Will Gater
@willgater.bsky.social
Astronomer, author, astrophotographer. Former science journalist now working in the UK space sector to promote research, exploration & innovation.
willgater.com
willgater.com
Reposted by Will Gater
🚨 Exciting news! 🚨
Here is the first known picture of the 19th Century astronomer Richard Carrington – who had the largest geomagnetic storm in history named after him.
It was found by our assistant archivist Kate Bond thanks to some brilliant detective work.🕵️♀️ 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Here is the first known picture of the 19th Century astronomer Richard Carrington – who had the largest geomagnetic storm in history named after him.
It was found by our assistant archivist Kate Bond thanks to some brilliant detective work.🕵️♀️ 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
February 2, 2026 at 3:06 PM
🚨 Exciting news! 🚨
Here is the first known picture of the 19th Century astronomer Richard Carrington – who had the largest geomagnetic storm in history named after him.
It was found by our assistant archivist Kate Bond thanks to some brilliant detective work.🕵️♀️ 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Here is the first known picture of the 19th Century astronomer Richard Carrington – who had the largest geomagnetic storm in history named after him.
It was found by our assistant archivist Kate Bond thanks to some brilliant detective work.🕵️♀️ 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
Reposted by Will Gater
A significant #SolarFlare is currently underway on the Sun! The flare was so bright, it has caused saturation and diffraction patterns in images captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Early data also seems to suggest the flare was eruptive.
February 2, 2026 at 12:24 AM
A significant #SolarFlare is currently underway on the Sun! The flare was so bright, it has caused saturation and diffraction patterns in images captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Early data also seems to suggest the flare was eruptive.
Great NZ fireball footage here with a superb example of a persistent train.
NZ friends: if you saw it or caught it on camera do send in a report as the info can help localise any potential meteorite fall. ☄️
NZ friends: if you saw it or caught it on camera do send in a report as the info can help localise any potential meteorite fall. ☄️
🛑 Fireball Alert - New Zealand 🇳🇿 🛑
A bright and slow fireball ☄️ was observed and video recorded over New Zealand on January 30th, in the middle of the night, 10h 25min UT (11:25pm, NZDT).
youtu.be/FdQveJMGJ9s
If you observed and/or recorded it, please share your observation: fireballs.imo.net
A bright and slow fireball ☄️ was observed and video recorded over New Zealand on January 30th, in the middle of the night, 10h 25min UT (11:25pm, NZDT).
youtu.be/FdQveJMGJ9s
If you observed and/or recorded it, please share your observation: fireballs.imo.net
Meteorite Wellington 30 Jan 2026
YouTube video by PredictWind
youtu.be
February 1, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Great NZ fireball footage here with a superb example of a persistent train.
NZ friends: if you saw it or caught it on camera do send in a report as the info can help localise any potential meteorite fall. ☄️
NZ friends: if you saw it or caught it on camera do send in a report as the info can help localise any potential meteorite fall. ☄️
Reposted by Will Gater
🚜 🛰️ @ukspaceagency.bsky.social is supporting two innovative projects that will use satellite data and digital tools to help farmers make more informed decisions, boost productivity and care for the environment.
space.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/20/u...
@ukspace.bsky.social @nfudc.bsky.social
space.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/20/u...
@ukspace.bsky.social @nfudc.bsky.social
Unlocking Space for Agriculture
The UK Space Agency is funding two four‑month pilot projects, using satellite data and digital tools to help farmers make more informed decisions, boost productivity and care for the environment.
space.blog.gov.uk
January 21, 2026 at 4:06 PM
🚜 🛰️ @ukspaceagency.bsky.social is supporting two innovative projects that will use satellite data and digital tools to help farmers make more informed decisions, boost productivity and care for the environment.
space.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/20/u...
@ukspace.bsky.social @nfudc.bsky.social
space.blog.gov.uk/2026/01/20/u...
@ukspace.bsky.social @nfudc.bsky.social
Here’s a time series of the evolution of what I suspect are proton aurora at the edge of Monday night’s display. These were incredibly dynamic features and you can kind of see how blurred they are in these 10s exposures.
