Stuart Atkinson

Hi... If you Followed me as "Mars_Stu" over on the other place I hope you'll do the same here. If you didn't, but like space (especially Mars), SF & cats I'd be delighted if you'd Follow me here! Here's an example of the image processing I do... Credit: Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/S Atkinson

Little reminder that this is happening in Edinburgh this Saturday and we'd love to see you there. There's going to be lots of drawing (mainly Dotty), blood-curdling screaming (mainly me) and a prize for the best Halloween costume. It's completely free and tickets are available from Waterstones.

My weekend residency at Carlisle Cathedral supporting their @lukejerram.bsky.social "Museum of The Moon" hosting month was beyond brilliant, the best Outreach event I've ever done. 5 talks in 3 days, 100s of people, young & old, an absolute joy.

Workshop coming November 6th! I break down all the steps and let you in on my glazing secrets 🎨 Sign up here: pocosinarts.org/product/glaz...

Just look at these... gorgeous...

Starting to get quite excited about my upcoming weekend "residency" at the magnificent Carlisle Cathedral, giving 5 talks in 3 days (gulp!) as part of the wonderful "Museum of The Moon". Going to spread that Moon Joy!

Very exciting mission about to begin! Glad *someone* is bringing samples back from Mars, after NASA abandoned Perseverance's precious tubes like beer cans tossed out of a car window and left on the side of the road...

Jess is as unimpressed as usual... no pleasing her... but I'm extremely chuffed and proud to have major features in both the November issue *and* the 2027 "Stargazers Guide" Yearbook of @astronomynow.bsky.social Magazine! (No, I have no idea what J was looking at as I took the pics...)

Added some extra ancillary info and slowed it down....so now you can replay the whole mission over about 27 minutes - www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8l...

Re-watching underrated 2018 BBC SF series "Hard Sun" and it's stood up pretty well. Ok, so Jim Sturgess sounds like he's The Mandalorian with asthma, and in places it's slower than a drugged sloth but it's very broody, dark & tense with an air of despair about it. Looks fantastic too. Recommended.

My best images from the Autumn 2026 Kielder Starcamp, taken with my (now vintage!) Seestar S50...

Kielder Star camp is over but we're still here at Kielder Campsite, and the Milky Way is glorious tonight, airbrushed on the sky... ("Night Sight" camera phone pic)

At Kielder Star camp up in Northumberland... 04.20... glittering frost covering everything...sky full of stars... imaging M42 with my Seestar S50...

Personally I think it is ridiculous that NASA's leaders swoon & obsess over their Fantasy League race to beat China to the Moon yet TOTALLY ignore the incredible work and REAL SCIENCE being done by the Mars rovers. This is Curiosity's latest view. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/SA

"Doesn't your cat mind being taken away from home and living in a caravan for a week"? Oh, she *hates* it. A huge bed to stretch out on, fluffy duvets to sleep under, and a steady stream of admiring visitors, with treats, telling her she's beautiful... Absolute torture... ;-)

Some pics taken with my Seestar S50 (vintage) at Kielder Starcamp here at the beautiful Kielder Campsite in Northumberland last night... all processed in the Seestar then tidied up on the PC...

Today the Perseverance team will be celebrating 2000 sols on Mars, an *incredible* achievement. I hope NASA's Administrator acknowledges it, and pays proper respect to the mission, but sadly I think that's unlikely. "No Moon, No Swoon" is the policy now.

She's in a hollow, so the Clayborne Range - my 100% unofficial name for the jagged hills at the top of this valley - are beneath the ridge on the skyline still, but soon Curiosity's view from the top of it is going to be *glorious*... NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson

There's a British phrase, "I've had a pig of a day!", describing a bad day. Well, today I've had the kind of bad day an actual pig would describe as "a pig of a day". Home now, defusing, and of course J jumped right up to curl up in my arm. They know, don't they?

I know I'm biased, like every cat owner is, but seriously, just look how beautiful my girl Jess is...

Thank you all for likes and comments. Much appreciated. But even more appreciated are RESKEETS. My income has been cut in half by AI and is only going to worse. Some of you have far more followers than I. You can make a difference by just hitting that share button. Please. And thank you.

Seriously, if anyone important at NASA starts referring to AI as "Super Intelligence" I will throw up like a cat hoiking up a hairball. Boot-licking Trump like that would be absolutely pathetic.

Photographed the Moon last night with my Seestar after getting home from work. Always fun. ("What are you DOING? Why are you pointing THAT way?? Look! It's right THERE! That big bright round thing!")....

Interesting rock seen by Perseverance on Mars yesterday (sorry, don't know the scale, just thought it looked cool!) Processed mosaic of several images. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/S Atkinson

Last night's gorgeous #HarvestMoon, photographed from Kendal using my Seestar S50 (mosaic of two images, cropped and processed)...

Paging @louiestowell.bsky.social ... date for your diary next year?

Just sent in a feature to three different astro magazines. Hope one of them takes it...

It is the autumn equinox tomorrow The equinox hare is on their way. Those who are quiet of heart and walk the hedge might catch a glimpse. Do say hello if you do

Had a loooooong list of writing jobs to do today on my so-called "day off" but they're all done, so time now to just chill with J and probably fall asleep like this ...

BlueSky! Any Sunday chores on your to-do list today that would benefit from an audio accompaniment? Here is me & Jason Goodyer (editor of BBC Science Focus) having a lovely long blether about reality. Suitable for both cooking and cleaning activities. You're welcome 🤗🧪🔭 🔗: pod.link/1296673906/e...

Precious time with Jess last night, she dozed in my arm, "you're not going anywhere" paw clamped firmly on my knee while I binge-watched Neagley...

Seestar S50 image of the Pacman Nebula, taken in the early hours of Sept 20th. I know, I must be the last Seestar user on the planet to take a pic of this nebula, but it was worth waiting for :-)

In the early hours of this morning I set up my vintage Seestar S50 to take some more images of the galaxy NGC 7331 with the supernova shining near its centre...

No, seriously - whatever you're doing just stop and take a moment to admire the pure beauty of these ancient Martian rocks, seen by Curiosity just a few hours ago... Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson (that big twisty, dark, knobbly one HAS to be a meteorite, surely?)

Clear sky earlier so had the Seestar S50 out in the yard, taking pics of the supernova in galaxy NGC 7331...

This TEMU Bond villain simply will not be satisfied until the night sky is totally f***d. Who the **** made him Emperor of Earth with the right to destroy the ground beneath our feet and the sky above our heads?

Cats... Graceful, elegant, refined, mysterious...