Meteor confirmed, it wasn't just space junk

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/15/fireball-seen-over-uk-confirmed-as-meteor-after-day-of-confusion

When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

[Calpurnia in Julius Caesar - W Shakespeare]

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I wonder if it was the type that just skimmed the upper atmosphere and then left. There was one a few decades ago that did that but can't remember which one it was.

The US space agency's Perseverance rover is close to completing its first set of objectives on Mars. The Nasa robot has collected a diverse set of rock samples that it will soon deposit on the surface, awaiting carriage to Earth by later missions.

Perseverance: Nasa Mars rover collects 'amazing' rock samples
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-62950404

Roger

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The James Webb Space Telescope has captured Neptune in stunning detail, giving scientists a glimpse at some of the planet’s rings that haven’t been seen in more than 30 years https://t.co/wCS1Cyits8

— New Scientist (@newscientist) September 21, 2022

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Heads up for the Orionid meteors
"The Orionid meteor shower will peak on the night of 21-22 October between midnight and dawn. However, if you're looking you should be able to see the shower for several "days either side of this 'maximum' date.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/orionid-meteor-shower-2022-when-where-see-it-uk 
Roger

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Heads up for the Orionid meteors
"The Orionid meteor shower will peak on the night of 21-22 October between midnight and dawn. However, if you're looking you should be able to see the shower for several "days either side of this 'maximum' date.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/orionid-meteor-shower-2022-when-where-see-it-uk
Roger

I hope we have clear nights... 

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1 million-mile-long plasma plume shoots out of the sun in stunning photo.

An astrophotographer has captured a hauntingly beautiful image of a massive plume of plasma shooting out of the sun. The fiery filament, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), extended into space to a distance of more than 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from the solar surface, according to the photographer.

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I hope we have clear nights... 

Cloud and rain forecast for my area. Peasedown st John.

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The anticipated solar eclipse on 25th can be watched on line if it's cloudy.

Heads up for a partial Solar Eclipse on Tuesday 25th October - 10.00 - 12.00hrs.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/solar-eclipse-october-2022-uk-live-stream

Roger

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The Orionid meteor shower will peak on the night of 21-22 October between midnight
and dawn. However, if you're looking you should be able to see the shower for several
days either side of this 'maximum' date.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/orionid-meteor-shower-2022-when-where-see-it-uk

Roger

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Having a quick "boggle" at this... Lost for words.
James Webb telescope's ghostly 'Pillars of Creation'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63431578 

Roger

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This year the Taurid meteor shower will peak between 10-11 October in the
Southern Hemisphere and 12-13 November in the Northern Hemisphere.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/taurid-meteor-shower-2022-when-where-see-it-uk 

Roger

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If you are at a loose end.....

Marking 50 years since Apollo 17 - join our live Moon viewing - watch on Youtube
7 December | 8pm
https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/online/moon-viewing-live

Roger

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Artemis I is currently on the far side of the moon having surpassed the record distance from Earth for a crew-capable spacecraft.

You can track its current location here: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/trackartemis/ 

And see some cool photos from the onboard cameras on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/albums/72177720303788800/with/52523215560/ 

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Heads up...
Catch one of the biggest meteor showers of the year
"13/14 December – Catch the peak of the Geminids meteor shower"
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/astronomy/night-sky-highlights-december-2022 

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Heads up...
Catch one of the biggest meteor showers of the year
"13/14 December – Catch the peak of the Geminids meteor shower"
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/astronomy/night-sky-highlights-december-2022 

Hopefully with a colder and more settled pattern looking likely Roger, we might get a chance to see the Geminids this year. It's not often you get proper clear nights for it, but this year we might get a better chance.

The Geminids are believed to be just as prolific as the Perseids in August. On a clear, dark night, you might see in excess of 120 meteors an hour.

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Yes, the easterlies have produced very cloudy skies here in Sheffield, with numerous showers due to N Sea convection and gradual orographic uplift, (and stable upper levels causing much spreading of convective clouds in medium levels, please correct me if I'm wrong). Hopefully, when winds backs to N'therlies and with long land track, should be more clear night skies (barring occasional polar lows and toughs) later in the week.

Spash down:
"The parachute-assisted drop into the sea should occur at about 09:40 local time (17:40 GMT)."
Nasa's Orion capsule on target for splashdown
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63907649 

 

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Spash down:
"The parachute-assisted drop into the sea should occur at about 09:40 local time (17:40 GMT)."
Nasa's Orion capsule on target for splashdown
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63907649 

 

Hi Roger. Yes I watched this on NASA live, YouTube. Now have to wait 2 years for the manned mision around the block and back!

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Hi Roger. Yes I watched this on NASA live, YouTube. Now have to wait 2 years for the manned mision around the block and back!

Although I can see the exciting side of human space exploration, Osprey, it is a slow, costly and tricky business. Then I consider what fantastic work can be done these days with robotic alternatives and I feel a bit of a party-pooper. We already know humans can be sent to the Moon - but human space travel is a short-term and argueably pointless priority when you consider what can be achieved without human cargoes and related life support - for now anyway. I feel perhaps we need to show we can stop trashing planet Earth before we send any of our species elsewhere! This short clip makes my point in a terrestrial context.

Mount Everest has become the world’s highest garbage dump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jCmYUQ1Q88 

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