Early Signs of Autumn

 2020 has presented us with a very long summer in many ways, but now there are little signs of autumn here in the southwest of Scotland. I collected a few today as I explored the Crichton Estate.

A Trip to Mars by Camera

 I've been admiring the nearby bright and clear view we're having of Mars this week. It's burning bright and fiery in the eastern sky around 11pm or so from this part of Scotland. I snapped off a few shots with my Pentax K-7 and git these quite satisfying results.

 

The little red dot of Mars in the night sky, too bright for the stars to be detected on the same image (ISO3200 f/4, 1/8s, f=18mm).

 

A closer look with a 300mm lens. Mars shines through the glare of a street lamp (ISO3200, f/5.6, 1/10s).

 

An enlarged view taken with the 300mm lens again (ISO3200, f/5.6, 1/60s).

It's still up there. So look out for it tonight if it's clear.

A Game For Space Farers

 How will Prof Poot Poot cope with all of the stress laid on him in Episode 10? Well Dr Zoe Scope has an idea and all will be revealed in the next instalment of Magpie of Space. She thinks playing a particular 3D game might help focus his mind and help him to offload the stress.

 

Out now!

Magpie of Space: Contagion - Episode 10

The waiting is over. Episode 10 is here.

Magpie of Space: Contagion - Episode 10:  Captain Bold, Chief McPhail and Mike Maseko have miniaturised and gone into the space station in search of the equipment necessary to recha...

A Break For Some Celebrations

Fine Wind, Clear Morning by Katsushika Hokusai

After getting Magpie episode 9 finished I've had a little time off. I turned 60 last week which means I'm starting on my second life, a big occasion. Katsushika Hokusai, a great artist of the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, changed his name on turning 60 and called himself "old man crazy to paint." I'm undecided about my second life name; "old man crazy to animate" might work but I also draw comics. Maybe "old man crazy to draw stories" might work best.

Anyway, there will be more Magpie of Space coming soon. My wife and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary shortly and then I'll reveal whether Chief McPhail's crazy plan works out.

Hokusai painted Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, of which The Great Wave off Kanagawa is one (look in the background).

New Magpie of Space

Episode 9 is available over at Magpie of Space. Chief McPhail outlines her daring plan to get the Magpie recharged and away from the star pox but Mr Hazard adds a complication.

Magpie of Space: Contagion - Episode 7

Episodes 1 to 7 of The Magpie of Space are currently available and Episode 8 is being drawn now.

The crew are cooking up a new plan to escape lockdown in Station AE104 and continue their mission to explore the galaxy. How do they get past the BIG scary robot?

Magpie of Space: Contagion - Episode 7: Chief Engineer McPhail's robots stand in the docking port, ready to enter Station AE104 and find a way of recharging the Magpie's en...

Still Almost Weekly

The Magpie of Space is now into its sixth episode. Can McPhail's robots save the day and get the Magpie safely away from the star pox?

 See the Magpie of Space website.

More Photos From Lockdown

I've been steadily amassing a library of photos as I take my daily walk with my camera. There's a load of new additions to the Flickr album I set up for this project.

Have a look:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmMmPjtr

Space Pilot Flies into the 21st Century

We've finally caught up with the 21st century and upgraded Space Pilot HQ to fibre broadband. With three homeworkers under lockdown we've been punishing the old system hard. Looking for a solution I discovered that BT had quietly installed fibre in our local junction box and not announced the fact. A quick visit to the PlusNet website and our upgrade was ordered.
Now the question is "What can the Space Pilot project do with this?"
Watch this space.

Magpie of Space continues...

... over on its own blog, Magpie of Space. 

Continuing almost weekly on the web ... Magpie of Space!