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Not wanting to provoke the ire of the experienced VS photometrists working to 0.02 mag or thereabouts, out-of-the-box ‘uncalibrated’ Smartscope photometry could provide light curves to estimate the minima of eclipsing binaries, to record when/if T CrB goes pop, etc.
All to get them interested in VS observing whilst the Smartscope developers and user base work on fine-honing their mag estimates.
Alex.
Sonia,
Re occultations with a Smartscope – I’ve attached an article by Dr Christian Weber (DE) – a feasibility study on using a Seestar S50 to record asteroidal occultations. It was written a year ago and there’s rapid developments in Smartscope design, their firmware and phone app software, but it explains that accurate timing is the key to observations of scientific value.
Since then, observers have had success with the addition of a GPS flash timer – there’s also phone apps such as Occult Flash Tag, AstroFlashTimer, etc.
Other articles/papers on this subject are in preparation and should be available soon.
We use Occultwatcher (Desktop, Cloud and ‘phone App versions) to obtain predictions for our home location.
Alex.
Attachments:
Grant, re automating an observing run, look at Ian Sharp’s impressive image of the Pleiades taken using a remotely-controlled Seestar in Andalucia.
https://britastro.org/observations/observation.php?id=20261011_091307_e4c33487dd734611
Alex.
Why join the BAA? Some members of local astro societies enjoy the social aspect and doing casual observing and imaging but aren’t interested in what they consider ‘serious observing’ and having to submit reports.
There’s an increasing number of Smartscope owners out there. If they’re looking for other targets the BAA could offer them new projects. As per the discussion about Photometry with a Seestar
https://britastro.org/forums/topic/photometry-with-a-seestar
in the field of occultation astronomy there’s a great worldwide pro-am community. We quip that we’re a mix of ‘paid’ and ‘unpaid’ astronomers, united in a common goal. We’re working on how Smartscopes could be used to record asteroidal occultations. An inexpensive GPS flasher in the FoV can provide the required timing accuracy.
In due course I hope the BAA website can offer Tutorials on ‘Observe Variable Stars with your Smartscope’, etc.
Alex.
Other informative links:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-48023047
https://www.meteoritehistory.info/UKIRELAND/NEIRE.HTM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLfy2Ts4fDM
https://www.meteorite-times.com/birds-barks-and-belfast-the-bovedy-meteorite-50-years-later/
https://armaghplanet.com/the-bovedy-meteorite-remembering-the-bovedy.html
And there’s more…!
Also see the report THE FIREBALL AND METEORITE OF 1969 APRIL 25 by Keith Hindley and Howard Miles in the 1970 June BAA Journal, Vol. 80, No. 4, pp. 313-322 and the meeting report discussion on pp. 258, 261-262.
Alex.
Hi Michael,
The brightest LIFs we (including you) recorded since last December are mag 7 at best, so they would produce much smaller craters. They are mostly fragile cometary debris. Larger, denser asteroidal material is favoured for crater formation.
The more mutual, confirming LIF observations we get, the better we can estimate the lunar lat./long. of the impact site for checking in the LRO survey images.
Fingers crossed!
Alex.
“NASA and SpaceX are targeting a 7:26 a.m. liftoff on Sunday, Aug. 30 from Launch Complex 39A.” – This should be 12:26 UK time.
Coverage looks to be from 11:20 am UK time.
https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launch/
Congratulations Michael.
Have you done a search in Occult for future stellar occultations by (8007)?
Clear skies,
Alex.
Hi Richard,
You could also ask Mariusz Krukar (PL) for his comments,
as discussed here:
https://britastro.org/forums/topic/impact-of-the-2026-august-12-solar-eclipse-on-twilight
and Giovanni Di Giovanni here:
https://britastro.org/forums/topic/next-solar-eclipse-2
Alex.
Hi Mike,
At the 11th hour The ‘media’ are publicising the solar eclipse, so parents are frantically trying to find eclipse glasses.
Likewise, I used my 10×50 binoculars on Friday as a demo to the neighbours, plus my Astro Media solar projector and homemade projectors.
My front garden will be busy this evening, so I’ve also got breakfast cereal viewers, a colander and holey biscuits. All to keep the youngsters from looking sunward and thinking they can have a quick peep through a lens… 🙁
Safe viewing!
Alex
Hi Paul,
For fun I made one this morning.
I remember we used to try those kinds of crossed fingers tricks in the school playground when there was a partial solar. And in 2024 I took my small plastic colander to Texas.
Yesterday evening I set up my 10×50 binoculars (projection) and Astro Media solar projector to explain Wednesday’s event to my neighbours. The youngsters were fascinated with the cardboard box, its lens and mirrors.
Cheers,
Alex.
Thanks Jeremy,
As mentioned in the paper, LIF team lead scientists Detlef Koschny, Elisa Maria Alessi and Tony Cook (BAA Lunar Section Director) are preparing a paper on the LIF Geminids 2025 campaign.
LIF observers also confirmed a small number of impact flashes during the 2026 April Lyrids, so they will be analysed and reported in due course.
Will anyone record a Perseid LIF during the total solar eclipse? Quite a challenge! (See August’s Lunar Section Circular)
Alex.
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.
