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Mike Christie

@mikechristie.bsky.social

Interested in maths, physics, astronomy, astrophotography. Member of Astronomical Society of Edinburgh. Emeritus Professor at Heriot-Watt University.

1099 Posts1521 Follower 697 Folgt

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · yesterday

Very kindly @newscientist.com have listed the new book in their "best new popular science books of August 2026" list. The summary made me chuckle - I suppose I kind of always have been a "go big or go home" type of girl. 😂

No small ambition in this next book, either. Astrophysicist Catherine Heymans’s latest is, according to its subtitle, no less than a look at the “science of real and virtual worlds”. At its heart is that wonderful, death-defying question: could we be living in a computer simulation, and how would we even know? It all sounds fascinating, as Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland, takes us “on a humorous and mind-bending journey through the science of reality itself”.

From subatomic particles and the cosmic mysteries of dark matter to the secrets of the human senses, we are promised an exploration of “whether humanity could ever create a virtual universe as rich and diverse as our own – and what that means for our sense of self, free will and consciousness”. Not much going on here, then.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 3d ago

A Sunday reading for you! Chpt 2 of "How to Design a Universe" opens with the philosophical: do you see colour in the same way I see colour? What even is colour? Queue physics of rainbows & electromagnetism to question if we could ever simulate human sense🤔 #BookSky 🔭 www.youtube.com/shorts/Upkww...

Andrew Pontzen @apontzen.bsky.social · 3d ago

📣 @durham.ac.uk’s Institute for Computational Cosmology has a faculty vacancy (assistant or assoc prof level, deadline 28 Sep). aas.org/jobregister/.... Our observer friends in the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy have a vacancy too (aas.org/jobregister/...). Drop me a line with any queries!

Assistant or Associate Professor in Computational Astrophysics or Cosmology | American Astronomical Society

The Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC), part of Durham University Department of Physics, invites applications for a permanent faculty member at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor.

aas.org

Megan Eaves-Egenes @meganeaves.com · 3d ago

Check out today's iPaper (with cover teaser!) for my story on how to view next week's solar eclipse from the UK! inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

The Dark Sky Ambassador @darkskyambassador.bsky.social · last wk.

Wow what a resource! We’ve just had a private tour 😉 and I maybe doing a talk from here in winter ⭐️🔭🪐#DarkSkyAmbassador #astro #darksky

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last wk.

A busy morning filming with BBC Breakfast at Jodrell Bank! Photos/vids to follow, but in the meantime enjoy me locked inside @philbull.bsky.social's RHINO cage: a brand new radio telescope designed to detect the light emitted by neutral hydrogen gas, between galaxies, in the v v early Universe 🤗🔭👩‍🔬

Catherine is locked in a large metal cage which has a horn at the top. She looks happy though. In the background is a radio antenna.

Catherine, in sunspecs, is hooting with laughter, inside the cage, looking at the antenna reciever inside the new radio telescope. It looks like an old car radio antenna sticking out into the cage - radio astronomy is wonderful.

PPhil Bull@philbull.bsky.social · 3y ago

I'm going to start off on the right foot and spend most of my time posting about the prototype 21cm global signal horn we're building at Jodrell Bank. Here's one of the 4 main panels.

Panel of horn antenna frame propped up against a shed at Jodrell Bank. The Mark II is in the background.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last wk.

This w/end's little snippet from my new book is from Chpt1 where we're asking "What is light?" Dear 🇺🇸US friends hoping you have a good chuckle at me attempting an American accent, rather than being affronted! #BookSky 🔭 📖: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/how-to-de... 📽️: www.youtube.com/shorts/-RIPE...

Chapter 1: Light Available to Preorder now!

YouTube video by Astronomer Royal Scotland Prof Catherine Heymans

youtube.com

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2w ago

🔊Calling #Edinburgh: 5th Aug, Dynamic Earth, @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social and I will be joining forces for a day of free activities to get you ready for the 90% partial solar eclipse 6pm-8pm 12th August! 👩‍🔬🔭🧪 Big thanks to @iop.org for funding the event 🥳 ℹ️: dynamicearth.org.uk/event/get-re...

Get ready for the eclipse: funded by the Institute of Physics at Dynamic Earth.

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/partia... We'll be holding an event on Calton Hill to view the partial solar eclipse on 12th August. We'll have some solar telescopes with us and lots of eclipse glasses so that people can view the eclipse safely. Remember THE SUN IS DANGEROUS TO OBSERVE.

Neil Martin @neilem.bsky.social · 2w ago

I’m very excited to be part of this event! Come down and prep with us! 🔭

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

Get read for the solar #eclipse: on 5th August, Dynamic Earth in #Edinburgh will be holding an event preparing for the eclipse. Book here: dynamicearth.org.uk/event/get-re... We will be helping with a selection of 🔭, and @astroroyalscot.bsky.social will be there answering questions.

