![[Maritime and Coastguard Agency]](../clips/mcalogo.jpg) | The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have issued a warning to people not to pick up any flares that they may find washed up on beaches along the Ayrshire, Galloway, Arran and Kintyre coastlines. They say that if you do find one of these spent flares you should immediately contact the coastguard by ringing 999. The flares in question may still contain phosphorus which when it dries can spontaneously re-ignite, causing injury or damage to property. | ![[Phosphorus Flare]](javascript:popupwin('../clips/bigger/flare2.jpg',675,545)) |
![[Thanks to Jodrell Bank Observatory]](http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/public/perseids.jpg) | Something else to watch out for this weekend is the annual Perseids meteor shower. On the evenings of 11, 12 and 13 August 2006 from about 10pm onwards look to the north east and you may be treated to one of nature's firework shows as debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. The Leonids, another dependable meteor shower, occurs annually in November. Fingers crossed for clear skies. |