[magnitude6] for your amusement (fwd)

[Darren Baskill <dbl@star....ac.uk>]

  A journalist from the london Times phoned me up yesterday asking me to
confirm this story...or not!!

ta,
	Das

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Russian astronauts on the international space station claim they are being
dazzled by lights from Britain's tallest parish church. Cosmonauts
orbiting the earth have complained their view of Northern Europe at night
is being blinded by the brilliant beams illuminating the Boston Stump in
Lincolnshire. The Stump, the Church of St Botolph's 272-foot-tall tower,
dominates Boston and the flat surrounding countryside and can be seen from
Lincoln 35 miles away. But now it appears its can also be seen from space
as the glare from the six high -powered floodlights reflects into the
atmosphere. The Vicar of St Botolph's, The Rev Robin Whitehead, said the
lights had recently been switched back on after the church secured
sponsorship from local businesses. He said: "We first had them on in 1998,
but there was a long period of time when they were off. "Since they went
back on recently we have heard that the Russians can see us from space and
aren't too happy about it. "We have always been visible from the sea, but
now it appears we are viewable from space!  "I have half expected to
receive a telephone call from the Russian equivalent of NASA, requesting
that we turn them off. "Perhaps President Putin might even call! We have
all had a good laugh about it, but the simple fact is they are very
popular. "They are very bright, but I can't imagine they are any worse
than other churches and cathedrals. "It may have more to do with the fact
that the surrounding Lincolnshire fens are so flat, and we have the sea
nearby that the lights stand out more than they otherwise would." St
Botolph Church dates back to 1309, and is a reminder of the wealth
generated by the wool port in medieval times when Boston was second only
to London in trade. The tower took nearly 100 years to construct, finally
being completed in 1520. But it was not until 1998 that six spotlights,
with high-powered 1,800 watt bulbs costing 200 pounds each, began
illuminating the tower. Dr John Mason, of the British Astronomical
Association, said the lights would appear very brightly when viewed from
outer space - given the right conditions. He said: "Towns and cities are
all visible from space after you take into account altitude, variations in
atmospheric conditions and other factors. "The lights from Boston Stump
would certainly be visible from the Space Station. "While it may not be as
bright as Las Vegas but it is surrounded by an otherwise dark landscape
from the fens and the sea and will stand out that much clearer. "I can
imagine that if the lights at the church had been switched off for some
time, it would have been quite apparent from space that they had been
turned back on." Local astronomer Keith Griggs said:"When the floodlights
were first turned on they caused a spectacularly bad problem. "It made it
impossible to take good shots of England from space at night because the
Stump's lights were blocking it out. "If they wanted a shot that featured
England, even if they didn't actually point straight at Lincolnshire, the
Stump would ruin the shot." Astromer Paul Money of Boston agreed it would
be possible for astronauts living on the international space station to
see the lights from space. "People have this assumption the international
space station is thousands of miles away when it is above us. It isn't. At
it's lowest it can be around 150 miles from the earth. "I am not surprised
they actually look down and perhaps be dazzled by the lights if they are
straight in the beam," he said.





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