Angmering Park
Yesterday afternoon was spent doing some private training in Angmering Park near Arundel, West Sussex. I did not need to be a native American Indian…
Category: Stars
A Confession
On Monday night I gave my lecture, ‘Travel and Exploration: a new direction?’ to the Royal Geographical Society. I really enjoyed it, but with about…
Otherworldliness
Venus and Jupiter will be hanging low in the southwestern sky shortly after dusk over the coming days. A solitary planet that is not expected…
Barchans and Yardangs
One of the tricks of desert navigation is remembering that wind direction is never entirely random and over time is actually quite dependable. If we…
Saturnalia, Christmas and Common Sense
A great morning for stargazing and one planet in particular was holding court. Saturn hung brightly in the southern sky between Virgo and Leo. In…
Squid Lights and Starry Nights
I gave a lecture at the Clothworker’s Hall in the City last night. I think it went well, no rotten fruit or vegetables came my…
Never Ending Story
The incestuous relationship between the stars and mythology is nothing new, but we often overlook how constantly the relationship is rekindled or how fresh some…
Sirius, Canopus and Camels
A good morning for the stars, but a bit damper in West Sussex than camels would like. Still, no reason not to enjoy an excerpt…
Big Dipper Birds
I was enjoying the view down a misty valley this morning when a flock of gulls went overhead. I took a quick photo and had…
Everlasting Summer
The forecast for this weekend seems intent on lulling us into believing that the summer has life in it yet, after weeks on the resuscitation…
The Friendly Moon
Last night was one of those occasions where the moon was the natural navigator’s best option. At about 10pm the sky overhead was overcast with…
Agoraphobics Look Away Now
A friend has just sent over a thought for the day: ‘Put three grains of sand in a vast cathedral, and the cathedral will be…
Desert of Information
Back from holiday to me means back to the joys and evils of modern life. In the remotest part of south Brittany where we had…