iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

📣 Launch announcement The Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is set to launch on a H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center at 21:41 CEST on 19 October 2026 👉 www.esa.int/Science_Expl... 🔭 🧪

Infographic explaining the MMX mission (part 1) in the style of a comic strip. At the top we see several logos: ESA, JAXA, NASA, DLR and CNES. Below there are three panels showing a timeline of the mission: October 2026 launch, August 2027 arrival at Mars, September 2027 arrival at Phobos. Two other panels show the mission observing Phobos from orbit and scouting for a landing site for the rover and a sample retrieval sites, and the release of the Idefix rover.

Infographic explaining the MMX mission (part 2) in the style of a comic strip. Several panels show the mission collecting samples from Phobos, the return module separating from the exploration module, dropping a capsule over Australia and a scientist holding the samples. A last panel lists the scientific questions scientists hope to answer using the samples: 'Where did Mars's moons come from?', 'What can they tell us about habitability in the Solar System?', and 'How has Mars and its environment changed over time?'.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Joe Kassabian @jkass99.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Anybody who does this deserves the outcome

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 08/10/2026

Oh dear Lord. I have just had an email from the NUS (National Union of Students - basically a closed shop Student Union in the UK) offering Google Gemini free for 12 months for every student in the UK. Goodbye Critical thinking and hello lazy arsed essays etc. This is a disastrous idea.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Emily Lakdawalla 🏳️‍⚧️ Uranus Expert @elakdawalla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Pour one out for Graham Chapman

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 06/10/2026

A neutrino walked into a bar but nobody noticed until it ordered a glass of Ice Cubes. 🧪 #NobelPrize

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 04/10/2026

Finally a clear night and even though I have Bortle 7 skies the upgraded Origin has done an impressive job. 🔭 🧪 Time for bed said Zebedee . . .

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Jordan @jordanpfot.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Omg Kate Garraway gagged her with that question

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Tim Carmody @tcarmody.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This is the funniest thing I've seen today, possibly ever

A tweet by SarahStarberry that says "oh god read the vertical axis" on top of a chart measuring AI models' release dates and model numbers rather than any real capabilities

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

5 potatoes cubed is still 5 potatoes because potatoes are root vegetables

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

A new trailer for Alex Gibney's documentary about Elon Musk was just released. gizmodo.com/elon-musk-do...

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Cllr Dr Alex Powell @apowelllaw.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

So, just to be clear, Daniel Thomas was: 1- Carrying a knife contrary to section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 2- Used that knife to commit criminal damage (Criminal Damage act 1971) 3- likely engaged in the criminal offense of endangering Life at Sea (Merchant Shipping Act 1995)

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Bertie Bob @zenbass.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The dildo of consequences seldom arrives lubed

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Andrew Dark Tom's Sin @andydrewz.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

When I grow up I want to be this man.

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 19/09/2026

Wow! On holiday in Cornwall for my wife's birthday, at a touristy place when an 11 y.o. lad appears with his parents wearing a NASA shirt. I have my "Space is Big" fleece. Got talking and must now arrange a STEM session for his school and their 2027 holiday is going to Spain for the Aug 2 Eclipse!

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 19/09/2026

One of the fun things to do as an astronomer who lives with chronic pain is that I can categorise the stars that go in front of my eyes and place them on the main sequence!!! 🔭 That's about as bad as my jokes get when I am in pain.

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 19/09/2026

In reality, this looks not much different from the 1951 agreement that already allows the US to station unlimited military personnel on Greenland. Have Denmark just pulled a fast one on Mr. "Art of the Deal"? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

US and Denmark reach deal over Greenland's security after Trump threats

Trump said the agreement will give the US "permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland", though specifics haven't been confirmed by Danish officials.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

👇👇👇👇

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

TeeDixie ✊🏼 @teedixie.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I am wheezing I laughed so much 😂🤣😂

Hot EU girl walks past Hot Canadian boy with DJT as the Pissed off GF - taken from the famous meme

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Pint of Science UK @pintofscience.uk · 17/09/2026

🧑‍🚀Cambridge - NASA astronaut Steve Swanson is coming to you! Come and hear his journey into space! Children welcome. 📅Fri 13 Nov, 6.30pm to 8.30pm 📍Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge CB3 0HA 🎟️https://pintofscience.co.uk/event/steve-swanson-cambridge-26/ with @cambridgeastro.bsky.social

pintofscience.co.uk

An evening with astronaut Steve Swanson - Cambridge

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to be an astronaut and what it's like to go into space? Well now's your chance with former NASA astronaut Steve…

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Michael Merrifield @astromikemerri.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The NSF would do well to heed a quote attributed to the physicist JJ Thompson by his son, to the effect that if Government laboratories had been operating in the Stone Age then we’d have wonderful stone axes but no-one would have discovered metals. 🧪 www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

NSF memo implementing Trump’s ‘golden age’ of science unsettles researchers

New document emphasizes support for White House priorities over curiosity-driven ideas

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Derek Newsome @derek.space · 16/09/2026

NASA released a bunch of 16 and 35mm film engineering footage of the Artemis II launch today. Naturally I knew what I had to do with it.

