Dave Keep
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astrodave63.bsky.social
Dave Keep
@astrodave63.bsky.social
300 followers 110 following 310 posts
Amateur astronomer and astrophotographer exploring the beauty of the universe from a light-polluted town.

A solar observer by day and a cosmic wanderer by night, sharing my observations and astrophotography adventures.
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astrodave63.bsky.social
#astronomy #sun #rain #cloud #solarobserver 😒
a man is talking on a cell phone and saying `` quit raining , give me back my sun '' .
ALT: a man is talking on a cell phone and saying `` quit raining , give me back my sun '' .
media.tenor.com
February 6, 2026 at 1:35 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Tonight’s waxing Gibbous Moon. Taken with a Canon 700D and 600 mm lens. Processed using Gimp and iPhone. #astrophotography #photography
A waxing Gibbous Moon showing the dark- coloured lunar seas and the light grey highlands peppered with numerous craters.
January 28, 2026 at 9:16 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Managed to take a quick photo of the waxing Gibbous #Moon last night (27 Jan 2026) during a clear period. I took this with a Canon 700D DSLR and 600mm lens. Some minor processing using Gimp. #astrophotography #photography
This photo shows the waxing Gibbous Moon, about 69% illuminated. It consists of the light grey highlands and the much darker grey lunar seas or Maria. One of the most prominent seas is the Mare Crisium which you can see to the right. To its left is the Mare Tranquillitatis with the brownish-grey Palus Somni (Marsh of Sleep) on its eastern edge. Above the Mare Tranquillitatis we find the Mare Serenitatis, above which you can see two prominent craters: Aristoteles (top) and Eudoxus. On the far left of the Moon is Oceanus Procellarum and the Mare Insularum with its prominent crater, Copernicus (filled with shadow). To the right of Copernicus is the smaller crater, Eratosthenes. At the top of the image you can see the dark-floored crater Plato, above which is the Mare Frigoris. The centre of this image is dominated by the impressive crater chain: Ptolemaeus (top), Alphonsus and Arzachel. The region below the crater chain is heavily cratered, the most notable craters here are Tycho and Clavius.
January 28, 2026 at 12:52 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Visible planets and night sky guide for January and February earthsky.org/astronomy-es... #astronomy
Visible planets and night sky guide for January and February
earthsky.org
January 27, 2026 at 4:34 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
After a week of relentless cloud and rain, the Moon finally came out to play. I took this photo of the Crescent Moon on Saturday (24 Jan 2026) using my Canon 700D DSLR and 600mm lens. Cropped using Gimp. #Astrophotography #PhotoHour #Photography
This photo shows the waxing Crescent Moon, about 34% illuminated. It consists of the light grey highlands and the much darker grey lunar seas or Maria. The most prominent of the seas is the Mare Crisium which you can see to the right. To its left is the Mare Tranquillitatis with the brownish-grey Palus Somni (Marsh of Sleep) on its eastern edge. Above the Mare Tranquillitatis we find the circular and partially hidden Mare Serenitatis. There are many craters shown here; the most prominent being the crater chain seen on the lower left of the Mare Tranquillitatis. The chain consists of three craters (from top to bottom): Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina. The two prominent craters above and to the right of the Mare Serenitatis are (left to right): Hercules and Atlas. The large circular crater, Posidonius, can be seen on the Mare Serenitatis' eastern edge.
January 26, 2026 at 1:07 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
A new comet is on its way- and it could be a bright one. earthsky.org/space/new-su... #astronomy
New sungrazing comet might get bright. See maps here!
earthsky.org
January 25, 2026 at 8:11 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
2026 should be a good year for #astronomy www.timeanddate.com/news/astrono...
Skywatching Tips for 2026
2026 is packed with celestial highlights, including meteor showers, eclipses, and standout planetary events. Here’s what to watch for—and when—in the night sky.
www.timeanddate.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:08 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Betelgeuse revealing its secrets. science.nasa.gov/missions/hub... #astronomy
NASA Hubble Helps Detect 'Wake' of Betelgeuse’s Elusive Companion Star - NASA Science
New Hubble and ground-based observations allowed astronomers to track the influence of a recently discovered companion star around Betelgeuse.
science.nasa.gov
January 8, 2026 at 10:21 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
www.space.com/stargazing/a... #astronomy
Will 2026 bring strong auroras? What the sun's recent activity tells us
2025 was another busy year on the sun. But how did it compare with 2024, and what will 2026 bring for solar activity and the northern lights?
