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Paramount Observatory

@paramountobs.bsky.social
970 followers 293 following 454 posts

Welcome to the Paramount Observatory. This is a private project of Les Girvan to show the active #Astronomy, #Astrophotography, I am doing from #Liverpool #UK.

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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2h
Just heading off to meet P6 of Hillside Primary in Aberdeen this morning. I'll be helping them get ready for tonight's 100hours stargazing challenge. Amazingly the weather Gods appear to be on our side with clear skies forecast up North tonight!🤞🔭 👇Join in with stargazers across the entire globe!
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The concern is how deep these cuts are going to go and what amazing discoveries will never happen or are seriously delayed!
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
A black hole in the Milky Way aims its jet at us - South African Radio #Astronomy #Observatory - NRF-SARAO share.google/NiEjtHHCi8fk... 🔭
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A black hole in the Milky Way aims its jet at us - South African Radio Astronomy Observatory - NRF-SARAO
0:00 Astronomers have found the first convincing “microblazar” in our Galaxy — a star with a black hole orbiting around it, firing a beam of near-light-speed matter almost straight towards Earth. Its opposite, invisible beam slams into a cloud of gas and may be the source of some of the most energetic particles ever detected. […]
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billingboroughobservatory.bsky.social @billingboroughobservatory.space · 22/09/2026
🌌 Want to try stargazing? From 1–4 October, join **100 Hours Under One Sky**! Four simple challenges, badges to earn and a shared UK & Ireland map. No telescope needed, just go outside and look up! 🔭🧪 100hours.online #Astronomy #Stargazing #NightSky
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
NASA’s Moon Orbiter Spots New, ‘Once-in-Century’ Moon Crater - NASA Science share.google/Uv4abvaBDOvr... #astronomy 🔭
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NASA’s Moon Orbiter Spots New, ‘Once-in-Century’ Moon Crater - NASA Science
It started as a routine data-quality check. But as Robert Wagner, a scientist with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), scanned a giant Moon map on his
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I love the fact we have so much & immediate access to this data; looking forward to what we'll soon discover!
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Dummy Mage @twoint.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I photographed the Elephant's Trunk nebula over the last 3 nights. The dark nebulosity and sharp structures were very fun to process. #astrophotography #photography #space #astronomy
The Elephant Trunk Nebula shot from a wider view. 5 hours each of Sulfur, Hydrogen and Oxygen data on a 2600 mm camera using astronomik filters.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Great image @hasungazer.bsky.social the dark skies make a difference 👏
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Good starting point for all 🔭
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I'd of loved this opportunity ...good luck to those that go for it 👏👏👏
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
This should be interesting...keep looking up 🔭
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Kelly Kizer Whitt @astronomommy.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
HEADS UP! ☄️ A small asteroid will impact Earth near Australia today earthsky.org/space/small-...
earthsky.org
Small asteroid impact likely today near Australia
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Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Any astrophotographers out there? I'm looking for images of people looking at the sky without telescopes. If you can share shots of meteor watching in deckchairs, or anything of you hanging out under the stars that would be fab. 🔭
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
It's going to be a busy journey for this 🔭 science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/...
science.nasa.gov
NASA Roman's Planet Imager Has Powered On - NASA Science
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully activated the mission’s Coronagraph Instrument, which will block starlight to view planets and
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Discovered more older data, this time of the plant #Saturn from 10/08/22 Taken via Celestron C11 🔭 with 2x Barlow. I'm hoping to get more planetary imaging done again as Saturn will become a good target again. #Astronomy #Astrophotography @liverpoolas.org
Telescopic photograph of Saturn isolated against a deep black sky. The planet is displayed with its wide ring system tilted forward, clearly showing subtle atmospheric cloud banding across its beige and light-golden globe, as well as the dark Cassini Division line within the rings. A small watermark reading "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" with a telescope icon appears in the bottom-right corner.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
So have now added the new 🔭 data to the earlier data, now totalling 8.5 hours, naturally the processing outputs a different end image, so comparisons for you, do you feel you can see the extra detail or cleaner image? #astronomy #astrophotograhy #space @liverpoolas.org
Deep sky astrophotography of NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula. Centered in the frame is a delicate, shell-like cosmic structure with an intricate web of glowing pinkish-red Hydrogen-alpha filaments and faint cyan Oxygen-III interior gas. The nebula floats against a dark field of sharp background stars with faint red dust sweeping across the frame. White text in the lower right reads "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" alongside a telescope icon. Acquisition details: Captured with a William Optics Z73 telescope and an Optolong L-eNhance dual-band filter, totaling 8.5 hours of integration (103 x 5-minute exposures), stacked and processed in Siril.Earlier Astrophotography of the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888). Features glowing pink-red and teal gas filaments centered in a dense star field with faint cosmic dust. Watermarked "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" in the bottom right. Shot on a William Optics Z73 using an L-eNhance filter
