Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans

astroroyalscot.bsky.social

19 October 2026 19:52

And Lift Off! A glorious launch of #MMX, the start of an amazingly awesome 5 yr round trip to Mars' moon Phobos. 1yr to get there, 3yrs exploration landing on the surface (twice), then 1yr to get home with the bounty (2tbls of Phobos dust), arriving in the Australian outback in 2031! 🥳🔭🧪🛰️🚀

SolarSteph 🌞

stephyardley.bsky.social

08 October 2026 16:43

🚨 Aurora watch 🌌 A CME that left the Sun on 6 Oct is due early Fri 9 Oct. G1 storm expected, chance of G2, so aurora possible across northern UK at the peak. A glancing blow from a 7 Oct CME could add more chances Sat/Sun night. 🤞 for clear skies! (Auroral forecast shown from Met Office)

ESA Operations

operations.esa.int

03 September 2026 16:03

🟢 GO for MTM separation. The Mission Control Team has the green light to proceed with #BepiColombo's MTM separation. ✅ The spacecraft is configured, the team is ready, and the first milestone of #Mercury arrival is underway. 🛰️ @esa.int #JAXA

ESA Operations

operations.esa.int

03 September 2026 16:02

⏳ The countdown is over. #BepiColombo's Mercury Transfer Module should have now separated from the spacecraft, a key step in the mission's journey towards orbiting #Mercury. 🛰️↔️🚀 Now expecting acquisition of signal confirming separation no earlier than 15:53 CEST. @esa.int #JAXA

Prof Jim Wild

jim-wild.bsky.social

21 August 2026 08:52

Another successful #EV road trip to the continent with the family. 1000 easy miles from Lancashire to Reims and back. Never had to wait while we charged - did that while we ate, slept or were otherwise having fun #flyingless