Nikki Miller

Made from over 1100 images captured by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, this image contains an immense variety of objects, demonstrating the broad range of science Rubin will transform with its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time. The image includes about 10 million galaxies, roughly .05% of the approximately 20 billion galaxies Rubin Observatory will capture over the next decade.

The astonishing power of the Rubin Observatory--a tale in 4 pictures.

This early-release image of the Virgo cluster shows 10 million galaxies. By the time Rubin's survey is over, it will have mapped 20 *billion* galaxies into a decade-long movie. (1/4) 🔭🧪

rubinobservatory.org/news/first-i...

My mind is absolutely blown by these stellar halos nearby NGC 4364!

Left: DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys (DR10)
Right: Newly released @vrubinobs.bsky.social imaging!!!

#AstroSci 🧪🔭

If you burn down a forest, you don't miss out on lumber for just that season. You have to replant all the trees, nurture them, and wait for them to grow.

The science and research budget cuts happening now are wanton, senseless arson. Recovery, if it ever happens, will take generations.

Looked a few people’s CVs yesterday and realised I’d been significantly underselling myself in a few areas. Will be fixing that ASAP 🤦

Artist's impression of the exoplanet K2-18b. Credit: A. Smith, University of Cambridge.

𝗡𝗼, 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝟮-𝟭𝟴𝗯'𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

K2-18b is back in the news, now with a bold claim that biosignature molecules (DMS and/or DMDS) have been 'detected at 3σ'.

Most exoplanet astronomers are extremely sceptical about these claims, let's see why (1/n).

🔭🧪🪐 #exoplanet

Promising hints of life found on distant planet K2-18b Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.

An astonishing headline reporting on new observations from a team led to Nikku Madhusudhan claims they’ve found ‘hints of life’ on a planet orbiting a dwarf star some 124 light years away. What’s going on? (1/n) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 🔭 🧪

This is awesome, can I have a cluster too please? One with lots of binary stars inside if possible hehe 💫

A photograph showing the Fyrisån river that flows through Uppsala, taken in the city centre with a view of the Cathedral in the background

A photograph of Ångströmlaboratoriet (the Ångström Laboratory) which is where the astronomy department is housed at Uppsala University. It is a modern glass building with pretty green space around it, and another brick building part also visible to the left.

📢 *3* astronomy #PhD positions now open at 🇸🇪 Uppsala University studying stars with 2 incredible supervisors!

I genuinely cannot vouch for our astro dept enough: supportive yet relaxed, fun yet challenging... PLEASE apply & feel free to ask me Qs!

Deadline 4 April 🧪🔭🪐

uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

PhD students in astrophysics PhD students in astrophysics, with focus on stellar chemical compositions and Galactic evolution The Department of Physics and Astronomy is one of the largest departments at Uppsala University. It com

Colleagues at my division at Uppsala university are hiring PhD students in astronomy. 4-5 yrs of stellar populations and Milky way evolution plus a very nice work place and town in general:
uu.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

One of the possible supervisors is Diane and let me tell you, she‘s one of the most awesome women I‘ve met. Want a great supervisor for your PhD? This is your chance!

🔭 ⭐ 🪐

⬇️⬇️⬇️

Tired of wondering which atomic lines are in your spectra? You need:

*whose line is it anyway?* An interactive tool for identifying atomic spectral lines. 🧪🔭 #stars

install:
pip install whoseline

source:
github.com/bmorris3/who...

The Service Module of the #PLATO spacecraft arrived at the OHB space technology company in Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany). Also, 18 out of 26 PLATO cameras have now been installed on the Payload Module. 🚀
Image Credit: OHB

Radial velocity scientific plot. Top panel shows two sets of data points (red and blue) following a sinusoid-esque curve mirrored around 0km/s. The data points fit the model well and the residuals in the bottom panel are mostly around 0km/s, with a few outliers up to 1km/s.

Detached eclipsing binary #stars really do make for satisfying plots. I combined radial velocities from two different 🔭datasets (one about 10x less precise than the other) and fitted them with a simple ellc model and it just ✨ works ✨

Text: have you started on your application to the 2025 International Astronomical Youth Camp on graphic starry background with logo

Text: where: Netherlands (De Klonie-Ellertshaar), When: first to twenty first of august (camp runs from friday evening to thursday morning), How to Apply: Find all the info about applying on our first info page! applications close march 9th, 23:59 CEST

Applications to the 2025 International Astronomical Youth camp are rolling in — join us this summer for hands-on experience with a scientific project, adaptable to all skill levels.

