We had a retirement party for several longtime Center for Astrophysics staff today: notably Bob Wilson (of Penzias-and-Wilson fame), seen here being introduced by John Kovac

We weren’t sure we had a menorah so the kids decided we needed a Banorah

A real loss. Hopefully we’ll see a resurgence of doing his works around the world- they are all worthy of attention.

@brucelevenstein.bsky.social question: who else besides The Pixies has been fame-adjacent without being truly famous. 4AD bands excepted.

It has not, on balance, been a good day. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Perhaps the best definition of “engineer” ever….

Hey, @brucelevenstein.bsky.social , did you know His Name Is Alive remastered Livonia a few months ago? Not sure why, interesting listening though.

Postdoc at Black Hole Initiative (directed by Peter Galison), at Harvard University & Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (in Cambridge, MA) AOS: #philsci, Philosophy of #Physics, #histsci Deadline: December 3, Start: September, 2025 academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/14118

these noise canceling headphones are terrible. i can still hear the voices in my head

Vulcan final certification flight successfully launched and separated. Beautiful daybreak launch.

Being the top Preservation expert in dealing with contract law in the Corporation Rim apparently made Pin-Lee like the CombatUnit version of a lawyer.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of today's strong solar flare, which peaked at 6:20 p.m. ET. blogs.nasa.gov/solarcycle25...

Unacceptable. No.

Great article in WaPo today, although it has zero discussion of the election and doesn’t even say if this news is good or bad for Harris: wapo.st/4eJZBvA

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory has openings for at least 2 permanent-track astronomers! After an initial four-year fellowship, a possible permanent Federal position after a formal review of scholarly achievement, leadership, service, and mentorship. academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/28549

Why call him Mayor Adams when Turkish Delight is available?

It’s unclear whether Nuzzi’s punishment will be an editorship of her own high-powered magazine or an endowed chair at the Kennedy School of Government. Could be both if they’re really harsh with her.

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #195,484… Thanks to @brucelevenstein.bsky.social for the invite…

Congratulations! Your students are going to be amazing!

The thing about agreeing to platform and normalize and share the stage with Claremont because of the value “everything should be subject to discussion and that‘s the way society progresses” is that you’re talking about values they clearly don’t share. /1

Just gonna point out that “rural midwesterner who served 24 years in the National Guard, was a teacher and football coach, also accomplished politician and engaging speaker” is a bio that is rarely going to line up with “energizes liberal netroots and delivers progressive policy Ws in spades”

strange women lying in ponds distributing swords actually sounds like a pretty decent alternative right now

they came for Dolly. we ride at dawn.

I thoroughly enjoy reading Terry Pratchett. His insightful commentary and views are essential to all. But realizing that they apply to YOU seems almost rude. Oh dear…

At the Belle & Sebastian concert. About to start!

“He wanted to go home. He wanted it so much that he trembled at the thought. But if the price of that was selling good men to the night, if the price was filling those graves, if the price was not fighting with every trick he knew…then it was too high.” Terry Pratchett, Night Watch (Discworld, #29)

I bet it's really cool to be an astronomer. You guys still dress up for work?

Hey @brucelevenstein.bsky.social - some Astro folks who are friends of mine are coming to SXSW shortly. Any off-the-beaten-path restaurant recommendations? I’m guessing the well known places are fully booked…

“He wanted to go home. He wanted it so much that he trembled at the thought. But if the price of that was selling good men to the night, if the price was filling those graves, if the price was not fighting with every trick he knew…then it was too high.” Terry Pratchett, Night Watch (Discworld, #29)

THE ORIGINAL WAS PERFECT WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITHOUT BILL PAXTON AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN

🔭 eROSITA DR1 is out! erosita.mpe.mpg.de/dr1/

Paper on arxiv today from SAO Astro REU alum Nadia Qutob modelling spectral signatures of emission from AGN jets arxiv.org/abs/2312.14809

So many many many congratulations to @marthawells.bsky.social l We've been keeping this in the down low for so long. Excited to shout it from the rooftops! deadline.com/2023/12/alex...

From Bob Kirshner, a wonderful biographical memoir of the late John Huchra, who left us too soon in 2010. I could not have asked for a better PhD advisor than John. I miss him. 🔭🧪 www.nasonline.org/publications...

20% of the way through System Collapse but unfortunately I bought a copy with all the good parts *redacted*! I knew it was a bad idea idea to buy it on sale… @marthawells.bsky.social

Am I the only one who does this? For certain news topics - often high profile ones - I’ll simply decide I won’t read or learn about it. Baby in a well? All articles, skipped. Coup in country I don’t know well? Done. Issue not core to me in Congress, skipped. Maybe once/year. Anyone else?

Very sorry to hear that Graziella Branduardi-Raymont (of MSSL) has passed away. She was a giant in the field of X-ray astronomy, and most notably the faint X-rays created by solar wind ions interacting with planets, including the Earth. 🔭

Calling Oppenheimer just a 'weapons designer' is like calling Jesus a 'good after-dinner speaker'. pubs.aip.org/physicstoday...

Gold xkcd.com/2826

GREAT NEWS! From the latest JAXA briefing: Solar panels deployed, nominal voltage seen, sun acquired, initializing thrusters and reaction wheels. XRISM LAUNCH SUCCESS!!! Congratulations JAXA

"The dirty little secret to being in command is that if you do it right, it’s not very fun,” he said. “It’s very rewarding. But it’s not very fun." - Eric Smith, appointed Marine Corp lead (www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...)

In which I show that there's no evidence that the inventors of the alphabet could actually read. www.asor.org/anetoday/202.... Instead a remarkable "working misunderstanding" led to the alphabet's rise, much as with the invention of Greek script. ClassicsBluesky

Why is XRISM special? …at the heart of this multi-tonne spacecraft is a small chip the size of the nail on your little finger. It’s cooled to 0.005 degrees above absolute zero - so that when an X-ray hits it, it heats up and we can learn its energy and position - and perhaps what made it and how.

The average U.S. president has been charged with 2+ felonies.

Unintentional teaching moment about NASA Risk Matrices in Oppenheimer...