DaveL59

edge threw up a translate inquiry which worked nicely in case you want to know what the words say 😉

Same, it'd be a cool piece to have in the collection, even better if I could find a use for it. Can almost picture a matched pair mounted in a glasses frame for Bino vision, tho I guess they'd be limited to being fixed focus. Very neat tho and that guy is an artist of the highest degree, hand making them at home.

Just came across this YT vid and thought it might be interesting to others here

did you forget the "i"? 😉

wow what is wrong with the british press? Tho the express is one of the garbage bin/budgie cage lining variety I guess...

that's a distance to my SE so not on my doorstep, thankfully, but I can see the light dome esp on nights where there's moisture in the air. I'm a couple miles north of the M2 so of course those lights don't help either.

At least around here the LED street lights have been dimmed somewhat, likely because they were so bright it was like going to bed with a searchlight aimed at the window. But overall the skies are a murky grey at best nowadays. Of course the brexit lorry park won't have helped me there and nowt I can do about that...

Light pollution: Huge fall in stars that can be seen with naked eye - BBC News For sure I've noticed over the past 6 years living here that the sky isn't black any more, just a grey and of course less visible stars. Quite likely I've moved down a bortle level

I joined John virtually in our adventures with the cheap Celestron Starsense LT70AZ, adapting it to other scopes and making our own carriers so the holder could go back on the LT70. A very handy little gizmo for quickly finding stuff for those like me who don't star-hop. In fact there's quite a few of us jumped in on that bandwagon, think we cleaned out most available stock that had come in back then lol.

That is sad to hear, condolences to you and the family on your sad loss.

we're 2 for 2 at that it seems 😉

True, tho you are very dependent on the rocket motors performing properly for it to work, over time I expect they'll get the reliability up, they've not been in the game or developing as long I think? Surprised the climate brigade haven't been wading in more tho, just how essential have all those launches been considering that his starlink project isn't really a must-have for the vast majority of the population. Its much more a big business money factory and do we really need that considering existing infrastructure already provides good service there?

I'm just glad I changed car and got the insurance all sorted just before the launch, I'm sure the insurance sector will be looking to claw back that mega loss they just made from someone, they'll have to wait a year for my share 😉

some analysis (not from Virgin Orbit tho)

That'll be one heck of an insurance claim then... oh well, that's 2 for 2 UK launches recently that didn't go to plan 😞 Still, third time's a charm as they say 😉

sadly didn't see anything from here but would've been too low with the houses and trees around that direction.

according to live stream, drop in 13 mins so that'd be 23:08 Unlikely I'll see anything but it'll be an excuse to step into the garden for a smoke 😉

15 mins to launch

don't forget that's delayed data 😉 dang I wish I still had my real-time account, c'est la vie...

you gonna be posting a video of the view of it flashing across the sky? 🤞 Would have been nice to have heard the to/fro with pilots and tower on the taxi and clearance to go etc rather than some of the chatter but such is life. A live vid from the cockpit too as they start the loop and prep, dunno if they'll be doing that.

live stream on youtube: Start Me Up Livestream | Virgin Orbit - YouTube

well it is our first launch into space proper... Not sure but as it's night some may see the thing fire up and go at least as a bright streak in the distance.

here's how to see it go Cornwall space launch viewing information released - BBC News

yeah took our news channels long enough to report on a first moment for us, oh well. More important "family" feud stuff to cover that nobody's really interested in huh 😉