h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks Gnomon, I'll do them

I am not sure about these dates "The Ubii, a Germanic tribe, settled there around 38 BCE. The Romans showed up in 50 CE." in Dmitri's article. Should I change them to BC and AD?

Yes, you should change them.

I see that "Les Treize" has been published. The date on it should be updated so that it appears in the correct place on the list of recently published entries.

I didn't create the Front Page, and I don't know how to do that, sorry

It's OK. h5 has sorted it. As for how to do it, the instructions are in the entry I told you about - A4292985

Thanks Gnomon We have delegated certain tasks between us. I'm quite happy to let them do the Front Page

I wasn't trying to put on any pressure.

How are you feeling?

I was worried about you in the operation - the mother of a friend of Mrs G died when they were putting in the stent. But once it's in, I've heard nothing but good of it. A friend of mine who is in his late 80s had one a few years back and was singing in the choir three weeks later.

I know

I am noticing a drop in the pain levels but the operation itself was awful. The surgeon couldn't find a vein to insert the correct-size canula, and slapped my arm really hard trying to bring up a vein. That arm is black! I am also upset at the sight of the top of my leg, which is hideously bruised. But I am better off than Mrs G's friend. I had to sign a consent form to say I understood the risk of stroke, heart attack and death with my procedure but you do pray you'll come through it. It's a week now and I've been taking things steady, but I've just done the Tesco run with Mum (she still expected me to carry all the shopping) and I'm wiped out. Might go have a lie down now I've put my shopping away and when I've finished this

The topic at last night's astronomy club meeting was very interesting. One of our founder members, whose passion is the Apollo missions, gave us a talk with slides in 3D on the very last mission, Apollo 17. Here is Deke's article: A481295. However, Deke's article doesn't mention the gnomons. You can imagine how my interest was piqued, I have always thought that a gnomon was the centrepiece of a sundial, the bit whose shadow tells the time. I've done a quick google and here is one: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/a17_h_137_20990.html
According to last night's speaker the gnomons are still there, along with the rest of the equipment like the lunar buggy.

I didn't know that they left gnomons on the moon. In this case, they are vertical devices so that when they take photos, they will know which way is up.

They also left a small mirror device which, if you shine a laser on it, will reflect it back in the direction the beam came. They've been shining a laser at the moon for the last 40 years and measuring its distance away - they can detect a change in distance of a few micrometres. The moon is gradually spiralling away from the Earth.

The gnomons also showed the real colour of the rocks and the orange soil which caused so much excitement.

I know when they got the first photos back from Mars, we were all disappointed to find out that the skies on Mars were just the same colour of blue as they are here.

Then someone noticed that the orange leg on the Mars lander in one of the shots looked completely the wrong colour. The software had adjusted the colour balance to match what it was used to, turning the skies blue. After adjusting the colour balance so that the leg was the right colour, the sky turned to its actual colour - pinky orange.

Russian meteor injures 500

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0215/breaking7.html

I saw a newsflash while I was sat with Mum, quite shocking, I wonder if it has anything to do with the asteroid due for a close encounter tonight?

They're now saying on the news that this event is comparable to the Tunguska event of 1908. Same kind of area too.

These sorts of things may be rare but they scare me because we're so powerless to defend ourselves.

Nothing to do with this evening's asteroid, apparently. Although the speeds are comparable, they're both coming from completely different directions.

The BBC report gives the estimated size of the Russian fireball as 10 tonnes.

I can just see the headline: Grimsby wiped out by meteorite strike - Cleethorpes saved"

might as well, while we're still here

did you get a glimpse of it? Hoggy, Gwennie, my sister & I were clouded out.