A UCLA-led research team reports that the moon is at least 4.51 billion years old, or 40 million to 140 million years older than scientists previously thought.

The findings – based on an analysis of minerals from the moon called zircons that were brought back to Earth by the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 – are published Jan. 11 in the journal Science Advances.

The moon's age has been a hotly debated topic, even though scientists have tried to settle the question over many years and using a wide range of scientific techniques.

“We have finally pinned down a minimum age for the moon; it's time we knew its age and now we do,” said Mélanie Barboni, the study's lead author and a research geochemist in UCLA's Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences.

The moon was formed by a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and a “planetary embryo” called Theia, a UCLA-led team of geochemists and colleagues reported in 2016.

The newest research would mean that the moon formed “only” about 60 million years after the birth of the solar system – an important point because it would provide critical information for astronomers and planetary scientists who seek to understand the early evolution of the Earth and our solar system.

That has been a difficult task, Barboni said, because “whatever was there before the giant impact has been erased.”

While scientists cannot know what occurred before the collision with Theia, these findings are important because they will help scientists continue to piece together major events that followed it.

It's usually difficult to determine the age of moon rocks because most of them contain a patchwork of fragments of multiple other rocks. But Barboni was able to analyze eight zircons in pristine condition.

Specifically, she examined how the uranium they contained had decayed to lead (in a lab at Princeton University) and how the lutetium they contained had decayed to an element called hafnium (using a mass spectrometer at UCLA). The researchers analyzed those elements together to determine the moon's age.

“Zircons are nature's best clocks,” said Kevin McKeegan, a UCLA professor of geochemistry and cosmochemistry, and a co-author of the study. “They are the best mineral in preserving geological history and revealing where they originated.”

The Earth's collision with Theia created a liquefied moon, which then solidified. Scientists believe most of the moon's surface was covered with magma right after its formation.

The uranium-lead measurements reveal when the zircons first appeared in the moon's initial magma ocean, which later cooled down and formed the moon's mantle and crust; the lutetium-hafnium measurements reveal when its magma formed, which happened earlier.

“Mélanie was very clever in figuring out the moon's real age dates back to its pre-history before it solidified, not to its solidification,” said Edward Young, a UCLA professor of geochemistry and cosmochemistry and a co-author of the study.

Previous studies concluded the moon's age based on moon rocks that had been contaminated by multiple collisions. McKeegan said those rocks indicated the date of some other events, “but not the age of the moon.”

The UCLA researchers are continuing to study zircons brought back by the Apollo astronauts to study the early history of the moon.

Co-authors of the Science Advances study are Patrick Boehnke, a former UCLA graduate student who is now a University of Chicago postdoctoral scholar; Christopher Keller, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholar; Issaku Kohl, a UCLA research geochemist; and Blair Schoene, associate professor of geosciences at Princeton University.

The research was funded by NASA, and Barboni received support from the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Centauride

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A determined young woman is taking a cross-country odyssey with her best four-legged friend to raise awareness of domestic violence.

Meredith Cherry and her horse, Apollo, passed through Lake County over the past few days on one of the legs in the “Centauride,” which is named for the female half-human, half-horse creatures of Greek mythology.

Saturday was day 14 of the trip. Cherry called it “Absolutely the prettiest ride yet” on her Facebook page.

Cherry and Apollo set off on their journey from Penn Valley on Jan. 1. They will travel 14,000 miles through 48 states, and may take as long as four years to complete the ride, which has Maine as its final destination.

In Cherry's words, the Centauride is an “epic” effort that has a heroic purpose: to raise awareness of domestic violence, of which Cherry herself is a survivor.

“I'm hoping to mostly open the dialogue about domestic violence,” which Cherry called “a silent but very prevalent issue.”

Along the way she plans to visit state capitals, domestic violence and women's shelters, schools and community centers to bring attention to domestic violence and to share with victims the resources available to them.

Cherry said it's estimated that one in three women will experience a violent relationship in their lifetimes. “And yet you never really hear about it until you're in it yourself or you have someone very close to you who's in it.”

People who are in abusive relationships often are very isolated, and the silence about domestic violence makes it just that much harder to break the cycle, Cherry said.

Four years ago Cherry, now 33, broke the cycle for herself. “When I left my abusive marriage, I was trying to figure out what was important to me and I started my life over.”

The idea for the Centauride came out of a synthesis of the things that mattered the most to Cherry – horses, travel and advocating on domestic violence issues.

Cherry is a city girl who moved to the country. She writes about gardening, food, nature and travel, and has authored two travel guides about California missions.

She has been riding horses for 20 years, worked as a wrangler in the Colorado Rockies and did a horse trek in India. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in equine science from Colorado State University.

But after getting married she went 10 years without having any horses in her life. “I definitely missed them and needed to get that aspect back to my life,” she said.

So when she began planning for her ride three years ago, she began looking for just the right horse – one that would be big enough to carry her and 50 pounds of gear, is intelligent, friendly, very people-oriented and confident.

