Seeing Saturn

sketch-1585179837682

Digital sketch…

Years ago I had the pleasure of using a low powered telescope. I managed to find Juiter and then further away in the darkness was Saturn. It was amazing, the Rings were tipped up so they were much more visible than when they are in the a more horizontal plain. It was tiny, so small, but I could see it wavering slightly in the night air. I think Galileo thought it looked like it had ears?

To see planets with your own eyes, however small they appear is wonderful. The time it takes for the light to get to us means you scan look into the past. So it’s almost like time travel too!

If you ever get the chance, look up and see the sky….

Shopping

IMG_20200311_171859_644.jpg

I knew I was going to have to go out shopping when my hubby went out to get loo roll and came back with a light bulb!

I went out to try and get a week’s shopping, or more if I can make it last. I usually shop every few days because I don’t have the storage space in my small kitchen for much, and because I only have a small fridge freezer I can’t fit much in that.

First shop, no meat, got a couple of veggie lasagne’s. Two bananas (I left two behind), some mixed veg and a few more things. Second shop. There was no loo paper (what is it with people?) so I bought their last box of man sized tissues. (that always makes me laugh, are they six foot tall tissues?) Third shop, a few pieces of chicken, some burgers, celery, pasta sauce, a bit more.

I gave up the search and came home. One day soon the hoarding will stop.. It isn’t sensible, but what is? I have a feeling that this is partly being driven by that stupidity called Brexit. I think that people have been so wound up by that, that they have got into a seige mentality. The British can be very bloody minded. Its also difficult not to relate it to the idea that the country expects to be cut off from the European continent and is acting like it has already happened.

So what can we do? Deal with the virus, try and stay inside and stay safe. I will still have to go shopping. As to the B word. Maybe this will make people realise its not such a good idea after all….

I’ve read a few of John Wyndhams’ books about the world order collapsing ( Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes,) he doesn’t mention toilet rolls once!

Eight…

sketch-1584751258806

It’s a fact, EIGHT people have as much wealth as half of the world’s population.

That’s    over    3,500,000,000 people!

The current world crisis will cost Billions or Trillions to resolve. Add to that the wars that are going on. The deforestation and damage to the lane through plastic and other pollutions. Also the death of animals through poaching or poisoning that will cause the extinction of them within a few years.

And yet we are not fair, we do not share, it is survival of the fittest ( for that read richest). We have religions, all of which tell us to care for one another, love one another, not to cause harm. But what do we do… Ignore sensible rules and become more selfish…

And yet, in these times, people suddenly seem to have remembered compassion.

Let’s hope it lasts…

Interesting times

FB_IMG_1583851737617

We live in difficult times,

In a bubble where nothing can touch us,

In a dream world of Internet lies,

In a world where one touch can kill us,

 

Yes we live in interesting times.

 

We live where a cold can be fatal,

Where a virus is writing our fate,

In a world where borders can’t save us,

We must act before it’s too late.

 

Don’t think the world is over,

We must fight till the end is right here,

No one knows what resolve will save us.

But we live in interesting times.

In other news..

sketch-1584608662732

Digital illustration of a comet. Didn’t want to use someone else’s copyright photo. This is just to give an impression of its colour….

I get alerts from Spaceweather.com about all sorts of astronomical events. I got this alert about a comet this morning. As we are in ‘interesting times’ I thought I would let you know.

Here is a short excerpt with the link:
COMET ATLAS IS BRIGHTENING FASTER THAN EXPECTED: Get ready for a wild ride. Comet ATLAS (C2019 Y4) is plunging toward the sun and, if it doesn’t fly apart first, it could become one of the brightest comets in years. Amateur astronomers are already getting fantastic images as the comet brightens even faster than expected. Visit Spaceweather.com for the full story.

I don’t think the link will work from here, but it’s an easy address to find.

