David Dickinson
@astrodave.bsky.social
Writer, Space pundit, Skywatcher
Addendum: said Tiangong pass for the US SE early tomorrow morning occurs at 6:42 AM EST. They must've done a periodic reboost.
November 24, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Addendum: said Tiangong pass for the US SE early tomorrow morning occurs at 6:42 AM EST. They must've done a periodic reboost.
Shenzhou-22 will launch from Jiuquan Space Center tonight at 4:11UT. Watch for a possible live webcast to pop up near launch time. Shenzhou-22 will dock to the Tiangong Space Station tomorrow, and the US SE has a visible low pass early tomorrow morning at 6:15 AM EST.
November 24, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Shenzhou-22 will launch from Jiuquan Space Center tonight at 4:11UT. Watch for a possible live webcast to pop up near launch time. Shenzhou-22 will dock to the Tiangong Space Station tomorrow, and the US SE has a visible low pass early tomorrow morning at 6:15 AM EST.
Mercury passes <1º from Venus on Nov 25th, making it a good guidepost to spy both if skies are clear. Venus shines at an easy -4th magnitude, while Mercury is ~250 times fainter at +2nd magnitude. Mercury reaches greatest elongation 21 degrees east of the Sun one last time for 2025 on December 8th.
November 23, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Mercury passes <1º from Venus on Nov 25th, making it a good guidepost to spy both if skies are clear. Venus shines at an easy -4th magnitude, while Mercury is ~250 times fainter at +2nd magnitude. Mercury reaches greatest elongation 21 degrees east of the Sun one last time for 2025 on December 8th.
Mercury passes perihelion today at 0.3075 AU from the Sun, and exits SOHO’s outer LASCO C3 field of view stage left; the hunt is now on to catch the innermost world low to the east at dawn, for its final apparition for 2025.
November 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Mercury passes perihelion today at 0.3075 AU from the Sun, and exits SOHO’s outer LASCO C3 field of view stage left; the hunt is now on to catch the innermost world low to the east at dawn, for its final apparition for 2025.
3I/ATLAS visits some pretty photogenic environs this week as it crosses the Bowl of Virgo asterism, and transits in front of the NGC 4454 and NGC 4202 galaxies on the 23rd, and the 26th respectively. astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/3I
November 22, 2025 at 2:36 PM
3I/ATLAS visits some pretty photogenic environs this week as it crosses the Bowl of Virgo asterism, and transits in front of the NGC 4454 and NGC 4202 galaxies on the 23rd, and the 26th respectively. astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comet/3I
Also Jaeger caught a fine image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Also outbound, you can see the dust tail unfurling ahead of the comet, with a spiky sunward anti-tail, as the comet heads towards ecliptic crossing on Dec 10. The green is the glow of cyanogen gas. Just a comet, doing comet-y things.
November 22, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Also Jaeger caught a fine image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Also outbound, you can see the dust tail unfurling ahead of the comet, with a spiky sunward anti-tail, as the comet heads towards ecliptic crossing on Dec 10. The green is the glow of cyanogen gas. Just a comet, doing comet-y things.
Wow. Michael Jaeger posted this amazing fragmentation sequence of Comet C/2025 K1 ATLAS on Nov 20. Currently a month and a half past perihelion on October 8th, K1 ATLAS is a +10th magnitude comet now on its path outbound through the constellation Ursa Major. spaceweathergallery2.com/indiv_upload...
November 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Wow. Michael Jaeger posted this amazing fragmentation sequence of Comet C/2025 K1 ATLAS on Nov 20. Currently a month and a half past perihelion on October 8th, K1 ATLAS is a +10th magnitude comet now on its path outbound through the constellation Ursa Major. spaceweathergallery2.com/indiv_upload...
Uranus has 29 moons, four of which are within grasp of amateur telescopes: +14th magnitude Ariel, Umbriel, Oberon and Titania.
November 21, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Uranus has 29 moons, four of which are within grasp of amateur telescopes: +14th magnitude Ariel, Umbriel, Oberon and Titania.
Orbiting the Sun every 84 years, Uranus will in 2033 have only completed 3 circuits since discovery. The planet’s tilt means that the moons only appear edge-on to us once every 42 years. This last occurred in 2006, when Hubble nabbed a transit of a Uranian moon: science.nasa.gov/missions/hub...
November 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Orbiting the Sun every 84 years, Uranus will in 2033 have only completed 3 circuits since discovery. The planet’s tilt means that the moons only appear edge-on to us once every 42 years. This last occurred in 2006, when Hubble nabbed a transit of a Uranian moon: science.nasa.gov/missions/hub...
No jokes… (which, of course will just invite jokes) The planet Uranus reaches opposition for 2025 today in the constellation Taurus the Bull, marking prime season to see the +6th magnitude ice giant with binoculars or a small telescope. Uranus displays a tiny 4” disk at opposition.
November 21, 2025 at 2:29 PM
No jokes… (which, of course will just invite jokes) The planet Uranus reaches opposition for 2025 today in the constellation Taurus the Bull, marking prime season to see the +6th magnitude ice giant with binoculars or a small telescope. Uranus displays a tiny 4” disk at opposition.
Tonight: Io and Callisto both cast shadows on the cloud tops of Jupiter. The double-shadow event begins when 1:30 Universal Time (UT) when Io’s shadow joins Callisto’s, and ends when Io’s shadow quits Jove at 3:50 UT.