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JBGarrity Photography @joegarrity.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I captured the Andromeda Galaxy with an 8-hour integration time using my Askar FRA500 telescope, ASI2600MC Duo camera, and ZWO AM5N mount. High-resolution: app.astrobin.com/i/xz1nem #astrophotography #astronomy #naturephotography #nature #longexposure #andromeda #galaxy #eastcoastkin #photography
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Starship Celtica ☀️ @starshipceltica.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Comet 220P in Outburst apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap26082... Normally, periodic Comet 220P/McNaught is so dim that to see it requires a telescope. Two surprising outbursts this year, however, have made it about 20,000 times brighter than usual.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
The 🔭 observatory is open again tonight, getting more data on #NGC6888 the Cresent Nebula. #Astrophotography #Astronomy #Space
Screenshot of asiair app showing capture of NGC6888 the Cresent nebula
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Well done, love live #astronomy, particularly at outreach events, so good when people see the details that they can't see through an eyepiece. 👏
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I have been experimenting more with the #Siril tools and revisiting some older data to see how I can extract more detail or just make it more interesting, which is subjective I know! This is my 🔭 image of Rosette Nebula, Let me know which you prefer? #Astro #Astronomy #Astrophotography
Astrophotograph of the Rosette Nebula featuring a rose-like circular structure. The center displays bright blue ionized gas surrounding a dark central void and stellar cluster, fading outward into magenta and deep reddish-pink gaseous filaments framed by a black background scattered with small stars. A white text watermark reading "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" appears at the bottom right.Original image of the Rosette Nebula rendered in a single pink color channel, Hydrogen-alpha wavelength. The rose-shaped structure is formed by swirling, luminous clouds of pink dust with darker, thread-like filaments, surrounding a open star cluster at the center set against a dense field of small background stars.
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Habu @flyinghabu.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Still playing around with the photos from August 12, while finally unpacking the equipment bags, cleaning off the dust, sand and soil from that field in Piñel de Abajo that got into everything, tidying up cables, batteries, and tripods... #Astrophotography
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Took the opportunity to get some 🔭 time on #NGC6888 the crescent #nebula The forecast for the night was clear all night, but clouds drifted in meaning I had to exclude 47 of 75 subs, so nearly 4 hours, leaving just 28 subs! Will try to build more on this over the next few weeks 🤞 #astronomy #astro
Astrophotography image of the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888). At the center is a bright, textured, glowing red cloud of gas shaped somewhat like a brain or a thick crescent. It sits against a dark cosmic background filled with scattered white stars and faint wisps of deep red nebulosity. In the bottom right corner, a watermark reads "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" alongside a small telescope icon.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
I captured the 2026 Perseids Meteor Shower during my trip to Treheli Farm in Llyn, North Wales! 🌌 Here's the all-sky 🔭timelapse of meteors over the coast👇 youtu.be/qLn91IP3r7k #Astrophotography #Perseids @liverpoolas.org
A wide landscape photograph of a coastal bay at night under a starry sky filled with the bright band of the Milky Way and multiple bright meteor streaks radiating across the atmosphere. In the foreground, grassy dunes sweep down toward a curved sandy beach and calm sea. Centred across the upper portion of the image is white overlay text that reads "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" with a small telescope icon, above the subtitle "The Perseids Meteor Shower 2026".
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
One of the nice things about 🔭 #astrophotography is the accumulation of data over periods of time, allowing you to revisit and improve your processing skills. In this video, you can 5 years learning & advanced techniques. @liverpoolas.org See video here 👇 youtu.be/Tl4f_KD5X3M?...
youtu.be
M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy 5 Years of Progress in Astrophotography & Processing 🌌
YouTube video by Paramount Observatory
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The StarXiv ✨ podcast @starxiv.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Nicole's second paper finds a star orbiting in the thin disc that is chemically ancient: metal-poor, alpha-rich, with the abundances of a halo star. It may be a relic of the moment the Milky Way's disc first spun up. arxiv.org/abs/2608.07347 ☄️🔭
Fig 2 (left) and 5 (right) : Fig. 2 : Toomre diagram for the MSTO sample colour-coded by metallicity. The candidate star is highlighted with a star symbol. The dashed curves indicate the kinematic loci commonly used to distinguish thin-disc, thick-disc, and halo populations based on total velocity with respect to the LSR. Fig. 5: Distribution of the MSTO sample in the [Al/Fe]-[Mg/Mn] plane, colour-coded by metallicity. The black solid lines indicate the empirical separation between Galactic components proposed by Alinder et al. (2026). The candidate is marked with a star symbol.
