HAPPY NEW WEEK!
Last week's Chat Thread is here.
This is an important week with several major events for the global community!
SPRING EQUINOX
Spring arrives Friday, 20 March 2015, in the Northern Hemisphere at:
22:45 GMT/UTC10:45 p.m. in the U.K.06:45 p.m. in the eastern United States03:45 p.m. in California
Autumn Equinox is Saturday, 21 March 2015, in the Southern Hemisphere. Fall arrives at 09:15 a.m. in Adelaide, Australia.
NEW MOON
The Moon turns new on the day of the equinox at 09:36 GMT/UTC, only 14 hours after reaching lunar perigee (the moon's closest point to Earth in its orbit). The New Moon is at 09:36 a.m. in the U.K., 05:36 a.m. in the eastern U.S., 02:36 a.m. in California, and on 20 March at 08:06 p.m. in Adelaide, Australia.
SOLAR ECLIPSE
Here's the big news! On Equinox day, 20 March, the close perigee New Moon will swing right in front of the Sun to totally block out the solar disk. It's a Total Solar Eclipse!
You have to be in the right location -- the Faroe Islands or the Svalbard archipelago... -- to witness the eclipse in totality, but a much larger swatch of the globe will see varying degrees of partial solar eclipse -- Europe and parts of Africa and Asia. In much of the U.K., your view will be near total! (Oh, how I envy you. It won't be visible in the U.S. or Australia, I regret to say.)
For children who might read this, I have to add: Looking directly at the Sun during the eclipse could cause blindness or severe eye damage.
Eclipse information HERE
Watch a livestream broadcast of the event HERE
Edit: Slooh has redesigned their site. Here's an updated link for the livestream broadcast of the total solar eclipse: HERE
Happy Birthday Eagle-Eye have a good day.
Good Morning / Afternoon Everyone. We have had rain this morning, but now the sun is shining.
Annette, Have a safe trip back home. Children's parties can be exhausting, but it is lovely to see them all enjoying themselves.
I voted for the Barn Owl. I didn't vote for the robin or blackbird, as I know during the winter that I am feeding quite a number of European ones. I just love the silent flight and gracefulness of the Barn Owl. We have a pair nearby, which we hear screeching, more than we actually see them, but always a thrill when we do spot them.
A BBC small article about Dyfi
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-31923355
EDIT Live Streaming is now back, but no sound yet.
Thanks Diane. Also thanks to all others who have posted birthday wishes to me today. Last year I tried to reply/list everyone concerned, but must have missed someone! So this year, please accept my thanks in response to all concerned.
Eagle-eye - had'nt realised it was your birthday so Happy Birthday from me too.
Went to gym this morning and did a swim then off to Womens' Own meeting at church. We had a group of male singers called The Homestead Singers and they sang quite a few of the oldies - takes you back. Thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.
Two from yesterday - mum took a quick break and then returned, not long now for egg watch. The Yadkin ospreys tonight.
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
Heard about the vote for Britain's top bird so have just voted
Oh dear, a late birthday wish for Eagle-Eye.
From somewhere in the California desert.....yawwwwwn
Annette: There's a powerful geomagnetic storm in progress, and we even have northern lights -- aurora borealis -- here in Indiana tonight. With so little light pollution in the desert, you could even see something.
(I haven't been able to see the lights myself.)
Edit: On second thought, you're probably too far south.