Stephanie Deppe, PhD

If there's one truly universal constant, it's that there will be clouds during cool astronomical events

Illustrated graphic with the boot-shaped Rubin Observatory atop its site on Cerro Pachón beneath a sparkling night sky and the glowing band of the Milky Way stretching from lower left to upper right. Sprinkled throughout are many "Data alert!" popups, labeled with icons that represent supernovae, asteroids, hungry black holes, and more.

A 3-by-4 grid of grayscale astronomical images zoomed in on single objects. From left to right, the columns are labeled Template, New image, and difference. From top to bottom, the rows are labeled supernova, variable star, active galactic nucleus, and solar system object.

The largest spot-the-difference effort EVER has begun!🚨

On the night of Feb 24, NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory officially released its first ~800,000 public alerts of detected changes in the night sky!🔍

A new era of discovery is here✨ 🔭🧪☄️

🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/first-a...

I wonder if people are paying attention to how much their doom scrolling is cutting into time they used to use to read books

I cannot tell you how cool this was to present. So glad you could come!!

A teeny tiny me in front of Rubin's spectacularly pink and tan image of the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae

A teeny tiny me in front of a spectacular field of stars. No seriously, there's not a spot of black anywhere, it's just full of stars

Y'ALL I GAVE THE COOLEST TALK OF MY LIFE TODAY.

Rubin's super detailed, hi res images on a state of the art LED planetarium? YES PLEASE.

I didn't want to leave. Seriously could have just basked under that dome all night. 🔭

For comparison, every robotic mission NASA has ever sent in its history, from the dawn of the Space Age 65 years ago to today, from Mercury to Pluto and beyond, has cost less than $40B.

I know which one has done more for humankind and which one should be dismantled.

Nail clippers, bag for laundry, neck pillow, ear plugs, sleep aids, book/flight entertainment, q tips, Tylenol/advil, cozy socks, insulated bottle/thermos, lotion/chapstick, reusable cutlery, small reusable/plastic bag

At the center is a shell galaxy, its faint arcs of starlight draped around it concentrically like layers of folded fabric. Background stars and galaxies of varying shapes, sizes, and colors scatter the dark sky.

Making waves in the cosmos, galaxy style 😎🌊

Shell galaxies preserve the memory of a cosmic splash, like ripples in a pond 🌌✨

These elliptical galaxies are surrounded by faint, layered arcs that form when a large galaxy absorbs a smaller one.

🔭 🧪

"PhD-level experts in your back pocket" is a completely nonsensical description of AI but a pretty good description of social media if you follow the right people

Well that's absolutely infuriating, I'm sorry that happened.

Edge-on spiral galaxy angled pointing lower left to upper right. It's glowing with a bright core that's cut with the dark veins of dust clouds. The background is peppered with a myriad of colorful stars and distant galaxies in black space.

A smooth, cigar-shaped galaxy angled pointing lower left to upper right glowing with a bright core. Two bright stars beam just to the upper left and lower right of the galaxy. The background is peppered with a myriad of colorful stars and distant galaxies in black space.

A face-on spiral with a bright core and sweeping arms knotted with blue clusters of star-forming regions. The background is peppered with a myriad of colorful stars and distant galaxies in black space.

A face-on spiral with a bright core and a single thin arm wrapping all the way around, almost looking like a ring. Two bright blue stars beam above and to the lower left of the galaxy, with a third yellow star to the lower right. The background is peppered with a myriad of colorful stars and distant galaxies in black space.

Happy birthday, Vera Rubin! 🥳✨

What better way to celebrate than with NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's view of galaxies SHE studied?

NGC 4343, 4526, 4535, and 4378 are just a few gems from our Cosmic Treasure Chest. Explore them and more at skyviewer.app 🔭🧪

Me: ok brain, we gotta do this application due tonight that we've barely started.

ADHD brain: no worries, I got this. 3 hours, no problem.

Me: we're behind, better double check the requirements.

*Deadline extended by three days*

ADHD brain: niiiiice, got two more days to relax 😎

Me: 😑😑😑

This is the most plausible explanation I've heard so far

The summary is it's never aliens, despite what he claims...

☠️ ugh haha

💯💯

Hi, it's me, a solar system scientist turned science communicator asking journalists for the thousandth time to stop giving a certain Harvard professor airtime about objects from outside our solar system.

I know you know the one.

!!!! Omg!

Ok well you gotta find some Detroit style pizza while you're there! And a coney dog if you're so inclined (they're not my favorite but they are quintessential Detroit)

Whatttt??? I grew up just north of Detroit!

But it does also work amazingly on a phone!!

I could play with the Rubin Skyviewer for hours. Off in one corner of the first image released is this rather lovely little galaxy car crash, which are always my favourites. 🔭

skyviewer.app/explorer

I just had a look around ... and ....

look at them twinsies.

LOOK AT THEM 😍

#RubinFirstLook #CaptureTheCosmos 🔭🧪

LOVE those three!

Truly.

I love those two!

Oh that's a nice one!

Ooh that's a good one too!

LFG indeed, I cannot wait!