For revised post containing more tips on how to view the Perseids see The Perseids 2021. Meteors (also known as shooting stars) are bright streaks of light caused by small lumps of rock or metal called meteoroids hitting the Earth's atmosphere at a very high speed (in the case of the Perseids around 200,000 km/h). As… Continue reading 11-12 August 2020 – the Perseids
Tag: Dark sky
Dark Sky Places
In this post I will talk about the work of the International Dark-Sky Association (https://www.darksky.org/)and the visit I made a few years ago to the Kielder Observatory, which is in the Northumberland Dark Sky park in northern England. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) was founded in 1988 by David Crawford a professional astronomer, who spent… Continue reading Dark Sky Places
12-13 August 2019 – the Perseids
For revised post containing more tips on how to view the Perseids see The Perseids 2021. Meteors (also known as shooting stars) are bright streaks of light caused by small lumps of rock or metal called meteoroids hitting the Earth's atmosphere at a very high speed (in the case of the Perseids around 200,000 km/h). As… Continue reading 12-13 August 2019 – the Perseids
12-13 August 2017 – the Perseids
For revised post containing more tips on how to view the Perseids see The Perseids 2021. Anyone who is disappointed that they will be missing the total eclipse can console themselves with another astronomical event - providing that they live in the northern hemisphere, that the weather is favourable (no clouds, please) and that they… Continue reading 12-13 August 2017 – the Perseids
Twilight
Watching the Sun set below the horizon and the sky gradually get darker and darker is an almost magical experience. Twilight is that period of the day when the sky is not completely dark, and it can be used to describe the period either just after sunset, or just before sunrise. It is valued by photographers because of… Continue reading Twilight
Explaining Science 