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IAU Office of Astronomy for Education @astro4edu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
We are launching a new monthly Astronomy Education Research (AER) seminar series in September 2026 as part of our International Capacity-building in Astronomy Education Research (ICAER) project 1/4 🔭 #astroedu astro4edu.org/seminars/ser...
astro4edu.org
Seminars from the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education
The IAU Office of Astronomy for Education is the IAU's office focussed on primary and secondary education.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Experience the Solar Eclipse 2026 captured live from Treheli Farm on the Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales! 🌘✨ Watch as the moon passes over the sun before setting behind the hills. 🔭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Watch the full video here 👇 youtu.be/RTJE2f4MgMs #SolarEclipse2026 #Astrophotography #NorthWales
youtu.be
Solar Eclipse 2026 Captured from Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales | Paramount Observatory
YouTube video by Paramount Observatory
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Brendan @hasungazer.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
After the Eclipse I had a nice clear Bortle2 sky to do some astroimaging whilst camping at Treheli farm, here is M17 (swan nebula) and NGC6960 (western veil nebula or sometimes called the witches broom).
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Brendan @hasungazer.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
A couple more images from the eclipse
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Brendan @hasungazer.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
My effort of the eclipse taken from Trehili farm camp site on the Llyn Peninsula. taken with a Lunt THa50.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Maybe an interesting fact? during the roughly 1 hour and 51 minutes that tomorrows partial eclipse unfolds from first contact (6:13 PM) to last contact (8:04 PM), we will travel about 1,120 miles eastward simply due to Earth's rotation ... 🔭 #astronomy
And AI  generated image of a solar eclipse over a beach scene
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
🔭Got a nice Perseid meteor last night (Aug 10th)! Shot this monochromatic wide-angle with a ZWO ASI120MM-S and an ASIAIR. The fisheye lens really captured the scale. The wooden fence on the edge frames the starfield nicely. 📸✨ #Perseids2026 #Astronomy #Perseids #Astrophotograhy
A monochromatic, fisheye-style wide-angle astrophotography image showing the night sky, featuring a bright, straight, slanted meteor streak across the upper-left quadrant. The sky is dark and filled with numerous pinpoint stars. The shot captures a very wide view of the sky, framed by the top curve of a wooden fence on the lower-right and a small silhouette of a plant's leaves near the fence line at the top-right edge.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Following up on my 2026 review, I took a deep dive into my absolute favourite target: M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy! 🌀✨ Comparing, April 2021 EAA 🔭capture with 2026 data to show how far 5 years of hardware upgrades, technique, and post-processing tools can take an image. View 👇 youtu.be/Tl4f_KD5X3M
youtu.be
M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy 5 Years of Progress in Astrophotography & Processing 🌌
YouTube video by Paramount Observatory
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
After my recent re-working of my old data, I've put together a short video of the objects, from Solar System to DSO (Deep Sky Objects) #Astronomy #Astrophotograhy #Space Please take a look 👇 youtu.be/a1OmKTeYtfw?...
youtu.be
2026 Video Review
YouTube video by Paramount Observatory
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Well this is interesting .... www.caltech.edu/about/news/n...
caltech.edu
Neptune's Inner Moons May Be Shattered Remains of Ancient Icy Worlds
New findings from Caltech researchers suggest Neptune's smallest satellites formed from the shattered remains of an original moon system that was destroyed when Triton was captured by Neptune's gravit...
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
New #Siril updates mean it's time to re-process old data! 🔭 📸✨ Revisited a year’s worth of deep-sky targets and put together a short showcase video with the refreshed results and object details. Full video below! 👇 #astrophotography #astronomy #space youtu.be/a1OmKTeYtfw?...
youtu.be
2026 Video Review
YouTube video by Paramount Observatory
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David Blanchflower BSc @davidbflower.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Next month there will be some wonderful sights in the sky: 12- Solar Eclipse (evening). 15- Mars super close to the beautiful cluster M35 (morning). 28- Partial Lunar Eclipse (morning). 🔭 🧪
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
They keep coming, here is my next reworking of my old 🔭 data. This is NGC 6946, better known as the Fireworks Galaxy. The refined tools of #Siril have allowed me to pull out sharper & cleaner details. I Hope your enjoying these reworkings? Some more interesting facts about this #galaxy ...
