Dying Star Leaves Zippy Trail of Cosmic Dust

Imagine being NASA's Galex telescope operator observing as a blazing fast dying star trails a James Brown glittering cape of cosmic dust in its wake that is 13 light years long. It certainly isn't the hardest working star in this Universe, but Mira is one of the fastest with its own signature bling. The diagnosis is clear, the star is dying, but what a way to flame out. (photo BBC)

Mira (also called Mira A) has captivated astronomers for more than 400 years.

It sits about 350 light-years from Earth in a constellation known as Cetus, and is accompanied in orbit by a smaller secondary star, called Mira B, forming a binary system.

Billions of years ago, Mira would have been much like our Sun, but as it now enters its death-throes it has swollen into a type of star known as a red giant.

This wake gives scientists a first opportunity to study the pathology of a dying star. Mira or Omicron Ceti if you are into name dropping, has been putting on a show for Earth for the last 400 years or since the settlement of Jamestown, the Reformation was all the rage with Thirty Year Wars in Europe and Holland bought its first tea bag from China. Mira is in the last throes of stellar fame after burning up the universal stage a thousand times more than our own Sun. What comes after being center stage for a red giant, is well, sad - like child stars gone bad, the hot red giant morphs into a cold white dwarf signaling the last curtain call of its nuclear fusion life. BUT the good news is Physics will never be the same.

Most entertaining astrophysicist is now on PBS's NOVA and he wrote the wonderful collection of essays in Death By Blackhole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries Neil deGrasse Tyson. In a joint book and PBS effort with Daniel Goldsmith and filled with fabulous science snark is Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. He also has The Sky is Not The Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist as well. Dr. Tyson is a must read (I have all his books) and much fun to watch and listen to his energetic explanations of the Universe! He wore pants ripped at the knee on his excellent lecture for C-SPAN.

Presidential Requirement: Preserve, Protect & Defend the Constitution

That is a key part of the Oath of Office for an American president as proscribed directly in The Constitution. Members of the US Senate and the House of Representatives, government officials, the Judiciary and our nation's military swear a slightly different Oath using the words support and defend. A memorable oath took place with the ceremonial use of Jefferson's Koran combining the past with the present, unnerving a few Christian hypocrites. The Oath does not have a religious value, but many use holy texts to underline their commitment.

In all cases, the oath of office involves affirming or swearing an Oath to uphold the US Constitution, the culmination of Democracy. The precious Blood of the citizenry flowed within the borders of this country and in other sovereign nations in support and defense of the ideals and principles contained within the Constitution since the founding of this republic. Now The Constitution and what it means is at stake and few are paying attention.

There is a bill for Cheney's Impeachment that has gained more c0-sponsors. That is not enough. Bush and Cheney have refused cooperation with an equal branch of government, wiretapped illegally and admitted the illegality, used faulty intelligence to send the nation into the most misbegotten and incompetently run war, renditioned people to secret prisons, agreed to suspension of the hallowed use of Habeus Corpus, outed an undercover CIA official, allowed the destruction of a US city as the victims of Katrina were left in squalor, lost billions in funds in Iraq, created a culture that allowed the manifestation of Abu Gharib and on and on. It is as if the Bush/Cheney cabal is daring Impeachment by a sheepish Congress. The books alone on the malfeasance and maliciousness of this administration will forever scorch the Bush administration's legacy for generations to the 10th power to come. So much for Bush's wish to be rescued by Lady History.

On Friday, July 13th, Bill Moyers on PBS, invited the author of the first article of Impeachment for Bill Clinton, Bruce Fein and John Nichols on to discuss the current Constitutional Crisis and its required Remedy. Crimes need the investigation and leadership of the House of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi stated Impeachment was "off the Table". Nancy, the Table belongs to the People. That violates your Oath of Office to support and defend. There must be a moral leader who understands that the Constitution stands above partisan politics, reinforces the foundation of the Rule of Law and is willing to lose his or her political job over it. The Constitution laid out the rationale and the Founders anticipated just this scenario. Impeachment is embedded in the parchment for a Purpose. Are we without Leadership that understands its Purpose and forgot its Oath?

Moyer's PBS special last night with conservatives agreeing that Impeachment is the Remedy is must see TV. To learn more about the House of Representatives, the body responsible for investigatinons that may possibly lead to any president's impeachment, please read the beautifully researched book by Robert V. Remini, The House: The History of the House of Representatives. Upon reflection, he wishes he had named the book The People's House.