Mandy Daniels
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mandydaniels.bsky.social
Mandy Daniels
@mandydaniels.bsky.social
460 followers 160 following 410 posts
UK based photography and astronomy, not using AI. Check out my photographs on EarthSky:

https://ecp.earthsky.org/community-photos/?filter_1_3=Mandy&filter_1_6=Daniels&mode=all

#photography #astronomy #astrophotography #moon
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mandydaniels.bsky.social
#Neptune, #Saturn and the 66% waxing #Moon will be forming a nice tight triangle of about 3.5° this evening. A 300 - 400 mm lens on a full frame camera will capture the group, 200 - 270 mm for crop sensors. It's a good time to try to capture Neptune.

#astronomy #astrophotography
November 29, 2025 at 8:08 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The first quarter #Moon, photographed at 3 hours (1156 km) before, then just 15 minutes (8 km) from closest approach, #perigee, to Earth. See alt text for details, also on the image. Click on it and zoom in to see size difference of just 5 - 6 pixels.

#astronomy #astrophotography #space
I imaged the Moon twice, today, but it was not until I checked the details afterwards that I realised I had, on my second run, inadvertently captured the Moon within about 8 km of perigee, so about the largest it will appear. Mirroring the first image (on the left) allows small differences in detail to be seen along the terminator in the space of just 3 hours. All the technical data for the Moon is on the image. The two horizontal lines mark the top and bottom of the perigee Moon and a difference can be seen under the other Moon. On the original images this amounts to approximately 5 or 6 pixels which is in reasonable agreement with the calculated 7 pixels difference for the quoted angular sizes. Focal Length: 1200 mm Exposure (left): f/5.9, 1/125s, ISO-100 Exposure (right): f/5.9, 1/40s, ISO-100 The image shows a pair of mirrored images of the Moon and includes the following text. Above the left Moon: Date: 2025 11 28 Time: 16:31:10 UTC Distance: 378 138 km Phase: 54.3% waxing Distance to Perigee: 1156 km Apparent Angular Diameter: 31' 35.61" Above the Right Moon: Date: 2025 11 28 Time: 19:20:48 Distance: 376 990 km Phase: 55.2% waxing Di Stance to Perigee: 8 km Apparent Angular Diameter: 31' 41.38" Below Image: The spacing between the lines is for the perigee Moon. The left image is about 5 to 6 pixels smaller than the right, where the expected difference is 7 pixels. It is also possible to see the difference in detail along the terminators. Left image is mirrored for ease of comparison. The left image is commented above as "Approximately 3 hours to perigee." and the right image, "Approximately 15 minutes to perigee."
November 28, 2025 at 11:43 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
#Waxing, #crescent #Moon

Check out the shadows in the craters along the terminator.

Date: 2025 11 27
Time: 20:46:18 UTC
Altitude: 13° 41'
Distance: 383 881 km
Phase: 45%

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

Exposure: f/5.9, 1/125s, ISO-400
Focal Length: 1200 mm

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 27, 2025 at 10:45 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 25% #waxing, #crescent #Moon, 2025 11 25, 18:20:54 UTC at an altitude of 8° 53' and a distance of 394 619 km. Too low for a perfect result.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

Exposure: f/5.9, 1/125s, ISO-400
Focal Length: 1200 mm

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 25, 2025 at 8:36 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 8% #waning, #crescent #Moon in a blue sky, 2025 11 17, 07:09:06 UTC at an altitude of 16° 54' and a distance of 402 084 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

Exposure: f/5.9, 1/100s, ISO-400
Focal Length: 1200 mm

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 17, 2025 at 10:46 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The skies are cloudy, so here is a picture from last month of a giant ladybird with black carapace and four large, red spots relaxing on a flowering ivy leaf.

