Today I want to give the scientific explanation for something we all love to see (especially if, like me, you live in a place as rainy as Manchester, England) - the blue sky. I will also discuss the colour of the skies on the Moon and Mars, two places where spacecraft have landed and taken… Continue reading Why is the Sky Blue?
Tag: Earth
The June Solstice
The June solstice, which for most of the world will fall on June 21 this year, is the longest day in the northern hemisphere and the day when the Sun is at its highest in the midday sky (see note). The origin of the word solstice is from the Latin words sol, which means Sun, and sistere, to stand… Continue reading The June Solstice
Jun 30 2015 – Leap Second
On June 30 2015 an extra second will be inserted into the very end of the day. This extra second is called a leap second. Why do we need leap seconds? Although we take the average length of a day to be 24 hours, the mean solar day, or average "natural" day measured by the… Continue reading Jun 30 2015 – Leap Second
The Future of the Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of our Solar System and its sunlight provides energy which is essential for life on Earth. The two key natural units of measuring periods of time, the year and the day, are both based upon the Earth's motion with respect to the Sun and in many ancient cultures… Continue reading The Future of the Sun
The Days are Getting Longer.
Although the Moon is less massive than the Earth its gravitational field still has significant effects on the Earth. The most noticeable of these are tides, the periodic rise and fall of sea levels. The principle cause of tides is that the pull of the Moon’s gravity is stronger at the area of the Earth… Continue reading The Days are Getting Longer.
Explaining Science 