Another Beast from the East?

[brian livesey]

According to the Guardian there's a high possibility of another "beast from the East" in the middle of next week, due to a threatening sudden stratospheric warming.
Along with Covid-19, it would finish off more of the old folk. Heartless as she might seem to be, Nature insists on staying healthy and viruses are one of many ways that she removes the sickly and weak. Ironically, over a great length of time, viruses have contributed to making us human, by locking into our DNA and changing it.

[Brian]

Dear Brian,
Thank You so much for cheering me up!

[brian livesey]

If it's any consolation Brian, whatever Nature throws at us, she's equipped us with a brain that, given enough time and resources, can solve or, at least, moderate these problems.

[Kay Burton]

If it's any consolation Brian, whatever Nature throws at us, she's equipped us with a brain that, given enough time and resources, can solve or, at least, moderate these problems.

You're right. And as a rule, conscientious people who have chronic diseases or complications after the disease continue to be treated and monitored by doctors. Of course, this does not save everyone, but most of them quite calmly survive some natural phenomena such as strong magnetic storms.

[Cliff]

Dear All
I gather some astronomers think it is Human's Destiny to fully under stand the Universe (or maybe universes or multi-verses or even Bigger 'verses).
I understand us humans, even including our old Neander-pals, have only existed a fraction of the time of some other species before pegging out.
So what's the rush ?
I vaguely estimate their are about fifteen thousand stargazers in the UK which has a total population of what 60 0r 70 million.
Best of luck from Cliff (from what I recall : - One PLUS Two EQUALS about Three.0000,000,ooo,ooo,,,,,,,
I wonder what the 60 or 70 million Minus 15 thousand might think.

[brian livesey]

I'm sure you'll agree Cliff that the British weather puts many people off stargazing. Probably, there are quite a few more people who find indoor astronomy more interesting. I refer to TV and radio science programmes. Over the years there have been, for example, some excellent HORIZON programmes on astronomy and astrophysics for the general public.
Regarding the weather, the cat's thoroughly bored because of it. She hops through the cat-flap intent to explore the garden, then, seconds later dives back through it with chattering teeth, too faint to detect by human ear. We'd think that a Lancashire cat can tolerate rain, but we've had a record amount of the stuff over the past year. If it persists, North West cats will be having kittens with webbed feet.

[SkyBrowser]

At least you have a catflap! We have to go from window to window as she sticks her head out, decides she doesn't like what she sees and moves on to the next one, looking for the "door into summer".

[michael feist]

Our cat, who I have mentioned from time to time as a feline wake-up alarm-call if I sleep too much and am about to miss something astronomically interesting, insists on going out into the garden under almost any weather. During the winter she grows a thick ruff, looking rather like a tiny black & white male lion. She is obsessed with hunting those mice that live under the shed!
As for 'indoor astronomy', I am in favour of that myself, not watching it on the TV but observing from indoors through the window to the clear sky outside. Occasional from the bed observing can be very comfortable too!
regards maf - watcher of the skies who likes cats.

[stella]

"According to the Guardian there's a high possibility of another "beast from the East".

But it's approaching from the West!

So I prefer to think of it as a "Pest from the West."

[SkyBrowser]

This is the Guardian

[brian livesey]

The Guardian might have meant that, regardless of direction, the weather would be the equivalent of the Beast from the East - severe cold and heavy snowfall.

[Kay Burton]

Our cat, who I have mentioned from time to time as a feline wake-up alarm-call if I sleep too much and am about to miss something astronomically interesting, insists on going out into the garden under almost any weather. During the winter she grows a thick ruff, looking rather like a tiny black & white male lion. She is obsessed with hunting those mice that live under the shed!
As for 'indoor astronomy', I am in favour of that myself, not watching it on the TV but observing from indoors through the window to the clear sky outside. Occasional from the bed observing can be very comfortable too!
regards maf - watcher of the skies who likes cats.

By the way, yes, cats feel invisible phenomena very strongly. They sense the change in weather in advance. My cat, if the weather changes abruptly, is restless.

[SunsetTwilight]

Roll on spring

I can't wait now for the lighter evenings and the warmer weather. I do love winter with the crisper nights for observing but I much prefer the warm weather and no snow. The only downfall is the time it goes dark and I have no time to observe much having to go to work next day.

[brian livesey]

Earlier predictions for another “beast from the East” were premature. The Siberian beast arrives at the weekend and into next week.

[SunsetTwilight]

One to watch out for this weekend.

A significant amount of snow possibly over the weekend into next week