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 2w ago

A great event with solar 🔭, as well as #eclipse glasses from @gostargazing.bsky.social . I won't be there (on a cruise ship off Iceland hopefully seeing totality!), but it promises to be a fun event and the people from @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social are friendly and knowledgeable.

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

Dr Megan Argo @astromeg.bsky.social · 2w ago

If you fancy watching the August 12th 2026 partial eclipse and are in the west midlands, Shropshire Astronomical Society are hosing a family-friendly viewing party from 12pm! Rodington Village Hall (nr Shrewsbury) with safe eclipse viewing, planetariums show, arts and crafts, raffle, and lots more.

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

GET READY FOR THE ECLIPSE | Dynamic Earth

A spectacular solar event is coming to Scotland’s skies this August – and Dynamic Earth is here to help you get eclipse-ready with free activities and live talks!

dynamicearth.org.uk

Stuart Atkinson @stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 2w ago

We're now less than a month away from the solar eclipse of August 12th. Here in the UK it will be a partial eclipse, just a thin sliver of Sun left. I'm very proud to have written the eclipse observing guide for the August issue of @astronomynow.bsky.social magazine, modelled here by Jess!

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 2w ago

I can recommend this book 👍

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2w ago

My lovely editor just told me that Waterstones selected my book for their Summer pre-order sale: 25% off! It's not out until Sept 10th, but if you know someone who might like it, the offer runs 21-24 July. Lots of other fab pop-sci books on offer too! #BookSky🔭 www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-...

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 2w ago

An evening walk along the shoreline in Kames, just to the west of Tighnabruiach. #Argyll #Bute

A panoramic shot of the West Kyle in Argyll. The land across the water on the right of the picture is the Island of Bute, which is separated from the mainland by the East and West Kyles of Bute. The village to the left is Tighnabruaich.

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 3w ago

A zoom in to the upper right region of the Sun from my previous post. #Coronado SolarMax 🔭, #TeleVue 2.5x powermate, #Touptek 585 mono camera. 7 x 500 frame videos taken over 18 minutes, aligned with Imppg software, and animated as a .gif #astrophotography #heliophysics

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 3w ago

Sun imaged from #Edinburgh in hydrogen-alpha with a #Coronado SolarMax 🔭 and #Touptek 585 mono camera. #astrophotography #heliophysics

Sun in hydrogen-alpha. Multiple prominences are visible on the limb, with several filaments. There's a sunspot near the centre, and one just coming into view at around 7 o'clock

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 3w ago

The other half says this has real 1980's Jackanory vibes, which I'm not sure whether to take as a compliment or insult....🤔 Anyway, here is a clip from the Prologue of my new book "How to Design a Universe"! Out on Sept 10th. 🔗: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/how-to-de... 📺: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Ek...

The Prologue: Booting up

YouTube video by Astronomer Royal Scotland Prof Catherine Heymans

youtube.com

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last mo.

Um..... so I did a thing 🫣 📽️: youtube.com/shorts/krnxj... Indie 📕: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-... Amazon 🔗: www.amazon.co.uk/How-Design-U... 🔭👩‍🔬🎢

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 3w ago

Got a couple of zoomed images of the Sun in hydrogen-alpha showing changes in prominence structure over 10 minutes. Coronado SolarMax 🔭, #TeleVue 2.5x powermate, #Touptek 585 mono camera. There is visible change in the two large prominences at the top of the image. #astrophotography #heliophysics

Zoomed image of the Sun showing a sunspot (lower right), with a filament above and multiple prominences on the limb. The two at the top were active, and the next picture shows how they have changed over 10 minutes.

Ben Sutlieff @bensutlieff.bsky.social · 3w ago

With the press release out, I'm delighted to share our work reporting the discovery of a 3rd planet in the beta Pictoris system! Say hello to beta Pic d - a gas giant with 2.4 times the mass of Jupiter that takes 91 years to orbit its host star, far longer than the 2 known planets in the system 🪐🔭

ESO@eso.org · 3w ago

Ten years of hide-and-seek! 🫣 Astronomers used our VLT to find a new #exoplanet orbiting the famous star Beta Pictoris — hiding in archival ESO observations spanning over a decade! And it's shyer than any exoplanet we've imaged before. 🔭 🧪 1/3 📷 ESO/B. Sutlieff, M. Bonse et al.

Image of a star system. The central star is hidden behind a coronagraph, marked by a white star symbol at the centre. A bright companion appears to the left, while a much fainter companion, indicated by a white arrow, is visible to the right against a reddish-orange background.

