Michael Merrifield
@astromikemerri.bsky.social
Emeritus professor of astronomy at the University of Nottingham. Too frequent appearances on YouTube. All my own views.
Clear night, so couldn’t resist getting the Origin 🔭 out. Narrow-band filter in, so I went after a slightly lesser-known emission nebula, its hydrogen gas excited by the hot stars embedded in it, NGC 1491. Two hour observation, stacked by the telescope, just tweaked a little in Lightroom. Gorgeous!
November 25, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Clear night, so couldn’t resist getting the Origin 🔭 out. Narrow-band filter in, so I went after a slightly lesser-known emission nebula, its hydrogen gas excited by the hot stars embedded in it, NGC 1491. Two hour observation, stacked by the telescope, just tweaked a little in Lightroom. Gorgeous!
“You’re in my spot.” 🪶
November 25, 2025 at 12:31 PM
“You’re in my spot.” 🪶
Went to the University to take in a couple of exhibitions. One was unexpectedly closed. The other is only open Thu-Sun. Happily, the weather and birds 🪶 were more obliging.
November 25, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Went to the University to take in a couple of exhibitions. One was unexpectedly closed. The other is only open Thu-Sun. Happily, the weather and birds 🪶 were more obliging.
Amazing the way things develop sometimes. My idle displacement activity to put off assessing a pile of 🔭 applications for ESO (arxiv.org/abs/0906.1943) has led to a wholesale national shift in the way that 🧪 grant applications are assessed (www.gov.uk/government/n...)
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Amazing the way things develop sometimes. My idle displacement activity to put off assessing a pile of 🔭 applications for ESO (arxiv.org/abs/0906.1943) has led to a wholesale national shift in the way that 🧪 grant applications are assessed (www.gov.uk/government/n...)
Transformation complete.
November 24, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Transformation complete.
November 24, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The lemon harvest has been safely gathered in.
November 24, 2025 at 12:46 PM
The lemon harvest has been safely gathered in.
When Avi says “to within 9 degrees,” he actually means “9 degrees away from.” He then commits the gross statistical error of using this measured value to specify the radius of a circle on sky to assign a probability.
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
November 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
When Avi says “to within 9 degrees,” he actually means “9 degrees away from.” He then commits the gross statistical error of using this measured value to specify the radius of a circle on sky to assign a probability.
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
How many blog posts has Avi not written listing all the things he checked that turned out not to be such a coincidence as to be very unlikely by chance? 🔭
November 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM
How many blog posts has Avi not written listing all the things he checked that turned out not to be such a coincidence as to be very unlikely by chance? 🔭
Proper Sunday afternoon telly.
November 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Proper Sunday afternoon telly.
I think the Internet Archive is a very good thing. Knowledge should be freely avail… wait a minute, that’s *my* book! Take it down at once!
November 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
I think the Internet Archive is a very good thing. Knowledge should be freely avail… wait a minute, that’s *my* book! Take it down at once!
My tiny remote-control car drives rather better in AI than with me driving.
November 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
My tiny remote-control car drives rather better in AI than with me driving.
Not taking my new fluffy-fleece-lined top off until Spring.
November 22, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Not taking my new fluffy-fleece-lined top off until Spring.
So now we get the tabloid headline
“Astronomer claims Avi Loeb might be an alien lizard”
(Because that’s how his stupid self-serving game plays out.)
“Astronomer claims Avi Loeb might be an alien lizard”
(Because that’s how his stupid self-serving game plays out.)
The simplest explanation is that Avi Loeb is a buffoon who has lost all sense of perspective, but it’s also possible that he is an alien lizard sent to Earth to spread the word about the impending arrival of his species.
(See, I can play this game too.)
🔭 avi-loeb.medium.com/breaking-new...
(See, I can play this game too.)
🔭 avi-loeb.medium.com/breaking-new...
Newly-Discovered Sideways Lines Are Likely a Satellite Streak or Otherwise a Hint for the Release…
Today a new image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was taken by M. Jäger, G. Rhemann, and E. Prosperi and reported here. The image…
avi-loeb.medium.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:56 PM
So now we get the tabloid headline
“Astronomer claims Avi Loeb might be an alien lizard”
(Because that’s how his stupid self-serving game plays out.)
“Astronomer claims Avi Loeb might be an alien lizard”
(Because that’s how his stupid self-serving game plays out.)
The simplest explanation is that Avi Loeb is a buffoon who has lost all sense of perspective, but it’s also possible that he is an alien lizard sent to Earth to spread the word about the impending arrival of his species.
(See, I can play this game too.)
🔭 avi-loeb.medium.com/breaking-new...
(See, I can play this game too.)
🔭 avi-loeb.medium.com/breaking-new...
Newly-Discovered Sideways Lines Are Likely a Satellite Streak or Otherwise a Hint for the Release…
Today a new image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was taken by M. Jäger, G. Rhemann, and E. Prosperi and reported here. The image…
avi-loeb.medium.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The simplest explanation is that Avi Loeb is a buffoon who has lost all sense of perspective, but it’s also possible that he is an alien lizard sent to Earth to spread the word about the impending arrival of his species.
(See, I can play this game too.)
🔭 avi-loeb.medium.com/breaking-new...
(See, I can play this game too.)
🔭 avi-loeb.medium.com/breaking-new...
Yet another thrilling update on #3IATLAS: it’s still just a comet. Good thing Avi hedged his bet, huh? 🔭
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
November 21, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Yet another thrilling update on #3IATLAS: it’s still just a comet. Good thing Avi hedged his bet, huh? 🔭
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Starting to explore the potential for combining my tiny remote-control motor boat digital electronics project with AI. Because… well, why not?
November 20, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Starting to explore the potential for combining my tiny remote-control motor boat digital electronics project with AI. Because… well, why not?
My wife is currently studying Magna Carta in her history MA. So I feel obliged to mutter “did she die in vain?” at regular intervals.
November 20, 2025 at 2:28 PM
My wife is currently studying Magna Carta in her history MA. So I feel obliged to mutter “did she die in vain?” at regular intervals.
PSA: the word is solder, not sodder.
November 19, 2025 at 9:04 PM
PSA: the word is solder, not sodder.
#3IATLAS update: NASA release various 🔭 images held up by the US government shutdown, confirming it is, and always has been, a comet.
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
View Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Through NASA’s Multiple Lenses - NASA Science
This article was updated to include the full range of dates from the SOHO image.
science.nasa.gov
November 19, 2025 at 8:57 PM
#3IATLAS update: NASA release various 🔭 images held up by the US government shutdown, confirming it is, and always has been, a comet.
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
Slots? Where we’re going, we don’t need slots!
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
November 19, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Slots? Where we’re going, we don’t need slots!
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
Chilly, but a nice autumnal light for a stroll at Foxcovert Plantation. Good to see the Polish airmen well remembered.
November 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Chilly, but a nice autumnal light for a stroll at Foxcovert Plantation. Good to see the Polish airmen well remembered.
Making himself at home. 🪶
November 19, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Making himself at home. 🪶
How can I tell what is down if Downdetector is down?
November 18, 2025 at 12:03 PM
How can I tell what is down if Downdetector is down?