November 20, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Tonight: Io and Callisto both cast shadows on the cloud tops of Jupiter. The double-shadow event begins when 1:30 Universal Time (UT) when Io’s shadow joins Callisto’s, and ends when Io’s shadow quits Jove at 3:50 UT.
The hunt is on afterwards, to spot the slim crescent Moon low to the west at dusk. The slim, +1% illuminated waxing crescent Moon pairs with Mars on the 21st, and occults the +1st magnitude star Antares for New Zealand and eastern Australia at dusk:
November 19, 2025 at 1:52 PM
The hunt is on afterwards, to spot the slim crescent Moon low to the west at dusk. The slim, +1% illuminated waxing crescent Moon pairs with Mars on the 21st, and occults the +1st magnitude star Antares for New Zealand and eastern Australia at dusk:
Now into December also offers Earth-bound observers the best chance to see 3I/ATLAS, as it vaults up through Virgo low to the east at dawn:
November 18, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Now into December also offers Earth-bound observers the best chance to see 3I/ATLAS, as it vaults up through Virgo low to the east at dawn:
Got it. Though it doesn't look like much, I finally saw 3I/ATLAS (green dot, center) for m'self this AM, courtesy of the Dwarf3 smartscope. Checking 'interstellar comet' off of the observing life list.
November 18, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Got it. Though it doesn't look like much, I finally saw 3I/ATLAS (green dot, center) for m'self this AM, courtesy of the Dwarf3 smartscope. Checking 'interstellar comet' off of the observing life list.
Today's Sun shot, taken with a Dwarf3 smartscope. The large sunspot group that produced space weather shenanigans earlier this week has just about rotated out of view.
November 14, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Today's Sun shot, taken with a Dwarf3 smartscope. The large sunspot group that produced space weather shenanigans earlier this week has just about rotated out of view.
And check out this great New Glenn launch+Cape lighthouse capture (and the cruise ship that nearly spoiled the shot(!), courtesy of @skyandtelescope.bsky.social's man in the field Kirby Kahler:
November 14, 2025 at 3:03 PM
And check out this great New Glenn launch+Cape lighthouse capture (and the cruise ship that nearly spoiled the shot(!), courtesy of @skyandtelescope.bsky.social's man in the field Kirby Kahler:
They’re finally on their way. After delays, FAA restrictions, wayward cruise ships, and space weather scrubs, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Center. Onboard was the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft Blue and Gold.
November 14, 2025 at 2:59 PM
They’re finally on their way. After delays, FAA restrictions, wayward cruise ships, and space weather scrubs, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Center. Onboard was the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft Blue and Gold.
Made me look... looks like China's Long March-9 rocket is comparable to New Glenn:
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Made me look... looks like China's Long March-9 rocket is comparable to New Glenn:
The recent fragmation sequence seen here of Comet K1 ATLAS is pretty amazing -
www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/13/c... -Courtesy of astronomer Gianluca Masi
www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/13/c... -Courtesy of astronomer Gianluca Masi
November 14, 2025 at 12:23 AM
The recent fragmation sequence seen here of Comet K1 ATLAS is pretty amazing -
www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/13/c... -Courtesy of astronomer Gianluca Masi
www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/11/13/c... -Courtesy of astronomer Gianluca Masi
They did it: New Glenn's booster is back on Jacklyn:
November 13, 2025 at 9:09 PM
They did it: New Glenn's booster is back on Jacklyn:
Here's how New Glenn compares, to SpaceX's Starship and other rockets/launch systems:
November 13, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Here's how New Glenn compares, to SpaceX's Starship and other rockets/launch systems:
Passes currently favor mid-northern latitudes tonight at dusk, at the U.S. East Coast has a good shot at seeing the pair around 6:22 PM EST.
Be sure to check Heavens-Above for pass opportunities: www.heavens-above.com
Be sure to check Heavens-Above for pass opportunities: www.heavens-above.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Passes currently favor mid-northern latitudes tonight at dusk, at the U.S. East Coast has a good shot at seeing the pair around 6:22 PM EST.
Be sure to check Heavens-Above for pass opportunities: www.heavens-above.com
Be sure to check Heavens-Above for pass opportunities: www.heavens-above.com
The cascade of energetic protons also kicked off a ground level event, still underway this AM. You can see how the hail of energetic particles temporarily blinded SOHO’s LASCO C3 imager:
Clearly, while massive sunspot group AR 4274 is now rotating away from us, it ain’t done with us yet.
Clearly, while massive sunspot group AR 4274 is now rotating away from us, it ain’t done with us yet.
November 12, 2025 at 3:58 PM
The cascade of energetic protons also kicked off a ground level event, still underway this AM. You can see how the hail of energetic particles temporarily blinded SOHO’s LASCO C3 imager:
Clearly, while massive sunspot group AR 4274 is now rotating away from us, it ain’t done with us yet.
Clearly, while massive sunspot group AR 4274 is now rotating away from us, it ain’t done with us yet.
We had the bad fortune here in Tennessee to turn in a bit early last night… right before skies cleared. Am seeing some great images of the storm on @universetoday.com Flickr page: www.flickr.com/groups/unive...
November 12, 2025 at 3:57 PM
We had the bad fortune here in Tennessee to turn in a bit early last night… right before skies cleared. Am seeing some great images of the storm on @universetoday.com Flickr page: www.flickr.com/groups/unive...