shuggee

Indeed Yamkin - found a twitter feed today from @BGSauroraAlert today (British Geological Survey here in Edinburgh). They reported a 'shock in the solar wind' earlier. (With thanks to @weather_events).

7.0ºC

It was colder at 3.30pm on Monday afternoon (3.5ºC) than it is now (4.0ºC). Expecting city centre temp of around 1.0ºC by dawn here.

Qualified or experienced Paul - or both?

Bizarre? The approach has a name: It's called Scientific Method (clicky) or click here. It's thanks to that method that I am able to sit in a warm, watertight, well-lit house, with a laptop typing into a micro processor and communicating with you.

For me, not agreeing with hypotheses around AGW is about having equally rigorously scientifically-based alternative theories that stack-up. Not much of that about as far as I can see - just lots of sniping and disingenuously picking selective holes in the existing theory. If there was another theory that was demonstrably able to show that AGW was nonsense - then all of the scientific community would have to sit-up and take notice and accept the new theory(ies). That's my understanding of how science works. Call me niaive....

That's quite something. Watching the base of the cliff first, and seeing how the sheer up the crack to the top develops - great video. (Moved into nature section )

This weekend sees what is being billed not as a meteor shower - but a storm: http://news.national...1006news-meteor Full moon may spoil much of it, but worth a watch, clear skies permitting...

If you think about it, it happens all the time - as this quick search at space.com shows: http://bit.ly/ngeUPe The sun is the most dense, most gravitationally attractive body in the solar system - so stuff shooting around our part of this corner of the galaxy will always be affected by its pull.

Yes it really confuses me too. I am the sort of person who wants to speak with knowledgable people to learn and gain information, I really struggle to understand why people in the circumstance I describe above wouldn't be the same. I love learning - and it is a genuine thrill to meet a very clever person. A good friend of mine once used the example of a race as a metaphor - would you choose to compete against the fastest runner you know, to push yourself and try to achieve something or would you choose to run against somebody you know you could beat? I am definitely of the former type. I think some people see it as a weakness, or perhaps they have a personality which means they always have to be the one who is right. More fool them I suppose. We've had characters post endlessly on this very forum in the past - who really should just sit back, take a deep breath and consider that maybe, just maybe, somebody else might know more than they think they do. But I digress, as George has been very ably pointing out throughout this thread in the last few days, the Monday/Tuesday peak of auroral activity really was special.

I had a local journalist tell me this morning that because it's very sunny at the moment, more sun means more aurora, and that last night had the most Scottish sitings. I tried really really hard to be polite.

Sorry about this - I had something similar happen recently that I never managed to figure out. Try uploading it again Liam - the blue sky image and the lightning have been deleted for you to reload.

It's gone very quiet on the Elenin front. How's the end of the world coming along? Anyone spotted the dwarf planet yet?

Nooooooh! Not the set of Hollyoaks?

:lol: You beat me to it - I was going to type something similar. A scientist on the bus told me it was true.

Enjoyed that

Yep - as expected, nothing to beat 23rd May.

Indeed Pit - much more exceptional was the 100mph gust on 23 May 2011 in Perthshire. Of course, there was nowhere near as much media hype attached to that depression, because it didn't have a girl's name

Hey Cookie - why not use your blog more?

Space.com saying last night was the first in a 'volley' of solar storm particles to hit earth: http://www.space.com...ts-display.html Not much action with current measurements normal though.

Nope. Fifteen lines is quite enough thanks!

Anyway, back in the real world, it might be of interest that we actually have two comets in the night sky at the moment - Elinin and Garradd. In the last few days of September, Elenin will separate from the sun in our morning sky. It will be visible in binoculars in the morning sky for all of October, Meanwhile, Garradd is currently just south of the small but well-known constellation of Sagitta, the arrow. This arrow-shaped constellation is right in the middle of the summer triangle formed by the bright stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair.The comet will continue moving westward and brightening, reaching magnitude 7.0 on 12 February 2012. As an avid sky-watcher it really increasingly tedious trying to find information from reputable sources over the internet about Elenin right now - with all the conspiracy armchair experts becoming increasingly excitable in front of their computers. Certainly come winter when we can look back on this episode and the complete nonsense that has been written, and doom-laden websites move onto their next pet theory, let's hope a few members on here learn from the experience.

Interesting game based on understanding risk and forecasting - you have to help Brad sell ice creams over 4 weekends by predicting good weather. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/weather-game/play.html Apparently my advice is as good as that of a 'seasoned meteorologist' and I gained Brad £78.

Not bad.