Harvest Moon: Why does the Mooon looks so big

If you're located in the Northern Hemisphere, you might have the opportunity to spot a special full moon in the sky this weekend: the Harvest Moon.
This month's special full moon gets its name because its appearance low in the southeastern sky for several nights historically afforded farmers extra time for harvesting crops. Before the invention of electricity, farmers relied on bright moonlight in the late summer to gather their ripening crops after sunset.The moon typically rises about 50 minutes later each night, but during several nights around the Harvest Full Moon, it can rise between 25 to 30 minutes later across the United States. In other Northern Hemisphere locations, like Canada and Europe, the moon can rise just 10 to 20 minutes later around a Harvest Moon, according to SPACE.com's skywatching columnist Joe Rao.
For the past couple nights the moon has been well positioned in the sky as it heads into the full moon Sunday night (Sept. 11), with the peak coming on Monday (Sept. 12) at 5:27 a.m. EDT (0927 GMT).
Traditionally, the designation "Harvest Moon" is given to the full moon that happens closest to the autumnal (or fall) equinox, which occurs on Sept. 23 this year. While the Harvest Moon typically occurs in September in the Northern Hemisphere, it can occur in early October about once or twice each decade, according to Rao.
Skywatchers and amateur astronomers should hope for clear skies that will offer them nice views of the Harvest Moon. But, in addition to marveling at the bright sight, many detailed features on the moon can be seen with the ordinary binoculars or small telescopes.

Miss Universe crown Leila lopes-Angola

The jury that unanimously convicted Angola inmate Robert G. Carley of first-degree murder in the 1999 death of a prison security guard could not reach a unanimous decision on whether Carley should get the death penalty or another life sentence.As a result, Carley will receive a life sentence in the case, said presiding judge Jerome M. Winsberg.
The Advocate (http://bit.ly/ps9EuX ) reported Monday that jurors had deliberated for an hour and 20 minutes when Winsberg told attorneys Sunday that a juror was in diabetic distress and needed insulin. The judge said paramedics had been called to treat the juror, and he ordered the jurors to stop deliberating until the ailing juror returned.
When deliberations resumed, the panel debated for about two hours before telling Winsberg that they could not reach a unanimous verdict on the sentence for Carley. Winsberg asked them to try again, but they later returned to say they were "hopelessly deadlocked."
Carley, 43, was convicted Saturday in the beating and stabbing death of Capt. David C. Knapps, 49, during an escape attempt from the state penitentiary at Angola.
Five Angola inmates were indicted in Knapps' slaying. One of them, Jeffrey Clark, was convicted and sentenced to death in May.
Carley is currently serving a life sentence for a 1987 murder in St. Bernard Parish.
The Angola 5 cases are being prosecuted for the 20th Judicial District Attorney's Office by Jefferson Parish assistant district attorneys Tommy Block and Mike Futrell and Lea Hall and Hugo Holland of Caddo Parish.
During closing arguments in Sunday's penalty phase of Carley's trial, Hall told jurors the penalty should fit the crime.
"Anything less than death is just the same as it was before," Hall said.
"You owe a duty to those people," Hall said, pointing to members of Knapps' family in the audience. "Do not penalize that family with anything less than death. Mercy to the guilty is punishment to the innocent."
Defense attorney Tommy Thompson asked the jury to "put Bobby Carley in a concrete box (cell) for the rest of his life," noting that only one juror could hold out for a life sentence.
"I feel strongly that one of you will not take Bobby's life. My hope is that you will find something," Thompson said.
Holland, in rebuttal, told the jurors the "only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
"What is another life sentence to Robert Carley? Nothing," Holland said.

Raiders beat Broncos to win opener

Quarterback Jason Campbell threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to fullback Marcel Reece, scored on a 1-yard run and Sebastian Janikowski had a record-tying, 63-yard field goal included among his three in the game as Oakland opened the season 1-0 for the first time since 2002.
The Raiders last won their opener in 2002, a 31-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a game that began an AFC title run. They also broke a streak of 11 consecutive defeats in prime time, with the last win also coming in Denver in 2004.
Running back Darren McFadden rushed for 150 yards on 22 carries, and the Raiders proved more opportunistic and careful with the ball than an erratic Broncos team, much to the displeasure of a home crowd of 74,793.
Oakland has won its last eight games against the AFC West, with the next test being a three-game run against three AFC East teams that all won their openers in impressive fashion. The Raiders travel to Buffalo on a short week before returning home to host the Jets and Patriots.
Oakland's defense kept the Broncos offense under control, pressuring quarterback Kyle Orton, forcing three turnovers and shutting off Denver's attempt to establish a running game.
The Broncos finally scored an offensive touchdown with 3:43 to play when Orton

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directed an 80-yard drive that ended in a 9-yard pass to Lance Ball, but the Raiders held on for a victory that was satisfying if not dominant.An unforced Denver error -- Orton simply dropped the ball on a second-down play in Raiders territory -- resulted in a Lamarr Houston recovery at the 35 and led to Oakland's second touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by Campbell early in the fourth quarter.
McFadden, who already had a pair of 20-yard runs, burst 47 yards to the 1-yard line before he was tripped up by Champ Bailey to set up Campbell's run. On the sneak, the Raiders executed their own "Bush push," with running back Michael Bush shoving Campbell forward into the end zone.
The Broncos closed to within 16-13 in the third quarter on the strength of a ridiculously easy 90-yard punt return by Eric Decker and a 30-yard field goal from Matt Prater with 1:55 left in the quarter.
Decker fielded a 57-yard punt from Shane Lechler and raced 90 yards untouched for a touchdown through a huge hole in the right side to make the score 16-10 with 12:52 left in the third quarter.
Late in the quarter, Denver drove to the Oakland 5-yard line with the help of a pair of personal fouls, one on a retaliatory shove by Rolando McClain, the other on Matt Shaughnessy -- both on third-and-10 -- but came up with only three points when Richard Seymour sacked Orton on third-and-goal.
Janikowski's record-tying, 63-yard field goal on the last play of the first half sent the Raiders into intermission with a 16-3 lead.
The kick was made possible by a diving interception by safety Matt Giordano against Orton with 24 seconds to play, putting Oakland at its own 24-yard line.
From there, a 15-yard personal foul on the Broncos' Kevin Vickerson for a face mask on a 2-yard loss by Bush, followed by a 16-yard swing pass from Campbell to Reece put Oakland at the Denver 45 with nine seconds left.
Bush carried for no gain into the center of the line, setting up Janikowski to join New Orleans' Tom Dempsey (1970) and Denver's Jason Elam (1998) in the record book for the longest field goal in NFL history.
The kick barely carried the distance, tucking inside the corner of the crossbar and right upright.
The Raiders had only 141 yards of total offense in the first half, but out-rushed the Broncos 92-17 with McFadden gaining 70 yards on 13 carries. Campbell had only 49 yards passing at halftime, completing 8 of 13 passes, but avoided sacks and threw no interceptions.
Although not explosive, the Raiders were opportunistic and did enough damage with good field position to control the first half.
Besides Giordano's interception, Quentin Groves forced a fumble from Knowshon Moreno that was recovered by Tyvon Branch, setting up Janikowski for a 37-yard field goal. A missed 56-yard field goal attempt by Matt Prater led to a 51-yard drive and a 21-yard Janikowski field goal.
Oakland's own turnover on their first offensive snap, after Campbell hit Ford with a quick pass that came loose after a helmet-on-the-ball hit from Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller, resulted in only a 28-yard Prater field goal despite Denver opening at the Oakland 20 on its second possession.