Steve Brown - astronomy and astrophotography
@sjbastro.bsky.social
Amateur astronomer and astrophotographer, including Sirius, meteors, noctilucent clouds and aurora. Articles and pictures published in books and magazines. Been on TV and radio talking about astronomy. Always need more sleep.
Just seven days until the Solar Eclipse. Timeanddate will be streaming it live. Usually well done by them. 🔭 🧪 www.timeanddate.com/live/eclipse...
LIVE Stream: Total Solar Eclipse August 2026
Live stream of the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. See real time footage from several locations on the eclipse path, with live commentary.
timeanddate.com
astrobiology.com/2026/08/05/l... #astrobiology #Mars
Life Detection In The Martian Subsurface: Advancements In Microbial Metabolic Research Under Mars Laboratory And Field-Analog Conditions Since Viking
Following the Viking many of the inferences of biological metabolism have been replicated via abiotic mechanisms we now know are plausible on Mars’ surface.
astrobiology.com
True darkness returned for my location last night. Looking forward to doing astronomy under dark skies once again, as soon as the Moon is out of the way 😁
Where in the UK to see the biggest solar eclipse since 1999 (pretty much anywhere without cloud!) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Where to see the biggest solar eclipse since 1999 in the West Country
The UK's biggest solar eclipse since 1999 arrives on 12 August. Here's where to see it safely.
bbc.co.uk
The 72% lit #Moon sits just above the planet #Saturn in the early hours of tomorrow morning, 4 August. Look to the east after midnight tonight as the pair rise. #Astronomy
3 prominences swapping plasma yesterday morning on the limb of the Sun. IMppg had trouble aligning the frames so I used the stabilization feature in iMovie. That worked pretty well, but resulted in the moving camera effect. Lunt 50mm pressure-tuned, double stack, ZWO ASI178MM. #astrophotography
3rd August: Activity from the minor Kappa Cygnids meteor shower begins today. The peak is on 16th to 17th August. #Astronomy
I caught some stunning lunar crepuscular rays in this timelapse from the night of 31 July. #Astronomy #Astrophotography
North Yorkshire Noctilucent Clouds - 8 to 9 July 2026. #NoctilucentClouds #NLC #Astronomy youtu.be/Dq3_dA5e7hI
North Yorkshire Noctilucent Clouds - 8 to 9 July 2026
YouTube video by North Yorkshire astronomy and astrophotography
youtu.be
2nd August: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation. Find it low in the east-northeast before sunrise, around 04:00 BST (03:00 UT). It will be in a similar position for the next week. #Astronomy
Scientist's lifelong obsession with mystery of elusive 'pink zebra' seaweed www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
How scientists finally confirmed rare pink seaweed as new species
An ancient algae first spotted four decades ago will now join the collection of the Natural History Museum.
bbc.co.uk
The #PerseidsMeteorShower peaks this month. Rates are around 5-10 meteors per hour from a dark location for the next week, although the Moon interferes for the first few days. The peak is on the night of 12-13 August. Numbers will also be high on 11-12 and 13-14 August. #Astronomy #Perseids
A nice #Perseid meteor I caught in the early hours of this morning, 1 August. The bright star at the botton of the frame is Altair in Aquila. #Astronomy #PerseidsMeteorShower #Perseids #Astrophotography
"Will I be able to see the crash?" Probably not, but that doesn't mean friends in the Americas shouldn't try (daylight for those in Europe): look to the eastern limb of the Einstein crater. The @eso.org VLT will observe it & NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is taking before and after images! 🔭🧪🛰️
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 5d agoScientists do love turning accidents into discovery! Wed 5th Aug 06:34UTC: 4 tonnes of Space-X debris will crash into the moon 😮 This sim shows what will happen, if we understand the moon as well as we think we do. If we see something different, we learn something new! 👏 🧪🔭🛰️ 🎥 William Jo/UT Austin
The astronomy highlights for August 2026: This month is going to be a great one for #Astronomy as we have a total solar eclipse (partial from the UK) as well as a partial lunar eclipse and the peak of the Perseids meteor shower in a dark sky. #Astrophotography #Stargazing
Activity for the #Perseids meteor shower has been low in July but numbers will steadily increase from now into August. The peak is on the night of 12-13 August. Numbers will also be high on 11-12 and 13-14 August. #Astronomy #PerseidsMeteorShower
I love capturing those moments where London Underground trains line up perfectly with station posters. With a little patience and a bit of luck, you can end up with some wonderfully amusing and unexpected shots.
Nice #Perseid meteor I caught last night, between Cygnus and Lyra. The bright star the meteor is pointing at is Vega. Typically, I only caught it on the edge of my camera frame 😄 #Astronomy #PerseidsMeteorShower #Perseids #Astrophotography
Spectacular Buck Moon rising behind Our Lady Star of the Sea from Clontarf seafront this evening.
More than half of England in drought, Environment Agency declares www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
More than half of England in drought, Environment Agency declares
The drought declarations follow an exceptionally hot and dry period, which has hit rivers, crops and nature.
bbc.co.uk
The full Moon today will limit the number of #Perseids you could see for the next few days. However, you'll still be able to see some, so it is worth taking a look on any clear night. #Astronomy #PerseidsMeteorShower
29th to 31st July: The peak of the minor Alpha Capricornids meteor shower occurs over these dates. Although even during times of peak activity you'll only see less than 5 per hour, the Alpha Capricornids shower often features bright meteors. The Moon interferes this year. #Astronomy
28th to 31st July: These dates see the peak of the Southern delta Aquariids meteor shower, with the dates of most activity likely to be the nights of 30 and 31 July. This moderate shower is a tricky one for northern hemisphere observers as the radiant is quite low. The Moon interferes this year.
In today's episode of "The Weird and Wonderful Rocks of Mars" we have this gloriously twisted rock seen by the Perseverance rover - a "ventifact", shaped and sculpted by the icy winds of Barsoom. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/S Atkinson
Alea iacta est... Bone gaming dice discovered during Roman dig www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Bone gaming dice discovered at Roman dig in Northumberland
The dice was unearthed during excavations at the Magna Roman Fort in Northumberland.
bbc.co.uk
Incredibly poor decision. Not only is it of historical significance but it continues to contribute to science and works to inspire the next generation of scientists and astronomers. #Astronomy #Space UK's iconic Jodrell Bank telescope faces axe in science cuts www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
bbc.co.uk
