Big moon

[Doggy Styles]

I also understand, about Uranus, that it is tipped at 90 degrees, so that its rotation appears to wheel it around the sun.

That must mean one pole is always facing towards us.

Which pole is it, north or south?

[EternalOptimist]

When my lad was little, about 4, he was scared of the dark. One night I took him out to Formby woods and we wandered round in the pitch black, under the trees.
'Watch this' I said to him.
We crouched down near a fence by a bush, and shortly a couple went past with a dog. 'See that, they didnt even know we were here'
After a few more people had gone by, I said to him
'you never need be afraid again, the dark can be your best friend'

as I walked out out of the woods with him on my shoulders, I felt his hands grip my hair tightly and he gasped.
'What is it son ?'
'Dad LOOK'
He pointed up at a million bright stars, in a black night sky. Living in the city, he'd never seen that before.

He has been in love with the night sky ever since

[Doggy Styles]

...a couple went past with a dog. 'See that, they didnt even know we were here'
After a few more people had gone by, I said to him
'you never need be afraid again, the dark can be your best friend'

What were you teaching him to do?

[AlfredJPruffock]

I also understand, about Uranus, that it is tipped at 90 degrees, so that its rotation appears to wheel it around the sun.

That must mean one pole is always facing towards us.

Which pole is it, north or south?

Hmm - interesting well according to this article

One bizarre aspect of Uranus is that its axis of rotation is tipped beyond 90 degrees in relation to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. This puts Uranus' north and south poles, relative to the Sun, where the other planets have their equators. +

So its the answer neither becasue the poles are virtually the equator ?

[Mich the Tester]

When my lad was little, about 4, he was scared of the dark. One night I took him out to Formby woods and we wandered round in the pitch black, under the trees.
'Watch this' I said to him.
We crouched down near a fence by a bush, and shortly a couple went past with a dog. 'See that, they didnt even know we were here'
After a few more people had gone by, I said to him
'you never need be afraid again, the dark can be your best friend'

as I walked out out of the woods with him on my shoulders, I felt his hands grip my hair tightly and he gasped.
'What is it son ?'
'Dad LOOK'
He pointed up at a million bright stars, in a black night sky. Living in the city, he'd never seen that before.

He has been in love with the night sky ever since

If you look at the night sky from the highlands of Scotland, or for that matter any sparsely populated place, it simply looks completely different to looking from a populated area. You can even see the band of light from our galaxy spread across the sky. Europe’s light pollution is immense. Just look from an aeroplane at night and you can see how much light, and therefore electricity, is wasted shining upwards. Here in NL it’s worst of all, but still when people from the city come out to the countryside and see the night sky they’re amazed.

[minestrone]

Surprised nobody posted a picture of a fat person mooning.

[wxman]

Anyway the shows over!

There will be almost 100% cloud cover across the UK tonight

[Doggy Styles]

Hmm - interesting well according to this article

One bizarre aspect of Uranus is that its axis of rotation is tipped beyond 90 degrees in relation to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. This puts Uranus' north and south poles, relative to the Sun, where the other planets have their equators. +

So its the answer neither becasue the poles are virtually the equator ?

I thought the poles are always at either end of the axis of rotation, and the equator is so called because it is the ring of points equidistant from the poles.

[AlfredJPruffock]

When my lad was little, about 4, he was scared of the dark. One night I took him out to Formby woods and we wandered round in the pitch black, under the trees.
'Watch this' I said to him.
We crouched down near a fence by a bush, and shortly a couple went past with a dog. 'See that, they didnt even know we were here'
After a few more people had gone by, I said to him
'you never need be afraid again, the dark can be your best friend'

as I walked out out of the woods with him on my shoulders, I felt his hands grip my hair tightly and he gasped.
'What is it son ?'
'Dad LOOK'
He pointed up at a million bright stars, in a black night sky. Living in the city, he'd never seen that before.

He has been in love with the night sky ever since

Thats a great wee anecdote EO.

It was my Dad who got me into Astronomy with a gift of a telescope and buying a Book about the Universe when I was seven years old.

When the Sky at Night came on my Mother used to say - "'quick its your Uncle Patrick !'"

I used to set the telescope up and during the Winter nights observe the Night Sky - one night I observed a meteroite shower - I still recall rushing in and dragging my Dad out -

'Look Dad - look isnt that Amazing ??!!'

And it was .

Years later I was lucky was lucky enough to work with the European and even the Russian Space agency - my Dad was ever so proud and Im glad he witnessed this before he passed away.

[EternalOptimist]

What were you teaching him to do?

I was teaching him that the reason for being afraid of the dark, that the bogeyman is creeping up on you, that you have to fear what you cant see, is baseless. If you sit still and keep your gob shut you are perfectly safe.
In fact safer, because we could hear those guys moving around from miles away