Anyone know the total number of satellites currently in space? The numbers I see cite @planet4589 but haven't seen him post any updates here recently, and not sure where to look for any authoritative count. Was just trying to quantify this in an intelligence way for my students. (random craptastic, non-attributed Internet search says 9,450-ish Starlinks, plus 2,500 odd other things in the sky... but since no attribution, no idea if it's hallucinated or not).
(Update: 9,634 Starlinks per @sundogplanets , at least today on 2/3/2026)

Update to the update: Jonathan McDowell has this stats page, perfect!

https://planet4589.org/space/stats/

#space #satellites

For the first time since 1972, humans are headed back toward the Moon 🚀

NASA’s Artemis II will send 4 astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon to test critical systems and pave the way for a future lunar landing.

https://theconversation.com/nasas-artemis-ii-plans-to-send-a-crew-around-the-moon-to-test-equipment-and-lay-the-groundwork-for-a-future-landing-273688
#space #science

Cosmic money shot

https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/astronomers-watch-1st-black-hole-ever-imaged-launch-a-3-000-light-year-long-cosmic-jet-from-its-glowing-shadow

#stem #science #space #astronomy #cool

Cosmic money shot

https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/astronomers-watch-1st-black-hole-ever-imaged-launch-a-3-000-light-year-long-cosmic-jet-from-its-glowing-shadow

#stem #science #space #astronomy #cool

Saturn in Colour
Credits: WFPC, HST, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography

Saturn in Colour
Credits: WFPC, HST, #NASA
#nature #space #astrophotography

While I was waiting around for some aurora activity earlier this week, I played around with the OM-1's live composite mode while using my fisheye lens. I've made star trail images before, but it's way more convenient to do it in camera rather than having to stack in post-processing. The clouds created a surreal effect as they moved across the frame. This image is incomplete, as a long exposure would have shown better trailing, but I like the way it came out.

Olympus OM-1.1
Live Composite of 8s exposures
Olympus 8mm fisheye PRO @ f/2.0
Probably 30-40 minutes of exposures

#photography #astrophotography #longexposure #startrails #clouds #fisheye #nightsky #space #olympus #om1

While I was waiting around for some aurora activity earlier this week, I played around with the OM-1's live composite mode while using my fisheye lens. I've made star trail images before, but it's way more convenient to do it in camera rather than having to stack in post-processing. The clouds created a surreal effect as they moved across the frame. This image is incomplete, as a long exposure would have shown better trailing, but I like the way it came out.

Olympus OM-1.1
Live Composite of 8s exposures
Olympus 8mm fisheye PRO @ f/2.0
Probably 30-40 minutes of exposures

#photography #astrophotography #longexposure #startrails #clouds #fisheye #nightsky #space #olympus #om1

NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy
Credits: Michael Sherick
#nature #space #astrophotography

NGC 4631: The Whale Galaxy
Credits: Michael Sherick
#nature #space #astrophotography

Red Cloudbow over Delaware
Credits: Michael C. Neff, Neffworks Artography
#nature #space #astrophotography

Red Cloudbow over Delaware
Credits: Michael C. Neff, Neffworks Artography
#nature #space #astrophotography

The following hashtags are trending across South African Mastodon instances:

#nedbank
#southafrica
#banking
#Space
#coturn
#ejabberd
#selfhosting
#xmpp
#weirdenglish
#windowperspective

Based on recent posts made by non-automated accounts. Posts with more boosts, favourites, and replies are weighted higher.

The following hashtags are trending across South African Mastodon instances:

#nedbank
#southafrica
#banking
#Space
#coturn
#ejabberd
#selfhosting
#xmpp
#weirdenglish
#windowperspective

Based on recent posts made by non-automated accounts. Posts with more boosts, favourites, and replies are weighted higher.

Horsehead and Flame Nebula are a rite of passage for any new camera gear, so I pointed my ToupTek585M at it and snapped away with L, R, G, and B filters. As usual, Alnitak (the easternmost star in Orion's Belt) is a problem. At some point, I'll try again with shorter exposures, but for now I'm...showcasing how bright that star is. Let's go with that.

Prints: https://briangweber.com/featured/horsehead-and-flame-nebula-brian-weber.html
Details: https://www.astrobin.com/g9t1vj/

#astrophotography #space #nebula #orion #horsehead #photography

“2025 was the third warmest year on record, only marginally (0.01°C) cooler than 2023, and 0.13°C cooler than 2024…

The past 11 years have been the 11 warmest on record.

Global temperatures from the past three years (2023-2025) averaged more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level (1850–1900).”

- EU’s “Copernicus” Earth observation programme

https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2025-was-third-hottest-year-record

#Climate #Science #ClimateScience #Space #ClimateCrisis #EU

“2025 was the third warmest year on record, only marginally (0.01°C) cooler than 2023, and 0.13°C cooler than 2024…

The past 11 years have been the 11 warmest on record.

Global temperatures from the past three years (2023-2025) averaged more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level (1850–1900).”

- EU’s “Copernicus” Earth observation programme

https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2025-was-third-hottest-year-record

#Climate #Science #ClimateScience #Space #ClimateCrisis #EU

Why an astronomer is really excited about today's telescope launch: "We built Pandora to shatter a barrier – to understand and remove a source of noise in the data – that limits our ability to study small exoplanets in detail and search for life on them."
https://theconversation.com/nasas-pandora-telescope-will-study-stars-in-detail-to-learn-about-the-exoplanets-orbiting-them-272155 #space #astronomy #news

The Milky Way Over Monument Valley
Credits: Wally Pacholka, AstroPics.com, TWAN
#nature #space #astrophotography

“We’re Too Close to the Debris”: How SpaceX Rockets Put Passenger Planes at Risk
---

The FAA predicted Elon Musk’s Starship would cause “minor or minimal” disruption. Then the rockets exploded twice in three months over busy airspace. Flight data reveals how many planes scrambled to protect passengers and avoid burning debris.
https://www.propublica.org/article/spacex-faa-launch-airlines-safety-explosions-florida-caribbean?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #ElonMusk #SpaceX #Starship #Aviation #Space #Safety #Musk