Welcome back to the new session and a special word of welcome to the new F1 who are only just discovering 'Geography : my Place and Yours'.
Although we no longer study the solar system at the beginning of the F2 course, the earth in space is still a topic which fascinates many geographers. Today, I was amazed to read on the BBC website that Pluto has been 'demoted'. It is no longer a planet! At a meeting of the International Astronomical Union in the Czech Republic, 2500 scientists have agreed that because Pluto does not orbit in the same wayas the other planets, it should be stripped of its planetary status. From now on, text books will have to state that the Solar System has just 8 planets... and I will no longer be able to use 'Mrs V Eats Most Jam So Usually Needs Plenty' (think about it!) to teach the planets. If you want to read more about Pluto and about the meeting which relegated it, click on the image above.
Here is a website which you might like to browse if you are interested in topics such as extreme weather, natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes, environmental damage caused by pollution, astronomy and much more. Every week, the world map is refreshed with icons showing the distribution of events relating to these topics. By clicking on the icons you can then read more in-depth reports. Link to the website by clicking on the world map.
If you look at the top of the blog under the profile section, you will see that there is a 'links' section. From time to time I will add important website links here - websites which you might want to visit regularly. I have started with something for F1 (or for any of you who think your basic OS mapwork is dodgy!)
