If you thought Luke Skywalker's home planet, Tatooine, was a strange world with its two suns in the sky, imagine this: a planet with either constant daylight or triple sunrises and sunsets each day depending on the seasons (which last longer than human lifetimes).

Such a world has been discovered by a team of astronomers led by the University of Arizona using direct imaging.

The planet, HD 131399Ab, is unlike any other known world – one with, by far, the widest known orbit within a multi-star system.

The discovery was published in an early online edition of the journal Science on July 7.

Located about 340 light years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus, HD 131399Ab is believed to be about 16 million years old, making it one of the youngest exoplanets discovered to date.

With a temperature of 850 kelvins (about 1,070 F or 580 C) and weighing in at an estimated four Jupiter masses, it is also one of the coldest and least massive directly-imaged exoplanets.

“HD 131399Ab is one of the few exoplanets that have been directly imaged, and it's the first one in such an interesting dynamical configuration,” said Daniel Apai, an assistant professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona. He is the principal investigator of one of NASA’s teams in the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NexSS), which is an interdisciplinary network dedicated to the search for life on planets outside our solar system.

“For about half of the planet’s orbit, which lasts 550 Earth-years, three stars are visible in the sky, the fainter two always much closer together, and changing in apparent separation from the brightest star throughout the year,” said Kevin Wagner, a doctoral student in Apai's research group and the paper's first author, who discovered HD 131399Ab.

“For much of the planet’s year the stars appear close together, giving it a familiar night-side and day-side with a unique triple-sunset and sunrise each day,” Wagner said. “As the planet orbits and the stars grow farther apart each day, they reach a point where the setting of one coincides with the rising of the other – at which point the planet is in near-constant daytime for about one-quarter of its orbit, or roughly 140 Earth-years.”

The planet marks the first discovery of an exoplanet made with SPHERE, which stands for the Spectro-Polarimetric High-Contrast Exoplanet Research Instrument. It is installed on the Very Large Telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, and dedicated to finding planets around other stars.

SPHERE is sensitive to infrared light, making it capable of detecting the heat signatures of young planets, along with sophisticated features correcting for atmospheric disturbances and blocking out the otherwise blinding light of their host stars.

Although repeated and long-term observations will be needed to precisely determine the planet's trajectory among its host stars, observations and simulations seem to suggest the following scenario: At the center of the system lies a star estimated to be 80 percent more massive than the sun and dubbed HD 131399A, which itself is orbited by the two remaining stars, B and C, at about 300 AU (one AU, or astronomical unit, equals the average distance between Earth and the sun).

All the while, B and C twirl around each other like a spinning dumbbell, separated by a distance roughly equal to that between our sun and Saturn.

In this scenario, planet HD 131399Ab travels around the central star, A, in an orbit about twice as large as Pluto’s if compared to our solar system, and brings the planet to about one-third of the separation of the stars themselves.

The authors point out that a range of orbital scenarios is possible, and the verdict on long-term stability of the system will have to wait for planned follow-up observations that will better constrain the planet's orbit.

“If the planet was further away from the most massive star in the system, it would be kicked out of the system,” Apai explained. “Our computer simulations showed that this type of orbit can be stable, but if you change things around just a little bit, it can become unstable very quickly.”

Planets in multi-star systems are of special interest to astronomers and planetary scientists because they provide an example of how planet formation functions in these extreme scenarios.

While multi-star systems seem exotic to us in our orbit around our solitary star – multi-star systems are in fact just as common as single stars.

“It is not clear how this planet ended up on its wide orbit in this extreme system, and we can't say yet what this means for our broader understanding of the types of planetary systems out there, but it shows there is more variety out there than many would have deemed possible,” Wagner said. “What we do know is that planets in multi-star systems are much less explored, and potentially just as numerous as planets in single-star systems.”

“This is the kind of discovery that helps us place our own solar system in the context of the diversity of worlds beyond it, by finding systems that are much different from our own,” said Mary Voytek, senior scientist for astrobiology and program manager of the NexSS network at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By combining these results with research on the formation of habitable worlds, we will have a better understanding of the systems in which habitable worlds might form. NexSS will ensure such connections are made, within and beyond our NexSS teams.”

NexSS is a NASA-led research coordination network dedicated to the study of planetary habitability by bringing together researchers from different fields.

NexSS aims to build an international community of interdisciplinary researchers, including those supported by other agencies, dedicated to exoplanet research through NASA investments.

This network will explore the diversity of exoplanets and to learn how their history, geology and climate interact to create the conditions for life. NexSS investigators also strive to put planets into an architectural context – as solar systems built over the eons through dynamical processes and sculpted by stars.

Based on our understanding of our own solar system and habitable planet Earth, researchers in the network aim to identify where habitable niches are most likely to occur, which planets are most likely to be habitable.

NexSS will accelerate the discovery and characterization of other potentially life-bearing worlds in the galaxy.

The co-authors on the paper are Markus Kasper and Melissa McClure of the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany; Kaitlin Kratter at the UA's Steward Observatory; Massimo Roberto at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and Jean-Luc Beuzit with the University of Grenoble Alpes and the National Center of Scientific Research, both in Grenoble, France.

LAKEPORT, Calif. –The Lake County Library’s free lecture series Know Lake County is set to feature Antone “Tony” Pierucci, curator of the Lake County Museums, speaking about “Creation, Consolidation, Segregation: A History of Schools in Lake County.”

The free program takes place on Saturday, July 16, at 2 p.m. at the Lakeport branch of the Lake County Library, 1425 N. High St.

Pierucci also will present his new book “Lake County Schoolhouses,” the fourth Images of America book about Lake County from Arcadia.