Below is the IAYC 2025 poster pdf, please feel free to share it within your institution!
www.iayc.org/documents/ia...

How much music is released every year? The music industry has gone through significant changes in the last century, with the death (and re-birth) of vinyl, the rise and fall of CDs, the advent of digital downloads and streaming, and fin…

Over the weekend, I went down a rabbit hole trying to answer a basic question: How many new songs are released every year? The internet did not give any satisfying answers, so I tried to find out myself...

nikkimiller.space/2025/02/09/h...

From left, the ESA Director of Space Transportation, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA Director of Science, Carole Mundell, and Arianespace Chief Commercial Officer, Steven Rutgers, shake hands after signing the launch agreement to fly ESA’s scientific mission Plato, at the European Space Conference in Brussels.

Today, during the European Space Conference, @esa.int and #Arianespace signed an agreement to launch the planet-hunting #Plato satellite on an #Ariane6 rocket 🔭 🚀

www.esa.int/Science_Expl... @cmundell.bsky.social

A happy guitarist sitting on a picnic bench in the summer sunshine. They are in their late 20s, white, with short brown hair and are smiling with their eyes closed. They’re playing an orange classical guitar and wearing a black t-shirt that shows a Star Wars parody of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album, where the Beatles are droids

#NewProfilePic
Throwback to a warm summer day playing guitar with some silly folks at IAYC 2024 @iayc.bsky.social

What’s up with all these passport controls on the train from Hamburg to Stockholm - they just did it once on the Danish border, and likely will a second time when we come into Sweden. So much for Schengen 🤨

Finally got around to deleting my old Twitter account, encouraged by Musk’s recent actions. I hadn’t used it in more than a year, I left it up to signpost people here, but honestly f*ck that guy. If it talks like a N*zi and gestures like a N*zi…

I really wish it wasn’t so bad, but I’m struggling to justify 24h+ train travel for 300€ when a flight would take 2h and 100€ (e.g. Wien - Stockholm)

I’ve been trying to cut down on my air travel this year but the European (and UK) train systems are really not making it appealing long term.

Not only is it a lot more € and time, but disruption and delays are far too common… 6/10 of my long-distance trains since 1st Jan have been 90+ mins delayed

Great idea - please count me in!

A screenshot of the new page charges.

Astronomy & Astrophysics have almost halved their page cap from 20 pages to 12 pages - you have to pay 150€ per extra page.

The reasoning is that they're getting too many submissions. But surely this just encourages authors to submit *more* short papers? 🔭

www.aanda.org/2025-press-r...

YouTube video by penguinz0 Elon Musk Fraud Gamer Situation is Pathetic

Okay I suspect I play a lot more video games than most people on here, but this is actually completely damning about all of Musk's claims about gaming, including about being a top Diablo player. I've played these games a few hours tops, and he looks hapless even to me www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ui4...

This thing is enormous! The quarter-res version available on our website is 748.98 MB. As you zoom in you realize all of the little grainy things are actually stars.

Go check it out.

STScI Research This is the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Research Staff Channel where we post videos of colloquia, seminars, journal clubs and various events led by our research staff and groups.

I'm attending a workshop on accurate flux calibration at @spacetelescope.bsky.social this week. I've always wanted to learn more about how the experts do this. If you have too, the whole workshop is streaming on YouTube. Join below! 🔭🧪 #stars

www.youtube.com/@stsciresear...

In addition to our own grant program, we have grants generously provided by the Wilhelm und Else Heraeus-Siftung available for German citizens or residents in Germany in financial need, all the information is on our website!

IAYC is such an incredible opportunity that shaped my career and life over the last decade - as a first-gen astronomer I likely wouldn't have found the knowledge, community or confidence to pursue a PhD without it.

Please help us spread the word to young astronomy enthusiasts!

Poster announcing the 58th International Astronomical Youth Camp 2024, taking place 4-24 August 2024 in Klingenthal, Germany. In the background an image of the night sky with a lookout tower in the forest

Applications are open for this year's International Astronomical Youth Camp (IAYC) - a three-week long summer camp for young people aged 16 to 24 from all over the world - taking place 4-24 August 2024 in Germany!
Application deadline: 17 March 🔭
More info: iayc.org/nextcamp/

Spread the word! 🔭
I was 18 when I first went and IAYC had a huge impact on my life. Meeting people working towards their PhDs was eye-opening for a 1st-gen university student! I would've never gone on to study for a PhD without IAYC! 🪐 (or met my partner 🥰)