And that's where Apollo entered the scene three years ago. Cherry said he checked all the boxes, especially when it comes to being clever. “Sometimes he's too smart.”

Plus, it was love at first sight, and it's easy to see why.

Apollo is an 8-year-old Peruvian Paso-mustang cross gelding named for the Greek sun god.

He fits his name. Just shy of 16 hands, the tall palomino is athletic, steady and friendly – he came right up and gave a kiss to this reporter.

He's an easy keeper, and doesn't need a lot of extra feed to keep on weight despite the long days on the road. Cherry said he is very healthy, with good feet and sound legs.

For the last three years Cherry has been working on the logistics of the journey and training Apollo for the ride. At 8 years old, he's the ideal age for starting a ride of this length, Cherry said.

Setting off on New Year's Day from Penn Valley, Cherry and Apollo began working their way across Northern California.

Cherry said they've been averaging around 15 miles a day. They're always moving at a walking pace of about 3 miles per hour, and Cherry is either riding or walking along with him.

Including riding and breaks for Cherry to eat and Apollo to graze, they're on the road for about six hours per day, Cherry said.

She said they're both getting stronger every day and used to the physical effort the trip requires.

Apollo is adjusting to the busyness they're encountering along the way. He had been boarded on a quiet road, but now he's finding himself traveling out along highways for short stretches, Cherry said.

“We try to take more side roads and back roads and country lanes,” as well as bike trails, according to Cherry.

The recent storms caused her to lose two days on the road, she said. “This storm washed out some of the roads I was going to take.”

That caused her to need to hitchhike with her horse and get trailer rides for a couple of the washed out sections, which ended up getting her back on target as far as where she expected to be at this point in the ride.

However, Cherry added that she's not on a real schedule, and it's not a race, so losing time wasn't a big deal.

Passing through Lake County, she and Apollo came through Lower Lake on Friday and up through Kelseyville on Saturday, traveling along vineyards, passing the old Kelseyville Creek School and up through Highland Springs.

Apollo has had two water crossings so far, both in Lake County, which Cherry said on her Facebook page is “quite an accomplishment for a horse that hates puddles.”

On her ride, Cherry is an official flag carrier for the Long Riders' Guild thanks to being the first woman in the group to do a 48-state ride.

The group has assisted her with figuring out her route and the trip's logistics. One of the guild's members also has mentored her.

Cherry's mentor is a part of her support team, which includes about half a dozen individuals who get daily GPS updates letting them know where Cherry and Apollo are at and that they've arrived at their destination for the day. Team members also can offer phone support in case Cherry requires assistance or has an emergency.

Cherry is supporting her ride through a small savings, fundraising and donations. She said people will sometimes stop her along the road to give her cash for her trip, “which is amazing.”

She has a Go Fund Me page to help support the trip. The page has a $20,000 goal, and as of Saturday night had raised $770.

She said people have been “wonderfully supportive,” and she's been amazed at how nice and helpful people are.

Cherry said people stop her to ask about her journey, adding, “Kids want to pet Apollo, of course, which is cute.”

While she has brought along her own food, she's hardly had to break any out because, as she noted, “Everyone wants to feed me.”

One of her ongoing needs is finding a place to stay the night for her and Apollo.

She stayed at the Gaddy Shack Ranch in Kelseyville on Friday night before setting off through Highland Springs and up the Toll Road on the way to Hopland, where she stayed Saturday night.

People have helped her network along the way to find places to stay, and she asked for continued assistance in locating overnight stops where she and Apollo can rest.

From Hopland her route goes to Ukiah then out to Mendocino, and then north along the coast up into Oregon.

Her tentative route – which can change due to weather, road conditions and other issues – can be seen at her Web site at http://www.centauride.org/p/centauride-route-schedule.html .

She said she also will be posting regular updates on her progress at her Facebook page.

When she gets to Maine sometime within the next several years, she plans to hire a trailer to bring Apollo home.

She hopes that her effort will encourage people to be more open about domestic violence in an effort to end it.

Cherry said she's grateful for the opportunity to make the journey, and wants to help others who are suffering as she did.

She said she's “just trying to put myself out there and say, see, here I am, there's other people like me.”

Follow the Centauride on Facebook and Twitter (@meri_cherry), and spread the word using the hashtag #centauride. Emails can be sent to Cherry at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to Apollo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . More information about Cherry and Apollo also can be found at her Web site, www.centauride.org .

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Forecasters are predicting that another series of storms will hit Northern California this week, bringing several inches of rain.

The National Weather Service in Sacramento said waves of moisture are set to move over the West Coast beginning on Wednesday and continuing into Thursday, when between 1 and 3 inches of rain is forecast for Lake County.

A second storm is expected from Friday to Saturday, with a third storm forecast for Sunday to Monday.

