IPAC Annual Picnic: 40th Anniversary Edition ✨ The dessert bake-off during the picnic is IPAC’s sweetest tradition 🍰 @kevinkhu.bsky.social’s “#ipac40 Cosmic Brownies” won first place, and Chris Gelino’s “Retro Lemon Curd Cake” won the people’s choice award!

NASA's SPHEREx mission is mapping 'interstellar glaciers' across our galaxy, and these icy regions may be the origins of glaciers—and all water—on Earth 💧 spherex.caltech.edu/news/interst... 🧪 🔭 🧵

Say hello to @brandonradzom.bsky.social from @iubloomington.bsky.social, who joins us as a 2026 Visiting Graduate Student Research Fellow! Brandon is working with IPAC's @kevinkhu.bsky.social on using NASA's TESS to learn more about the most common types of exoplanets in our galaxy. 🛰️🪐#VGSRF

Ready to scale your science?☁️🔭 Join our #AAS248 workshop on Fornax, NASA’s new cloud-based astrophysics science platform! 🔹Sunday, June 14 | 2–4 PM 🔹Access & analyze NASA astrophysics data in the cloud 🔹Explore HATS/Parquet workflows 👉Add the workshop to your meeting registration by May 21!

The Visiting Graduate Student Research Fellows have landed! 🚀🔭 @jayke.io joins us in Pasadena to work on the forward modeling of JWST's aperture mask interferometry (AMI) mode to uncover the inner regions of planetary systems. 🪐🪐🪐🛰️ More on #VGSRF: www.ipac.caltech.edu/page/graduate-fellowship-2027

We're proud to name Harry Teplitz as IPAC’s new Head of Science Staff and Roberta Paladini as Deputy Head!👏🔭 They will lead our scientific community by advocating for research, mentoring staff, and fostering career growth across the center. Details: www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/harry-t...

How do you explore the most crowded area of the Milky Way? With precision and persistence 🔭 @nancyromansci.bsky.social is gearing up to study this region with the Galactic Bulge Time-Domain Survey. Read more about Roman's observing plans & IPAC's role here: roman.ipac.caltech.edu/news/journey...

Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! 🪨 🎶 🎵 @caltechipac.bsky.social scientist Catherine Clark was quoted in a @physicstoday.aip.org article about the science behind the book and recently released movie Project Hail Mary. Check out her quote about Rocky's home planet here: physicstoday.aip.org/news/science... 🔭⚛️🧪

🚀 This year’s Roman Science Conference registration is now OPEN! 🛰️”Shifting Landscapes in Astrophysics: New Frontiers to Explore with Roman” — from exoplanets to galaxy evolution and cosmology! 🗓️ July 13-16 📍 Caltech, Pasadena, CA 🔗 bit.ly/46D1Vmt

Last week in Pasadena: RAPID Response - Hot-Wiring 2026 ⚡️ We brought together the time-domain community for deep dives into next-gen surveys and AI-driven discovery.  A rich, productive, and fun week filled with lively discussions and new collaborations. 🚀 Links to all talks: bit.ly/4lXmnVi

Congrats to the #NHFP class of 2026! These 24 early-career scientists have been selected for the 2026 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program! Einstein, Hubble, and Sagan fellows represent the next generation of leaders in astrophysics. NExScI at IPAC supports the Sagan Fellows. 🌟🔭 go.nasa.gov/47lUaBA

⏳One week left to apply for the 2027 #VGSRF!⏳ Are you a grad student ready to take your research to the next level? Work with leading scientists on cutting-edge data from missions like Euclid, Roman, JWST, and more.🚀🔭 Tag a grad student who needs to see this!👇 www.ipac.caltech.edu/page/graduat...

World-class research+world-class [email protected] Astro cover. This supergroup collab between @kiss-caltech.bsky.social & Keith Miller from IPAC’s Science Engagement Lab is a fusion of science and vision. They celebrated by signing their masterpiece.🖊️🔭 www.nature.com/natastron/volumes/10/issues/3

🚨Update! Submit your memory or note of appreciation by text or video for George by March 20, 2026. Specs: ✨Video length up to 5 min. ✨Accepted formats: .mp4 & .mov ✨File size up to 400 MB ✨Text files: .pdf or .doc events.ipac.caltech.edu/chartingtheinfrareduniverse/page/share-a-message-or-video

Charting The Infrared Universe Symposium Celebrate George Helou’s 30+ year legacy at IPAC on March 30! ✨🔭 Join us for a hybrid symposium on the future of space-based astronomy. Attendance is free, but registration is required by March 16. events.ipac.caltech.edu/chartingtheinfrareduniverse

Congratulations to IPAC scientist @justtheletteru.bsky.social and her team, whose work on wobbly black holes and galaxy evolution made the cover of @science.org! 🔭 ➡️Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... ➡️IPAC story w/ #AAS247 press conference video: www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/astrono...

