Interests: Mars, space, photography, and blender 3D.
Location: Hampshire, UK.
Mars images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/134331707@N02/albums/72177720313447009
Mars images and updates: @mars.martian-observer.net
Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/martian_observer
Obligatory Perseverance Mars Rover on Tour Selfie, Sol 2009 (15th October, 2026), west of Jezero crater.
NAVCAM-Left @ 15:52 local mean solar time
S/D: 92/0
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Martian-Observer
This is why I've no time for manifesto pledges; they like to use them to say why they can't do things but also they just memory hole the ones that look like hard work. Political pledges are meaningless.
Andy Burnham’s government has privately given up on reaching Labour’s target of building 1.5mn new homes by 2029, and ministers will refer to the goal less and less, according to government figures
www.ft.com/content/285a...
There is no chance that Labour will hit their current housebuilding target.
But hitting it over the *next 5 years* is entirely possible if Labour recommit to it.
If they don't it means much higher rents - and a worse cost of living crisis.
Andy Burnham’s government has privately given up on reaching Labour’s target of building 1.5mn new homes by 2029, and ministers will refer to the goal less and less, according to government figures
www.ft.com/content/285a...
Perfect Halloween discovery: dead star and planetary bodies 🎃 🪐
Our VLT has found a rare disc of debris around a dead star that provides a glimpse into the possible fate of our Solar System.
🔭 🧪
On Sunday, during stormy weather, a TUI Cruises passenger ship clashed with two container ships while departing Germany on its way to the Canary Islands.
NEW: What Lurks Within the Shadows of Betelgeuse?
Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse … 👻 You can say it three times, but new data (NSF #VeryLargeArray and #ALMA) suggests that its recently discovered companion star, Siwarha, is the one doing the haunting.
🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4jHMqAY
BREAKING WaPo:
Brazil's right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro just effectively conceded defeat to the incumbent left-wing president — minutes after Trump indicated he would not intervene on his behalf.
The shocking effect of Perseverance rover's laser - that produces more power density than even a military laser >10 megawatts (MW) in a few nanoseconds
Mars Guy, episode 290 (25th Oct, 2026)
My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today.
Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man.
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters." — Maclean
Trump is BIG MAD about Obama saying the White House now looks like Saddam opened a Cheesecake Factory: "He's not a smart guy. He's not smart at all ... for you to say it's a Cheesecake Factory, that just shows why you were a lousy president"
that food you can’t afford? you don’t need it anyway, fatty. and the gas you can’t afford? walk that fat ass to work! wait why aren’t you voting for us
This is such a fantastic photo: "The Witches' Tea Party" but I want to use it to explain the origin of the tall, pointy witches hat.
The real story of this photo:
These are residents at the Hospital of the Holy & Undivided Trinity: an almshouse in Castle Rising, Norfolk, England established 1610.
We’re obviously focused on the humbling of Trump in this election, but don’t sleep on telling Elon Musk there’s something besides love his money can’t buy.
1/2🧵🔴 Mars Perseverance Sol 2019: Right #Mastcam-Z Camera / enhanced mosaic 🔭
Oct. 25, 2026, 13:24:59/13:25:22
Source: Mars_Perseverance_ZR0_2019_0846179578_0846179590_0846179600_614EBY_N0920000ZCAM10050_1100LMJ
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Jackie Branc CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
#Mars#Percy#Perseverance
WE DID IT. I CANT FUCKING BELIEVED WE DEFEATED USA WE DEFEATED A COUP WE DEFEATED META WE DEFEATED EVERYONE WHO TRIED TO SILENCE BRAZILIA PEOPLE
LULA WON GUYS. THE PEOPLE WON.
Hungarian PM Péter Magyar:
"I have just spoken by phone with the leaders of the Students List, who won the elections in Serbia, to congratulate them... I assured them of Hungary’s support. I was delighted to hear how much strength our victory in April had given them during this difficult struggle."
People will say it’s bad that Mayer couldn’t answer this herself, and they’re right. They’ll say it’s bad she asked AI, and they’re right. But I am here to say that it’s bad that she looked at this wack ass output and called it “perfect”
An arrest warrant has been issued against Salvador's secretary of transport, one of Brazil's largest Lula-voting hubs, for keeping dozens of buses off the streets today. Again: what’s happening in Brazil is criminal.
“Healey should remove anxiety and depression as a reason to claim benefits and offer people treatment instead. It would be better for the individuals and a fraction of the cost.”
Read more: trib.al/cxsKwxw