iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Beautiful 22 degree halo this afternoon. Really bright above the Sun. South Oxfordshire, UK. #solar #halo

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

First noctilucent clouds I’ve seen this year. They’ve been more elusive than recent years. This was before dawn on 3rd July from south Oxfordshire, UK #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

0172

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Timelapse of the Moon passing through the Pleiades this evening and then going behind my house. Taken using a DWARF II smart telescope in Oxfordshire, UK. #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

2507

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

First time trying to image an eclipse from a moving train!! Projected through a hand held monocular somewhere in the London suburbs #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

2406

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Falcon 9 second stage fuel dump seen on my AllSkyCamera this evening in Oxfordshire, UK. Video runs from 19:52 to 20:06 UT. #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

1222

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Had a fortunate break in the cloud to get an image of the partial phase of this morning’s eclipse in south Oxfordshire, UK. Unprocessed image using a DWARF II #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

0191

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Venus and Mercury on 9th March from Oxfordshire, UK. I've been clouded out the last two evenings so this is the closest I'll be able to get them. The star top right is Algenib in Pegasus. A 6s exposure on an Omegon clockwork mount with a Cinesoft Subtle filter. #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

0683

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Tonight's 5-day old Moon taken with a DWARF II smart telescope from Oxfordshire, UK. A stack of 100x1/250s exposures. Levels adjusted but no other processing. #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

1273

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Venus and Mercury on 3rd March 2025 from Oxfordshire, UK. Taken on an old Sony Cyber-shot compact camera on a pocket tripod. There's not always a need for big expensive DSLRs! #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

1442

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Venus, Moon and Mercury on 1st March from Oxfordshire, UK. The only clear shot I managed of Mercury due to the cloud near the horizon. #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

Venus, Moon and Mercury on 1st March 2025.

617717

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

My latest attempt at Jupiter from last night. Ganymede (top left) has just emerged from behind Jupiter and Io (bottom right) has just transited Jupiter and is casting its shadow. 300mm F/4 Newtonian with 2.5x PowerMate and ASI662 camera with contrast filter. #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

2333

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

The DWARF II smart telescope is a surprisingly capable little thing. Here is an image of M42 taken a couple of nights ago from my very light-polluted back garden. This is 100x15s exposures, stacked within the device and some post-processing in PixInsight. #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

Messier M42, Orion Nebula, taken with a DWARF II smart telescope.

4391

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

I've never been much of a planetary imager so I thought I'd try and improve! Jupiter this evening using a 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain and a ZWO ASI662 camera. Best 5% of 5000 frames stacked in AutoStakkert and processed in PixInsight. Io (left) and Callisto visible too. #astrophotography #astronomy 🔭

Jupiter with Callisto and Io taken through a 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope

1672

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Finally got a clear night to try my new ZWO ASI662 colour astro camera. This is a mosaic of 28 images using a 12" F/4 Newtonian telescope. Best 100 frames from 200 in each video stacked in Siril, stitched in Microsoft ICE, post-processed in PixInsight. #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

A mosaic of the Moon taking with a ZWO astro camera through a 12" F/4 Newtonian telescope.

51419

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Nicko McBrain is stepping back from touring with Iron Maiden. Tonight will be his final gig. It's been a privilege to see him with the band the past 36 years during which time I've seen them live around 25 times. I wish him all the best for the future. www.ironmaiden.com/an-announcem... #ironmaiden

ironmaiden.com

An Announcement from Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

An announcement...

020

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

I see mistaking Venus for a UFO season is upon us once again. The other place is full of out of focus videos of Venus and comments like "then another appeared in the East", i.e. Jupiter, as well...

020

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Autumn is an ideal time to image the waning Moon as the ecliptic makes a steep angle with the horizon so it's high in the sky at a sensible time. This was taken last night with a DWARF II from Oxfordshire, UK. A stack of 50 x 1/500s images post-processed in PixInsight. #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

Waning Moon taken with a DWARF II smart telescope.

1876

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 22/10/2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) on 22nd October from south Oxfordshire, UK. Stack of 25x15s exposures at gain 80 using a DWARF II smart telescope. Slightly cropped and tweaked in post-processing. #astronomy #astrophotography #comet #dwarfii 🔭

0323

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 21/10/2024

Very sad day. Paul will forever be the voice of my teenage years. Killers was the first LP I ever bought. Original Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno dies www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Original Iron Maiden singer Paul D'Anno dies, aged 66

The band's first singer appeared on two albums before being replaced by Bruce Dickinson.

