Failed Protostar
@failedprotostar.bsky.social
Backyard astronomer and astrophotographer from Ottawa, Canada. More or less agog.
Pinned
I’ve been taking photos of the Moon, planets and more with my iPhone + telescope since 2011. 🔭📱Looking forward to connecting here with those who love space! #Astronomy
The seasonal equivalent of second breakfast.
Weirdly, according to my Tolkien wall calendar next week we have both the Autumn Equinox AND the Autumnal Equinox.
September 17, 2026 at 2:49 AM
The seasonal equivalent of second breakfast.
Reposted by Failed Protostar
Early pre-dawn view of the city lights of Los Angeles, the rest of Southern California, and Northwest Mexico on September 8th, taken by Astronaut Jessica Meir aboard the International Space Station.
flic.kr/p/2sB1uXM
flic.kr/p/2sB1uXM
September 15, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Early pre-dawn view of the city lights of Los Angeles, the rest of Southern California, and Northwest Mexico on September 8th, taken by Astronaut Jessica Meir aboard the International Space Station.
flic.kr/p/2sB1uXM
flic.kr/p/2sB1uXM
Reposted by Failed Protostar
New phrase to overuse just dropped
October 11, 2025 at 12:17 PM
New phrase to overuse just dropped
If I had to describe 1985 using a photo it would be this.
September 12, 2026 at 3:57 AM
If I had to describe 1985 using a photo it would be this.
Honestly thought this was AI
Thirty-four days before she reported to prison, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes gave Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim access to document her every move.
That turned into a three-year project, and A24 will release the resulting documentary this October.
That turned into a three-year project, and A24 will release the resulting documentary this October.
September 7, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Honestly thought this was AI
Eating meals cooked by “electric heat”was a novelty and people had to warm up to the idea. My city was actually the site of the first documented meal cooked entirely by electricity in 1892. www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications...
September 6, 2026 at 9:28 PM
Eating meals cooked by “electric heat”was a novelty and people had to warm up to the idea. My city was actually the site of the first documented meal cooked entirely by electricity in 1892. www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/publications...
Wow.
This is wild: only *one quarter* of the New Yorkers who live in the city today were there on 9/11. It's basically an entirely new city.
Cities are magic: constantly changing, churning engines of human progress.
This is why conservatives hate them.
Cities are magic: constantly changing, churning engines of human progress.
This is why conservatives hate them.
A City Forgets. Maybe It’s Supposed To.
The New York of today is a different city than the New York of 9/11.
www.vitalcitynyc.org
September 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Wow.
Reposted by Failed Protostar
If sound could travel through space it would take about 14 years for the sound of the Sun to reach the Earth, and it would be about as loud as a jackhammer
Tell me a fun fact.
September 5, 2026 at 4:33 PM
If sound could travel through space it would take about 14 years for the sound of the Sun to reach the Earth, and it would be about as loud as a jackhammer
Reposted by Failed Protostar
Some shots of the Moon over the Earth's horizon from the International Space Station between August 30th and 31st.
flic.kr/p/2syx4Rh
flic.kr/p/2syz3FS
flic.kr/p/2syHpCX
flic.kr/p/2syDcv7
flic.kr/p/2syx4Rh
flic.kr/p/2syz3FS
flic.kr/p/2syHpCX
flic.kr/p/2syDcv7
September 2, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Some shots of the Moon over the Earth's horizon from the International Space Station between August 30th and 31st.
flic.kr/p/2syx4Rh
flic.kr/p/2syz3FS
flic.kr/p/2syHpCX
flic.kr/p/2syDcv7
flic.kr/p/2syx4Rh
flic.kr/p/2syz3FS
flic.kr/p/2syHpCX
flic.kr/p/2syDcv7
Reposted by Failed Protostar
autumn is fast approaching which means it's time for pannage: the ancient commoner's right of taking your pigs to the forest to feast on fallen acorns, chestnuts, and beechmast
September 1, 2026 at 9:14 AM
autumn is fast approaching which means it's time for pannage: the ancient commoner's right of taking your pigs to the forest to feast on fallen acorns, chestnuts, and beechmast
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
September 1, 2026 at 2:08 AM
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
“All actors are named America, not just Ferrara.”
