And in the Big News today from a Faith Perspective, there’s a Big Jewish Festival coming up. Happy Nearly Shavuot Everybody!

Shavuot teaches us that all property is theft and we should all become anarchists.

No, no, no that’s not right. All property should be owned as a common means of production and we should all become communists.

No, that doesn’t sound right either. All property should be owned by a small number of landowners who should pass it down, tax free, through the generations, and thus support a feudal aristocracy.

Hmmm… I know Shavuot teaches us that all property can temporarily belong to individuals but it really still belongs to the Invisible Magic Friend. Yes, that’s much better.

https://mega.nz/file/RmsVyQ4C#qNSdR1S40tMKTr5KkVuyzlVo87Hp7_7Q6gGah695fO4

And in the Big News today from a Faith Perspective, Pope Leo. Isn’t he brilliant. Pope Leo listens. I watched him when I was invited to his recent mass and he was definitely listening. He’s the direct successor of St Peter you know, appointed by the particularly invisible third of the Invisible Magic Friend.

The Big Book of Magic Stuff suggests some listening, before rather a lot of telling you what to do. Listening is so important. Listening and silence. God I love silence. Big, long stretches of just calming, soothing, silence.

Archbishop Tutu listened as well. Which just goes to show how wise Pope Leo is to listen.

So let us pray, that you will continue to listen to the wisdom of we Catholics on thought for the Day.

https://mega.nz/file/028wxBCb#4-ZuSUq3jsziwTHW4wLbH2MhoJWdkdTjPvMtcpa5lSg

And in the Big News today from a Faith Perspective, there’s a new Pope. Isn’t he brilliant. His rise from humble cardinal to popeness just proves that the Invisible Magic Friend loves us, or at least, loves him.

So if you’re as ordinary and meaningless and irrelevant as Pope Leo was just a couple of weeks ago, just remember that the Invisible Magic Friend definitely exists and definitely loves you. Somebody has to. He could make you Pope any day now.

https://mega.nz/file/YqFTgIAS#vrurPa4W5WMgn3TnMVgKpv-etGVJccprT7iFFA8qEM8

And in the Big News today from a Faith Perspective, somebody has won the F.A. Cup.

St Paul mentioned sport once. Yes, sport is THAT important.

The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years and still never won the F.A. Cup. We know this is true because it says so in the Big Book of Magic Stuff, and the Big Book of Magic Stuff is right about everything.

Pope Leo waited all his life to win the F.A. cup, but had to settle for becoming Pope instead. And he’s brilliant.

Of course, somebody else lost the F.A. Cup.

https://mega.nz/file/0iVkBD7I#LkXMTLT43R_WX3jv74sDrC8TQWMmWYRbHo2TYtYN5Ws

Tue 13th May was a full moon. It was quite difficult to photograph because it was so low in the sky. There was only a brief window of about half an hour where it could be seen between my house and next door’s. To make matters worse, it was a very cloudy night, with only occasional gaps in the clouds. So I waited patiently and was rewarded with a brilliant orange coloured moon.

The picture on the right hand side was the result.

The moon on the left was taken on 15th Dec last year. They were both taken with the same camera, same telescope, same settings and resolution. The pictures have been cropped by the same amount. And no, you’re not imagining it, the May moon is smaller. But why?

At the risk of sounding like Father Ted, the May moon is smaller because it’s farther away. In fact it’s 10% farther away than the December moon, and consequently is 10% smaller. The moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse. These two pictures show a full moon at its closest and farthest points. The following picture illustrates this even more starkly.

But size and colour aren’t the only differences. If you look at the top of the moon, it should be clear that they’re not showing exactly the same features.

The moon wobbles on its axis, making different features available at different times. This alters the exact face that the moon presents to the Earth throughout the year. Features that are invisible one month can suddenly become visible the next.

Taking pictures of the moon isn’t quite as boring as you might think.