Schools in Lake County often began as one-room buildings serving a handful of students and only went to the eighth grade.

Before 1915 students who wanted a high school education attended Lakeport Academy or moved out of Lake County.

Segregation entered the picture with the creation of separate facilities for Native American children, a practice that lasted until about 1930 in some districts.

Pierucci was hired as assistant curator for the Lake County Museums in 2014, and upon Linda Lake’s retirement in 2015, became curator of the museum system.

A native of Stockton, Pierucci grew up with an early appreciation for history that he brings to his profession.

Pierucci was educated at Gonzaga University and earned his master’s degree in art history and archaeology at the University of Missouri.

He has a passion for finding unexplored areas of Lake County history and bringing them to the public through museum exhibits and publications.

Lake County PEG TV records the Know Lake County presentations for re-broadcast on PEG TV Channel 8 and on www.lakecountypegtv.org . The presentations are also available on DVD to check out from the Lake County Library.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

For more information about Know Lake County and other library programs call 707-263-8817.

Jan Cook is a library technician at the Lakeport Library.

“Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was.” – Will Rogers

“Say goodbye to the oldies, but goodies, because the good old days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems.” – Billy Joel

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Ever wonder why they call it “the good old days”?

Of course, when you ponder days of yore, you may think of a time when everything was simple and much less complicated.

Possibly, images of a tire-swing hanging over a bucolic creek come to mind, or the aroma of a fresh-baked blackberry pie dances in your head.

You might not ever consider the myriad of inconveniences and discomforts of past times.

Take the noble outhouse for instance, or the layers of pantaloons and petticoats that were once the fashion norm.

Have you ever thought about needing to visit the local blacksmith for all of your iron needs, such as horse shoes, repairing pots and pans or fixing your plowshare?

In the “good old days” you might have toiled over a cumbersome, forged iron to press your clothes.

Irons for ironing clothes were called flat irons or sad irons. Actually, these particular irons were commonly used from times as far back as the late Middle Ages.

The early model iron had no temperature control, and it had to be heated on a stove, or in some cases, a fire. Some European irons were fashioned from clay or soapstone.

To keep the iron from sullying or scorching your clothes, it was necessary to sand-paper or polish the iron.

The meaning for the iron called a “sad iron” is said to have been derived from the word “solid.” Sad irons were comprised of thick iron, with the addition of a handle, while flat irons, also known as smoothing irons were thinner in appearance, with a flat base.

Believe it or not, some irons, used up until World War II, used liquid fuel such as was used for lights to heat their irons.

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 also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a big, diverse group of dogs needing homes this week.

This week's available dogs include mixes of Alaskan Malamute, border collie, boxer, Corgi, dachshund, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Labrador Retriever, McNab, pit bull, pointer and terrier.

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”).

Great Pyrenees mix

This male Great Pyrenees mix has a long white coat.

He is in kennel No. 3, ID No. 5263.

'Princess'

“Princess” is a pit bull terrier mix.

She has a brindle coat with white markings, and already has been spayed.

Princess is in kennel No. 4, ID No. 5361.

'Penelope'

“Penelope” is a female shepherd mix with a short tricolor coat.

She's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 5280.

'Kush'

“Kush” is a female adult pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short tan coat and already is spayed.

She's in kennel No. 6, ID No. 5249.

Dachshund-terrier mix

This male dachshund-terrier mix has a short white coat with tan markings.

He's in kennel No. 7a, ID No. 5323.

Pointer mix

This male pointer mix has a short white coat with black markings.

Shelter staff said he may be deaf.

He's in kennel No. 9, ID No. 5310.

'Brandy'

“Brandy” is a female Alaskan Malamute-retriever mix.

She's got a short tan coat with black markings. She already is spayed.

She's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 5245.

Labrador Retriever-pit bull terrier

This female Labrador Retriever-pit bull terrier puppy has a short brindle coat.

She already has been spayed.

She's in kennel No. 12, ID No. 5116.

Shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix has a short tan and brown coat with white markings.

He already is neutered.

He's in kennel No. 13, ID No. 5299.

Chihuahua mix

This older male Chihuahua mix has a short white coat.

He's in kennel No. 14, ID No. 5300.

McNab-border collie mix

This female McNab-border collie mix has a short black and white coat.

She's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 5211.

German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a tan coat with black markings.

He's in kennel No. 17, ID No. 5248.

'Badger'

“Badger” is an adult male border collie mix.

He has a short black and white coat.

He's in kennel No. 18, ID No. 5075.

Labrador Retriever mix

This young male Labrador Retriever mix has a short golden-colored coat.

He's in kennel No. 23, ID No. 5165.

Boxer-pit bull terrier mix

This older female boxer-pit bull terrier mix has a short brown coat.

She's in kennel No. 25, ID No. 5322.

Great Dane-Labrador Retriever mix

This male Great Dane-Labrador Retriever mix has a short black coat with white markings.

He's in kennel No. 26, ID No. 5104.

Pit bull terrier mix

This male pit bull terrier mix is in urgent need of a new home. He's been available for adoption since May 11.

He has a short brown coat.

Shelter staff said he does not jump and is very friendly, walking well on a leash, showing no food aggression, and allowing handling of his mouth, ears, paws and tail with no problems. He also enjoys a good tummy rub.

He would do great in a home with no cats.

He's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 4850.

'Sammy'

'Sammy' is a female pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short brown coat with white markings.

She's in kennel No. 30, ID No. 5214.

Labrador Retriever mix

This male Labrador Retriever mix has a short all-black coat.

He's in kennel No. 32, ID No. 5158.

'George'

“George” is a male Corgi-shepherd mix has a short tan coat with white and black markings.

He's currently in foster, ID No. 5166.

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.

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