Michael Merrifield
@astromikemerri.bsky.social
Emeritus professor of astronomy at the University of Nottingham. Too frequent appearances on YouTube. All my own views.
Avi has risen to new levels of Galilean messiah-complex absurdity, implying that the latest calculations of 3I/ATLAS’ trajectory were made to counter his claim of alien intelligence directing where the comet is headed. 🔭
November 28, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Avi has risen to new levels of Galilean messiah-complex absurdity, implying that the latest calculations of 3I/ATLAS’ trajectory were made to counter his claim of alien intelligence directing where the comet is headed. 🔭
Creating and 3D printing tiny things is a bit fiddly, but rather fun.
November 27, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Creating and 3D printing tiny things is a bit fiddly, but rather fun.
Finally, the truth can be told.
November 27, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Finally, the truth can be told.
Another quality 🧪 publication from @Nature (www.nature.com/articles/s41...).
Clearly the large sums of money spent on publishing in these “prestigious” journals aren’t wasted on anything as unimportant as… an editor.
Clearly the large sums of money spent on publishing in these “prestigious” journals aren’t wasted on anything as unimportant as… an editor.
November 27, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Another quality 🧪 publication from @Nature (www.nature.com/articles/s41...).
Clearly the large sums of money spent on publishing in these “prestigious” journals aren’t wasted on anything as unimportant as… an editor.
Clearly the large sums of money spent on publishing in these “prestigious” journals aren’t wasted on anything as unimportant as… an editor.
Clear night, so couldn’t resist getting the Origin 🔭 out. Narrow-band filter in, so I went after a slightly lesser-known emission nebula, its hydrogen gas excited by the hot stars embedded in it, NGC 1491. Two hour observation, stacked by the telescope, just tweaked a little in Lightroom. Gorgeous!
November 25, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Clear night, so couldn’t resist getting the Origin 🔭 out. Narrow-band filter in, so I went after a slightly lesser-known emission nebula, its hydrogen gas excited by the hot stars embedded in it, NGC 1491. Two hour observation, stacked by the telescope, just tweaked a little in Lightroom. Gorgeous!
Always a favourite uplifting companion — this was mine today.
November 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Always a favourite uplifting companion — this was mine today.
“You’re in my spot.” 🪶
November 25, 2025 at 12:31 PM
“You’re in my spot.” 🪶
Went to the University to take in a couple of exhibitions. One was unexpectedly closed. The other is only open Thu-Sun. Happily, the weather and birds 🪶 were more obliging.
November 25, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Went to the University to take in a couple of exhibitions. One was unexpectedly closed. The other is only open Thu-Sun. Happily, the weather and birds 🪶 were more obliging.
Amazing the way things develop sometimes. My idle displacement activity to put off assessing a pile of 🔭 applications for ESO (arxiv.org/abs/0906.1943) has led to a wholesale national shift in the way that 🧪 grant applications are assessed (www.gov.uk/government/n...)
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Amazing the way things develop sometimes. My idle displacement activity to put off assessing a pile of 🔭 applications for ESO (arxiv.org/abs/0906.1943) has led to a wholesale national shift in the way that 🧪 grant applications are assessed (www.gov.uk/government/n...)
Transformation complete.
November 24, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Transformation complete.
November 24, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The lemon harvest has been safely gathered in.
November 24, 2025 at 12:46 PM
The lemon harvest has been safely gathered in.
When Avi says “to within 9 degrees,” he actually means “9 degrees away from.” He then commits the gross statistical error of using this measured value to specify the radius of a circle on sky to assign a probability.
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
November 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
When Avi says “to within 9 degrees,” he actually means “9 degrees away from.” He then commits the gross statistical error of using this measured value to specify the radius of a circle on sky to assign a probability.
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
Does he really not understand basic statistical inference? 🧪🔭
Proper Sunday afternoon telly.
November 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Proper Sunday afternoon telly.
I think the Internet Archive is a very good thing. Knowledge should be freely avail… wait a minute, that’s *my* book! Take it down at once!
November 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
I think the Internet Archive is a very good thing. Knowledge should be freely avail… wait a minute, that’s *my* book! Take it down at once!
In this case, I mean an entirely AI-generated video from this still image.
November 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
In this case, I mean an entirely AI-generated video from this still image.
But it’s more fun when I am steering.
November 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
But it’s more fun when I am steering.
My tiny remote-control car drives rather better in AI than with me driving.
November 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
My tiny remote-control car drives rather better in AI than with me driving.
Not taking my new fluffy-fleece-lined top off until Spring.
November 22, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Not taking my new fluffy-fleece-lined top off until Spring.
Yet another thrilling update on #3IATLAS: it’s still just a comet. Good thing Avi hedged his bet, huh? 🔭
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
November 21, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Yet another thrilling update on #3IATLAS: it’s still just a comet. Good thing Avi hedged his bet, huh? 🔭
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
(www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9T...)
All I did was provided this image and the prompt “Loch Ness monster pops up from beneath the lake surface, then disappears again, as boat turns and moves away from the shore.” It’s a whole new world out there!
November 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
All I did was provided this image and the prompt “Loch Ness monster pops up from beneath the lake surface, then disappears again, as boat turns and moves away from the shore.” It’s a whole new world out there!
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Starting to explore the potential for combining my tiny remote-control motor boat digital electronics project with AI. Because… well, why not?
November 20, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Starting to explore the potential for combining my tiny remote-control motor boat digital electronics project with AI. Because… well, why not?
Slots? Where we’re going, we don’t need slots!
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
November 19, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Slots? Where we’re going, we don’t need slots!
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
If you would like to build your own microcar racer, here are the instructions:
github.com/astromikemer...
A tragic tale.
November 19, 2025 at 3:55 PM
A tragic tale.