Today is the first anniversary of SPHEREx's launch! We have more than 60 TB of SPHEREx data, with more added every week. As of last month, users have downloaded more than a petabyte of SPHEREx data. Have you played with it yet? It's actually really fun data! irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/Missions/sph...

Happy first space birthday, SPHEREx! 🥳 One year ago today, SPHEREx launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 11, 2025. 🔭🧵

IPAC's Visiting Graduate Student Research Fellowship (#VGSRF) is accepting applications! ✨Gain research experience and mentoring from IPAC scientists ✨Access large science datasets🔭 ✨Receive a monthly stipend Browse the projects and apply by 3/31: www.ipac.caltech.edu/page/graduate-fellowship-2027

Our IPAC community is in shock at the sudden loss of our colleague and friend, Carl Grillmair. His curiosity and dedication shaped IPAC in countless ways. We've dedicated our science talk series, The Next Seven Minutes, to his memory.🔭 www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/ipac-mourns-passing-of-carl-grillmair

⏰Time to Register for #sagan2026⏰ The hybrid workshop focuses on expected #exoplanet science from the @nasaromantelescope.bsky.social Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey. Travel support requests for early-career participants are due 3/5. nexsci.caltech.edu/workshop/2026 🔭 #astrocode #instrumentation

#OTD 40 years ago, IPACers moved to @caltech.edu campus! This memo details the move to IPAC (the Morrisroe building) the week of February 3rd, 1986. Before moving, IPACers worked in an office building on Lake Avenue, a few blocks from Caltech. #IPAC40 🔭

Catch the IPAC Director @tom-greene.bsky.social at Astronomy on Tap Feb. 9, 2026 @ 7:30pm! The event is free and open to the public 🔭 🧪 ⚛️ #SciComm

Big applause for the SPHEREx mission team for receiving the Explorers Club's 2026 Sylvia A. Earle Award for Exploration Excellence!👏👏👏 The award recognizes the mission's accomplishment of completing the first infrared map of the sky in 102 colors. 🌈🔭🏆 www.explorers.org/ecad-2026-awardees

The twenty-fourth public data release from the Zwicky Transient Facility contains approximately 69.7 million images, 1043 billion source detections extracted from these images, and 5.32 billion light curves. irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/Missions/ztf...

Another #AAS247 🔭 in the books = another wonderful, whirlwind of exciting astronomy happening and coming soon! 💨 From topics like Roman, Euclid, and SPHEREx, to NExScI, NED, IRSA, NITARP, Firefly, PRIMA, and SHERA — there was something for everyone. Thank you to all!

IPAC scientist Vivian U presented on wobbly black holes at her #AAS247 press conference! This work offers new insights into how galaxies evolve, and it was published in @science.org on Jan. 8, 2026 Read more here: www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/astrono...

IPACer @aussiastronomer.bsky.social & team shared the SHERA Mission Concept at #AAS247 🦸‍♀️ 🔭 Searching for Habitable Exoplanets with Relative Astrometry (SHERA) will look for rocky planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars for the 1st time & potentially discover the nearest Earth-like planets!

We're thrilled to welcome @caltech.edu President-Elect Ray Jayawardhana! As a grad student, Jayawardhana (a.k.a RayJay) attended the first Michelson Interferometry Summer School in 1999. Today, it lives on as NExScI's Sagan Summer Workshop—and both the workshop and RayJay are still going strong.🔭🚀

Go Pandora! 🛰️ 🔭 Like Jessie said, all of the mission data will be archived at NExScI, the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech IPAC!

At #AAS247, IPAC scientist Andreas Faisst presented at a press conference on Jan. 6. His work shows that early galaxies are maturing faster than researchers previously believed. "It's like seeing 2-year-old children act like teenagers." www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/young-g... @press.aas.org @aas.org

Deadline Reminder: Abstracts are due tomorrow, Jan. 14! RAPID Response: Hot-wiring the Next Generation of Time-Domain Science is only ~2 months away. We can't wait to discuss and hear about exciting time-domain science with you! conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwiring2026/ 🔭

2 IPAC-related sessions? 2 much fun! Check out the #AAS247 Roman RAPID session and the Euclid Q1 session, both at 10am MT today! 🔭🔭 📍Roman: 226 C 📍Euclid: 225 B www.ipac.caltech.edu/page/aas247 @aas.org @press.aas.org

Packed splinter session at #AAS247 for the announcement of The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System—a modular, rapid-response network of four novel observatories designed to democratize access to the cosmos. Read more about the initiatives here: www.schmidtsciences.org/focus-area-a...

