Latest news with #Rayleigh
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Was the colour of the sky blue during the dinosaur era?
When we gaze up at the sky, it's easy to assume it's always looked blue all through the years. After all, the sky's colour is such a consistent backdrop in our daily lives. But Earth's past is full of unimaginable changes, like shifting continents, evolving life, and even an ever-moving position of our galaxy in terms of the shifting universe. But was the colour always the same shade? A NASA research scientist, Jessie Christiansen, explained that the night sky, and possibly even the daytime one, may have looked a little different during the age of dinosaurs. The reason isn't just atmospheric changes but also the solar system's journey through the Milky Way galaxy. Was the sky during the dinosaur era a different colour from today's blue? The sky we see today is blue because of Rayleigh scattering. Sunlight contains all the colours of the spectrum, but shorter wavelengths, like blue and violet, scatter more when they hit air molecules. Our eyes are more sensitive to blue than violet, which is why the sky appears blue. However, during the time of the dinosaurs, which lasted for about 250 to 65 million years ago during the Mesozoic Era, Earth's climate and atmospheric conditions were quite different. Earth was generally warmer during this era, which meant more water vapor in the air. This didn't necessarily mean more clouds, since cloud formation depends on evaporation and saturation levels, but it could have impacted how the sky appeared. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Everybody Is Switching To This Enterprise Accounting Software [Take a Look] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo This means that while the physics of Rayleigh scattering still applies, the exact appearance of the sky may have shifted due to changes in humidity, temperature, and atmospheric particles. Closer to the end of the Mesozoic, it likely resembled the nearly-clear light blue skies we know today. The night also looked different than today! The sky's appearance also changed depending on where Earth was in the Milky Way galaxy. According to NASA scientist Jessie Christiansen, when dinosaurs such as Stegosaurus and Iguanodons roamed Earth during the early Cretaceous period, "our entire solar neighborhood was on the opposite side of the Milky Way galaxy that it is now." Christiansen explained that "the dinosaurs were around for 200 million years, give or take, so the sky might have looked different early on but more like today towards the end, about 65 million years ago," as reported by CNN. It is never possible to reach the same point that the Earth travelled years ago! Apart from that, Christiansen also said that "we're back to where we were between 200 to 250 million years ago" in terms of our position within the galaxy. But because everything in the galaxy, including stars and solar systems, is constantly moving and rotating around a central black hole, she clarified that "we've never really [been] back at the same absolute point in space because it's not possible." So, was the sky a different colour back then? The answer is probably yes, at least for some time. While it may not have been of a starkly different colour but probably of a slightly different shade of blue as per some reports. While the scattering of light works the same, Earth's shifting climate, atmosphere, and cosmic position likely made the sky appear a bit different at various points in dinosaur history. Photo: Canva
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Husband finds novel in shop with Midland wife's 50-year-old notes on it
A smitten book enthusiast from Hockley, Essex was left astonished when he stumbled upon a 50 year old Enid Blyton novel penned with his wife's childhood notes in a charity shop haul. Steve Mills, at the ripe age of 67, avidly collects works by the celebrated children's author and during a rummage through recent acquisitions, unearthed poignant scribbles from his partner Karen, now 60. The book in question, 'The Naughtiest Girl Again', was originally jettisoned by Karen's mother in the swinging seventies. Read more: Birmingham rhyming slang Intriguingly, the tome surfaced over 160 miles from Karen's Staffordshire roots, in Rayleigh, long before her paths crossed with Steve. The eager bibliophile, whose adoration for Enid Blyton's magical tales dates back to his own youth, expressed his bewilderment: "We've taken it as one of the universe's strange coincidences." Steve, who carved out a career in civil service, reflected on the momentous find: "I had a load of books that I bought together and it wasn't until a couple of months went by that I was rearranging the books on the shelf. "I decided to look through them properly, opened one up and recognised the number on the front cover." The discovery swiftly became a family affair as Steve recounted: "It was my brother-in-law and my wife's old address. I jokingly showed it to her and she turned the next page." Upon turning the leaf, nostalgia bloomed as Karen's juvenile scrawl, consisting of her namesake, erstwhile abode, contact number, and quaint 'stick-figure' doodles depicting her kin appeared. Karen's octogenarian parents were reportedly tickled pink by the serendipitous revelation shared by their son-in-law. Steve was over the moon when he stumbled upon more books in his collection that featured his wife's handwritten notes. He exclaimed: "Lo and behold, there was a second and third book belonging to my wife." The additional finds included 'Five on a Treasure Island' and 'Adventures of Pip', all adorned with Karen's personal annotations. In his quest, Steve also discovered a note declaring 'I have got 12 of Enid Blytons books' and has set his heart on finding the remaining nine. After sharing his nostalgic discovery on an Enid Blyton Fan Group on Facebook, Steve's post garnered a whopping 1,300 likes. Steve reflected: "It's touched on people's heartstrings and there's a lot of people out there who would love to find things from their childhood." He added, "It was a simpler life and that's why I like them so much."
