On Mars…

Please, PLEASE, PLEEEEEASE go over to my “Road To Endeavour” blog to see the latest images of Concepcion Crater, taken by Oppy. I’ve stitched them together and colourised them to make them into a – well, you’ll have to go see for yourselves… but trust me, it’ll be worth clicking on the following link… http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/oh-my [...]

“Spirit – Wheels Stop”

My good friend and fellow UMSF member, AstroO, has created a truly beautiful poster featuring the poem I’ve written to mark Spirit’s change in circumstances. I hope you’ll take a moment to go and see it. http://astro0.wordpress.com/spirit-wheels-stop

Spirit – Time to rest…

Sigh. This is a post I’ve been dreading writing for almost six years. I knew I’d have to write it one day, it was an absolute certainty, and I’ve never kidded myself otherwise. But still, now the time has come… it’s hard. It really is. I’m sure it is going to turn into a long, [...]

It’s Carnival time again…

This week’s “Carnival of Space” is number 138, and it’s being hosted by my good space friend Nancy Atkinson (GREAT last name!) on her new blog… go take a look, and catch up on the best of the week’s space blogging… http://www.nancyatkinson.com/blog/2010/01/25/carnival-of-space-138-2

A VERY Big day for Spirit…

Later today there will be a NASA press conference, which everyone can follow live online, to provide an update on the heroic attempts to free the Mars Exploration Rover ‘Spirit’ from the sand trap it’s been stuck in for the past 2 million years (not really, it just feels like it! ) And it’s very [...]

Mars News Headlines…

BONG… “Phoenix” Lander fails to phone home – this week’s attempts to listen for signals from the Phoenix polar lander were all unsuccesful. More attempts will be made in February. BONG… The Mars Exploration Rover “Spirit” is still stuck in its sand trap, but some limited progress has been made, and attempts to “Free Spirit” [...]

Oppy update…

Oppy has now driven away from Marquette Island… http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/farewell-marquette-2

Whiteout…

As I’m writing this, the UK’s “cold snap” is about to begin its’ third week. The temperature here in Kendal last night probably reached minus ten degrees C, and parts of the Scottish Highlands experienced lows of minus twenty one degrees C – positively martian! For three weeks now Kendal has looked like Narnia in [...]

Oppy at Marquette…

The Mars Exploration Rover “Opportunity” – which will soon have been on Mars for 6 earth years – is still studying a big chunk of rock called “Marquette Island”. New post on it, with pics, over at my “Road to Endeavour” blog, here: http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/more-marquette-musings

Astounding “Avatar”

I finally managed to go and see AVATAR tonight, at the big VUE cinema down in Lancaster (first time there – very impressed: lovely studios, friendly, helpful staff, very clean, no chavs laughing and texting and eating nachos <talking of which…seriously, which ****ing genius decided nachos, possibly the crunchiest, loudest snack in the world, would [...]