August 28, 2026 at 1:40 AM
“All actors are named America, not just Ferrara.”
They don’t make (or name) things like they used to.
August 25, 2026 at 11:39 PM
They don’t make (or name) things like they used to.
Reposted by Failed Protostar
From NASA:
It happened again! Here's Phobos passing in front of the Sun as seen by the Perseverance rover from the surface of Mars on Aug. 12. science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
It happened again! Here's Phobos passing in front of the Sun as seen by the Perseverance rover from the surface of Mars on Aug. 12. science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
August 24, 2026 at 7:32 PM
From NASA:
It happened again! Here's Phobos passing in front of the Sun as seen by the Perseverance rover from the surface of Mars on Aug. 12. science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
It happened again! Here's Phobos passing in front of the Sun as seen by the Perseverance rover from the surface of Mars on Aug. 12. science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
Reposted by Failed Protostar
A rainbow appeared while I was taking a photo of the moon this evening! Taken from my yard with an iPhone 17 Pro Max. 📱🌈🌖
August 23, 2026 at 11:45 PM
A rainbow appeared while I was taking a photo of the moon this evening! Taken from my yard with an iPhone 17 Pro Max. 📱🌈🌖
Reposted by Failed Protostar
Slam. As expected. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter managed to image the aftermath of the August 5th impact of the SpaceX upper stage on the Moon. This before-and-after sequence shows the resulting 20-meter wide crater:
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
August 23, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Slam. As expected. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter managed to image the aftermath of the August 5th impact of the SpaceX upper stage on the Moon. This before-and-after sequence shows the resulting 20-meter wide crater:
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
science.nasa.gov/solar-system...
Reposted by Failed Protostar
Fed up with people shirking responsibility by arguing that the UK causes just 1% of emissions?
Here are two fantastic analogies from a primary school teacher, Mark in Coventry, who called Sheila Fogerty on @lbc.co.uk - one involving dog poo 😆
Other arguments here: www.nebriefing.org/mp-dialogue
Here are two fantastic analogies from a primary school teacher, Mark in Coventry, who called Sheila Fogerty on @lbc.co.uk - one involving dog poo 😆
Other arguments here: www.nebriefing.org/mp-dialogue
August 20, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Fed up with people shirking responsibility by arguing that the UK causes just 1% of emissions?
Here are two fantastic analogies from a primary school teacher, Mark in Coventry, who called Sheila Fogerty on @lbc.co.uk - one involving dog poo 😆
Other arguments here: www.nebriefing.org/mp-dialogue
Here are two fantastic analogies from a primary school teacher, Mark in Coventry, who called Sheila Fogerty on @lbc.co.uk - one involving dog poo 😆
Other arguments here: www.nebriefing.org/mp-dialogue
Moon shadow over the Atlantic.
6:45:46 PM on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, over the North Pacific Ocean.
August 15, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Moon shadow over the Atlantic.
Reposted by Failed Protostar
During the recent Total Solar Eclipse the South Korean Danuri spacecraft obtained a nice view of Earth from Lunar orbit with the Moons shadow just visible on Earth. Here is their image, with attribution added, my colorized version and the nearly simultaneous EPIC-DSCOVR image used for the color.
August 15, 2026 at 4:42 AM
During the recent Total Solar Eclipse the South Korean Danuri spacecraft obtained a nice view of Earth from Lunar orbit with the Moons shadow just visible on Earth. Here is their image, with attribution added, my colorized version and the nearly simultaneous EPIC-DSCOVR image used for the color.
Check out that moon shadow!
5:40:19 PM on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, over Colombia.
August 15, 2026 at 2:47 AM
Check out that moon shadow!