January 22, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Here’s a time series of the evolution of what I suspect are proton aurora at the edge of Monday night’s display. These were incredibly dynamic features and you can kind of see how blurred they are in these 10s exposures.
Lots of shots to go through from tonight’s incredible auroral show over Dartmoor. Here are four of my favourites so far. While the camera does see far more than the naked eye, the colours in tonight’s display were the best I’ve seen in 30 years of mid-latitude aurora watching. #NorthernLights #Devon
January 19, 2026 at 11:56 PM
Lots of shots to go through from tonight’s incredible auroral show over Dartmoor. Here are four of my favourites so far. While the camera does see far more than the naked eye, the colours in tonight’s display were the best I’ve seen in 30 years of mid-latitude aurora watching. #NorthernLights #Devon
MAJOR naked-eye aurora visible through cloud gaps from Dartmoor in Devon right now. Vibrant red and green colours easily visible to the eye with direct vision. Here’s back of DSLR view from a few moments ago.
January 19, 2026 at 9:12 PM
MAJOR naked-eye aurora visible through cloud gaps from Dartmoor in Devon right now. Vibrant red and green colours easily visible to the eye with direct vision. Here’s back of DSLR view from a few moments ago.
Diffuse photographic aurora showing up from South Devon (50°N). It’s currently hugging the horizon between Alkaid and Deneb. #NorthernLights
December 12, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Diffuse photographic aurora showing up from South Devon (50°N). It’s currently hugging the horizon between Alkaid and Deneb. #NorthernLights
🌌 It’s the peak of the Geminid meteor shower this weekend and with the Moon below the horizon for most of Friday & Saturday night it should be a great show this year.
To find out more see my latest piece for the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog over at: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/08/g...
To find out more see my latest piece for the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog over at: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/08/g...
Glimpse a Geminid meteor this weekend
The peak of the Geminid meteor shower occurs this weekend and with the Moon out of the way you’ve got a great opportunity to spot shooting stars.
space.blog.gov.uk
December 10, 2025 at 11:16 AM
🌌 It’s the peak of the Geminid meteor shower this weekend and with the Moon below the horizon for most of Friday & Saturday night it should be a great show this year.
To find out more see my latest piece for the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog over at: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/08/g...
To find out more see my latest piece for the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog over at: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/08/g...
Reposted by Will Gater
🪐 The #ExoMars team at the University has welcomed the UK Space Agency’s renewed backing for the Rosalind Franklin rover mission, a flagship project that will see Europe’s first Mars rover launch in 2028.
🖱️ tinyurl.com/d3m5ysah
@esa.int
@ukspaceagency.bsky.social
@abercompsci.bsky.social
🖱️ tinyurl.com/d3m5ysah
@esa.int
@ukspaceagency.bsky.social
@abercompsci.bsky.social
December 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
🪐 The #ExoMars team at the University has welcomed the UK Space Agency’s renewed backing for the Rosalind Franklin rover mission, a flagship project that will see Europe’s first Mars rover launch in 2028.
🖱️ tinyurl.com/d3m5ysah
@esa.int
@ukspaceagency.bsky.social
@abercompsci.bsky.social
🖱️ tinyurl.com/d3m5ysah
@esa.int
@ukspaceagency.bsky.social
@abercompsci.bsky.social
Reposted by Will Gater
NASA's Curiosity Rover found evidence of tides in the sediments of an ancient lake. Today's Martian moons aren't big enough to to do that.
Mars may once have had a much larger moon, which then shattered (perhaps repeatedly), creating the smaller moons of today. 🧪🔭
agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/me...
Mars may once have had a much larger moon, which then shattered (perhaps repeatedly), creating the smaller moons of today. 🧪🔭
agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/me...
December 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
NASA's Curiosity Rover found evidence of tides in the sediments of an ancient lake. Today's Martian moons aren't big enough to to do that.
Mars may once have had a much larger moon, which then shattered (perhaps repeatedly), creating the smaller moons of today. 🧪🔭
agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/me...
Mars may once have had a much larger moon, which then shattered (perhaps repeatedly), creating the smaller moons of today. 🧪🔭
agu.confex.com/agu/agu25/me...
