I subscribe to SpaceWeather (yes, I should get enough of it on Earth) and their daily email had the following information and I thought our blog readers would be interested as well;

SPOOKY ASTRONOMY: Today is a date of astronomical interest: it’s a cross-quarter date, midway between an equinox and a solstice. There are four cross-quarter dates throughout the year, and each is a minor holiday. One is Groundhog Day (Feb. 2nd), another is May Day (May 1st), the third is Lammas Day (Aug. 1st), and the fourth … ? Happy Halloween!

Two Blogs in one day, a record for me. Am I the only one that hasn’t heard of Lammas Day? I need to look up that one.

Do you remember 15 years ago?

http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/top5/numberthree.htm

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/events/halloween91.php

November, climatologically, is our cloudiest month of the year and considering we’re having November in October this year, it’s no surprise that it’s been quite cloudy as of late. Looking at the weather pattern that is expected over the course of the next week to ten days, although there will be some sunny intervals, all in all a cloudy stretch is in store for us. If you’re a sun lover, enjoy the sun when we get it, because if the weather is any where close to seasonal averages, the next 8 weeks will have far more cloudy days than sunny days.

Ok, this is shameless self-promotion, but I’ll be speaking at NDSU’s Soil Science Department’s weekly seminar this Wednesday, October 4th at 3 PM in Walster Hall, Room 217.  My topic will be "Status Quo as Climate Utopia".  This seminar is open to the public and the Soil Department would love for you to attend (as would I).  If you’re interested, stop on by, rumor has it that some food and beverages will be served after the lecture.