“Well, I’ll tell ya. I seen a lot of ‘em & most of ‘em are just pictures on a wall. But there was one film I once saw which I think truly did have the right …
… What was the best film I ever saw? Well, err, you’re looking at it 😄”
Fingers crossed for my friends in the ESA #BepiColombo mission operations team & colleagues from industry as they work to restore the solar electric propulsion system to full power 🤞
The SEP system is critical to adjust Bepi’s trajectory between the various Mercury flybys, slowing the spacecraft down ahead of entry into orbit around this enigmatic innermost planet in December 2025.
@markmccaughrean Should the team continue to encounter difficulties might I suggest a call out to this organisation? They have a proven track record in making on-site repairs somewhere in that vicinity...
@markmccaughrean Not a hope :-( The neighbours' PIR ruins our night vision before we can leave the house... Moonlight, tree cover, and good ol' light pollution, does for the rest...
Was reminded today that this past weekend saw the 50th anniversary of the FA Cup final between Liverpool & Newcastle, which the former won 3-0 ⚽️
Which in turn reminded me that I have an original programme from the day – I didn't go, but someone I knew did & they gave me this immediately after 🤷♂️
For some reason, I think it might've been my dad, but then why didn't I get to go ... 🧐
@markmccaughrean Had you been at the stadium you might have missed one of the all-time great post-match comments which was broadcast live on the BBC... "What about your f**king Super-Mac now then?!"
@markmccaughrean This touched a nerve too. My father exclusively smoked No.6 until he gave up in the early 70's... But my angst comes from my Grandad always sending me "up the road" to buy him a packet of 10 filterless Woodbines at the newsagent and to use the change to buy whatever sweets(*) I wanted.
In modern terms, I was a sugar-addicted, pre-teen mule of nicotine and assorted carcinogens.
Oh, and Larry Lloyd grew up across the cul-de-sac from his house.
Struggling with a sense of loss of identity after retiring from ESA 🛰️🙃
Our daughter breaking her kneecap in Edinburgh, problems with the post-surgery recovery, & my wife having to fly there yesterday for the third time to look after her 🤕
Trying to get ready to move house & country next month 🇳🇱🇩🇪
@markmccaughrean Well, the first 3 were from the heart, but the latter 2 were more "personal assertions" and therefore can't really be considered as "wrong"...
Regardless, just trying to bring a small smile to your day... ;-)
@markmccaughrean As luck would have it, as I was preparing to play a golf shot earlier today, I noticed the body of a bee lying in the grass just where I intended to place my right foot. I paused and gently moved it to a safe place before proceeding. In doing so, it was obvious that that bee had not yet expired but, alas, I had no sugar water to give it...
Such is nature...
Now, had it been a wasp, I would have used the cleats in my shoes to grind it into the ground!
The Moon is also in this shot albeit invisible, in the upper-left-middle moving towards the Sun 🌞🌑
And tomorrow evening our time, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, totally or partially blocking it if you’re lucky enough to be in North America, Iceland, or the far west of Europe 🌎
I’ve seen one total solar eclipse, on Maunakea in Hawai’i in 1991 🌋
It’s one of the most truly awesome things you’ll ever witness 🙀
@markmccaughrean We were in Cornwall for the 1999 Total. Typical British weather... 100% cloud coverage started about 15 minutes before the start and ended 15 minutes afterwards :-(