www.space.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
@epiphanyappleseed.bsky.social Spotted this in November’s edition of the #skyatnightmagazine 👏
October 23, 2025 at 1:13 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
I see Maggie Aderin-Pocock is giving the Christmas Lecture at the Royal Institution this year. Should be good. #astronomy
October 23, 2025 at 10:35 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Had a couple of bets on the horses today, one at York and the other at Naas in Ireland. Won £68 altogether. Happy days. 😀 #sport #horseracing #betting 🏇
October 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
I've had a go at imaging the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) using my #Seestar S50 smart telescope. This is just 50 minutes integration. I will add more data in due course. Processed with Siril, GraXpert, Starnet++ and Gimp. #astrophotography #PhotoHour #photography
A colourful nebula in a dark sky peppered with stars.
September 26, 2025 at 1:49 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
I shall reach the grand old age of 65 this coming Sunday. I’ve decided I need a new hobby so I’ve bought a #Yamaha #Pacifica #electricguitar 112v. Time to make some noise. 😀🎸 #musicsky #rockmusic #guitar
An electric guitar on a stand in the corner of a room.
September 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Those of you who own a #Seestar may like to know that there is a firmware update available to download. Details below.
#astronomy #astrophotography
September 1, 2025 at 8:29 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
I’ve been learning how to use Siril, GraXpert, Starnet++ and Gimp to process Astro images. I downloaded free Seestar data from Abdur Astro’s YouTube channel and this is my first attempt at processing the Orion Nebula (M42) using that data. 😊
#astrophotography #PhotoHour 📷
A red-pink gaseous nebula set against a dark sky peppered with white stars.
August 30, 2025 at 11:49 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/perseid... #astronomy
Perseid meteor shower 2025 top tips | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Top tips for observing the Perseid meteor shower in 2025. A beginner's guide to seeing a shooting star this summer.
www.skyatnightmagazine.com
July 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
www.space.com/astronomy/as... Interesting article on the DART results. #astronomy
NASA's asteroid-crash Earth defense tactic has a complication — DART ejected large boulders into space
"You can think of it as a cosmic pool game. We might miss the pocket if we don't consider all the variables."
www.space.com
July 10, 2025 at 9:50 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
phys.org/news/2025-06... #astronomy
The mystery of Mercury's missing meteorites, and how we may have finally found some
Most meteorites that have reached Earth come from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. But we have 1,000 or so meteorites that come from the moon and Mars. This is probably a result of asteroid...
phys.org
June 28, 2025 at 10:32 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
It’s been a while since I last posted a photo on here. This is today’s Sun in white light. Taken with a 4 inch refractor and ZWO ASI 174MM camera. Software: SharpCap, Autostakkert, ICE, Registax and Gimp. Some nice spots on view. #astrophotography #StormHour #PhotoHour 📷
The yellow disk of the Sun showing a few dark sunspots.
June 19, 2025 at 12:48 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
@emily.space I’ve noticed the astronomy and astrophotography feeds have not been working on my phone since yesterday lunchtime although everything else on here is working. Is there a problem with these feeds? Is this something you can check or should I get in touch with Bluesky support? Thanks.
June 14, 2025 at 8:26 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
I’ve received a couple of red alerts from my #aurora app. Not much use during the daytime but if it keeps this up then tonight could be interesting. #astronomy #sun
June 1, 2025 at 8:05 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Last night’s Moon. A partially cloudy sky here last night so for quickness I used the #Seestar S50 smart telescope instead of my usual gear.

#astrophotography #PhotoHour #StormHour 📷
The Moon. Light grey in colour with darker grey patches representing the lunar seas. There are numerous craters across the surface.
May 6, 2025 at 12:45 PM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Last night’s Moon. 4 panel mosaic taken with a 4 inch refractor and ZWO ASI 662MC camera. Software: SharpCap, Autostakkert, ICE, Registax and Gimp. #astrophotography #PhotoHour #StormHour 📷
The Moon. Grey in colour and peppered with numerous craters. The darker areas are the lunar seas.
May 3, 2025 at 10:10 AM
astrodave63.bsky.social
Today’s Sun in white light. AR 4079 is a large active area on its way round, see here. Imaged using a 4” refractor and ZWO ASI 174MM camera. X3 barlow lens for the close-up. SharpCap/Autostakkert/ICE/Registax/Gimp. #astrophotography #StormHour #sunspots #sun 📷
The yellow disk of the sun showing a few dark sunspots. A close up of active region AR 4079. This region shows two dark areas called the umbra surrounded by a lighter coloured penumbra.
April 29, 2025 at 1:12 PM