Mark A. Norris
@markanorris.bsky.social
Astronomer, Educator, Traveller, Human, Mild cynic.
Not quite so clear over here unfortunately.
December 13, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Not quite so clear over here unfortunately.
Caught a nice meteor in the latest timelapse from the observatory tonight.
December 10, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Caught a nice meteor in the latest timelapse from the observatory tonight.
Looks like a comet to me.
December 9, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Looks like a comet to me.
Henry isn’t half a smug little @&£*& every time he gets stuck behind a door (which is every time).
December 4, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Henry isn’t half a smug little @&£*& every time he gets stuck behind a door (which is every time).
Hours to about a day typically. You can see some complete a period in a single night.
They are the blue stars that appear to twinkle and change colour slightly. (lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/sdu/variabil...).
The blue stragglers will be mostly constant luminosity, and fainter than the RR Lyraes.
They are the blue stars that appear to twinkle and change colour slightly. (lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/sdu/variabil...).
The blue stragglers will be mostly constant luminosity, and fainter than the RR Lyraes.
November 28, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Hours to about a day typically. You can see some complete a period in a single night.
They are the blue stars that appear to twinkle and change colour slightly. (lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/sdu/variabil...).
The blue stragglers will be mostly constant luminosity, and fainter than the RR Lyraes.
They are the blue stars that appear to twinkle and change colour slightly. (lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/sdu/variabil...).
The blue stragglers will be mostly constant luminosity, and fainter than the RR Lyraes.
When I started University the first exoplanet transit had recently been detected (using the HST).
Now a relatively small telescope in a muddy, partially cloudy field in Lancashire can detect a planet orbiting a star hundreds of light years away.
TOI1259A b seen with the IHT on the 19th of Nov.
Now a relatively small telescope in a muddy, partially cloudy field in Lancashire can detect a planet orbiting a star hundreds of light years away.
TOI1259A b seen with the IHT on the 19th of Nov.
November 23, 2025 at 1:06 AM
When I started University the first exoplanet transit had recently been detected (using the HST).
Now a relatively small telescope in a muddy, partially cloudy field in Lancashire can detect a planet orbiting a star hundreds of light years away.
TOI1259A b seen with the IHT on the 19th of Nov.
Now a relatively small telescope in a muddy, partially cloudy field in Lancashire can detect a planet orbiting a star hundreds of light years away.
TOI1259A b seen with the IHT on the 19th of Nov.
Managed to get some imaging of another comet (not that one) last night. You can clearly see that C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has broken apart into several fragments.
There are no stars because I tracked the comet, and the streaks left by the stars were rejected when the images were combined.
There are no stars because I tracked the comet, and the streaks left by the stars were rejected when the images were combined.
November 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Managed to get some imaging of another comet (not that one) last night. You can clearly see that C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) has broken apart into several fragments.
There are no stars because I tracked the comet, and the streaks left by the stars were rejected when the images were combined.
There are no stars because I tracked the comet, and the streaks left by the stars were rejected when the images were combined.
Finally got enough of a clear patch this morning to grab some images of 3I/ATLAS from the Alston Observatory, through light pollution, a bit of cloud and a tree. I even got to try out the non-sidereal tracking on the telescope (hence the star trails).
It is still there, it is still a comet.
It is still there, it is still a comet.
November 17, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Finally got enough of a clear patch this morning to grab some images of 3I/ATLAS from the Alston Observatory, through light pollution, a bit of cloud and a tree. I even got to try out the non-sidereal tracking on the telescope (hence the star trails).
It is still there, it is still a comet.
It is still there, it is still a comet.
At the launch of Derek’s book with Brian May and J.P Metsavaino. Islands in infinity. I may have been involved in fact checking.
November 13, 2025 at 7:37 PM
At the launch of Derek’s book with Brian May and J.P Metsavaino. Islands in infinity. I may have been involved in fact checking.
Starting to build up a decent library of student theses.
November 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Starting to build up a decent library of student theses.
So you mean he’s asking them to give over a billion dollars?
November 12, 2025 at 10:59 AM
So you mean he’s asking them to give over a billion dollars?
This is the process.
November 9, 2025 at 7:39 AM
This is the process.
Well that’s a first. My only mildly sarcastic answer to a question about how we know 3I/ATLAS is a comet made it onto Have I Got News For You.
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
November 7, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Well that’s a first. My only mildly sarcastic answer to a question about how we know 3I/ATLAS is a comet made it onto Have I Got News For You.
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Nice lunar rainbow while observing during the public stargazing night at the Alston Observatory.
November 5, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Nice lunar rainbow while observing during the public stargazing night at the Alston Observatory.
This is my favourite, a narrow stellar stream in NGC4341.
November 4, 2025 at 8:12 PM
This is my favourite, a narrow stellar stream in NGC4341.
I really wouldn't choose red.
October 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
I really wouldn't choose red.
Morale in some areas of UK academia might be a bit low right now, but some people still have a (good) sense of humour.
October 28, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Morale in some areas of UK academia might be a bit low right now, but some people still have a (good) sense of humour.
US kitkats are atrocious.
I don’t understand the logic of taking a massively successful worldwide product and thinking “yes we’d like to license this great product that is very popular worldwide, but what Americans really want is a completely inedible version”.
Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
I don’t understand the logic of taking a massively successful worldwide product and thinking “yes we’d like to license this great product that is very popular worldwide, but what Americans really want is a completely inedible version”.
Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
October 1, 2025 at 6:31 PM
US kitkats are atrocious.
I don’t understand the logic of taking a massively successful worldwide product and thinking “yes we’d like to license this great product that is very popular worldwide, but what Americans really want is a completely inedible version”.
Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
I don’t understand the logic of taking a massively successful worldwide product and thinking “yes we’d like to license this great product that is very popular worldwide, but what Americans really want is a completely inedible version”.
Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
I’m familiar with their game.
September 6, 2025 at 9:41 PM
I’m familiar with their game.
Vice Chancellors/Heads of British/Australian/European Universities right now.
August 29, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Vice Chancellors/Heads of British/Australian/European Universities right now.
Everyone knows it was derisory.
You paid more for Wirtz.
You thought you’d unsettled him enough that you could get him on the cheap.
You paid more for Wirtz.
You thought you’d unsettled him enough that you could get him on the cheap.
August 20, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Everyone knows it was derisory.
You paid more for Wirtz.
You thought you’d unsettled him enough that you could get him on the cheap.
You paid more for Wirtz.
You thought you’d unsettled him enough that you could get him on the cheap.
As with most things Terry Pratchett did it.
July 24, 2025 at 7:12 PM
As with most things Terry Pratchett did it.
A diversity of viewpoints. From the far right to the far far right.
It’s news. It doesn’t need viewpoints.
It’s news. It doesn’t need viewpoints.
July 23, 2025 at 7:47 PM
A diversity of viewpoints. From the far right to the far far right.
It’s news. It doesn’t need viewpoints.
It’s news. It doesn’t need viewpoints.
We had a set of drawers that was surplus to requirements so I turned it into a desk.
It only cost £20 and a couple of hours.
It only cost £20 and a couple of hours.
July 22, 2025 at 12:46 PM
We had a set of drawers that was surplus to requirements so I turned it into a desk.
It only cost £20 and a couple of hours.
It only cost £20 and a couple of hours.