they studied in-depth have interestingly high amounts of heavy elements‚ including iron. Their metallicity is a measure of how many elements heavier than hydrogen and helium they contain. Metal-poor stars are usually born early in a galaxy’s history (or in the early Universe). Metal-rich ones contain materials shed from older ones when they die—including such heavy elements as calcium and iron. The cluster itself shows a range of metallicities‚ and the youngest ones have the most abundance of iron. Metallicity and Stars Astronomers began studying star formation in the NSC back in the mid-1990s. Most of its stars are likely at least five billion years old‚ or older. Normally‚ you’d expect that star birth stopped there a long time ago because of the influence of the nearby black hole‚ and other factors. But‚ those young ones confuse the picture. They came from recent episodes of star birth. Understanding how those happened gives important clues to the mix of star-forming materials at the Galaxy’s core‚ and may even tell how the Milky Way itself formed. And‚ because these types of clusters exist in other galaxies‚ understanding how ours formed would explain what happened in other places. There are a couple of theories about the creation of nuclear star clusters. One is that early in a galaxy’s history‚ globular clusters formed and spiraled into the galactic core. There they became nuclear star clusters. The other idea is that their stellar populations formed “in place” as a galaxy evolved. Either idea could explain our Galaxy’s central cluster. The way to figure it out is to look at the chemical makeup (i.e.‚ the metallicity) of the cluster’s stars since it correlates with when and where they formed. Omega Centauri is the brightest globular cluster in the night sky. It holds about 10 million stars and is the most massive globular cluster in the Milky Way. Globulars and nuclear star clusters may be related in some way as a galaxy evolves. Image Credit: ESO. Determining Metallicity in the Galaxy Core The Lund team took infrared spectra of the cluster members‚ which revealed the large variation in metallicity between the older and younger members. The three youngest ones with high metallicity indicate that they likely formed in place inside the Milky Way within the last few hundred million years. Interestingly‚ even these three vary in their metal content from each other. That means they formed in clouds that themselves had different abundances of heavier elements. Interestingly‚ the one with the lowest metallicity of the three may be what’s called a “blue straggler”. That’s a star that could be much older but stole mass from a nearby companion. That additional material could make it look younger than it is. Further observations could confirm if this is a new star or an imposter. Iron as a Tracer of Galaxy Evolution The heavy element iron was of particular interest to the team. This element is an important clue to a galaxy’s continuing evolution. Iron is the heaviest element a massive star can “cook up” inside its nuclear furnace. When it explodes as a supernova‚ the iron and other heavy elements (such as calcium‚ carbon‚ nickel‚ and others) get scattered into space. In time‚ that material gets mixed into clouds of gas and dust where star birth can take place. So‚ the oldest‚ metal-poor stars in any galaxy (and indeed‚ in the Universe) are ones that formed early on. But‚ the younger ones that come along later are more abundant in heavy elements because they form in metal-enriched clouds of gas and dust. That process of stellar birth and death played out in the nuclear star cluster at our Galaxy’s heart. And‚ it spread heavier elements across the region. “The very wide spread of iron levels [in the cluster] could indicate that the innermost parts of the galaxy are incredibly inhomogeneous‚ i.e. unmixed‚” said Brian Thorsbro‚ lead researcher and Lund astronomer. “This is something we had not expected and not only says something about how the center of the galaxy appears but also how the early Universe may have looked.” The Lund University infrared spectral studies of the stars at the heart of the Milky Way will certainly be extended to other stellar populations. Those future observations should provide answers to why astronomers found a wide range of metal abundances in stars in that tightly packed region of the Galaxy. For More Information Astronomers Determine the Age of Three Mysterious Baby Stars at the Heart of the Milky WayA Wide Metallicity Range for Gyr-old Stars in the Nuclear Star Cluster The post Three Baby Stars Found at the Heart of the Milky Way appeared first on Universe Today.

