Feock

11:09am Thursday 1st May 2008

FEOCK:

ST FEOCK WI: A Journey into Space was the title of speaker Mick Harvey's talk to St Feock WI and this was a journey through our galaxy and beyond. The slide show accompanying it was quite spectacular.

The first was taken from the moon by the Apollo mission showing "a new earth", looking so like our view of a new moon that it looked almost familiar.

Members were told about the exploration of the moon and how the space programme had changed lives. Weather forecasting, medical technology through miniaturisation and communications for example have all improved through the need for space technology. Another result is that because the moon is the same age as the earth, but has not changed in all that time, scientists can see what the earth was like when it started.

Then members went on their journey from the sun, which has shone for 5,000 million years and has a diameter 108 times that of our planet, to Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and onwards, ending with Pluto, which is now considered a "non planet".

Some of the photographs taken through the Hubble telescope were awesome, more like modern art than photos of dust clouds, super novas and stars.

The group also learned that sunlight (when we get it) takes eight minutes to get here!

Margaret Orris gave the vote of thanks.

Earlier the group heard that those who attended the lunch at Camborne College had a great meal and an enjoyable visit.

The raffle was won by Elisabeth Heather with Phyl Gilbert coming second. Elizabeth also won the bloom of the month competition with Jenny Kemp second and Jean Mann third.

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