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
Dibnlib, absolutely stunning!
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
CLARE/LINDY lovely isn't it. Made a mistake though. Tammie Norries (Shetland speak for Puffins) arrive back in Shetlanf early April and leave again in August.
OH getting very excited about the rugby as England only need 3 points in order to win the 6 nations.
WE still need 7 points, Dibnlib
Sorry, England are 7 points away from the title and 3 from being 2nd.
What a game. Never suffered from high blood pressure but think it may be high at the moment. England 55 France 35. Ireland win the title.
Dibnlib, Fantastic Puffin picture.
I hope your OH has recovered from the rugby result.
Hi a couple of puppy pictures.
Lindybird - I'm so glad you have got Bonnie home. I hope she is behaving herself :)
Getting too big for my bed now!
Flash from camera woke him up!
© Scottish Wildlife Trust - Loch of the Lowes
Awww! He looks really cosy.
He blends into that bed so well, Starling. He has grown, but still so adorable.