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Book collector finds 50-year-old novel that once belonged to wife in south Essex shop
A BOOK lover from Hockley says he is overjoyed to find an Enid Blyton novel containing 50-year-old hand-written notes from his wife in a charity shop. Steve Mills, 67, is a collector of around 50 novels by the children's author and was going through some new additions when he found the writings from Karen, 60. Steve said the book 'The Naughtiest Girl Again' had been given away by Karen's mum in the 1970s. The book somehow ended up in a charity shop in Rayleigh - more than 160 miles away from where Karen grew up in Staffordshire and before she met Steve. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. The retired civil servant, who has loved Enid Blyton's books since he was a child, said: "We've taken it as one of the universe's strange coincidences. "I had a load of books that I bought together and it wasn't until a couple of months went by that I was rearranging the books on the shelf. Overjoyed - Book collector Steve was thrilled to find his wife's old books (Image: Steve Mills) "I decided to look through them properly, opened one up and recognised the number on the front cover. "It was my brother-in-law and my wife's old address. I jokingly showed it to her and she turned the next page. "There was her name, address, phone number and drawings. "Her parents are in their 80s and they were delighted when we told them." The book has hand-written details from Karen, then known as Karen Larden, as a young girl living in Staffordshire. They include her name, address at the time and phone number - alongside 'stick-figure' drawings of her family. Steve said he then found more books in his collection also with his wife's annotations in them. He added: "Lo and behold, there was a second and third book belonging to my wife." The other books were Five on a Treasure Island and Adventures of Pip - all with Karen's musings scrawled inside. Read more 'I spent 2 months walking through county - this south Essex island blew my mind' Passengers frustrated after Southend flights re-scheduled to different airports New Pilates studio 'with a twist' to transform lives of residents in south Essex Steve has also found a note which reads "I have got 12 of Enid Blyton's books" and is determined to track the remaining nine down. Handwritten - Steve found notes and drawings from his wife's childhood in the book (Image: Steve Mills) He also posted his find on an Enid Blyton Fan Group on Facebook and has received 1,300 likes. Steve said: "It's touched on people's heartstrings and there's a lot of people out there who would love to find things from their childhood. "It was a simpler life and that's why I like them so much."
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Enid Blyton book collector 'gobsmacked' to find notes by wife
A book collector was "completely gobsmacked" to find a charity shop novel contained a note written 50 years ago by his Mills was rearranging his Enid Blyton collection at home in Hockley, Essex, when he discovered the handwritten message by spouse book was given away by his mother-in-law in the 1970s and Mr Mills said it was a "mind-blowing" coincidence to unknowingly buy it."I kept rereading it and thought 'This cannot be, surely?'," said the 67-year-old. The note gave details of Mrs Mills' life as a child in Staffordshire - when she had not met Mr Mills - including details of family members and old Mills purchased The Naughtiest Girl Again book in Rayleigh, more than 160 miles (257km) away from where his mother-in-law handed it in at a local he only realised what it contained during a recent tidy-up of his bookshelf. "I opened the front cover and I was shocked to see my brother-in-law's name in it," he explained. "It included an address that I'd heard my wife mention and I just couldn't believe it."Mr Mills, who owns about 50 Enid Blyton novels, then showed his 60-year-old wife, who turned the page and found the note she penned."She was equally shocked," he continued. "It was actually quite a cute thing to look at." 'Extraordinary' The surprise did not end there for the couple, went on to discover two other novels on his bookshelf also featured annotations by his wife. "We both sat there really not quite sure how to handle it because this was just extraordinary," Mr Mills said."They look nice on the shelf and it gives me a nice warm feeling to know I've got them."The retired civil servant said realising he and Mrs Mills shared the same love of books as children "bridges the two of us even closer".He added: "There's probably more out there, so it's set me on another quest." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New owner of 37-year-old south Essex hair salon hopes to build on past success
THE new owner of a Rayleigh hair salon has vowed to maintain its welcoming atmosphere as she carries out a 'modernising' refurbishment. Morgan Fallon took over Hairpins salon in Rayleigh Lanes indoor market following the retirement of its previous owners after almost 40 years in business. On Tuesday, she'll throw open the doors to her renovated space and hopes she can carry on the salon's impressive legacy. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. Excitement - Morgan is looking forward to launching her new salon (Image: Morgan Fallon) 'We're just trying to modernise the space while keeping what people have come to love after all of these years,' said Eastwood resident, Morgan, who's renamed the salon Flo. 'The ladies who use the salon have been coming in on a weekly basis for more than 30 years and I want to make sure they still feel welcomed and comfortable when they visit. 'At the same time, I hope we can start getting some new customers through the door.' Hairpins closed on Saturday after its mother-and-daughter owners Tina and Theresa Jackson retired after 37 years. Throughout their impressive stint at the salon, the pair built up a loyal customer base and it was especially popular with Rayleigh's older demographic. Unique - Rayleigh Lanes is one of south Essex's few indoor markets (Image: Rayleigh Lanes) 'They specialised in looking after the elderly clients, and it worked incredibly well,' said joint owner of Rayleigh Lanes, Frank Nash. 'We bought the building in 1994, but I believe they first opened in 1986 so it's definitely a sad thing to see them go. 'It's also an opportunity for someone new to come in and I think Morgan will do a great job.' Farewell - Tina and Theresa (front) recently retired after 37 years in business (Image: Rayleigh Lanes) Rayleigh Lanes is one of south Essex's last indoor markets and is home to a number of small stalls and businesses. For experienced hairdresser Morgan, the new salon will be her first solo venture. 'I'm really excited,' she said. 'Because I've worked in so many salons in the area, I feel like I have a really good sense of what people want.' The name of the new salon, Flo, also has a special meaning to Morgan – it has been named after her daughter who beat the odds after being born 13 weeks premature. Morgan hopes to be able to use the salon to fundraise for charities supporting premature babies and their families.