X

Keep calm and ignore the news

My hubby just asked what I think will happen with corona virus and I have to say I don’t know. What I do know is that the news on TV and the radio is making me more anxious. My shoulders are so tense they are aching. My neck feels like it has the weight of the world on it. As someone with health issues I should hide away for twelve weeks, but I’m also my hubby’s carer. He does things to help or tries to, but sometimes gets a bit confused. I don’t think anyone will stop him going out! The traffic on the street outside is a lot quieter than normal. This is a manufacturing area that has been in decline for a few years. Let’s hope the illness doesn’t decimate it.

Anyway I don’t like the editor I’m using. I’ve found categories and tags, but can’t share to Facebook where I add my art, so I will keep calm and post there seperately.

Thinking about the universe and all that..

sketch-1584120444604

‘space’, digital drawing’

I was sitting thinking about dark matter and dark energy today as you do. I’m not sure exactly what they are, but scientists are trying to find out.

To explain, normal matter only takes up a small percentage of the amount of matter in the universe. The rest could be ‘dark matter’ which cannot be measured by normal scientific measures. Also there is dark energy. A type of energy that is repulsive. The universe is expanding and this dark energy is apparently speeding that process up.

Then I thought about the idea that there may be more than one universe. The multiverse. In some theories each decision we make could create a new universe. But we can only see the one we are in? My mind started to boggle. Maybe the dark matter could be from the universes we can’t see, and the dark energy from the creation of each new universe’s.

This is the trouble with speculation, I don’t know whether any of this makes any sense. But I like thinking, and if it takes my mind off the world at the moment, then maybe it’s a good thing.

How did we get here?

sketch-1584055669529

A few weeks ago no one had heard of Corona Virus. Now the world is panicking. From an illness that started in the East, it has spread across the world. At one stage we were told it was less harmful than seasonal flu. Now people are self isolating. The problem is that there is no immunity in the population to it. It’s new, so humans haven’t had the chance to get used to it. Vaccines will be created, but that takes time. They have to be tested before they can be used safely. Now governments are setting limits to how many people can meet, shutting down sports events, and stocks and shares are dropping in value. Its as if the world has gone mad. We’ve watched too many zombie movies and people are trying to make sense of what’s going on. Hopefully things will improve soon.

X

World

_20200303_224853what would happen if the Earth was tipped up on its axis?

The world would spin so the equator was spinning at nintey degrees or so to where it is now. Every twenty four hours it would still spin West to East as it does now, but the Sun would not rise and set every day. I think it would only do that when the Earth was mid way between when either pole faced the Sun. Because the Earth rotates round the Sun. So the North or North East or North West would face the Sun for half  of the year and the South, South East and South West for the other half.

So what would happen to the poles? Even now, because the Earth is tipped at an angle and doesn’t rotate vertically, we get summers and winters. So there  twenty four hour days in the polar summer, and twenty four hour nights in polar winter. If the Earth was tipped over more the twenty four hour days and nights would last for months. The side away from the Sun would be colder, the side towards it would be hotter. Perhaps all the ice would melt at one pole and freeze much more at the other? Who knows? I’m sure scientists would have the answer. Thankfully we don’t face that question. Sadly we do face climate crisis. We need to sort out the current situation. How? I don’t know the answer to that. But perhaps we should follow what teachers put on school reports. We must try harder?!

Cold

_20200210_123927

Oh its a bit cold today. There is sleet falling and its very grey overhead. I’m sitting shivering a bit, I have to pay my fuel bills soon and I’m trying to minimise how much I use. So the heating is on a timer and I’m wearing a cardigan to keep warm. The temperature inside is about 17°C (outside its about 5°C). But it’s been another mild winter. It’s only been frosty a few times and we’ve had no lying snow. I’ve got things to do so I can leave the heating off till later. When I was younger I wasn’t bothered by the cold. I lived in house with no central heating, and we just had single glazing. So I’m a lot better off than I used to be.

I do think about the majority of the people on the planet who are not as lucky as me. It’s a sad situation where a few billionaires can have as much money as half the earth’s population. In the meantime my hubby just turned a light on, but left one on in the kitchen…. Bah humbug!