A deep-space telescopic photograph of the Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946), shown face-on against a dark black sky sprinkled with fine background stars. The galaxy features a bright, glowing golden-yellow central core surrounded by sprawling, loosely wound spiral arms. Dark, web-like lanes of cosmic dust wind through the arms, punctuated by delicate blue star-forming regions and subtle reddish-pink emission nebulae along the edges. Near the bottom edge of the galaxy, a brighter foreground star exhibits tiny diffraction spikes. In the bottom right corner, a black banner overlay reads "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" alongside a small white icon of a telescope on a tripod.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Why are we not surprised ... Earth is 'literally' burning and we decide to restrict the sciences of our future! Thats politicians for you, they only see the next 5 years.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Adding to my reworking of older 🔭 data using the new #Siril scripts, notably the #SyQon #Parallax script. this time I've looked at #M81 #Bodes #Galaxy In this I have been able to pull out more of the structure of this awesome galaxy. Some interesting facts on M81 ... #Astrophotography
An astrophotography image of Messier 81 (M81), also known as Bode's Galaxy, set against the pitch-black void of deep space. The galaxy is oriented diagonally, featuring a intensely bright, glowing cream-white central core. Grand spiral arms sweep outwards around the core, showcasing subtle dusty brown lanes, soft blue star-forming clusters, and intricate structural details. A scattering of small foreground stars is visible surrounding the galaxy, and a watermark reading "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" with a small telescope icon appears in the bottom right corner.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Following up from my re-worked image of M51 in #Siril using the #SyQon #Parallax script, I've reworked my 2023 🔭 image of C11 #thebubblenebula A few issues with the stars, but think its sharpened the detail around the central bubble. Let me know your thoughts? Some interesting facts! ...
Astrophotography of the Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635 / C11). A distinct, glowing, semi-translucent sphere resembling a cosmic soap bubble floats slightly below center. The delicate sphere features internal detail and a bright star illuminating its upper right edge. Surrounding the bubble is a vast cloud of glowing crimson and deep red emission nebulosity with fine, wispy filaments running diagonally across a dark space background sprinkled with tiny background stars. In the top-left corner, the text "PARAMOUNT OBSERVATORY" is written in a clean white font alongside a small telescope icon.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I have been taking a look at some of the new #Siril scripts, in particular the new #SyQon #Parallax script which has, IMO improved my earlier version, sharpening up the detail in the #Galaxy Going to review my older data, see what else I can improve🤞 🔭 #Astrophotography #Space
New Deep space photo of M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, featuring a glowing core and distinct blue spiral arms with reddish dust lanes, connected at the top to its smaller companion galaxy NGC 5195 against a dark background of scattered stars. Text in the bottom right corner reads 'Paramount Observatory'Earlier Deep space photo of M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, featuring a glowing core and distinct blue spiral arms with reddish dust lanes, connected at the top to its smaller companion galaxy NGC 5195 against a dark background of scattered stars.
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ESO @eso.org · 23/07/2026
ICYMI Our VLT has found an object in another planetary system that challenges astronomical labels. The object resembles a moon, as it orbits another object circling a star. Yet it is itself as massive as a planet & the object it orbits is neither a planet nor a star. Video summary👇 🔭 🧪 1/2
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
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Brendan @hasungazer.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Yesterday's Sun with large Sunspots 4493 (centre) 4492 (top left)
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RAS Journals @rasjournals.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Andrew Bunker is giving an invited talk at NAM 26 on "The High Redshift Frontier with JWST - spectroscopic results from JADES". Andrew is a co-author on many #MNRAS papers, the most recent being academic.oup.com/mnras/articl... #MNRAS @royalastrosoc.bsky.social ...
The first four principal components of the 3.3 μm PAH for NGC 7582. Please see the paper for the full caption.
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Dr Alfredo Carpineti @drcarpineti.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Cool stories from day 1 are: The stellar disk of our own galaxy (basically where we live) might have been flipped like a pancake about 10 billion years ago during the merger with the Gaia-Enceladus-Sausage galaxy (real name, I'm afraid). 🔭🥞 www.iflscience.com/collision-wi...
iflscience.com
Collision With "Sausage Galaxy" Might Have Rotated The Milky Way By More Than 90 Degrees
The Gaia-Enceladus-Sausage merger 10 billion years ago could explain an unusual feature of our galaxy.
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Paramount Observatory @paramountobs.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Remember it's peaking at the time of the #solareclipse 12/13 August! 🔭
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Dummy Mage @twoint.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I photographed the Butterfly nebula (IC 1318) over the past 3 nights from my backyard! I had a lot of fun with this one, both in capturing and processing. Nerd details in the alt text. #astrophotography #photography #astronomy #space
The butterfly nebula, shot with a Ultracat 108 telescope on a 2600 MM camera, using SHO astronomik filters. 5 minutes exposures were used for each channel, using 15 hours of data over 3 nights. Data was stacked in Astro pixel processor and processed in Pixinsight
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