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 3w ago

Two hydrogen-alpha solar images taken this afternoon in #Edinburgh. Coronado Solarmax 🔭, #TeleVue 2.5x Powermate for the zoomed image, and #Touptek ATR585MM camera. Processed with Mac specific software #Laminar and #Strata, then prominence boosted in #PixInsight. #astrophotography #heliophysics

Full disk image of the Sun in hydrogen-alpha. The disk is inverted so bright features are lower temperature, and dark features are higher temperature. A couple of sunspots are visible - one towards the right of the image, and one lower left (about 8 o'clock). Two long filamentary structures can be seen, along with various prominences particularly on the western (left) limb.

A zoom in to the western limb showing a sunspot, a filament, and several prominences,

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 3w ago

Another solar image taken with the Coronado Solarscope 🔭 using a #Televue 2.5x powermate and a #Touptek 585 mono camera. Captured with Laminar for Mac, stacked and sharpened in Strata (beta) for Mac, and prominence boosted and coloured in PixInsight. #astrophotography #heliophysics.

Inverted image of solar disk in hydrogen-alpha. The sunspot at the bottom centre of the image is active region AR4483. Above that is a filamentary structure, and there are multiple prominences on the solar limb, including a large on at about 2 o'clock.

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 4w ago

Sun's out in #Edinburgh, so out with the Solarscope 🔭. Full disk image is with #Touptek 585 mono camera, and zoomed image is with #Touptek 585 and #Televue 2.5x Powermate. Captured with #Laminar for Mac, processed with #Strata (beta) for Mac and #PixInsight. #astrophotography #heliophysics

Full disk image of the Sun in hydrogen alpha. There's a prominent sunspot to the lower right, which is AR4482, along with a long filamentary structure above and to the right. On the limb is a very prominent prominence

This is a zoomed in image, showing the sunspot (AR4482) on the left of the image, a couple of filamentary structures, and detail of the prominence on the limb

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 4w ago

Another image from this morning. Schiller, Hainzel and up to Ramsden and its rilles, #CFF 160 🔭, #TeleVue 2.5x powermate, #Touptek ATR585MM camera. Best 15% frames from 60s video. Software: Laminar (Mac), Strata (beta, Mac), PixInsight #astrophotography

Schiller, is the large oval shaped crater towards the bottom of the image. Above that is Hainzel formed of 3 overlapping craters. Above that is Ramsden with multiple rilles

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 4w ago

Woken early by #AstroCat, so took some pictures of waning Moon. #CFF160 🔭, #TeleVue 2.5x powermate, #Touptek 585 mono camera. Captured with #Laminar (Mac), processed with #Strata (beta) and PixInsight. #astrophotography

Aristarchus and Schroter's valley. Aristarchus is the brightest crater on the Moon

Sinus Iridum (bay of rainbows) showing wrinkle ridges

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 4w ago

Went back and grabbed 6 500 frame videos over about 12 minutes, with best 20% frames stacked. Software used #Laminar for Mac to capture, #Strata(beta) to process and sharpen, PixInsight (solar toolbox, orientation) and Imppg (Mac) to align. Gif created in Gimp. #astrophotography, #heliophysics 🔭

Mike Christie@mikechristie.bsky.social · 4w ago

Sun's out in #Edinburgh, so time to get the Solar 🔭 out. Full disk taken with #Coronado SolarMax and #Touptek 585 mono camera. Limb taken with same setup, and a #TeleVue 2.5x powermate to zoom in. 1000 frame video for disk, 500 frames for the limb, best 20% #astrophotography #heliophysics

Full disk hydrogen alpha image of the Sun, showing sunspots and filaments on the disk and prominences on the limb.

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 4w ago

This is a zoom in to the NE limb of the Sun, showing more detail ob the prominences in that region.

Emma Chapman @dreochapman.bsky.social · 4w ago

It’s meeeee!

Dan Voltaire@dominustempori.bsky.social · 4w ago

A wild @dreochapman.bsky.social appears! www.youtube.com/watch?v=00BL...

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last mo.

Um..... so I did a thing 🫣 📽️: youtube.com/shorts/krnxj... Indie 📕: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-... Amazon 🔗: www.amazon.co.uk/How-Design-U... 🔭👩‍🔬🎢

Exciting new Announcement!!

youtube.com

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · last mo.

@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social member John Briggs captured this video of noctilucent clouds on 1st July: flic.kr/p/2smNKEE 🔭 #astrophotography

Noctilucent Clouds Time-lapse 2026-07-01

Noctilucent Clouds looking NE from Loanhead, south of Edinburgh. Time-lapse video created from 56 still images from 00:14 to 01:16 UT on the early morning of 1st July 2026. Approximately 400x normal s...

flic.kr

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · last mo.

The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) imaged in HOO narrowband over the last few nights by @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social's remote 12" John Murrell Newtonian 🔭 at #Trevinca in Spain. Stacked and processed in PixInsight. #astrophotography

The Crescent Nebula in Cygnus imaged in narrowband. Complex interacting patterns of red (hydrogen alpha emission) and blue (oxygen-iii) are clearly visible.