We now have a shiny new router which should speed up Internet access. And I have a major case of flat batteries. Mind you, I’ll probably be fine in a day or so, but we’ll still have faster internet.
Our Lady of Anguish church
The Sanctuary of Anguish (Santuario de Las Angustias) The Church of Our Lady’s Anguish lies near the bottom of Las Angustias Ravine, where the river Taburiente runs out of the Caldera. (Well, they take a lot of the water for irrigation, so in the middle of summer it trickles. That still makes it the only year-round river in the Canaries). To find it, take the road from Los Llanos to…
Internet feeds of the Venus transit
If you live somewhere where you can see part or all of the transit, -I hope the clouds stay away for you. REMEMBER NOT TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. If you’re on the wrong part of the planet (like me) or unlucky with the weather, here’s some places to watch it live on the Internet for free. Slooh.com will be broadcasting ten feeds of the Venus transit live from…
Our Geckos
This is a gecko (Tarentola delalandii). Geckos are quite common in the warmer parts of La Palma. They like to live in warm buildings or on sunny walls outside, and this one lives in my house. I think he must have got too close to one of my cats because his tail’s regrowing. You see, if they’re in serious danger of being eaten, their tails come off and provide a…
A birthday present for the William Herschel Telescope
The William Herschel Telescope is 25 years old today – first light was the 1st June 1987. For many years the Herschel was the biggest optical and infrared telescope in Europe, until Gran Telescopio Canarias opened in 2009. It’s main mirror is 4.2 m or 165? across which was huge when it opened, although that’s medium-sized these days. The telescope has so many different instruments that it’s been compared…
Venus Transit on June 5th and 6th
On on 5 and 6 June 2012, the planet Venus will pass in front of the sun in what’s called a transit. The last one took place in June 2004, and the next one won’t happen until December 2117. If you’re in the USA or Canada, the transit will be in progress at your sunset on June 5th. If you’re in the UK or Germany or North-east Spain, the transit will…