So far this year we haven’t really been blessed with that many cloudless nights but the few we have had did provide us with some opportunities to espy spectacular night-sky phenomena such as the Aurora borealis a few weeks ago. That display was an absolute boon for photographers and astronomers, especially those who combine theContinue reading “The Ephemeral Phenomena of Noctilucent Clouds”
Category Archives: #Astronomy
The March, or ‘Worm’ Moon
The March full moon occurs this year on Monday the 25th, here are some facts about the astrological phenomenon of full moons and how often they happen. Syzygy Syzygy is a real scientific term believe it or not and is pronounced “siz-a-gee”, and it’s worth 21 points in Scrabble, it’s an astronomical position that isContinue reading “The March, or ‘Worm’ Moon”
The Spring Equinox and the constellations of Vulpeculae, Anser and Delphinus
The Vernal Equinox On the 20th of March falls the spring, or vernal, equinox, this is the date when the day and night both last 12 hours, so are almost but not entirely equal in length, giving it the name equinox, originating from equi, meaning ‘equal’, and nox, meaning ‘night’, this date marks the beginningContinue reading “The Spring Equinox and the constellations of Vulpeculae, Anser and Delphinus”
Sirius, the Bright and Ever-changing Dog Star
On clear cloudless nights it is always worth chucking your big coat on and popping outside to see what you can spot in our night skies, especially if you are lucky enough to live somewhere clear of light pollution. Earlier in the year offers the best opportunities to observe the brightest star that is visibleContinue reading “Sirius, the Bright and Ever-changing Dog Star”
Seo Wulf-mona
The Wolf-moon Tomorrow night, given that the weather forecast is for heavy cloud and rain, there is a slim chance that you might be able see the full beauty of the January full moon, also known as the ‘Wolf moon’ or ‘Old moon’. The Northwest of England has several dark sky discovery sites in andContinue reading “Seo Wulf-mona”
The Poacher’s Moon
A full moon when snow is sitting on the ground is what poachers, keepers and bomber pilots dream of. When there are no leaves on the trees and a bright sky roosting Pheasants are plain to see in the tree canopy, and very easy for poachers to pick off with an air rifle or catapult,Continue reading “The Poacher’s Moon”
“Ring Around The Moon Means Rain Soon”
If you look up to the sky tonight you cannot help but notice a large ring of light around the moon, this is known by meteorologists as a 22º halo, this is because the radius of the halo is always approximately 22 degrees. An old saying has it that a “ring around the moon meansContinue reading ““Ring Around The Moon Means Rain Soon””
Northwest Nature and History 