Lunar Eclipse Tonight

A spectacular lunar eclipse saw the Moon unsecured loans glow burnt orange this afternoon - but no one in Britain got to see it because it was too cloudy.

A MeteoGroup forecaster has predicted adverse conditions, meaning there will be a 50 per cent chance of seeing a full eclipse from the Shetland Islands.

Between 2.06pm and 2.58pm the northernmost tip of the UK was hoping to witness the Sun, Earth and Moon falling almost exactly in line, giving the moon an orange hue.

Phenomenon: View of a total lunar eclipse as seen from Misaki city, Chiba province, Japan

Spectacular: The moon turns red as the earth passes between the moon and the sun during total lunar eclipse, seen in Tokyo

Breathtaking: The lunar eclipse is seen in the sky beside the landmark India Gate in New Delhi, India

The phenomenon was most dramatic however in East Asia, Australasia bad credit loans and the western Pacific.

Tom Tobler, weather forecaster for MeteoGroup, had earlier said that Shetland Islands inhabitants have a 50/50 chance of a clear view.

The moon looks like it is sitting on the Golden Gate Bridge during the eclipse over San Francisco

The eclipse can be seen behind the Tokyo Tower

At 2pm today parts of the UK could witness the Sun, Earth and Moon falling almost exactly in line

He said: 'It's going to be a bit touch and go. There's quite a lot of cloud around during the morning and again towards the evening.'

'At the time of the eclipse, probably less than half the sky will be covered with cloud.'

Skywatchers in other UK locations may see a partial lunar eclipse, providing their views are not obscured by cloud.

This is what today's total lunar eclipse could look like, this is one from Thursday June 16 this year

What makes the eclipse happen?

Dr Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), said: 'Theoretically the best place in the UK to see the eclipse is in the Shetland Islands but that depends on whether they have good weather and a clear horizon, which can be another stumbling block.

'It will then be just possible to see it, but that is about as good as it gets. It will literally just be for one or two minutes but even that is a bit uncertain because it all depends on the time the Moon rises, which is in itself a bit unpredictable.

'But eclipses are spectacular and it is certainly worth a bit of time to go and look at it.'

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full Moon moves into the Earth's shadow

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full Moon moves into the Earth's shadow.

Although it becomes dimmed, the Moon can still be seen because it is lit by the sunlight passing through our planet's atmosphere.

As it moves into the darkest part of the shadow, or umbra, it will assume a grey or red colour. This is because light from the Sun is scattered as it hits the Earth's atmosphere, and more red light reaches its satellite.

Lunar eclipses are actually fairly common occurrences in astronomical terms

According to the RAS, the best places to view the full lunar eclipse are China, Japan, Korea, eastern Russia, south-east Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the western Pacific.

The eclipse begins at 11.32am, when the Moon enters the lightest part of the Earth's shadow or penumbra.

The Moon moves into the darkest part - the umbra - at 12.45pm and emerges completely at 4.18pm.

The eclipse begins when the Moon enters the lightest part of the Earth's shadow or penumbra, and comes to an end when the Moon leaves the penumbral shadow

The eclipse comes to an end when the Moon leaves the penumbral shadow at 5.32pm.

In Britain, the Moon will rise towards the end of the eclipse, when it will be emerging from the umbra.

Sightings are expected to be best in the North. Further south and west, the moon rises later in the afternoon and so skywatchers are only likely to catch a glimpse of a partial eclipse, low on the horizon.

Lunar eclipses are fairly common occurrences in astronomical terms, with millions turning their heads to the sky last December to witness one such event.

A partial solar eclipse seen over trees near Dublin, Ireland in January

Where the eclipse will be visible from

In Britain, the Moon will rise towards the end of the eclipse, when it will be emerging from the umbra

The Druids and Mistletoe

The Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, was primarily interested in natural history. He recorded valuable information about the Druids and their religious and natural healing practices. They believed mistletoe was sacred. Pliny unsecured loans stated in Natural History, XVI, that:

"The Druids - that is what they call their magicians - hold nothing more sacred than mistletoe and a tree on which it is growing...Mistletoe is rare, and when found, it is gathered with great ceremony, and particularly on the sixth day of the moon."

This scene depicts the Druids preparing for a ritual sacrifice which involves a white-robed priest carrying a golden scythe while climbing an oak tree to ritually cut the mistletoe. According to Pliny, it was the Valonia oak the Druid's believed was the most sacred tree to gather mistletoe from and that it would heal poison and encourage fertility.

 

Druids Bringing in the Mistletoe 

 

Celtic Mistletoe Motif

Celtic art is full of what are believed to be mistletoe motifs. Some artifacts have been found that resemble human male heads adorned with a crown of comma-shaped leaves that resemble mistletoe. Historians believe these finds may be representations of crowned Druid priests. Besides these crowns, the mistletoe leaf motif is found throughout other Celtic-era art pieces.

