Updated 21 November 2025 In 1.3 million years’ time the star Gliese 710 is forecast to pass within 0.166 light years of the Solar System, 25 times closer than Proxima Centauri which is our current nearest star (excluding the Sun of course). The close approach of Gliese 710 will be the strongest disrupting encounter known… Continue reading Gliese 710: The Closest Future Star Encounter
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Fact-Checking a December Solstice Article
Sometimes a video can convey a message better than a simple blog post and videos tend to reach a slightly different audience. I do get irritated by poor reporting of science topics in the mainstream media (maybe I am getting grumpy? 😊 ). So here’s a video about the errors in the article about the… Continue reading Fact-Checking a December Solstice Article
Easter March 31 2024
Revised 18 December 2025 -original post published in 2024 In 2024, for the majority of the world’s Christians, March 31 was Easter Sunday, one of the most important dates in the calendar. Although Easter originated as the festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, it is also widely marked by non-Christians in the UK, particularly as… Continue reading Easter March 31 2024
Seasonal Changes in an English Garden
This post is a departure from my usual topics of astronomy and more general science. In 2020, I took a series of photos of my back garden. This year was, for those of us in the UK - like many countries in the world, the year of the lockdowns due to the covid pandemic. A… Continue reading Seasonal Changes in an English Garden
Will Humanity Combat Climate Change Effectively?
The post reflects on the ongoing challenges of addressing climate change, particularly the failures of international conferences like COP3 and COP21 to effectively curb carbon emissions. Despite some progress, global carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, with projections indicating significant temperature increases if current trends persist. The urgency for meaningful action remains.
Explaining Science 