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I received this request from one of my occultation contacts in Poland:
I am contacting you on behalf of ITTI, working on an ESA project in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz University and Poznan University of Technology. The project focuses on the analysis of a Falcon 9 re-entry event that occurred on 19 February 2025.
I saw on the British Astronomical Association forum that you and others in the group captured some great footage. Would you be willing to share the videos with us and allow us to use them in our analysis? Please forward this email to your mailing list as we’re looking for any footage that could help us reconstruct the event. At the end of the project, we will produce a summary video for ESA presenting a reconstruction of the observed event and all data used in the analysis would, of course, be properly credited.
Many thanks,
Julia
—
Julia Perła
Młodszy Analityk Systemowy | Junior System Analyst
julia.perla@itti.com.plI’ve sent her my recording of the event and she also has the previous links in this thread.
I’ve directed her to GMN’s archive of the event:
and she’s in touch with AllSky7 and will contact CAMS BeNeLux and the IMO.
She requests copies of original recordings if your online versions were compressed, etc.
Many thanks,
Alex.
That’s a cruel April First.
The BBC article says:
Scotland’s Astronomer Royal, Prof Catherine Heymans,…, described the decision by UKRI as “a real act of national self-harm”.
but it fails to mention that Prof Michelle Dougherty is the corresponding Astronomer Royal.
Will she be envisioned wielding a chainsaw in the manner of Elon Musk FRS?
Jodrell Bank needs a modern-day Lord Nuffield.
Alex.
Hi Giovanni,
Have you seen this link
https://britastro.org/forums/topic/impact-of-the-2026-august-12-solar-eclipse-on-twilight
and on the website
https://eeq.astro-geo-gis.com/tse-2026/
there is an option to translate it into other languages, such as Italian.
Good luck with your project.
Alex.
I’ve only detected a few CAPs this season, mostly faint. My best so far was a mag 0 in UMa
https://britastro.org/observations/observation.php?id=20260722_193539_200ad479d0fe0b09
Alex.
Hi Bill,
Currently attending a Zoom meeting across the “Big Beautiful Ocean” – they’ve now gone to lunch.
We’re seeing activity from a few minor meteor showers, including the anthelion source and the first Perseids are on their way. Meteor cameras are recording many satellites during these brief summer nights.
NLC have been few and feeble for me, apart from a very nice display on June 27.
Cheers,
Alex.
Hi Steve,
Mariusz Krukar’s website gives this simulated image series for Land’s End
https://eeq.astro-geo-gis.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/UK-shadow-visibility-scaled.jpg
which experiences 96% totality.
Given a clear horizon look for Venus (mag -4.4). Jupiter (mag -1.8) and Mercury (mag-1) should also be visible if you’re in the track of totality.
During the deep partial solar eclipse the Perseid radiant is at about 20 degrees elevation above the northern horizon, so there’s a very small chance of seeing or recording a really bright Perseid, and an even smaller chance of catching a lunar impact flash from a Perseid meteoroid.
Good luck.
Alex.
High-quality image of this contact binary asteroid taken during the flyby
https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/07/20260706-3_j.html
Alex.
The latest ephemeris can be generated by using:
https://minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html
or
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/
Photometry – the ARPS section is collating very good light curves to determine its period of rotation
https://groups.io/g/ARPS/message/939
Astrometry – observers are submitting astrometry and photometry to the MPC
https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=152637
Occultations – 4 occultations of stars have been observed (in USA, Poland and Spain) providing high-quality astrometry of the asteroid
https://ukoccultations.groups.io/g/main/message/5005
Goldstone radar is tracking it
https://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/1997nc1.2026.goldstone.planning.html
Timelapse recordings will be nice souvenirs of its flyby. Tonight (Jun 26) its sky motion is 43 arcsec / minute and at mag 10 is a fine sight moving against the rich star fields.
In contrast to living in the digital world, view it in your eyepiece and experience the solar system in motion. Catch it now before it dives into southern skies on Sunday.
Alex.
If anyone has difficulty understanding what was being said at the June 3rd meeting of the ‘Norman Collier Appreciation Society’ I suggest clicking on Subtitles (at lower right).
It does quite a good job of on-the-fly subtitling – and under the YouTube recording details there’s a Transcript – Show transcript option.
Alex.
Hi Jeremy,
There was a YouTube comment from someone else saying it was difficult to hear the first talks so they gave up watching.
I look forward to seeing the IoP’s Wurlitzer theatre organ rising from beneath the dais, bedecked with microphones to suit the heights of all speakers… 🙂
Cheers,
Alex.
I wish to declare that I have a Celestron NexStar 127 Mak – which I obtained by fair means – and I’ve never been a member of the SNP (Starry Night Party).
Alex.
Hi Jeremy,
I look forward to reading the report in the Journal.
Like many other members, I have copies of her Introduction to Astronomy, and The Galactic Novae.
Alex.
