Halifax: good rainbow weather now, and maybe good aurora weather (again) tonight

For those interested, it took me 5 minutes to get down 24 storeys during this fire alarm in SMU's Loyola Residence. 7 steps a time, around and around and around and 😵‍💫

i am very strong and very financially responsible because i did not wait in a ticketmaster queue for jonas brothers presale tickets this morning for the second leg of their tour and i'm only a little upset ☹️

look at this video! ISS flying past the moon earlier tonight

It's in the west heading towards the moon right NOW

Halisky: skies are clear and in about 13 minutes there will be a very bright "star" move slowly across the sky: it's the international space station! Becomes visible at 8:22pm for 5 minutes. See if you can find it! (App is "Spot the Station" from NASA)

I don't ever take photos during Burke-Gaffney Observatory tours (unless the group specifically asks) but here's tonight's moon, before it set, through a telescope eyepiece

commuting when campus is on a peninsula

An update: I spoke with a maintenance worker who is trying to fix the "confused" (his word) elevator and got a little inside scoop on how it is and isn't working. Sounds like there is progress!! I'll see next time that elevator chooses me.

As a recently (but formerly) pregnant person and also a US citizen, I just feel like I'm particularly poised to provide a meaningful reaction to the Trump v Tylenol announcement from yesterday and my reaction is: what the fuck????

An update:

There's a small team of us at SMU creating free astronomy content and lesson plans for science teachers. (Specifically Grade 9 Science Teachers in NS to start, but it's also pretty adaptable for broader audiences). It's all online already, follow along. ✨ @smuhalifax.bsky.social

I'm laughing rn at that dumb elevator and this excellent joke

You know what? Maybe I actually don't want to know what elevators think they're doing.

The internet is sometimes my place to complain into the void and this complaint is that I am having a bad time ✨

there are dozens of us!!!! give us small phones to purchase!!!!!!

just here to complain on the internet that I wish doctors were more accessible in this province 🫠

It’s one of my favorite bits of astronomical trivia - you can basically tell the time at night from the phase of the moon and its position in the sky.

If the fact that the full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise is news to you: you are not alone! I didn’t completely get it until grad school when I had to teach it to other people. Your friendly neighborhood astronomer can explain if you bring them a flashlight and a couple of spheres.

overheard at the ferry terminal, from a person I'm assuming is visiting Halifax on one of the big cruise ships today: "does this ferry go over to Darkside?"

we are soooooo back!!!!

As Allister said, there's a decent chance of catching aurora tonight from clear, dark skies. As always, low expectations and understand there's no guarantee. A camera will pick up lights way earlier than your eyeballs.

Canada stopped selling these Stouffer's Mac & Cheese a bit ago and I hoarded every box I could find as they disappeared from shelves. I ended up with ~5 of them up to this point, saving them for when I felt too nauseated to eat anything else, and, well

look I realize my meta social feeds are biased to "my interests" but whewwww I've seen a lot of bogus, manufactured hype about this "black moon" and I totally don't understand how it's become "a thing" It's just a new moon. Happens every ~4 weeks. Thread below.

life advice: spend the money on the barricade tickets, because what do you mean there were 40,000 people here??? it was just me and my favourite lil boy band 🥰

I was perceived by all four Jonas Brothers so many times last night

we've gotta ban cars on Spring Garden road during peak hours. I said what I said. My bus shouldn't take 20+ minutes to go a couple blocks down this road.

Good news, if you ask nicely, Tim Hortons might sell you a plain, iced, sparkling water. Can't believe I've found myself in a position where carbonated water (🤢) is what I'm wanting.

the glowing spiraly ufo-looking object that some folks saw in the sky ~11:30pm atlantic last night across eastern Canada was part of a rocket

the #1 tracked aircraft in the world right now on @flightradar24.com is the helicopter around the susie's lake fire in halifax. not a good way to be #1

Moon is really pretty right now over Halifax!!!

Demo site page with full details on this demo and how to build it yourself here: demos.smu.ca/demos/astron... Also includes caveats about building your own "stars" and using common measurement apps. #iTeachPhysics

attn:

Moon's up! Here's another round of: where am I?

Hello from an absolutely remarkable sunset. Do you see the moon? Where am I?

Reporting live from a brand new electric bus!! The driver was just as enthusiastic as I was when I went "ooooo, a new bus!" as I got on. (photo taken at very beginning of route, bus is full of folks now) @hfxtransit.bsky.social

🙏

being at an astronomy conference all week has inspired me to get back into knitting

Moon's up 🫶

There's a free public talk about astronomy and our solar system in Halifax at Saint Mary's University TONIGHT (June 3) at 7pm in the big auditorium in the McNally building. Public talks are intended to be at a level for non- experts to enjoy so if you're into space stuff you're welcome to join. ✨

I set up a camera on our dock last night to capture the aurora. I didn't see anything the few times I got up to check, but we had an outburst on the horizon. Time lapse composed of 4s exposures is 20 min real time. It looks like the aurora was suppressed by photon torpedoes! #astrophotography

Not to be that person that only talks about the aurora..... But if you have clear skies, tonight's data looks way better than last night's. ✨

this is all to say that conditions for aurora improved a bit after ~1am for us in Atlantic Canada after having deteriorated as it got dark 🤷‍♀️ the sun keeps us humble 🙏

A dud so far tonight for Aurora around NS/Halifax. It really *could* pick up at any time and hasn't so far. Honestly, watching the posts on this FB group give a great indication of if anything is actually visible: www.facebook.com/share/g/19Uo...

Halisky & NS: Northern Lights, what's the plan? The plan is to be flexible! The best way to see aurora is to be in a location with as little lights around as possible and to use a camera (like a phone!) with long exposure to image a large oart of the sky (no telescopes!). (1/n) 🌞

Stuff from the sun to cause aurora displays arrived earlier than expected. Folks under clear dark skies the last ~4 hrs have had quite a show. I'm pessimistic about if it'll continue for another 14+ hours for us in eastern N. America to catch but I'll be following conditions until dark!

If you're under dark clear skies RIGHT NOW please go see if you can spot aurora I beg you* *most anywhere North America with dark skies still / some Australia

I'm confident enough about this that I'm *planning* to go aurora chasing tomorrow night, FYI. I'm happy to answer northern lights Qs below or in DMs. Remember: be safe, your camera will pick up aurora WAY before your eyes, turn off lights & find a dark spot, have patience, and dress warm. #Halisky

Heads-up for seeing aurora (including Halifax area & similar latitudes): Sunday night might be decent for aurora. Chances are good, but as always we blame the sun if it doesn't pan out as we expect. 🔭 www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g4-seve...