Site of the Week
Incredible natural phenomena occur all around the world all the time - volcanoes erupt, storms rage, lightening strikes, meteors shower - and round the other side of the planet, you’d never know.
Unless, that is, you visit PlanetDiary - a site which keeps you up to date with major Earth-affecting events as they occur. Each week, the main geological, astronomical, meteorological, biological and environmental occurrences are documented, explained, and illustrated. This week, for example, Mount Etna has been hurling smoke and ash into the Sicilian sky, and thanks to the miracles of modern technology, you can go and have a look. Some of the pictures are astounding, and you can follow links to find out what’s been happening.
The calender section gives you details of predictable upcoming events such as eclipses, while the archive does the opposite, letting you peruse past major occurrences. The ‘Phenomena Backgrounders’ give you a brief summary of the subjects covered by the site, along with a collection of links to take you to organisations and research groups in the know.
Some of the information on the site, particularly in the calender section, is US-biased, but there’s also plenty of general interest information. If you live on Earth, you should have a browse.
Richard Northover
Info-content ** Readability ** Appearance ** User friendliness ** Kids ** Plug-ins none