Star Trek was strange. ‘Space: the final front ear.’ Why would people have ears at the front? Very odd.
But space is fascinating. And it will be extra specially fascinating at about 0930 on Friday 20 March, because that’s when the next full solar eclipse will take place.
In the UK we’ll get a partial eclipse, but it will still be over 80% throughout the UK, and over 90% in Central Scotland. Go even further north, e.g. to Lewis or Harris, and you’ll be in the 95% zone. Exciting stuff.
It was a little corner of space that inspired me to write the 4th LEE book, Lee on the Dark Side of the Moon. And I rather fancy the idea of being in a school to talk about that book on the day of the eclipse. I’ll be able to wheel out my Moon facts!
Here’s a good Moon (and solar eclipse) fact to start with. Why do we get perfect eclipses? Why doesn’t the sun peep round the edges, or why doesn’t the Moon look twice as large as the Sun? The answer is that the Sun’s diameter is 400 times that of the Moon; but the Sun is also exactly 400 times further from the Earth than is the Moon. In short, the 400s cancel out each other.
So, let me know if you’d be interested in a visit. It would ‘eclipse’ all others!
You may groan now…