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What had been a modest comet seen only with binoculars or telescopes flared up this week to become visible to the naked eye [images]. Comet Swan, as it is called, is in the western sky after sunset from the Northern Hemisphere. It remains faint, likely not easy to find under bright city lights but pretty simple to spot from the countryside. It is a "fairly easy naked-eye comet," said Pete Lawrence, who photographed the comet from the UK. "The tail is now showing some interesting features too." UPDATE: Late Thursday, however, Lawrence reported that the comet already may be getting...

BERLIN (Reuters) - A swan has fallen in love with a plastic swan-shaped paddle boat on a pond in the German town of Muenster and has spent the past three weeks flirting with the vessel five times its size, a sailing instructor said Friday. Peter Overschmidt, who operates a sailing school and rents the two-seat paddle boat on the Aasee pond, said the black swan with a bright red beak has not left the white swan boat's side since it flew in one day in early May. "It seems like he's fallen in love," said Overschmidt. "He protects it, sits...

Bird flu swan was from outside UK AREA ON ALERT * Poultry owners within wild bird risk area must keep birds indoors or, if not possible, ensure they are kept away from wild birds * Bird transport within 6 mile (10km) surveillance zone will be curbed * Poultry within 1.8 mile (3km) protection zone must be kept indoors and will be tested A dead swan found in Fife which tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was a whooper swan, DNA tests by government scientists have found. The breed originates from outside the UK but it was...

Avian flu kills swan in Scotland By Anil Dawar (Filed: 06/04/2006) A wild swan has been found dead from avian flu in Scotland. Preliminary tests found "highly pathogenic H5 avian flu" in a sample from the bird, the Scottish Executive said. The bird was found near the coast in an emaciated condition, about nine miles from St Andrews, in Fife. A two-mile exclusion zone was set up around Cellardyke while scientists continued to examine the bird to discover if it was carrying the H5N1 strain of the virus, which can be fatal to humans. Poultry farmers and bird owners in...

During his first run, a presidential candidate visits a certain state 23 times, more than any other state. Four years later as a reigning president, he travels into the same state a record 44 times campaigning for re-election. The same year, the same state holds the most noticed US Senate primary in the country; it features a razor thin race many believed would influence the US Supreme Court for a generation.A few years earlier in 1992, the same state hosted another US Senate race that defined gender politics in the US, and in 1991 the state staged a Senate race...

*snip* In a warm and engaging talk, Swann, who followed booming speeches by no less than former presidential candidate Dr. Alan Keyes and RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, firmly tossed his hat in the ring to contest incumbent Edward G. Rendell, a Democrat, in 2006. "I'm running to be the next governor of Pennsylvania." *snip*

Newsday is cutting as many as 100 jobs through voluntary and non-voluntary buyouts, the Long Island newspaper's publisher said Thursday. "We have been engaged in a thorough review of everything we do, establishing priorities for next year based on our strategic objectives," Publisher Timothy Knight wrote in an e-mail to employees. A story about the cuts was also posted on the newspaper's Web site. "It is clear that we will face continued revenue challenges next year and, as a result, we need to make significant changes in the business in order to have a healthier newspaper for the future," Knight...

Ananova: 'Killer swan on the loose' Residents of a Nottinghamshire village fear a swan on their local pond could have become a killer in its attempt to protect its family. Two dogs swimming in the pond in Warsop have gone missing, and witnesses say they saw one of them being drowned by the cob, or male swan. They say they saw the bird use its powerful wings to batter the springer spaniel before holding it underwater with its beak. The Daily Mail says it's believed the cob may have been acting out of fear that its mate and newly-born cygnets...

Pet owners have been warned to keep their animals under control after two dogs were killed by a territorial swan in a park lake. Mansfield District Council said a dog was drowned last week by a cob while playing in the Carrs park in Warsop, Nottinghamshire. It said the animal had dived into the mill pond, the swan felt threatened and attacked the dog to protect his family. The local RSPCA branch described the event as “highly unusual” The incident is thought to be the second such death, after a dog was found drowned in the same pond two weeks...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 August 11 Elements of the Swan Nebula Credit & Copyright: Russell Croman Explanation: In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas known as M17, stars continue to form. Also known as the Omega Nebula and Horseshoe Nebula, the darkness of M17's molecular clouds results from background starlight being absorbed by thick filaments of carbon-based smoke-sized dust. As bright massive stars form, they produce...

A bird that was a national symbol, the last living royal swan of the dozen donated by the Queen in 1967, was not just royal. He was a queen. Patch, a one-eyed white swan, was found dead yesterday near the prime minister's residence. The caretakers of Ottawa's royal swans say that when they look for a new partner for Patch's long-time male mate, Buddy, they will try to accommodate his gender preference. "It happens in the wild from time to time," Christine Hartig, the city employee in charge of the swans, said of the male pairing. Patch and Buddy stuck...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 December 10 M17: Omega Nebula Star Factory Credit & Copyright: Jean-Charles Cuillandre (CFHT), Hawaiian Starlight, CFHT Explanation: In the depths of the dark clouds of dust and molecular gas known as M17, stars continue to form. The similarity to the Greek letter capital Omega gives the molecular cloud its popular name, but the nebula is also known as the Swan Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, and M17. The...