Our Neighbours - 1. The Moon

Lunar Facts

Distance from the Earth: 239,000 miles (384,000 km)

Revolution Period: 27.3 days

Mass (Earth=1): 0.012

Radius at Equator (Earth=1): 0.272

The Moon is a piece of the Earth that splintered off when struck by a meteor whilst still largely molten. It is still moving away from the Earth. 

A couple of odd facts are that the Moon is 400 times closer to Earth than the Sun and coincidentally 400 times smaller, enabling us to see a total eclipse and the 'diamond ring' effect. 

The other fact is that we only ever see one face of the Moon as its rotational spin is locked together with its revolution around the Earth.

To see what sort of battering the Earth has taken over the ages, you need look no further than the Moon. In fact with a larger surface area it is reasonable to assume the Eart has been hit far more often. The hits on the Earth have with the passage of time all but disappeared, with the Moon however there is no atmosphere and the impact craters are there to be seen.

To see the full article visit http://abeorigine.blogspot.com/2011/01/skywatch-1-moon.html and don't forget to prepare for the partial eclipse on Tuesday between 0800 and 0930 hours.

Must See Movies

Starring a 13 year old Christian Bale, John Malkovich and Nigel Havers, the film is a true account of J.G.Ballard's experiences in a Japanese work-camp from 1941-45.

Jamie Graham (Bale) is a somewhat spoilt brat enjoying the good life in the International Sector of Shanghai. Although Japan and China had been at war for 4 years the Sector was protected by diplomatic treaties. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour all that changed.

When Jamies parents realised - too late - the danger they were all in, they tried (along with thousands of others) to evacuate. In the confusion Jamie was separated. He went home and waited for his parents but they never came. Facing starvation at home Jamie went into the city where he was taken in by Basey (Malkovich) an American merchant seaman who had plans to sell the boy.

When nobody wants to buy Jamie he promises Basey 'rich-pickings' from the houses near where he lived. They are caught by the Japanese and put in holding warehouses until the fittest are chosen to go work in the labour-camp.

The focus of the film then turns to a childs instinct for survival in testing circumstances, in spite of a usually 'devil-may-care' attitude.

With Steven Spielberg as director, the photography is excellent and some of the sequences even for such an old film (1987) are outstanding. It's a must see for war buffs and true-story lovers like me. The end sequence moistened my eyes as it would anybody with any sort of emotions.

Click on the thumbnail to see full size image

Star Gazing

Tuesday morning the UK will experience a partial solar eclipse. These are rare events and are worth seeing even though it won't be as dramatic as the one in 1999. However it can still be dangerous and the Department of Health's Chief Medical Officer has issued advice on "safe viewing" of this stellar event.

As the eclipse will occur between 8.00 and 9.30 in the morning, if the weather is clear then it will be easily seen by millions on their way back to work or school after the Christmas break.

During a previous eclipse in 2005 a young boy suffered damage to his central vision after looking directly at the sun, so it is important that everyone, children and adults, is aware of the dangers and the precautions to take.

Anyone who wants to experience the eclipse must do so either by indirect means or by using special eye protection. Just because you experience no pain looking at the eclipse does not mean that your eyes have not been damaged, so follow this advice to be certain of a safe viewing experience.

Direct viewing

• Sunglasses are NOT safe. They do not block the harmful radiation that causes eye damage.
• To directly view the sun, you need to use properly designed and certified solar filters. These will be identified as such, and should have the CE mark and a statement that it conforms to EC Directive 89/686/EEC. Alternatively a welder's glass rated 14 or higher can be used.
• Even with the correct filters in place children could still be at risk if the fitting is designed for an adult's face. These should only be used by children with fully trained adult supervision.

Indirect viewing

This is the safest way to see the eclipse. A simple home-made "pin-hole" camera can be constructed to view the eclipse. You will need two thin but stiff sheets of white cardboard.

• Make a very small, clean hole in one piece (with a sharp pin).
• Stand with your back to the sun.
• Hold up the sheet with the hole so that it is exposed to the sun.
• Place the second sheet below the first. An inverted image of the sun should be cast on the second sheet.
• To make the image brighter, move the screen closer to the pinhole.
• Do not make the pinhole wide or you will only have a shaft of sunlight rather than an image of the crescent sun. 

Remember, this instrument is used with your back to the sun. 

 The sunlight passes over your shoulder, through the pinhole and forms an image on the cardboard screen, beneath it. DO NOT look through the pinhole at the sun.

Under no circumstances should you look directly at the sun.

By all means watch this special event but do so safely!

New Years Resolutions

This the time of the year when we all try put the old behind us and start anew. 

It is good to make resolutions to improve yourself, but for too many the promises are unrealistic however good the intent. So the best thing to do to give yourself a chance is keep it real. 

These are the most popular resolutions:-

* Improve health: lose weight, exercise more, eat better, drink less alcohol, quit smoking

* Improve finances: get out of debt, save money

* Improve career: get a better job

* Improve education: improve grades, get a better education, learn something new (such as a foreign language or music)

* Improve self: become more organized, reduce stress, be less grumpy, manage time, be more independent

* Take a trip

* Volunteer to help others

So when you link arms tonight and think about the promise of a New Year ahead, start viewing the possible as probable. You'll be surprised at what you can accomplish.

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there.

Stable Siblings

Have you got a little brother or sister? Do you love them? If the answer is yes to both there is something simple you can do to give them a better chance for the future.

Reading to kids and / or helping with homework can lower their risk of developing psychaitric problems, research shows. It also develops their social skills enabling them to interact better with peers, a think absent in sufferers of personality disorders.

So says a study by the University of New York as they looked into a way parents can protect children.

Often parents have neither the time nor the inclination but an older sibling can be just as effective. Set aside 15 minutes a day three times a week. Surely you can do that for someone you love!

Grin And Bare It

There is a school with two occupational therapy students which has an anger management scheme. It is designed to cut down bullying by improving teens confidence and self-esteem.

In one lesson pupils are encouraged to brush each others teeth in an exercise to build to trust.

Look at me again like that and I'll clean your teeth!

The students say 'it has been a great success, a lot of children don't understand why they get upset'

The Best Video Ever

There is nothing else to say except this is truly amazing and a must see.

INCREDIBLE!!