☀️ £131 million commitment from the UK for the crucial Vigil space weather mission.
🚀 Rosalind Franklin rover’s future secured. Mars-bound in 2028.
🌌 £511 million commitment to ESA’s core budget backing space science like the PLATO & Ariel missions.
More from @ukspaceagency.bsky.social below.👇
🚀 Rosalind Franklin rover’s future secured. Mars-bound in 2028.
🌌 £511 million commitment to ESA’s core budget backing space science like the PLATO & Ariel missions.
More from @ukspaceagency.bsky.social below.👇
November 28, 2025 at 8:58 AM
☀️ £131 million commitment from the UK for the crucial Vigil space weather mission.
🚀 Rosalind Franklin rover’s future secured. Mars-bound in 2028.
🌌 £511 million commitment to ESA’s core budget backing space science like the PLATO & Ariel missions.
More from @ukspaceagency.bsky.social below.👇
🚀 Rosalind Franklin rover’s future secured. Mars-bound in 2028.
🌌 £511 million commitment to ESA’s core budget backing space science like the PLATO & Ariel missions.
More from @ukspaceagency.bsky.social below.👇
Reposted by Will Gater
This is the nicest shot of the night, via two different cameras that captured the same meteor.
Crestone, Colorado USA November 12, 2025 at 2:36am MST
#astronomy #astrophotography #meteor #aurora
Crestone, Colorado USA November 12, 2025 at 2:36am MST
#astronomy #astrophotography #meteor #aurora
November 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
This is the nicest shot of the night, via two different cameras that captured the same meteor.
Crestone, Colorado USA November 12, 2025 at 2:36am MST
#astronomy #astrophotography #meteor #aurora
Crestone, Colorado USA November 12, 2025 at 2:36am MST
#astronomy #astrophotography #meteor #aurora
Reposted by Will Gater
Substantial geomagnetic activity underway now with naked-eye aurora being reported down to US mid latitudes. Aurora has been building in this live cam view from Northumberland over the past hour with bright isolated patches up to 20+° above the horizon. m.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZZ...
Northumberland Aurora Cam LIVE Stream (Cresswell, UK)
YouTube video by Northumberland Astro
m.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Substantial geomagnetic activity underway now with naked-eye aurora being reported down to US mid latitudes. Aurora has been building in this live cam view from Northumberland over the past hour with bright isolated patches up to 20+° above the horizon. m.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZZ...
Just stepped outside as the sky had cleared and saw a beautiful (I’m guessing from direction Taurid) meteor fireball at 23UT. Brilliant turquoise & white then a really vibrant blue with two white fragments continuing then fading. About 15° long from near Mira down to Theta Ceti area. @ukfall.org.uk
November 8, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Just stepped outside as the sky had cleared and saw a beautiful (I’m guessing from direction Taurid) meteor fireball at 23UT. Brilliant turquoise & white then a really vibrant blue with two white fragments continuing then fading. About 15° long from near Mira down to Theta Ceti area. @ukfall.org.uk
Reposted by Will Gater
A trio of monster active regions have rotated into view over the Sun’s eastern horizon. Whilst the front of the Sun has been quiet for a while, these regions were producing significant activity on the Sun’s backside. They will rotate to face Earth later this week. #spaceweather
November 3, 2025 at 6:20 PM
A trio of monster active regions have rotated into view over the Sun’s eastern horizon. Whilst the front of the Sun has been quiet for a while, these regions were producing significant activity on the Sun’s backside. They will rotate to face Earth later this week. #spaceweather
So long Comet Lemmon! Here’s a moonlit shot taken from Dartmoor tonight with the tail pointing straight up from the western horizon. Blustery up on the moor, so this is just a 5 second single exposure at high ISO, hence the noise.
October 29, 2025 at 8:38 PM
So long Comet Lemmon! Here’s a moonlit shot taken from Dartmoor tonight with the tail pointing straight up from the western horizon. Blustery up on the moor, so this is just a 5 second single exposure at high ISO, hence the noise.
