Amateur astronomer and author of science fiction and science reference books, including "A Cat's Guide to The Night Sky". Fascinated by Mars since knee high to R2D2 and owned by a very demanding rescue cat called Jess. https://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mx2epnvars2xShe's in a hollow, so the Clayborne Range - my 100% unofficial name for the jagged hills at the top of this valley - are beneath the ridge on the skyline still, but soon Curiosity's view from the top of it is going to be *glorious*... NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson04 Oct 2026 12:11 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx2epnvars2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwvrvelwns2gThere's a British phrase, "I've had a pig of a day!", describing a bad day. Well, today I've had the kind of bad day an actual pig would describe as "a pig of a day". Home now, defusing, and of course J jumped right up to curl up in my arm. They know, don't they?02 Oct 2026 16:24 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwvrvelwns2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwtggbu7cs2iI know I'm biased, like every cat owner is, but seriously, just look how beautiful my girl Jess is...01 Oct 2026 17:53 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwtggbu7cs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwqrnolx6k2rSeriously, if anyone important at NASA starts referring to AI as "Super Intelligence" I will throw up like a cat hoiking up a hairball. Boot-licking Trump like that would be absolutely pathetic.30 Sep 2026 16:36 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwqrnolx6k2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwktz5f7jk27Photographed the Moon last night with my Seestar after getting home from work. Always fun. ("What are you DOING? Why are you pointing THAT way?? Look! It's right THERE! That big bright round thing!")....28 Sep 2026 08:02 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwktz5f7jk27https://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwieekives2gInteresting rock seen by Perseverance on Mars yesterday (sorry, don't know the scale, just thought it looked cool!) Processed mosaic of several images. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/S Atkinson27 Sep 2026 08:17 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwieekives2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwidka4oqk2gLast night's gorgeous #HarvestMoon, photographed from Kendal using my Seestar S50 (mosaic of two images, cropped and processed)...27 Sep 2026 08:02 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwidka4oqk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mwbtqecqlk2yPaging @louiestowell.bsky.social ... date for your diary next year?24 Sep 2026 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwbtqecqlk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mw7mnlxnck2gWeather apps... seriously FUPPING useless... TWO told me clear sky thru to midnight so I left my Seestar out taking pics of Veil Nebula... Just went out after 30 mins to check and... !!!!23 Sep 2026 20:51 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw7mnlxnck2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mw6hfjhfuk2bJust sent in a feature to three different astro magazines. Hope one of them takes it...23 Sep 2026 09:45 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw6hfjhfuk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvzwm4kkfk2yHad a loooooong list of writing jobs to do today on my so-called "day off" but they're all done, so time now to just chill with J and probably fall asleep like this ...21 Sep 2026 14:34 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvzwm4kkfk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvwryfcs7k2aPrecious time with Jess last night, she dozed in my arm, "you're not going anywhere" paw clamped firmly on my knee while I binge-watched Neagley...20 Sep 2026 08:33 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvwryfcs7k2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvwrqd6das2aSeestar S50 image of the Pacman Nebula, taken in the early hours of Sept 20th. I know, I must be the last Seestar user on the planet to take a pic of this nebula, but it was worth waiting for :-)20 Sep 2026 08:28 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvwrqd6das2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvwrhwmbic2aIn the early hours of this morning I set up my vintage Seestar S50 to take some more images of the galaxy NGC 7331 with the supernova shining near its centre...20 Sep 2026 08:24 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvwrhwmbic2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvwq2aw3322aNo, seriously - whatever you're doing just stop and take a moment to admire the pure beauty of these ancient Martian rocks, seen by Curiosity just a few hours ago... Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson (that big twisty, dark, knobbly one HAS to be a meteorite, surely?)20 Sep 2026 07:58 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvwq2aw3322ahttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvw24c4ew224Clear sky earlier so had the Seestar S50 out in the yard, taking pics of the supernova in galaxy NGC 7331...20 Sep 2026 01:26 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvw24c4ew224https://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvvxfq5kjs2pThis TEMU Bond villain simply will not be satisfied until the night sky is totally f***d. Who the **** made him Emperor of Earth with the right to destroy the ground beneath our feet and the sky above our heads?20 Sep 2026 00:37 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvvxfq5kjs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvv66s5vqc2hCats... Graceful, elegant, refined, mysterious...19 Sep 2026 17:06 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvv66s5vqc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvstxs54ds2dLots to do tonight, clearing the Admin decks before starting a Big Writing Job tomorrow morning... so of course J had other ideas. She was there curled up in my arm with her head in my hand for almost an hour. But that's ok, it's in my Cat Dad Contract. :-)18 Sep 2026 18:58 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvstxs54ds2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvqrnqj5x22xYou might want to sit down for these... 5,014 days after it landed, the Curiosity rover sent back these absolutely stunning images of Mars. The rover's incredible team deserves some credit from NASA's bosses for their achievement. Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/Additional processing S Atkinson17 Sep 2026 23:11 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqrnqj5x22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvq57xaqvk2yThe Curiosity team just marked, and I'm sure celebrated, a huge milestone in the mission: 5000 days on Mars! HUGE congratulations to them - and shame on NASA bosses, including Administrator Jared Isaacman, for totally ignoring it. New NASA is "Moon! Moon! Moon!", and pretending Mars doesn't exist.17 Sep 2026 17:05 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvq57xaqvk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvmti7ifcs2hClose-up of the beautifully-layered, wind- and time-sculpted rocks currently being cracked and scrunched beneath Curiosity's weary wheels... Love how abstract this looks... Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/S Atkinson16 Sep 2026 09:33 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvmti7ifcs2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvmstcy2ms2h...meanwhile, on Mars, Curiosity is driving over some fascinating-looking rocks as she works her way up the valley high up on the slopes of Mt Sharp in the centre of Gale Crater... Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/S Atkinson16 Sep 2026 09:21 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvmstcy2ms2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvk7jkbf5c2g"Mars is boring. It's just covered in rocks and they all look the same!" Oh yeah? The Curiosity rover begs to differ. Look at this amazing view taken yesterday. (No, I don't know the scale, or what they are, I'm just *showing* you!) Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson15 Sep 2026 08:31 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvk7jkbf5c2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/stuartatkinson.bsky.social/post/3mvhvmsx5is2nIt's a popular astronomy cliche that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth. Hard to visualise that, of course, but look at these two images with very different fields of view... Mind-blowing, right? And very beautiful too, I think...14 Sep 2026 10:28 +0000at://did:plc:qffgtrhi5rftofa5cums4t5e/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvhvmsx5is2n