Educators + students present at #AAS247! NITARP continues its 20-year program of pairing educators with astronomers for year-long, authentic research projects using NASA data. They presented their results to fellow researchers at IPAC's booth.🚀🔭📊 www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/teachin...

More Astrophysics for More People ✨ Join us for a virtual #AAS247 session and a first look at The Schmidt Observatory System—a new network of ground and space-based initiatives designed to break the traditional limits of discovery. 📆 Jan 7 | 3-5:30pm MT / 5-7:30pm ET Register here: buff.ly/kbbNFuB

Meet Roman experts to learn more about the mission, learn about the Cycle 1 Call for Proposals (due March 17), and get some stickers! 👾 Come visit the NASA, STScI, and IPAC booths in Phoenix Convention Exhibit Hall throughout the week. #AAS247 #ExpandOurView #NASARoman

Are you at #AAS247 & interested in submitting a Roman proposal? 🔭 Come to the "Roman Space Telescope Proposal and Science Planning" splinter session Tuesday Jan. 6 at 10:0am - 12:00pm MT. Find the call for proposals here: roman-docs.ipac.caltech.edu/roman-propos... @nancyromansci.bsky.social

IPAC has landed in the desert 🏜️ Come say hello to your favorite science and data center in the expo hall at #AAS247 in Phoenix, AZ! @aas.org @press.aas.org 🔭

⭐️ ⛄️ Happy Holidays from IPAC! ❄️ 🪐 While we get excited to celebrate 40 years of IPAC at Caltech in 2026, we're looking back at some of the highlights of 2025. Check them out here: www.ipac.caltech.edu/holiday-card 🔭

NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope has completed its first infrared map of the entire sky! This is the most comprehensive spectral view of the infrared sky, with 102 colors (or wavelengths) of infrared light from observations made between May and December 2025. 🧪 ⚛️ 🔭

🚀The Roman Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is OPEN! Unlock new discoveries with the Wide Field Instrument—your science starts here! Apply for funding to analyze Roman data, perform theory/lab research, and propose new observations. 🔭☄️ 📅 Deadline: Mar 17, 2026 (5 PM PDT) 📝 bit.ly/4q3jbbL

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now fully assembled! 🔧 roman.ipac.caltech.edu/news/nasa-co... IPAC hosts the Roman Science Support Center, conducting Coronagraph Instrument operations, data processing, proposal management, and community engagement. 🧪 ⚛️ 🔭 @nancyromansci.bsky.social

Congratulations to @caltechipac.bsky.social on its fortieth anniversary! Kudos to IPAC for leading the science operations, data processing, community support, and archiving for many missions and observatories over the years, with many more to come! Stay tuned as IPAC celebrates through 2026.

How do we hot-wire the transient universe to enable breakthrough science?🤔🔌💡 The time-domain community is invited to a meeting by the NASA Roman Alerts Promptly from Image Differencing (RAPID) team. Abstract submission and registration are now open! conference.ipac.caltech.edu/rapid-hotwir...

Reminder: Today is the last day to register for this #AAS247 workshop.

Join us to learn why Pasadena is the "City of Astronomy" for a free afternoon of science demonstrations, solar telescopes, and public-level presentations on black holes, exoplanets, galaxies, space weather, and AI! Sunday, November 16 Noon-4PM www.cityofastronomy.org

#ESAEuclid peers through a dark cloud’s dusty veil to reveal a place teeming with very young stars ✨ While investigating the nature of the dark Universe, Euclid is also delivering observations such as this one that enable research in different fields of astronomy 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... 🔭

🚀OpenUniverse2024 Hands-on Workshop at #AAS247 Work with simulated NASA Roman & @vrubinobs.bsky.social data and learn to: 💫 Access wide-field & time-domain sims 📊 Visualize with Firefly + Astropy 🧠 Prototype science workflows w/ Jupyter Notebooks Register by 11/7👉 aas.org/meetings/aas247/workshops

The official number of exoplanets has surpassed 6,000! And you can access data on all 6,007 of them right here at IPAC 📈 🪐 Watch the video & read all about the center of the exoplanet universe (also known as NExScI!) here: www.ipac.caltech.edu/news/the-nas...