While we're talking percentages, let's talk about the proposed cuts to NASA's science budget. NASA is currently 0.36% of US federal spending. www.planetary.org/space-policy... The proposed budget cuts NASA science by 47%. NASA science is already on a shoestring, and that string is about to break

Don't miss my new op-ed on how space science is getting demoted to hitchhiker status at NASA: spacenews.com/put-science-...

Now would be a great time to reconsider that 46% cut to NASA’s science budget for FY2027.

Experts found that the White House budget request for the upcoming fiscal year could defund 54 NASA science missions, including a spacecraft currently studying Jupiter and two planned Venus missions: www.scientificamerican.com/article/whit...

On the same day four humans were flying around the Moon for the first time in 54 years, a nuclear-powered rover took this photo on the surface of Mars. That's what NASA does.

The FY 2027 NASA budget request hides its science cuts by omitting mission names instead of explicitly zeroing them out. We did the work and found 54 missions cancelled in this proposal. This is another extinction-level event for NASA science. Full list: planetary.org/save-nasa-science

The Planetary Society has re-launched our Save NASA Science action hub today given the draconian cuts proposed in the FY 2027 NASA budget — follow here for running updates, statements, charts, and advocacy actions you can take now: planetary.org/save-nasa-sc...

#Artemis II update: our European Service Module's main engine performed the translunar injection so precisely that flight controllers in Houston decided to cancel the first of three outbound trajectory correction burns on the way to the Moon 🥳

I went back to capture what the astronauts said in full when the clock was stopped at T-10 minutes and they were asked if they were go for launch: This is Victor. We are going for our families. This is Christina. We are going for our teammates. This is Jeremy. We are going for all humanity.

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, was discovered on March 25, 1655, by Christiaan Huygens. More than 350 years later, it remains a key target for exploration. Launching in 2028, NASA’s Dragonfly mission will investigate the complex chemistry of this ocean world. https://dragonfly.jhuapl.edu/Why-Titan

A quarter of the entire House of Representatives just called for INCREASING NASA Science funding by nearly $2 billion: www.planetary.org/press-releas...

The AAS has selected 21 astronomers who will form the 2026 cohort of AAS Shapley Visiting Lecturers. These lecturers will visit a number of schools and community institutions across the US to share their science, inspire wonder about the universe, and build lasting connections to these communities.

'We are losing the stars. Not all at once, but quietly, one streetlight, one neon sign, one expanding suburb at a time.' 🧪 🔭

Only these six spacecraft will ever escape the Solar System Tired: not wanting to live on this planet anymore. Wired: already on a path to exit the Solar System. Only these six spacecraft (yes, six) are living the dream. bigthink.com/starts-with-... #space #astro #physics #science

TESS confirms what we saw with Kepler and K2 - on average, ***every single small red star has a planet around it***! And a short-period one at that (<30 days). And you know what the galaxy is mostly made of? Small red stars. PLANETS. PLANETS EVERYWHERE!!! Happy weekend pondering that, everyone.

Because it's been a while, here is an update of my plot on the altitude of the Hubble Space Telescope versus time

<ahem> THE 1000th ISSUE OF MY BAD ASTRONOMY NEWSLETTER WAS JUST PUBLISHED. </ahem> badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/1000 🔭 🧪

My historical NASA budget dataset has a new home on The Planetary Society's website, and is now updated with all final FY 2026 details. New per-sheet CSV/XLSX download options as well! Check it out at: www.planetary.org/space-policy...

What does it take to land a quadruple lutz? ⛸️ We break down the science behind figure skating’s high-scoring skills and what makes them so hard to master.

Trump and his goons pushed out (or didn't replace) more than 10,000 federal government STEM Ph.D.s since he took office, representing 106,636 years of federal work experience. www.science.org/content/arti...

#FlatironCCA astronomers and colleagues discovered that a star in the Andromeda Galaxy disappeared without going supernova, and instead collapsed directly into a black hole: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/02/12/caught-in-the-act-astronomers-watch-a-vanishing-star-turn-into-a-black-hole

This was a very, very fun press release to write! www.simonsfoundation.org/2026/02/12/c...

A “disappearing” star in the Andromeda galaxy is the closest and best candidate for a newborn black hole that astronomers have ever seen

What is the peer-review process like? https://bit.ly/3Vs1zak University press publishers answer frequently asked questions like this one on our #AskUP site. Curious about how university press publishing works? #AskUP!

