The Gooner Forum

Source BBC:


The BBC World Service has launched a special podcast series to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Actually it's 56years! But who's counting!

"13 Minutes to the Moon" details the final phase of the descent to the lunar surface - and the months and years that led up to those extraordinary moments.


On BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m002cbks


On BBC World Service Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48232627


This is well worth seeing/reading etc


I remember watching this with my Parents & Siblings, also three other families in our Street who didn't have a TV, we were all packed into the front room, all the adults smoking, the men drinking bottles of beer, the women glasses of sherry (I think). My Mum and the other Mothers had made plates loads of sandwiches etc, all the kids had Corona Pop! It was a HUGE event. We watched it on one of those old wooden box like (rented Reddifusion) Black & White Televisions. s
I can recall (vaguely) when they landed then actually took the First Step outside onto the Moons surface, all the adults raining their bottles and glasses to toast it, but my Grandmother saying "it isn't natural, no good will come of all this 'meddling in space', they need to stop all the wars before they spend all this money on space travel"... what a wise, wise woman! :Bless You Gran!"

Ironically there were Huge Thunder & Lightning Storms all over the UK whilst it was actually happening (*), a Hot, Humid Night with Lightning lighting up the nights sky...and downpours of rain!


(*) The next day we discovered that the oldest tree (Oak) in the local park, right by one end of the 2 Football Pitches had been struck during that evening's Thunder & Lightning storm, it was nearly split in two, all blackened and it smelt of burning (Perhaps a 'sign' or 'omen'? ... well that's what some of the oldies (pensioners) were saying...



Apollo 11 Mission:

16 Jul 1969 – 24 Jul 1969

The exact date of the first moon landing July 20, 1969


The Apollo 11 lunar module landed on the Moon at 8:17 PM UK time (BST) on July 20, 1969.


Apollo 11

Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans landed on the Moon. Wikipedia

Dates: 16 Jul 1969 – 24 Jul 1969
Aposelene altitude: 122.4 kilometers (66.1 nmi)
Crew size: 3
Inclination: 1.25 degrees
Launch mass: 109,646 pounds (49,735 kg)
Mission duration: 8 days, 3 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds
Sample mass: 21.55 kilograms (47.51 lb)


It seems more like 100's of years ago, nor just 56 Years!

Uh! OHHHHH!


I hope it's not those Fucking Triffids or the Other Lot who Crack the Ground Open, Rise Up & Destroy Everything then Feast on Human (Live) Bodies !!!!


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy003l0pw0o

Source: BBC Science



Perseid meteor shower: When, where and how to catch a glimpse





https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy7d7e82gno



10 August 2025

Stargazers will soon be treated to what could be one of the year's most dazzling displays, with the Perseid meteor shower reaching its peak on Monday and Tuesday nights.

The shower lights up the skies each summer, and is known for its bright, fast-moving meteors - often dubbed "shooting stars".
However, visibility could be affected by bright moonlight from the recent Sturgeon Moon, making it harder to see the fainter streaks.

The Perseids are visible to the naked eye - but local weather will play a major role, so check your forecast before heading out.

What is the Perseid meteor shower?

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through trails of dust and debris left behind by comets or asteroids.

The Perseids come from a comet called Swift–Tuttle, which orbits the Sun once every 133 years.

The comet's dust particles enter Earth's atmosphere at speeds of about 37 miles (59 kilometres) per second.


WHOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

As they do so, they burn up, creating the bright flashes we call meteors.

The Perseids have been observed for nearly 2,000 years, with some of the earliest records from ancient China.

They are named after the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to originate.

How and when can you watch the Perseids?

The peak times for the Perseids in 2025 are the nights of 11-12 and 12-13 August, according to Finn Burridge, science communicator at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Activity will be slightly greater on 12 August but conditions should be similar on both nights, he added.

Meteors tend to increase after midnight, with the best viewing just before sunrise, though some may be visible earlier in the night.

But this year the peak coincides with a bright Sturgeon Moon, which reached its full phase on 9 August and will still be quite luminous.

"This year's peak unfortunately lines up with a full Moon meaning even in dark sky areas it will be impossible to see the full 100 meteors per hour," said Mr Burridge.

"However, [the Sturgeon Moon] is no reason not to go out and enjoy the shower - it is still likely that you will see at least 1 or 2 fireballs per hour, even with a full moon," he added.

For darker skies, consider viewing on nights between 16 and 26 August, though meteor activity will be lower.

"Dates nearer to the shower's peak offer the best chance, but this also coincides with the full Moon," said Mr Burridge.

"After the full Moon is more likely the better time to view, since the Moon will rise later in the night, so I would recommend the peak nights as well as weekend of 16 and 17 August," he added.

Mr Burridge gave a few tips to "maximise your chances of seeing a shooting star".

Make sure you can see as much of the sky as possible, with no buildings, trees, or hills blocking your view.

Lie on your back and look upwards, as meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.

View from somewhere away from the bright lights of towns or cities - but make sure you have some water, a charged phone, and that you have told someone where you are going.

Be patient. The more time you spend outside, the more likely you are to see one. It takes at least 20 minutes of dark conditions for your eyes to adapt to the dark.

Will the weather cooperate?

Most parts of the UK will sit under fairly cloudy skies though the first half of Monday night, although there will be glimpses of clearer skies too, especially for parts of Northern Ireland, north-west England and southern Scotland.

There will also be some showers around at times, particularly affecting Wales and northern Scotland.

Later in the night, however, conditions are expected to improve for most areas as cloud gradually melts away.

So perhaps the best prospects of viewing the Perseids tonight will be during the early hours of Tuesday morning for most.