Reposted by Will Gater
Auroras on the planet Jupiter, imaged by the star tracker camera aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft. nasa.gov/juno
Algunas imágenes recientes con la SRU de la Juno
#Juno Stellar Reference Unit #SRU
Target: #JUPITER #IO
ORBIT 69 70 71
planetarydata.jpl.nasa.gov/img/data/jun...
NASA/JPL/SelexGalileo/j. Roger
#Juno Stellar Reference Unit #SRU
Target: #JUPITER #IO
ORBIT 69 70 71
planetarydata.jpl.nasa.gov/img/data/jun...
NASA/JPL/SelexGalileo/j. Roger
October 27, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Auroras on the planet Jupiter, imaged by the star tracker camera aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft. nasa.gov/juno
Reposted by Will Gater
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft is ready to aim its instruments at interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS! 🪐☄️
Here’s what’s happening and why it’s such a rare opportunity 🧵
Here’s what’s happening and why it’s such a rare opportunity 🧵
October 24, 2025 at 2:22 PM
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft is ready to aim its instruments at interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS! 🪐☄️
Here’s what’s happening and why it’s such a rare opportunity 🧵
Here’s what’s happening and why it’s such a rare opportunity 🧵
Here’s a wider shot, taken with a 50mm lens, showing Comet Lemmon (along with numerous bright satellite trails) over Dartmoor tonight. #astrophotography
October 21, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Here’s a wider shot, taken with a 50mm lens, showing Comet Lemmon (along with numerous bright satellite trails) over Dartmoor tonight. #astrophotography
Comet C/2025 A6 glowing through thin cloud tonight over Dartmoor National Park, Devon. Single 8s exposure at ISO2500. #CometLemmon
October 21, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Comet C/2025 A6 glowing through thin cloud tonight over Dartmoor National Park, Devon. Single 8s exposure at ISO2500. #CometLemmon
Had some brief cloud gaps on Dartmoor around 8pm and was able to see the head of Comet Lemmon clearly by eye (with direct vision) as a fuzzy star just below Sigma Bootis. With averted vision could make out the tail extending about 1.5° up and to the right. #CometLemmon
October 21, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Had some brief cloud gaps on Dartmoor around 8pm and was able to see the head of Comet Lemmon clearly by eye (with direct vision) as a fuzzy star just below Sigma Bootis. With averted vision could make out the tail extending about 1.5° up and to the right. #CometLemmon
We’re lucky at the moment to have a comet visiting the inner Solar System that’s bright enough to see with a pair of binoculars, and it may in the coming week or so just reach naked-eye visibility.
To find out more, see the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/21/c...
To find out more, see the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/21/c...
Catch Comet Lemmon in autumn’s night sky
Comet Lemmon is paying our inner Solar System a visit and may reach naked-eye visibility in the coming week.
space.blog.gov.uk
October 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
We’re lucky at the moment to have a comet visiting the inner Solar System that’s bright enough to see with a pair of binoculars, and it may in the coming week or so just reach naked-eye visibility.
To find out more, see the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/21/c...
To find out more, see the @ukspaceagency.bsky.social blog: space.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/21/c...
Reposted by Will Gater
🛑 Fireball Alert - Spain 🇪🇸 🛑
An extremely bright fireball ☄️ was observed and video recorded over North-West Spain on Oct 15 evening, around 18h 38min UT (20h 38min, CEST).
If you observed and/or recorded it, please share your observation with the international community: fireballs.imo.net
An extremely bright fireball ☄️ was observed and video recorded over North-West Spain on Oct 15 evening, around 18h 38min UT (20h 38min, CEST).
If you observed and/or recorded it, please share your observation with the international community: fireballs.imo.net
October 16, 2025 at 10:29 PM
🛑 Fireball Alert - Spain 🇪🇸 🛑
An extremely bright fireball ☄️ was observed and video recorded over North-West Spain on Oct 15 evening, around 18h 38min UT (20h 38min, CEST).
If you observed and/or recorded it, please share your observation with the international community: fireballs.imo.net
An extremely bright fireball ☄️ was observed and video recorded over North-West Spain on Oct 15 evening, around 18h 38min UT (20h 38min, CEST).
If you observed and/or recorded it, please share your observation with the international community: fireballs.imo.net