DSC09408-Edit.jpg by Greg.May, on Flickr

First clear night in weeks. Ran the camera all night with sub zero temps and clear skies. This is a quick process to check what data I captured, but I am happy with that I have to work with!

M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy by Greg.May, on Flickr

I'm assuming that's the Andromeda galaxy Greg?

If you look SE now there's the crescent moon about 20deg above the horizon, up and left is Venus which is really bright then about the same distance up and left again is Saturn. It's visible to the naked eye but without a telescope you wouldn't know what it was other than it doesn't twinkle so is a planet rather than a star. The rings are almost side on to us at the moment so not at their most spectacular.

Nope, It's M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) - much smaller, much fainter, 21m Ly away. No way you'll see this with your eye unlike Andromeda and it's "close" 4m Ly. Andromeda is a beast to image, really large and my sensor isn't :)

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn - all visible tonight. Conditions are stunning outside. Easily spot 4 of the Jovian moons. Currently capturing a lot more data on M81/M82. Going to leave the system running until about 0300 when it's due to cloud over.

‘Twas a nice evening out …

Has been a fun week commuting on this old thing with its 15 year old Ice Spikers, right up until the freehub decided to freeze on Friday afternoon and spin freely in both directions!

On the way up Moel Siabod today.

DSC09486-Edit.jpg by Greg.May, on Flickr

Very much yes.

Slug tracks on the sides of the Overton Cave, Frodsham.



I'm curious how they've got to a wall at the back of a cave, across a good distance of dry sand?

It's been a busy week



It was Baltic on Windermere on Friday

Liking the helicopter and the castle ruins/water one John

From today, Hockenhull Platts

On a bit of a ride-around-the-block, I saw these..



There’s nothing special about the photo - it’s the subject I like so much. Something you don’t often see nowadays. Cows, enjoying a lie down in the sunshine after milking. Most milking cows don’t get to do this nowadays - they have to stay crammed in sheds and walk about in muck and never get to graze outside - all so that we can get milk at a ridiculously low price. It makes me sad, that we’re so uncaring about farm animals.

Half term was a bit different this year:

Japan ‘25 by Greg.May, on Flickr

Tokyo National Museum:
Tokyo National Museum by Greg.May, on Flickr

Meiji Jingu (Buddist temple in Tokyo)
Japan ‘25 by Greg.May, on Flickr

Lanterns
Japan ‘25 by Greg.May, on Flickr

More from Japan

L1010613-Edit.jpg by Greg.May, on Flickr

L1010496-Edit.jpg by Greg.May, on Flickr

And some film:
Meiji Jingu by Greg.May, on Flickr

Harajuku, Tokyo by Greg.May, on Flickr