I recently had the chance to try out one of Unistellar’s smart telescopes‚ the eQuinox 2. Unparalleled in its ease of use‚ I was literally viewing distant nebula‚ galaxies‚ and star clusters within 15 minutes of opening the box. I also had the opportunity to try out Unistellar’s new Smart Solar Filter‚ which I’ll discuss more below. But first‚ more about the telescope itself: eQuinox 2 telescope. Credit: Unistellar. The eQuinox 2 is incredibly easy to set up and use‚ thanks to Unistellar’s phone or tablet app where you control the telescope. If you’ve ever struggled with aligning a telescope‚ you can breathe a sigh of relief with the eQuinox 2. The automatic alignment‚ calibration and orientation are a snap‚ and the instructions for focusing the telescope are quick and easy. This telescope is a 4.5-inch (114mm) reflector telescope‚ and is mounted on a motorized altazimuth mount that autonomously aligns with and tracks the night sky‚ based on the location of your connected phone or tablet. A 2-minute exposure of the Lagoon Nebula with the eQuinox 2 telescope by Unistellar. Credit: Nancy Atkinson. Unistellar’s ‘stellar’ app But where the Unistellar app really shines is the smart go-to feature. You can choose from a catalog of over 5‚000 celestial objects based on your location. This is especially handy for novice observers who might not know what might be available to see in the night sky. You should update the app frequently so that new objects like comets or supernova are part of the database. To connect the eQuinox 2 to your phone or tablet‚ you need to connect to the telescope’s wifi. This is easy to do‚ but I did have occasional problems with it disconnecting if I tried to use another app or the camera on my phone while also observing. Other times‚ the app would quit responding after long observing times. But this was easily remedied by “killing” the app and restarting it – which for iOS means dragging the app to the top of the screen and then restarting it. One aspect of the eQuinox 2 that took me awhile to come to grips with is that it has no eyepiece. That means you’re not looking directly at the original photons from objects in the cosmos. Instead‚ you look at the app to see what the telescope is viewing. While it might seem odd at first‚ the fact that you can share the screen easily in a group setting is excellent for star gazing parties‚ or for observing with children — they can easily see the screen‚ and get excited about what they are seeing! Additionally‚ on cold evenings‚ I set up the telescope out on my deck and then went back inside and operated it. I could “go to” all sorts of celestial objects and see my observations from the comfy warmth of my favorite chair. Otherwise‚ I might have skipped observing on those colder nights. A 100-second exposure of the M10 globular cluster with the eQuinox 2 telescope by Unistellar. Credit: Nancy Atkinson. Also — and this is probably the most fun and enjoyable aspect of the eQuinox 2 — you can quickly and easily share your astrophotography. The ease of taking photos of the objects you’re viewing is unequivocally the highlight of this telescope. And you can take some really stunning astrophotos. The eQuinox 2’s ability to see distant objects is especially impressive‚ as you can do long exposures with the click of a button. It uses a Sony IMX347 image sensor which can take long exposures of deep-sky objects. You can read more technical details about the eQuinox 2 in our previous review by David Dickinson. The telescope’s onboard computer stacks images in real time‚ and gradually you’ll see an ever-clearer image‚ with greater detail and contrast appear on your screen. It’s exciting and fun to see distant objects slowly come into a crisp view. When you take an image‚ it creates both framed and auto-captioned images (date‚ time and exposure) as well as non-framed images that are automatically saved to your photo app. This makes it easy to share your images with family and friends via text or on social media. The Moon on August 24‚ 2023‚ with the eQuinox 2 telescope by Unistellar. Credit: Nancy Atkinson. The eQuinox 2 is currently selling for $2‚099 – a discount from the regular price of $2‚499‚ plus Unistellar currently has some big holiday discounts. See their website for more details. One aspect I was a little disappointed in was the telescope’s ability to see “closer” objects‚ like the Moon and planets in our Solar System. For example‚ the first time I observed the Moon‚ the go-to feature didn’t work well. It never actually got the Moon into the field of view‚ but it got close. I was able to manually move it with the controller in the app‚ and get the Moon in the field of view. The picture‚ seen above‚ was fairly good‚ but not as good as I was expecting or hoping. I should note that I live in a remote area‚ so not sure if the location feature is hampered by not being near civilization!   But‚ and a big but here… this aspect of observing was much improved after I received the new solar filter‚ which included an upgrade to the telescope’s computer and the app as well. Smart Solar Filter The eQuinox 2 and solar filter. Credit: Nancy Atkinson. So now it’s time to discuss Unistellar’s Smart Solar Filter. These filters are made for use exclusively with Unistellar’s telescopes‚ allowing observations of sunspots in real-time and the ability to photograph the Sun. The filter snaps easily on the telescope‚ but I can tell you‚ for someone who had never used a solar filter before‚ it took a fair amount of faith to point the telescope directly at the Sun for the first time! The Smart Solar Filter is designed to transmit only 1/100‚000th of the Sun’s light‚ so you can view the Sun without endangering your eyes or your telescope. Again‚ the Unistellar app makes Sun observation easy‚ with a dedicated solar mode to automatically point the smart telescope in the direction of the brightest thing in the daytime sky‚ and track its motion. And again‚ taking a photo of the Sun is easy-peasy – just click a button –‚ although the ability for long exposure or stacking images is not available. But thanks to automated image processing‚ I could observe and take pictures of the Sun and sunspots. While the images of the sunspots were a bit ‘soft‚’ I was impressed with how the telescope provided views of the Sun’s granulation — the bubble-like features due to convection currents in the solar interior— which are visible across the entire surface. The Sun on November 1‚ 2023 with the eQuinox 2 telescope by Unistellar and Smart Solar Filter. Credit: Nancy Atkinson. The Sun is currently in one of its most active periods‚ so this filter provides excellent opportunities for observation. I’m especially looking forward to seeing how it will perform with the total solar eclipse coming up on April 8‚ 2024‚ visible across a wide swath of the United States. With smart telescopes like the eQuinox 2 and its solar filter‚ it makes solar observing and imaging available to even a novice‚ but it’s also fun for an ‘old-school’ observer‚ too‚ to use the latest technology for ease‚ enjoyment and fast results.   The Smart Solar Filter sells for $249. Become a Citizen Scientist Since Unistellar has created partnerships with leading scientific institutions like NASA and the SETI Institute‚ the company has built the world’s largest citizen astronomy community. Unistellar users have tracked near-Earth asteroids‚ followed space missions including NASA’s Artemis 1 to the Moon and back‚ DART’s impact of an asteroid‚ and even traced the light curve of transiting exoplanets. The post Review: Unistellar’s eQuinox 2 Telescope and New Smart Solar Filter appeared first on Universe Today.