000

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 20/10/2024

Marathon #9 completed at Abingdon today. Chip time 4:37:41. Considering my lack of training I’m extremely happy with that 😀 #running #marathon

020

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 17/10/2024

Finally clear skies in south Oxfordshire, UK. Managed to get a shot of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) using my DWARF II smart telescope. This is 30x15s at gain 80. Got the anti-tail plus a bonus tree in the corner. #comet #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

4739

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 13/10/2024

First hints of autumn on my training run through Abingdon next to the Thames this morning. #autumn #running

Autumnal hues in the trees next to the Thames in Abingdon, Oxfordshire

020

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

No comet for me this evening, it went cloudy before it got dark enough and it's not visible on any of my speculative photographs before the clouds rolled in. It is now raining! Will try again tomorrow. #comet #tsuchinshan-ATLAS

000

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 12/10/2024

I'll be trying to see and photograph Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) for the first time this evening. It should be visible very low in the west around 7pm in the UK, maybe earlier. #astronomy #stellarium 🔭

Finder chart for Comet 2023/A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) on 12th October 2024

160

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 11/10/2024

Last night's aurora simmered all night but peaked after midnight. This video from my all-sky camera is from 00:00 to 02:00 BST in south Oxfordshire, UK at 51.6°N. The greens come out whitish on this camera #astronomy #astrophotography #aurora 🔭

1121

Reposted by John Talbot

Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 10/10/2024

I think we could all use some good news right now, so here you go: Bright comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will become visible in the evening sky starting tomorrow night. Clear view to the west essential. Sharp eyes highly recommended. Pointers at the link. skyandtelescope.org/press-releas... 🧪🔭

The bright Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will first become visible in the evening sky on October 11th, appearing between Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, and Arcturus, the brightest star in Boötes. While opening night will have it competing against twilight, it will be both higher in the sky and more visible against darker skies on subsequent evenings.

16231

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 10/10/2024

Obvious aurora in south Oxfordshire 51.5N right now #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

0150

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 07/10/2024

My all-sky camera in south Oxfordshire, UK picked up some intense red aurora last night. This video runs from 00:45 to 01:30 BST at 10fps. #astronomy #astrophotography 🔭

1170

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 05/10/2024

Today’s Sun taken with a DWARF II smart telescope. Possible aurora tonight from a CME released a few days ago. #astronomy 🔭

082

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 20/09/2024

My weather station recorded a new rainfall rate record this afternoon during a storm. Station is in South Oxfordshire, UK with continuous records since 2013. The new record is 256.0 mm/hr at 14:21 on 20 Sep 2024 #weather

010

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 19/09/2024

With the announcement of a new tour I had to listen to the first Iron Maiden album again. I’m immediately taken back to my teenage bedroom again #ironmaiden #vinyl

010

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 14/09/2024

Off to Eastriggs MOD on a UK Railtours charter train 😀 #trains #trainspotting

Locomotive 57310 at Milton Keynes Central station

021

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 08/09/2024

Great North Run completed in 2:01:19. It was very wet but well organised for such a huge event. Very pleased with pace #running #greatnorthrun

Me having completed the Great North Run.

020

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 07/09/2024

Large group of Poplar Fieldcap (according to ObsIdentify) near our allotment #mushroom

010

Reposted by John Talbot

Dave @astronomydave.bsky.social · 01/09/2024

Some of my best photos from April's total #solar #eclipse.

424105357

Reposted by John Talbot

Mike Christie @mikechristie.bsky.social · 01/09/2024

One hour (58 x 60s exposures) on M33 from last night. Taken with a 135mm refractor and an APS-C colour camera. Processed in PixInsight #astronomy #astrophotography

M33, or the Triangulum Galaxy. A spiral galaxy with foreground stars from the Milky Way. Blue, young stars are visible in the spiral arms, as well as red nebulae.

21066

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 01/09/2024

The DWARF II Smart Telescope is also a capable solar imager using the supplied filters. Took me just a few minutes to image today’s Sun. Stack of 50 x 1/400s exposures. Gain 0 and IR cut. A modicum of processing, cropped, rotated, sharpened and warmth adjusted 🔭 #astronomy #astrophotography #dwarfii

Sun showing sunspots taken with a DWARF II Smart Telescope

1274

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 31/08/2024

I took my DWARF II Smart Telescope on holiday recently as it's very portable and easy to setup and use. This is a completely unprocessed, exactly as captured image of M31. A stack of 100 x 15s exposures with a gain of 120 and IR pass. 🔭 #astronomy #astrophotography #dwarfii

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy taken with a DWARF II Smart Telescope

324718

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 31/08/2024

New milestone achieved at this morning's #parkrun as I completed my 100th volunteer credit 😀

140

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 30/08/2024

Original Tomb Raider, still as tense to play as ever. So much muscle memory from playing this to death on PS1 as well. Still remember where some of the secrets are too. Love it!! #evercade #videogames

131

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 26/08/2024

This was the pick of a recent haul of vinyl from RichMix Records in Brixham (excellent shop worth a visit if you’re in the area). I’ve had the CD since release but never seen an original vinyl before. In almost mint condition complete with inner liner with photos and lyrics. #vinyl #recordshop

030

Reposted by John Talbot

Peter Lewis @peterlewis55.bsky.social · 26/08/2024

It's great to see a half Moon and full Sun and shoot them both within minutes! It's been kind weather in London so far. #Astronomy #Moon #Sun

1314

John Talbot @jochta.bsky.social · 25/08/2024

Today's spotty Sun. Taken with a DWARF II Smart Telescope. No processing other than rotated and cropped. A stack of 25 x 1/400s exposures. #astronomy #sun #sunspots #dwarfii

Sun taken with a DWARF II Smart Telescope showing multiple sunspots.

060