Exposure: f/16, 1/1000, ISO-1600

Nikon D7200
Nikon 105 mm macro lens
November 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 38% #waning, #crescent #Moon in a blue sky, 2025 11 13, 08:43:58 UTC at an altitude of 42° 16' and a distance of 385 695 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

Exposure: f/5.9, 1/100s, ISO-100
Focal Length: 1200 mm

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 13, 2025 at 10:44 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 62% #waning, #gibbous #Moon, 2025 11 11, 00:58:38 UTC at an altitude of 32° 39' and a distance of 373 355 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

Exposure: f/5.9, 1/80s, ISO-200
Focal Length: 1200 mm

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 11, 2025 at 1:52 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 70% #waning #gibbous #daytime #Moon, 2025 11 10, 08:18:36 UTC at an altitude of 39° 31' and a distance of 368 607 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/320s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 10, 2025 at 10:05 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 83% #waning #gibbous #Moon, 2025 11 08, 22:16:38 UTC at an altitude of 30° 49' and a distance of 361 618 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/60s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 8, 2025 at 11:39 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The #Moon, just past full, 2025 11 05, 23:15:50 UTC at an altitude of 56° 45' and a distance of 351 481 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/200s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 6, 2025 at 12:13 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
A belated Halloween picture.

#astronomy #moon #halloween #witch
A teenage witch riding a broom silhouetted against the nearly fully Moon and Erie clouds
November 3, 2025 at 5:44 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 90% #waxing #gibbous #Moon through the clouds, 2025 11 02, 20:41:02 UTC at an altitude of 37° 45' and a distance of 361 696 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/60s, ISO-6400, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 3, 2025 at 9:16 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 90% #waxing #gibbous #Moon, 2025 11 01, 21:19:20 UTC at an altitude of 38° 44' and a distance of 361 471 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/320s, ISO-400, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 82% #waxing #gibbous #Moon, 2025 11 01, 22:10:26 UTC at an altitude of 29° 08' and a distance of 367 818 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/60s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
November 1, 2025 at 11:14 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon, 2025 10 29

#astronomy #astrophotography #comet #CometLemmon
October 30, 2025 at 10:56 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
Starlink fuel dump, 2025 10 29 at 18:27 UTC. Photographed whilst imaging Comet Lemmon. No time to change settings, hence the motion blur.

Nikon D800
Nikon 135 mm f/2 prime lens
Exposure: f/2, 1s, ISO-6400

#astronomy #space #rocketlaunch
October 29, 2025 at 8:15 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon, magnitude 3.8, distance 0.63 AU. Photographed at 18:27 UTC on 2025 10 25 with settings of f/2, 1.3s, ISO-1600.

Nikon D800
Nikon 135mm, f/2, prime lens

#astronomy #astrophotography #comet #lemmon
October 26, 2025 at 9:24 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
I finally caught a break in the clouds and decided to go after Comet Lemmon with a 135 mm lens. This is my wide field image showing the comet against background stars.

#astronomy #comet #lemmon #c/2025a6 #astrophotography
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon, magnitude 3.8, distance 0.63 AU. Photographed at 19:36 UTC on 2025 10 25 with settings of f/2, 1.3s, ISO-3200.
October 25, 2025 at 8:04 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
Dan Zafra captured red Sprites in front of the southern Milky Way and Aurora Australis in New Zealand. You can watch his amazing video of this ultra-rare phenomenon, here:

#astronomy #sprites #lightning #milkyway #aurora

earthsky.org/todays-image...
Rare timelapse of red sprites and the southern Milky Way
earthsky.org
October 24, 2025 at 12:33 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 66% #waning #gibbous #daytime #Moon, 2025 10 11, 08:53:24 UTC at an altitude of 38° 29' and a distance of 366 243 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/500s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
October 12, 2025 at 10:14 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 70% #waning #gibbous #Moon, 2025 10 11, 23:04:24 UTC at an altitude of 27° 44' and a distance of 365 406 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/80s, ISO-200, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
October 11, 2025 at 11:44 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 78% #waning #gibbous #Moon, 2025 10 11, 05:22:58 UTC at an altitude of 57° 25' and a distance of 360 007 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/80s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
October 11, 2025 at 11:43 AM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 89% #waning #gibbous #Moon, 2025 10 09, 22:34:12 UTC at an altitude of 38° 06' and a distance of 357 485 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/160s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
October 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
mandydaniels.bsky.social
The 95% #waning #gibbous #Moon, 2025 10 08, 22:10:28 UTC at an altitude of 39° 02' and a distance of 355 892 km.

Nikon D800
Skywatcher 200P

f/5.9, 1/250s, ISO-100, 1200 mm FL

#astronomy #astrophotography #craters
October 8, 2025 at 10:58 PM