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A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 12 November 2019
Mini Mercury skips across

sun's vast glare in rare transit

South America. The rest of
the world, except for Asia
and Australia, got just a
sampling.
Mercury is the solar system's
smallest, innermost planet.
The next transit isn't until
2032, and North America
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air won't get another shot until
Force Station, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. 2049.
Associated Press In Maryland, clouds pre-
SpaceX launches 60 This still image from video issued by NASA's Solar Dynamics Ob- vented NASA solar astro-
physicist Alex Young from
getting a clear peek. Live
more mini satellites servatory shows Mercury as it passes between Earth and the sun coverage was provided
on Monday, Nov. 11, 2019.
by observatories including
Associated Press
NASA's orbiting Solar Dy-
for global internet CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — a tiny black dot — as it namics Observatory.
— Mini Mercury skipped passed directly between "It's a bummer, but the
across the vast, glaring Earth and the sun on Mon- whole event was still great,"
By MARCIA DUNN on a floating platform in face of the sun Monday in day. Young wrote in an email.
AP Aerospace Writer the Atlantic. a rare celestial transit. The eastern U.S. and Cana- "Both getting to see it from
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. "These boosters are de- Stargazers used solar-fil- da got the whole 5 ½-hour space and sharing it with
(AP) — SpaceX launched signed to be used 10 times. tered binoculars and tele- show, weather permitting, people all over the country
60 mini satellites Monday, Let's turn it around for a scopes to spot Mercury along with Central and and world."q
the second batch of an fifth, guys," company's
orbiting network meant launch commentator said.
to provide global internet This also marked the first
coverage. time SpaceX used a previ- Cholesterol levels dropping in
The Falcon rocket blasted ously flown nose cone. The
into the morning sky, mark- California-based company U.S., but many still need care
ing the unprecedented reuses rocket parts to cut
fourth flight of a booster costs.
for SpaceX. The compact Stacked flat inside the top By LAURAN NEERGAARD get the most benefit from cal Center, who wasn't in-
flat-panel satellites — just of the rocket, the newest AP Medical Writer cholesterol-lowering statin volved with the study.
575 pounds (260 kilo- satellites were going to WASHINGTON (AP) — Some drugs. Moreover, there was an
grams) each — will join 60 maneuver even higher fol- good health news: Ameri- The Alabama team exam- uptick in statin use by
launched in May. lowing liftoff, using krypton- cans' cholesterol levels are ined records from the Cen- people with diabetes over
SpaceX founder and chief powered thrusters. SpaceX dropping, and more peo- ters for Disease Control and the study period, from less
executive Elon Musk wants said there was a potential ple at especially high risk Prevention that tracked than half to over 60% get-
to put thousands of these problem with one of the 60 are getting treatment. cholesterol information ting one. Diabetics are par-
Starlink satellites in orbit, to that could prevent it from Researchers say Monday's from more than 32,000 ticularly vulnerable to heart
offer high-speed internet moving beyond its initial report suggests a contro- adults between 2005 and attacks and tend to have
service everywhere. He 174 mile-high (280 kilome- versial change in recom- 2016. poorer outcomes.
plans to start service next ter-high) orbit. In that case, mendations for cholesterol Among people taking "It's very important for those
year in the northern U.S. the faulty satellite will be treatment may be starting cholesterol medication, with a diagnosis of diabetes
and Canada, with global commanded to re-enter to pay off. the average level of that to not get that first heart at-
coverage for populated and burn up harmlessly in "It is very heartening," said "bad" cholesterol — what's tack," said Dr. Neil J. Stone,
areas after 24 launches. the atmosphere. Dr. Pankaj Arora of the known as LDL cholesterol — a cardiologist at Northwest-
Last month, Musk used an Each satellite has an au- University of Alabama at dropped 21 points over the ern University. He led devel-
orbiting Starlink satellite tonomous system for dodg- Birmingham, who led the study period, the research- opment of the 2013 guide-
to send a tweet: "Whoa, it ing space junk. In Septem- study. "But there is more to ers reported in the Journal lines from the American
worked!!" ber, however, the Europe- do." of the American College of College of Cardiology and
Employees gathered at an Space Agency had to Heart disease is the world's Cardiology. It was declin- American Heart Associa-
company bases on both move one of its satellites leading killer and high cho- ing even before the 2013 tion, and he co-authored
coasts cheered when the out of the way of a Starlink lesterol is a key risk factor — guidelines but continued to an update last year.
first-stage booster landed satellite.q but not the only one. Doc- inch down afterward. Arora cautioned that other
tors long treated patients Total cholesterol levels high-risk groups haven't
based mostly on their level and another fat known as seen an increase in treat-
of so-called "bad" choles- triglycerides likewise de- ment — and that still too
terol, whether they had creased. many Americans don't
other risks or not. In 2013, "These are surprisingly im- know if they have a choles-
national guidelines urged pressive results" that to- terol problem.
them instead to focus more gether predict a 15% to 20% The advice for consumers?
on people's overall heart reduction in risk of heart at- If you haven't had a cho-
risk, by taking into account tacks and strokes, said Dr. lesterol check recently, get
age, blood pressure, dia- Michael Miller, preventive one, Miller said. Testing is
betes and other factors. cardiology chief at the Uni- easier than ever, as fasting
Those at highest risk would versity of Maryland Medi- no longer is required. q