 

Mistletoe in Norse Myth

 

In one Norse tale, there is a connection between mistletoe and the Norse god Balder. A most beloved son of Odin, Balder had dreams that he was bad credit loans in danger. His mother, the goddess Frigg, was sent to receive oaths from all living things that they would not harm Balder. Oaths were made from everything but mistletoe for the goddess thought it too young to harm her son. The jealous and mischievous god Loki made a dart with the plant. He then persuaded the blind god Hod to shoot at Balder and even guided his aim. The dart hit the target and Balder was killed.

 

 

 

From Norse Stories Retold from the Eddas by Hamilton Wright Mabie, 1908. The caption from this illustration is: "The little spring of mistletoe pierced the heart of Balder."

 Natural Health Uses of Mistletoe

 

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on trees and bushes. The plant is toxic if eaten, but its medicinal properties have been utilized in extracts, tinctures and infusions. Depending on the type of mistletoe, it is believed to be helpful for health concerns such as circulatory problems, menstrual and respiratory issues.

 

 Mistletoe Items for Health, Ritual and Celebration

Black Friday, and Happy Christmas Shopping from your neurons!

It is Black Friday tomorrow – the day after Thanksgiving in the US, and the day which traditionally marks the start of Christmas Shopping. Have you been feeling overwhelmed by the huge amount of tinsel-wrapped holiday offers and bargains? If you cannot face the shops and malls with their piped Christmas carols – and it isn’t even December yet – is it harder and harder to find good deals among the thousands of items in the online catalogs? Wouldn't it be easier if someone could just highlight great opportunities for you? Worry no more! Statistics are here to help! I know, it sounds like a fairy tale or something Santa has dreamed up to comfort you, but it is actually happening unsecured loans.

Once upon a time, in Columbia University, the Laboratory for Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing announced an agreement with a company called Neuromatters LLC to develop a novel brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for rapid identification of relevant images. “The human brain reacts to images of interest at a pace that is far faster than a person can consciously register” – or so it is explained in the University's press release. -“ Researchers at Columbia University have developed a technology, 'Cortically Coupled Computer Vision (C3Vision)', that takes advantage of this near-subconscious ability and pairs it with the processing power and efficiency of computers for rapid identification of images that the brain finds relevant”.

In simpler terms, the developed system will constantly scan a human's brain to detect what type of images the brain’s owner finds interesting, based on the brain's neuronal activity while seeing the items. With this information, the system will “learn” what images are more important to the user, so it can automatically detect when you spot something novel or interesting, even if you’re unaware of it. Paul Sajda, PhD, Director of the Laboratory for Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing and at Columbia University’s School of Engineering briefs it like this: “The system latches on to individual perceptions and trains the computer to know what the user means by interesting. The computer and the brain operate synergistically.”

The real beauty in the design lies in the “learning” part of the project. The process of machine learning is one of the most interesting parts of artificial intelligence nowadays, at least to statisticians. For those unaware of it, machine learning includes several statistical models developed to teach a computer to improve its performance by adjusting the parameters in the model in a way that optimize results. In particular, C3Vision uses a form of Neural Network, a non-linear statistical model specifically designed to find patterns of data. Artificial Neural Networks are used in many different fields that include military applications, commercial systems developed to help police solve crimes and even credit fraud detection... and now, brain scanning. As you may have guessed, neural network models are based on the biological structure of the brain and are part of other artificial intelligence schemes that have been inspired by nature (genetic algorithms are also a good example).

Right now, the U.S. Army is interested in C3Vision as a way to help soldiers navigate through dangerous terrains. A soldier could detect suspicious items or hazards in the road faster with this gear. The system may also extend to video surveillance and security, where the aim is to identify suspicious activity. But who cares about security? We want to shop! And it is a relief that Paul Sajda knows that very well, as he envisions the technology eventually improving civilian shopping lives as well: “There’s nothing out there that can't really use your subjective preference as a signature to guide you”, he claims. Think of a miniaturized, wireless version of the device used to tag consumers’ reactions to items or even shops as you walk down a city street. The model will then detect great shopping deals or products specifically designed for you while you walk through the mall and even offer nearby stores selling similar items suited to your interests. Tired of seeing that many wonderful best-of-the-festive-season offers? Don't worry, C3Vision will detect the interesting ads for you, so you can ignore the rest.

Donna See, the officer at Columbia Technology Ventures who manages the C3Vision patent portfolio, goes beyond that, exploring further possibilities for the system: “We can certainly envision C3Vision applied to image-rich online contexts, such as fashion, furnishings, even real estate and travel, learning the preferences of tastemakers and buyers to create truly customized and targeted retail experiences.”

So, as you can see, statistical models will achieve their ultimate goal: after predicting the economy, analyze pandemics and describe social phenomenons, a model will finally be able to help you on Black Friday. Happy Christmas shopping!