davieG Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 The biggest solar eclipse since 1999 will take place next month. And astronomers say there won’t be another chance to see a phenomenon like in the UK until 2026. The eclipse – on the morning of March 20 - is set to block out about 84 per cent of sunlight in London – with parts of Scotland expected to have 94 per cent of sunlight blocked out. A total eclipse will take place in Northern Norway and the Faroe Islands for around two minutes – and a partial eclipse will be seen for 90 minutes in Europe, North Africa and Russia. The phenomenon happens when the moon travels in front of the sun and casts a shadow over Earth. It is expected to start in the UK at about 8.45am and end by about 10.40am. It will be the biggest solar eclipse since August 11, 1999. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Biggest-solar-eclipse-UK-1999-place-month/story-26080199-detail/story.html#ixzz3Skl9EWSe Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trav Le Bleu Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 Guarenteed cloudy day then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facecloth Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 94% of the sun blocked out. Isn't that normal for Scotland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raj Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 Remember the last partial one a good few years back...it was weird cos it did darken and all the birds were going loopy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokes Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 The gingers will be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaelicFox Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 God l don't know if many remember up evington way , think East Park road way Some guy went loco in the eclipse and stabbed some people killing some one Was the 1999 eclipse Was all over national news , was a big enquiry into it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaelicFox Posted 25 February 2015 Share Posted 25 February 2015 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1433468.stm Very sad ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeyfox Posted 26 February 2015 Share Posted 26 February 2015 God l don't know if many remember up evington way , think East Park road way Some guy went loco in the eclipse and stabbed some people killing some one Was the 1999 eclipse Was all over national news , was a big enquiry into it Yes, the victim was related to my now wife (although I hadn't met her, or him, at the time. Have been keeping an eye on this eclipse for a while as it will be the biggest partial eclipse in the UK for a long time. If you want to see a total eclipse, there is a good one which will pass over continental United States in August 2017. Probably a decent chance of good weather too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaelicFox Posted 26 February 2015 Share Posted 26 February 2015 Yes, the victim was related to my now wife (although I hadn't met her, or him, at the time. Have been keeping an eye on this eclipse for a while as it will be the biggest partial eclipse in the UK for a long time. If you want to see a total eclipse, there is a good one which will pass over continental United States in August 2017. Probably a decent chance of good weather too! Very sorry to hear that , hope my post wasn't insensitive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buce Posted 26 February 2015 Share Posted 26 February 2015 For anyone who's interested, Venus and Mars are spectacularly visible low in the SW right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted 26 February 2015 Share Posted 26 February 2015 For anyone who's interested, Venus and Mars are spectacularly visible low in the SW right now. Can I see Uranus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buce Posted 26 February 2015 Share Posted 26 February 2015 Can I see Uranus? You'd need a good telescope..... Syston is a long way from Oadby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeyfox Posted 26 February 2015 Share Posted 26 February 2015 Very sorry to hear that , hope my post wasn't insensitive Not at all. I think you more or less accurately summed up the event. Like I say, I never met the guy. I have subsequently met his widow many times who is a lovely, lovely old lady. Very sad indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 1 March 2015 Author Share Posted 1 March 2015 BBC live event at Leicester racecourse to mark solar eclipse By atroughton | Posted: March 01, 2015 solar eclipse Comments (0)The BBC is staging a spectacular show in Leicester to coincide with the solar eclipse on March 20. BBC Learning is holding an one-off event at the city’s racecourse to mark the biggest such eclipse for 16 years. A galaxy of stars has been invited including the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who spent a total of 174 days on the International Space Station. Paul Franklin, the visual effects supervisor from the recent blockbuster Interstellar, and Robin Ince from Radio 4's Infinite Monkey Cage are also due to attend. The BBC has chosen Leicester as its is home to the National Space Centre and Leicester University which are at the forefront of space exploration and were involved in the Beagle 2 mission to Mars in 2003. The family-friendly day will include eclipse-related experiments and explanations, hands on ‘train to be an astronaut’ activities, telescope feeds from across the planet and the chance to quiz the experts about the mysteries of the universe. The event, which is free, will be open from 9am until 3pm and from 6pm until 9pm. During the day, activities will be geared towards schools and will include viewing the eclipse, finding out more about the solar system and taking part in hands-on experiments. There will even be a special zone, in the daytime, to encourage young stargazers to get involved, featuring the host of CBeebies Stargazing, Chris Jarvis. Sinead Rocks, head of BBC Learning, said: “It’s wonderful to be able to build on our longstanding relationship with Stargazing. “Over the years, we’ve worked with partners and astronomy groups across the UK to capitalise on the interest that the TV shows create by giving thousands of people opportunities to get actively involved with astronomy. “We’ve got the added bonus of a solar eclipse to kickstart our flagship event in Leicester as well as an ambitious nationwide project to get schools involved in a live science experiment. “ ESA Astronaut Paolo Nespoli said: “I’ve never been to