The Friday Five

I thought I'd give this a whirl this week as the questions were about a subject that really interests me!

1.  Have you seen a solar eclipse? Total, Partial, Annular? When and where?

I saw the total eclipse that was visible over the UK in August 1999.  Mr Dizzo and I travelled down to Cornwall and watched proceedings from a cowfield about half a mile outside of Penzance.  It was actually cloudy on the day, so we didn’t see the disk of the sun, but seeing that vast horizon-wide shadow racing  across the clouds toward us was, in some ways, even more spectacular.  I always remember the silence that fell when the darkness settled over us, it was really was an otherworldly experience

2.  Have you seen a lunar eclipse? Full? Partial? When and where?

I’m pretty sure I have seen a lunar eclipse, but I can’t remember when.  I know there is a total lunar eclipse expected to be visible from the UK on 18th September this year, so I hope to be out and about for that.

3.  Have you seen a comet? Which one? When and where?

I saw Hale Bopp in 1997, and was fortunate enough to see it from both hemispheres as I travelled to Australia and NZ that year.

4.  Have you seen a nova or supernova? When and where?

No, I don’t think there’s been a visible one in my lifetime.

5.  Have you seen a meteor shower? Which one, when and where?

I’ve occasionally seen the Perseid meteor shower which is usually visible during the Summers here.