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 14/09/2026

"Open to everybody" means you don't have to be a professional or anything other that someone who can point a camera at the sky. We just wanna drool at your amazing pictures.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

CEEFAUX @ceefaux.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

21.00 FARTHER TED
Some priests are small, but this one is far away.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Hassinator @hassinator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 11/09/2026

25 years ago I had just left DC and was home in Colorado that morning. I woke up and turned on the TV to a single burning tower and wondered what movie it was. Change to CNN and got the same picture and knew this was terrorism on a whole new scale.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

CEEFAUX @ceefaux.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

15.00 HE-MAN AND THE TICKETMASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
the muscle-bound hero finally has a chance to defeat Skeletor but will need to pay a £5.99 booking fee, £2 for processing, £4.50 for credit card transactions and £1.99 'Orko Tax' first.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

The Marsh Family @marshfamilysongs.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Here's a twist on Canadian legend Alanis Morissette's song "Ironic" (who was amazing when one of us saw her live last month). It's an acoustic version about Trump's #USCanada #tariffs, #tradewar and his attempted renaming of #LakeOntario. It's called "Moronic" 🎶 - lyrics: youtu.be/Y6OGKFQBG7s

youtu.be

"Moronic" - Marsh Family parody of Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" about Trump's Trade War with Canada

YouTube video by Marsh Family

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 30/08/2026

Introduce yourself with 10 acts you've seen live: - Jean-Michel Jarre - Billy Joel - Genesis - Level 42 - Runrig - Iona - Big Country - Mike Oldfield - U2 - Queen

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Dan Kaszeta FRHistS @dankaszeta.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

But nothing beats the obstetrics textbook wherein one of the authors made his wife do the index, so she slips this one in:

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Morgan J Freeman @mjfree.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The POS couldn’t even let Dolly Parton be dead for 48 hours without generating an AI painting of her hanging on his arm. She spent 60 years telling every politician to stay in their lane. He put her in his. That’s not tribute. That’s thirst.

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 26/08/2026

September 25th is going to be a very pink day and everyone who doesn't get the American date format are going to be like "Wait, what?" and assume something Barbie related.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

In a country so deeply divided, isn't it nice to have something we can ALL agree on? #ReleaseTheFiles-BeginTheTrials ⚖️

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Russell Parker @pussellrarker.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Honourable mention to the North Sea coast

“bringing some rain along the Nazi ghost”

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 17/08/2026

I've held my tongue about Jason Arday but enough is enough. 30 years on the Press still hasn't learnt responsibility. They killed Princess Diana and let's not forget the racist overtones over her being with a "sweaty Arab" and that Dodi Fayed died with barely a column's worth.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Smooth Dunk @smoothdunk2.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

The British Media Vs. Plagiarism

4 panel comic

Panel 1:
British Journalists are relaxing on lilos in the sea. Someone on the shore yells “Hey Guys! An academic got accused of plagiarism”

Panel 2:
One of the journalists sticks out their tongue and says “Pffft. Wake me when there’s a real story”

Panel 3:
Person on shore “He was black”

Panel 4:
The sea explodes as a tidal wave of British Journalists erupt into the air, manic and desperate to report on this now vital for some reason piece of news

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Wayne Young @slartyb.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Finished my eclipse video. Yellow line is how much the Moon is covering the Sun (%), red line is the "in the sun" temperature, blue line is the shade temperature. Box at top right shows the view of the Sun through a telescope as the eclipse progressed. Times in Universal Time.

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Calling all #eclipse and geeky data science lovers! Check out this fantastic timelapse that displays the changing temperature relative to the %age of sunlight. I'm sure you'll all agree with me that this is <chef's kiss> marvellous! Bravo to Wayne!

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 16/08/2026

But surely the unsweatable former Prince of the realm Mr. Andrew Mountbatten must have known about this?

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Reposted by Chris Rolland FRAS

Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

41 years ago, Carl Sagan gave a clear and elegant explanation of the science behind global warming.

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 12/08/2026

Lots of nice pictures of the sun and moon taken through the telescopes but the wife wins with the perfect diamond ring taken on her iPhone. Maybe she should publish that one!

Diamond ring just before totality during the 2026 total eclipse. In the foreground are the peaks of gazebos used to shelter the public who were viewing the event from when the Sun was a bit hotter.

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 12/08/2026

My good lady has made an executive decision. Rather than drive two hours to the middle of nowhere, we are going to the Eclipsefest in Collado Mediano as she fancies the party atmosphere. This could be a laugh. Am I allowed to declare the English nutters viewing area?

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 12/08/2026

Finally at the hotel. One big lie in tomorrow before heading for the mountains

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Chris Rolland FRAS @celtuk.eurosky.social · 11/08/2026

EV charging issues means we are running about 4 hours behind schedule but we are now in Spain!!

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