Leicester and I’m really looking forward to visiting. “It will be great to interact with the kids and share my enthusiasm of space, science, maths and technology”. More details at www.bbc.co.uk/stargazing Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/BBC-live-event-Leicester-racecourse-mark-solar/story-26096057-detail/story.html#ixzz3T8P9DR00 Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 19 March 2015 Author Share Posted 19 March 2015 Comments (0) Tomorrow's solar eclipse will block out up to 90 per cent of the sunlight across parts of the UK between 8.25am and 10.45am. But it comes with a health warning. Even looking at just the small amount of the Sun peeking out from behind the Moon during an eclipse in enough to make you go blind. It is also dangerous to look at the eclipse through binoculars or a telescope – and even sunglasses or exposed photographic film will not protect your eyes. Here are several ways you can watch tomorrow's eclipse without risking your eyesight. Eclipse Glasses If have been lucky enough to find a pair of eclipse glasses that is a safe was to view the eclipse directly. There are some limited stocks available as part of a Leicester Mercury promotion. These are made of card with special material inlaid, and you hold them up to the eclipse to view it. The special dark material in them to cut down the Sun's light by 100,000 time. But check for damage such as holes or scratches, as only undamaged filters are safe to use. Even though they down the visible light, it might not cut out the dangerous infrared light, so you could still do permanent damage to your eyes. Make sure you put the viewer to your eyes before you look at the Sun. Colander This is the most simple way to view the eclipse. Stand with your back to the Sun and hold the colander in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. Hold the colander between the Sun and the paper and you will be able to see many images of the eclipse on one piece of paper. Pinhole Camera A pinhole camera will project the image of the eclipse on to card – and it is a really easy to make one. You need two pieces of card. Poke a small hole in the centre of one of them, no more than 4mm across. Stand with your back to the Sun. . Hold both cards up, with the one with the pinhole closer to the Sun. They should be about one metre apart.The light through the pinhole can be projected on to the other piece of card, allowing the eclipse to be viewed safely. You can also use a cereal box or similar box. Make a pinhole in one edge. Point this towards the Sun and you'll see a tiny image of the Sun projected on to the inside of the packet. Put white paper or card on the inside to make it easier to see. Never look through the pinhole at the Sun, but only at the projected image. Watch a video on how to build a pinhole camera from a shoebox here: ADVERTISEMENT Mirrors A small mirror, such as a make-up mirror, can be used to reflect the image of the eclipse onto a white wall. Do not use a magnifying mirror. Do not look into the mirror at the eclipse as this is just as dangerous as looking directly at the Sun. Cover the mirror with paper in which you have made a hole no more than 5mm across. Stand with your back to the eclipse. Use the mirror to reflect an image of the Sun onto a light-coloured wall, being careful not to reflect the sunlight into anyone's eyes. This works well when you are about 5m away from the wall. The smaller the mirror and the further away the wall, the sharper the image you should get. Experimenting with the distances and mirror size should make the image brighter. To make the image clearer to see, use an indoor wall in a house and reflect the image in through a window. Notice that the shape of the hole – even a triangle – still gives a circular disc of the Sun. Television Or you could just watch it on television! Eclipse Live: A Stargazing Special will be on BBC Two at 9am tomorrow. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/8203-Solar-Eclipse-2015-watch-safely/story-26199684-detail/story.html#ixzz3Up6LMC6W Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokes Posted 19 March 2015 Share Posted 19 March 2015 I bet its overcast anyway, you will all see nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SystonFox Posted 19 March 2015 Share Posted 19 March 2015 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1433468.stm Very sad ..... I went school with Daniel Geeson. He did not die from this attack and infact protected his dad on the day. Legend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB11 Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 Not being funny but it looks nothing like what they're showing on BBC. I wouldn't even notice anything different if the media hadn't been advertising it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 I'm off to jump off the roof to see if I can fly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 Not being funny but it looks nothing like what they're showing on BBC. I wouldn't even notice anything different if the media hadn't been advertising it Not even that's as dark as a thunderstorm now and the sun is a crescent? It's fairly obvious that it's happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramboacdc Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 im blind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 Not being funny but it looks nothing like what they're showing on BBC. I wouldn't even notice anything different if the media hadn't been advertising it We're too far south. If you're in Scotland and the Isles you'll get a far more complete eclipse. It's centred on the Faroes. Because the sun is so bright, obviously even 10% of it is still going to provide a lot of daylight. The BBC webcam was in Lewis which is about as far north as you get in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgfualol Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 Had a very eerie feeling where I live today. I think I completely missed the eclipse part- or it was just incredibly underwhelming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnegan Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 Not even that's as dark as a thunderstorm now and the sun is a crescent? It's fairly obvious that it's happening. Also this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Oxlong Posted 20 March 2015 Share Posted 20 March 2015 From my phone. Don't really see what all the fuss was about. Got more chance of going blind sat at my computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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