Snow levels in the mountains are expected to drop to 3,500 feet on Thursday and 1,500 feet by Saturday across California, forecasters said.

In Lake County specifically, a chance of snow in the higher elevations is forecast for Friday night and Saturday.

Temperatures will range from nighttime lows in the mid 30s up to the mid 50s during the daytime during the coming week, according to the forecast.

The calls for rain and possibly snow have renewed concerns for flooding, the National Weather Service said.

Lake County's streams and creeks continue to run high thanks to last week's storms.

Clear Lake itself was at 7.10 feet Rumsey late Sunday night. The lake is full when it reaches 7.56 feet Rumsey.

Resources to help prepare for the upcoming storms include www.ready.gov for preparation tips; www.weather.gov to track the forecast; Caltrans' Web site at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or http://dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi for road conditions; and www.cnrfc.noaa.gov for updates on flooding.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As you are out and about wandering where puddles of water mirror the sky and mountains are silhouetted by clouds white as satin you may enjoy an encounter with a covey of California Quail – our state bird.

The California Quail was listed as our state bird back in 1931, and was seen as a symbol of prosperity and abundance.

Quail are one of the easiest birds to identify, running around as though they were equipped with wheels for feet.

A quail's call, “chi-ca-go,” is distinctive, and lovely to listen to, and if you ever surprise a covey of quail, their thunderous winging-away as they are flushed up will all but stop your heart!

Quail's distinguished plump chests and their black, white, gray and tan markings, along with their unique topknots seal the deal on their identities.

Quail are social birds, with distinct roles. You will find the male quail keeping watch over his covey by standing on boulders, fence posts or other elevated positions. When spring arrives the male overlooks the nest-building of his mate, and keeps watch for her.

It's not easy being gray, since everyone, it seems, in the animal kingdom loves a quail dinner.

Quail are prey for bobcats, skunks, jays, ground squirrels, hawks and humans. According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife quail is a popular bird to hunt, with more than two million quail bagged in a year.

We are very lucky indeed to know these beautiful birds here in Lake County as, in more populated areas, they are in decline due to their habitat being overtaken by humans.

There is hope, however, since cities like San Francisco have feral cat controls in place and have worked extensively on habitat restoration in places like Golden Gate Park.

In the past, many California Indian tribes trapped quail and also incorporated their pretty topknot into special baskets which they wove.

In fall months quail organize themselves into quite large flocks, or coveys – in some cases 75 or more! They tend to keep warm in winter months this way, when they roost in these groups.

They patrol their grounds, keeping watch over one another and send out a call when food is spotted, whether it is insect or seed.

The quail consumes poison oak berries, acorns and manzanita berries as well. Quail make use of protozoans located in their intestines to aid in digestion.

California quails have adapted to their dry summer environments by utilizing the moisture in vegetation and insects to replace water, however, in a prolonged drought they do need water to drink – the quaff of life.

Quail generally weigh in at about 5 to 8 ounces and lay 12 to 16 eggs, with one or two broods. When hatched the tiny, downy pipsqueaks peck right away! Their nests are often constructed next to rocks or by shrubs on the ground.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Community members will gather to hear the annual “State of the County” address at the Middletown Luncheon Club this week.

The club will meet from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.

New District 1 Supervisor Jose “Moke” Simon III will give the first of his annual addresses on his district at the Wednesday event.

Simon will be joined in giving the update by District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, one of Simon's veteran colleagues who has been involved with the county's wildland fire response and recovery.

Simon and Brown will give the group the latest details on how the fire recovery is going and what is in store for Lake County's government this year.

The meeting will begin promptly at noon. Lunch will be served for $5 per person; the menu includes Beef Stroganoff, green salad, and cottage cheese with fresh fruit.

Reservations are required. Organizers said the State of the County address lunch always sells out.

To make reservations, call 707-987-3113 before 6 p.m. Tuesday. After 6 p.m. Tuesday, call the Middletown Senior Center directly at 707-987-3113 to cancel or reserve your spot.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has several dogs, including some seniors, waiting for new homes this week.

This week's dogs include mixes of American Bulldog, Australian Cattle Dog, border collie, bullmastiff, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and shepherd.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Border collie-Australian Cattle Dog

This male Border collie-Australian Cattle Dog has a short black and white coat.

He already has been neutered.

He's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 6710.

'Tesa'

“Tesa” is a senior female shepherd mix.

She has a medium-length tan and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 17a, ID No. 6783.

'Tye'

“Tye” is a senior male bullmastiff mix.

He has a short brown and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 17b, ID No. 6784.

German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.

He's in kennel No. 26, ID No. 6771.

Chocolate Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a short chocolate-colored coat.

He's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 6729.

'Tina'

“Tina” is a female American Bulldog with a short white coat.

She's in kennel No. 32a, ID No. 6708.

'Dolly'

“Dolly” is a female American Bulldog with a short white coat.

She's in kennel No. 32b, ID No. 6709.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.