10 years ago today, we told the world "We have detected gravitational waves. We did it!" Relive the moment we shared our result with the world www.youtube.com/live/aEPIwEJ... #GW10Years #OTD 🔭🧪⚛️ 🎂

"Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself." Lindsay Vonn, after her crash yesterday. "Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying. I believe in you, just as you believed in me."

If you're afraid to ask someone for a recommendation, please don't be. It's part of the job of being a mentor, editor, teacher, advisor, former boss, etc. to write recommendations or politely decline. (I wish I could go back in time and tell my former self this.)

Have a little more faith in your own neural network. Learn to write well in science. We need honest, good science writing. Doesn't have to be perfect. All slides from the workshop "Psst . . . Your AI Is Showing: How to Put Your Own Voice in Scientific Papers" are here: doi.org/10.5281/zeno... 🧪🔭⚛️

We stan Hubble 💁 🧪 🔭 www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...

40 years ago today, we lost seven heroes aboard Challenger. As an astronaut who commanded the space shuttle after this tragedy, I think about them often. Their courage pushed the boundaries of exploration. Today, we remember their sacrifice and the legacy they left behind.

Those in power have tried to convince us that resistance would be too tiring. But let Minnesotans teach you that it’s actually energizing to be a part of a movement to change society for the better. If you’re tired, get involved. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you start to feel better.

Covers of the 2 leading science journals this week @science.org and @nature.com www.science.org/content/arti... www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...

🛰️ As the head of NASA's mission to the Psyche asteroid, understanding the fundamentals of science is, well, fundamental to planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton: buff.ly/KGctcDn

If you wanna watch a really big rocket roll very slowly out to the launch pad in Florida, live, go here now m.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVn... It’s the Artemis II mission, aiming to launch in the coming weeks to send humans to the Moon for the first time in over half a century 🧪

Statement on the passage of HR 6938, which includes funding for NASA in FY 2026: www.planetary.org/press-releas...

ICYMI like I did, Bill Harwood @rocketksc.bsky.social just pointed me to the Artemis II SLS Reference Guide that NASA-Marshall put out last month. 82 pages of really interesting and useful info. Thanks Bill! www.nasa.gov/humans-in-sp...

Did you know that the #AAS247 press conferences are open for all conferences attendees? If you've never been, check out the meeting schedule to hear astronomers present work directly to members of the media. @press.aas.org

Even more promising news regarding our efforts to Save NASA Science today. As a reminder, we went all out in the last year to stop these cuts:

"I doubt Senator Kelly will see this blog, and if he does see it, I imagine he will not be pleased with it. He’ll probably find it embarrassing. His humility likely makes him bristle at stuff like this. Well, that’s just too damn bad, Senator."

Bad things happen quickly; good things take time. It's not a perfect pattern, but it helps explain why some of the break-things chaos of this administration is so damaging. lastwordonnothing.com/2026/01/05/b...

And on humanity's visionary side: Not only can we see neutrinos, we can now measure their spectrum. In essence, we can see neutrinos in *color* and start to track down the cosmic sources that create them. 🔭🧪 www.science.org/content/arti...

You've probably heard about how the rapidly increasing numbers of satellites are affecting #astronomy. A new paper in @nature.com looks at the possible future for space-based telescopes — and finds 96% of some images could be impacted. 🧪🔭🛰️ By @jennaahart.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/d41...

I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.

Today is #LGBTQinSTEMDay 🌈 ESA proudly joins the STEM community in celebrating the unique contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals. The Pride Flag will fly across ESA sites as a reminder of how far we’ve come, and how much more there is to do. #SpaceForAll

Hi, it's me again. I'm reposting this today because a whole lot of people who saw this yesterday told me they appreciated it. Know this: I believe in you. If you need permission to have some quiet space for yourself, here it is. <3

Help the @vrubinobs.bsky.social team tune their alert system by identifying which image changes are real astrophysical events and which are cosmic imposters using early data collected by the observatory. Join Rubin Difference Detectives project on Zooniverse: www.zooniverse.org/projects/ebe...

I mean, who wants to stay in a country actively stripping away your rights and personhood?

🧪 "@siricarpenter.bsky.social and I started TON because we wanted to understand how our colleagues produced their work...We wanted to go behind the scenes and learn everything about the process ... TON was then, as it remains today, a labor of love." -- @jeanne-erdmann.bsky.social