Eclipse

[KS10]

OH, DS, DD & I were all in science lessons at the time. Disappointing.

[Tolstoy]

Extract from Headmaster's comment in today's newsletter from my son's school:

"P.S. Anyone want to buy 150 unused eclipse glasses? Bargain price guaranteed! Thankfully the teaching staff took the boys into the Hall and they watched the spectacular images on screen. All we had outside was cloud!"

I do like your Head's sense of humour, sadly lacking in many.

[quasimodo]

We were very lucky in the West Midlands with clear blue skys and sunshine for 2 hours whilst the solar eclipse was taking place. My eldest dd had managed to arrange delivery of 5 glasses by post to us hers never arrived and she had to watch it on the TV at her university and use her naked eye very briefly. In our case my youngest dds hospital appointment at 10.20 was a salvation it meant we could both go in the garden and watch the eclipse before going to the hospital and then drop her off at school. The glasses blocked out all the light except the distinct light from the sun which at one time resembled the big grin from the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland.

This was all very exciting and is igniting an amateur interest in Astronomy in my youngest dd which follows on from our adventures in Tuscany in August last year when the whole family got up in the middle of the night on two occasions to watch shooting stars in the night sky. Its hard to comprehend all those hundreds of millions of stars and all the planets orbiting around them in this ever expanding universe. It makes you realise how insignificant human beings really are despite the importance we give ourselves.

[moseleymum]

Yes very fortunate here in the West Midlands. DS made a pinhole camera and was fortunate that his school was quite encouraging about the boys watching it. I did debate using a colander to watch but decided against it in the end .

I remember a few year back, the University of Birmingham held an event in conjunction with the BBC Stargazing Team which was really good. We still remember the perfect view of the planet Jupiter through one of their telescopes - it wasn't even a big telescope - but the picture was like a photo. It was breathtaking .

[quasimodo]

Yes very fortunate here in the West Midlands. DS made a pinhole camera and was fortunate that his school was quite encouraging about the boys watching it. I did debate using a colander to watch but decided against it in the end .

I remember a few year back, the University of Birmingham held an event in conjunction with the BBC Stargazing Team which was really good. We still remember the perfect view of the planet Jupiter through one of their telescopes - it wasn't even a big telescope - but the picture was like a photo. It was breathtaking .

With Easter coming up you've encouraged me to book that visit to the Jodrell Bank observatory for the family. We will go and see one of their science shows on the moon and the eclipse.

[Guest55]

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Enjoy!

[quasimodo]

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Enjoy!

Thank you

[Amber]

If you've been inspired by the eclipse why not take a bit of time to learn about some of the constellations with your children? Things like the large and small Plough, the Pole Star, Perseus, Andromeda, as well as the planets, are often visible - Venus and Mars particularly. We have a basic telescope and you can easily look at Saturn's rings, the 'eye' of Jupiter and the craters of the moon. In summer you can sit and watch meteor showers too, and satellites,and the ISS - no equipment needed. If you can get somewhere properly dark it's easy to see the Milky Way with a pair of binoculars or even the naked eye.

For me the night sky is the most amazing, awe-inspiring phenomenon and I can't get my head round the whole space/time/infinity concept. For those who are keen on 'educating' children you can run with the whole mythology thing; but otherwise it's just really beautiful and a nice thing to do on the warm evenings I hope are coming soon.

[Tinkers]

Here in Reading we don't really get a decent dark sky, but from an early age I've pointed out the constellations to DD.
A few years ago, whilst on holiday one August, we dragged her out of bed at some silly hour (at her request) to watch a meteor shower.

So far though, nothing can top the night sky we experienced in 1997, in Botswana. One night we camped at Kubu Island in the Makgadikgadi salt pans. No artificial lights for miles and miles. The sky was amazing, the Milky Way was very clear. Being in the Southern Hemisphere we didn't really recognise any constellations, though some Aussies travelling with us pointed out the southern cross.
(And a few days shortly after DH and I got got together )

[kenyancowgirl]

Tinkers, I have seen the same sight in Botswana and also Kenya where you can see both southern and northern hemisphere. I always refer to it as 180 degrees of sky - total blackness from the lack of artificial light and no buildings to interrupt the view. You are so right, there is nothing like the sky in Africa...genuinely...and until you have seen it of yourself, you can't appreciate the wonder of it!