Newsletter

May 2012

Effective Listening

Effective listening is one of the most important skills to have in today's world. Families need good listening skills to face complicated stresses together. Corporate employees need to listen effectively to solve problems quickly and stay competitive. Students need to listen to understand complex issues in their fields. Research has found that by listening effectively, we will get more information, increase trust, reduce conflict, and better understand how to motivate others.

Why is it so difficult to listen? Most of us don't listen because we are too distracted with other ideas, too busy forming our own response to the speaker, or thinking we already know the answer and stop listening. An active listener concentrates on what is being said without being distracted and listens to all the facts and details without interruption. The more information we have as a listener, the better we can respond to the sender's communication and the more effective we are when finding an answer or resolution.

"When people talk, listen completely.
Most people never listen."

Ernest Hemingway

May’s Solar Eclipse

The Moon passes in front of the Sun on May 20 bringing an annular eclipse to lucky viewers on Earth. In the U.S. starting around 5:00 pm, the Moon’s shadow runs along the border between California and Oregon and heads southeast towards Texas. The rest of western North America will experience a partial solar eclipse where the Moon takes a significant “bite” from the solar disk in the late afternoon to sunset.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, thereby blocking the Sun for viewers on Earth. If the Moon lies closer to Earth in its orbit (perigee), it covers all of the Sun and observers witness a total solar eclipse. If the Moon lies relatively far from Earth in its orbit (apogee), it doesn’t block the entire Sun and viewers see a ring of sunlight, or “annulus.” This is the case on May 20 where the Moon is only blocking 94 percent of the Sun’s diameter. When viewing the eclipse, be sure to use proper eye protection, such as safe “eclipse glasses” or an approved solar filter.

Starry Skies for May

During the month of May, the planet Venus shines brilliantly as our “evening star.” Venus appears in the west around sunset and is situated about one-third of the way to the zenith. The bright planet lies in the constellation of Taurus the Bull next to the star Beta Tauri. On May 22, look for a slender crescent Moon to the lower left of Venus.

The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower occurs all month with most of the meteors occurring within a few days of the shower’s peak on May 5. Unfortunately, the peak coincides with the full Moon which washes out the fainter meteors. Eta Aquarid meteor shower radiates from the direction of the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer where the shower gets its name. The “meteors” that streak across the sky are actually particles of dust left from the passing of Comet 1P/Halley of the Halley Comet fame.