David Blanchflower BSc
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davidbflower.bsky.social
David Blanchflower BSc
@davidbflower.bsky.social
62K followers 420 following 13K posts
Astronomer and Astrophotographer. Pictures of space appearing in posts, magazines and on the telly.
Posts Replies Media Videos
davidbflower.bsky.social
Just back from the opticians. Had my annual eye test/exam. No problems just my usual prescription required.
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
esa.int
Watch live: #CM25 Press Conference by the Hosting Minister, Chair and the ESA Director General, today on #ESAWebTV from 12.00 GMT/13.00 CET.

👉 📺 watch.esa.int
November 27, 2025 at 8:44 AM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Massive prehistoric structure found near Stonehenge. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Huge Neolithic structure found in Stonehenge landscape
A study has confirmed 16 pits were dug close to the Stonehenge more than 4,000 years ago.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 7:25 AM
davidbflower.bsky.social
'Extraordinary discovery' at Orkney Neolithic site. So extraordinary they don't know what it is. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Extraordinary discovery' at Orkney's Ness of Brodgar Neolithic site
Archaeologists are to resume digging at the site after 3D radar technology uncovered a mystery find.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 7:24 AM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Just a random picture of Saturn I took back in 2021. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour
Ringed planet Saturn at centre on a dark background.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
jesika5555.bsky.social
251125 OM1ii out for the first time in months! Astro playtime, the only astro I can do and that's because of the clever #OMSystems computer that calls itself a camera @sjbastro.bsky.social @salopchris.bsky.social @davidbflower.bsky.social
Looked outside to check the sky WAS clear as forecast & saw the space station overhead. Rushed inside, changed lens and attempted hand held in extremely cold conditions. 12.83 seconds isn't TOO bad as the ISS zooms between the bushes. 6pm and still clear, a few stars visible but still a bit too light for trails. At least I've got the tripod pointing in the right direction because Polaris lives right above my chimney. A bush and a couple of late roses in the bottom right corner. Clear skies promised but promise not kept. 1440 15 second exposures blended together in clever OM1 mark 2. Polaris above TV aerial on my chimney. I think a plane's red light running from top left to centre bottom. Odd colours ? because of cloud. Red roses bottom right. Exposure ran from 10pm to 4 am
November 26, 2025 at 6:04 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
New spacesuit 'could help astronauts' mobility.' 🔭 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Spacesuit designed in Bristol could help astronauts on the Moon
New spacesuit created by Bristol University researcher could help astronauts move more freely.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 5:04 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Got a new starry background on my computer. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour
Capture of a computer screen with star cluster the Pleiades above centre. Many other star dots. Application thumbnails on left and on bottom taskbar.
November 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
physicsuol.bsky.social
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: AGN variability: hidden signals in the noise

We're advertising this project with Prof Simon Vaughan, analysing AGN with methods that go beyond traditional models and assumptions

For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
STFC | Postgraduate research | University of Leicester
STFC Studentships in Physics and Astronomy. University of Leicester
le.ac.uk
November 26, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
kaihornung.com
From my first trip to Lofoten and the first time I ever got to see the aurora.
November 23, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
redshiftsinger.bsky.social
It’s a hell of a day for seeing cool things apparently!
A dramatic red and green aurora A dramatic red aurora A dramatic red aurora A dramatic red and green aurora
November 12, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
astroalysa.bsky.social
A reminder that this gif and a similar one for the transit method are on Wikimedia Commons for anyone to use.

I'm actually putting together a teaching dossier at the moment and I'd love to hear from people if you've used any of my gifs for teaching, outreach, or science stuff!

Links to gifs below:
astroalysa.bsky.social Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas) @astroalysa.bsky.social · 21h
Omgomg my gif demonstrating using the doppler/radial velocity method for detecting exoplanets was used in the latest PBS Space Time!!!!! 🤩
Screenshot of PBS Space Time video titled "Do We Live in the Rarest Solar System In The Universe? We're about to find out!" Image shows four panels. Upper left is a top-down perspective of a planet orbiting a star, showing both orbiting the centre of gravity of the pair (showing the "wobble" of the star). Bottom left is an edge-on perspective of the same pair. Upper right is a graph showing the edge-on speed of the star (which follows a sinusoidal curve). Bottom right is a depiction of the star's spectrum, showing dark absorption lines which move due to the doppler effect (which is how the edge-on speed of the star is determined).
November 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Moment researcher finds rare flower after 13-year search. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
Watch: Moment researcher finds rare flower after 13-year search
Researcher Septian Andriki collapsed in tears upon discovering the rare Rafflesia hasseltii plant in Indonesia.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
shamblesklutz.bsky.social
Took this photo at the weekend. Was up a hill watching over a cloud inversion, and saw my first fog bow ❤️ #fogbow #weather #stormhour #Fife #Scotland
November 25, 2025 at 3:33 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
The Pleiades from last night. 25 November 2025. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour
Blue stars and nebulosity of the Pleiades cluster. Many other star dots on a dark background.
November 26, 2025 at 9:42 AM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Virtual retina could help vision loss - university. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Virtual retina could help with vision loss - Surrey University
A Surrey-based study details how the retina can build its structure from one type of stem cell.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
dannydenfisch.bsky.social
Uranus and two of her 28 moons, Titania and Oberon. Currently about 2.7 billion kilometres from Earth, and I was able to get this image from my back garden.

Amazing!

NB - I added the text and labels, they aren’t floating in space 🤣 #astronomy #astrophotography #planets #uranus 🧪 🔭
Image of the sky with Uranus at the centre and two of her moons.
November 25, 2025 at 10:49 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
The Pleiades (M45). 25 November 2025. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour
The Pleiades cluster of stars at centre. Many other star dots on a dark background.
November 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Reposted by David Blanchflower BSc
palomarskies.bsky.social
The irresistible beauty that is Messier 42, the Orion Nebula. 🔭
A telescopic image of a fan-shaped nebula. Parts of it are white, red, and blue with dark dust as well.
November 25, 2025 at 8:54 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Newcastle are playing Marseille tonight. I'm not there. Not a good sign.
November 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Andromeda Galaxy through serious clouds. 25 November 2025. 🔭 🧪 🎨 #astrophotography #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour
A fuzzy galaxy at centre.
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
I am very sad to report that Udo Kier has died. Brilliant actor who tended to play memorable characters in very odd/strange films.
November 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Academics to use AI supercomputer for eye study. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
AI supercomputer to be used in University of Essex eye study
The lead researcher believes the machine will
www.bbc.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Rainbow over Newcastle upon Tyne. 25th November 2025. 🧪 🎨 #SciArt #photography #StormHour #ThePhotoHour
A multicoloured band arching across the sky. Trees and gardens below in foreground.
November 25, 2025 at 3:11 PM
davidbflower.bsky.social
Just did a quick test with my newish lens. Seems to be alright. Big test will be something astronomical. Orion perhaps? 🔭 🧪 #astrophotography
November 25, 2025 at 2:13 PM