Wed
Dec 12 2007
08:32 pm
Natural Happenings
By: fletch

The melting of the Arctic sea ice can sometimes seem like a distant theoretical subject better left for lectures by scientists and professors. To bring the subject home and see how much ice has already melted, click here for an interactive display. Use the slider control in the upper right to select the year. Notice the huge amount lost just in the last year. (apologies if this display made it into An Inconvenient Truth. I never had a chance to see it.)

Thursday evening 12/13 and into early Friday morning the night sky should put on a really good show. The Geminid Meteor Shower should start it's opening act around 10pm and peak around 2am. From Space.com:

"The Geminid Meteors are usually the most satisfying of all the annual showers, even surpassing the famous Perseids of August."

via Americablog

Update: From the AP: Ominous Arctic melt worries experts.
Ohio Insurance Rep's picture

Absolutely

Submitted by Ohio Insurance Rep (not verified) on Wed, 2007/12/12 - 11:08pm.

Its seeing the actual data compiled into such a usable form that really helps clarify the rate of change isn't it. I'd consider myself relatively knowledgeable about the current happenings, but I find that I'm still kind of at a loss when it comes to what the actual scenario will be for the World 10 years from now. I think things will continue to accelerate unfortunately. A lot of these climate change issues will likely radically change the insurance industry, that much I know.

lovable liberal's picture

Joys of dog-walking

Submitted by lovable liberal on Fri, 2007/12/14 - 9:28am.

My little pup balked at going in, so we went back out at almost midnight on the 12th. The first meteor I saw (no scent, so the dog was not interested) was spectacular, nearly 30 degrees long and shot from Orion's bow. The next three (in about fifteen minutes) weren't as long but still were a treat for those of us who keep our eyes on the sky.

Liberty and justice for all.

My new home

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