Rebecca Kyer (they/them)

👀👀👀

#SN1987A pre-print 🔭

New #JWST results (epoch 13500 days post-explosion).

The spectra are *unreal*.

A new iron signature could be interesting.

Q: So, is there (finally) a pulsar?
A: Astronomers are still looking, but there is some indirect evidence for it so far!

arxiv.org/abs/2508.03395

An Astronomy on Tap - Lansing poster for 8/13 at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. The speakers are Laura Chomiuk and Huei Sears.

so excited to be presenting at @astronomyontap.bsky.social - Lansing on 8/13 with Laura Chomiuk !!!! hope to see you there : )

Join this month's Roman Virtual Lecture Series to learn about observing accreting neutron stars and black holes with Roman. 🌟

Subscribe to tinyurl.com/RVLSsubscr for call-in details!

📅 Thurs July 31

🕐 4-4:30 PM EDT

🔗 bit.ly/4m7MkjY

An infographic titled "How BIG are the BLACK HOLES we find with GRAVITATIONAL WAVES?" by @astronerdika. The graphic displays a range of black hole masses detected via gravitational waves, categorized by their size in solar masses (mass of the Sun) and represented with playful cat-like black hole illustrations. The categories from left to right are: 1. "<5 times the mass of the Sun" - Labeled "smol" - Very small black hole illustration represented by a curled up black cat - Arrow pointing left: "THIS WAY TO NEUTRON STARS" - Example: "Big component of GW230529 (~3.6 times the mass of the Sun)" 2. "~10 times the mass of the Sun" - Labeled "basic" - Slightly larger black hole cat illustration - Caption: "LOTS OF BLACK HOLES" 3. "~35–45 times the mass of the Sun" - Labeled "hefty" - Bigger black hole cat illustration - Continues the idea of a populated range 4. ">60 times the mass of the Sun" - Labeled "chonky" - Large black hole cat illustration - Caption: "FORBIDDEN TERRITORY? (can these even be made from the collapse of star cores?!)" - Example: "Components of GW190521 (~85 + ~66 times the mass of the Sun)" 5. ">100 times the mass of the Sun" - Labeled "oh lawd" - Very large, curled-up black hole cat illustration - Arrow pointing right: "THIS WAY TO INTERMEDIATE MASS BLACK HOLES" - Example: "Components of GW231123 (~137 + ~103 times the mass of the Sun)" Below the categories is a stylized black curve representing the inferred population of black holes detected by LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA. It rises sharply in the "basic" range and falls off toward the "hefty" and "chonky" ranges, with a note reading: "this curve is an artistic representation of the black hole population inferred by LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA." This infographic draws from the “Chonky Cat” meme.

Heard the latest news from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration? We detected the collision of the most massive pair of black holes so far: #GW231123 weighing in at ~137 + ~103 times the mass of the Sun!

So to celebrate, here’s a handy chart ✨

Just how chonky are these black holes? 🤔

A faux newspaper front page with a space shuttle launching into a blue sky. A burnt paper overlay reads “THE VOYAGER DECLARATION HAS LAUNCHED!” Below, bold text says “NASA JOINS THE RESISTANCE,” and a subhead reads: “NASA scientists join a growing rebellion against Trump’s science cuts.” At the bottom are the words: DISSENT, BRAVERY, RESISTANCE.

🚨BREAKING NEWS! 🚨

🚀 the Voyager Declaration has LAUNCHED.

NASA employees join a growing rebellion against Trump’s anti-science, anti-American agenda.

🧵(1/4)

Comic. The Most-Observed Animal and Plant in Each State on iNaturalist. (Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times.) [labeled map of the US] WA: Mallard/Western Sword Fern. OR: Mule Deer/Western Ponderosa Pine. CA: Western Fence Lizard/California Poppy. HI: Green Sea Turtle/‘Ōhi’a Lehua. ID: Mallard/Big Sagebrush. NV: Common Side-Blotched Lizard/Creosote Bush. MT: White-Tailed Deer/Common Yarrow. WY: American Bison/Sticky Geranium. UT: Mule Deer/Utah Juniper. AZ: Ornate Tree Lizard/Saguaro. CO: Mule Deer/Great Mullein. NM: Mule Deer/Creosote Bush. AK: Moose/Fireweed. ND: American Bison/Prairie Rose. SD: American Bison/Hoary Vervain. NE: American Robin/Common Milkweed. KS: Ornate Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. OK: Pond Slider/Eastern Redcedar. TX: Northern Cardinal/Pinladies. MN, WI, IL: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Common Milkweed. IA, MI: White-Tailed Deer/Common Milkweed. MO: Brown-Belted Bumble Bee/Amur Honeysuckle. AR: Three-toed Box Turtle/Chinese Privet. LA: Green Anole/Baldcypress. IN: American Robin/Amur Honeysuckle. OH: Eastern Pondhawk/Virginia Springbeauty. KY: Common Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. TN: American Robin/Christmas Fern. MS: Northern Cardinal/Pale Pitcher Plant. AL: Gulf Fritillary/American Sweetgum. GA: Green Anole/American Sweetgum. FL: Brown Anole/White Beggarticks. NY: Eastern Gray Squirrel/White Snakeroot. PA: White-Tailed Deer/Garlic Mustard. WV: White-Tailed Deer/Great Rhododendron. VA: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern Poison Ivy. MD: White-Tailed Deer/Wineberry. DE: Fowler’s Toad/American Pokeweed. NC: Eastern Gray Squirrel/Christmas Fern. SC: Northern Cardinal/American Sweetgum. NJ: Spotted Lanternfly/Common Mugwort. VT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. NH: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern White Pine. MA: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. CT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Striped Wintergreen. RI: American Herring Gull. ME: American Herring Gull/Canadian Bunchberry.

iNaturalist Animals and Plants

xkcd.com/3118/

Telescope Ops Spec - Remote Locations, New Mexico, United States Position Title: Telescope Ops Spec Employee Classification: Telescope Ops Specialist College/Division: Arts and Sciences College Department: 330300-ASTRONOMY Internal or External Search: External - Op...

Recent Astro bachelors grads: looking for a job in the field? Consider being an "Observing Specialist" (telescope operator) at Apache Point! I worked there right after college, before going to get a masters, and it is a really lovely place
careers.nmsu.edu/jobs/telesco...

Flippable Reps Fax Numbers

Someone made this list of the reps that are publicly on the fence. Call these ones, even if they are not in your district!

It's not just #NIH. It's not just #NSF. It's not just #NASA.

The whole scientific community has to make clear that all science across fed agencies is being destroyed in the US.

We can't just ask for our particular piece of the pie. The whole pie is being thrown out - saving your bit won't work.

me and my title slide facing a seated audience

view up at the facade of a building with a banner for the Vasto Accretion Meeting

survived and thrived

wait as a frequent SOAR observer how did i not know this 😭🩵

Today for @blackinastro.bsky.social's theme of #ShareTheUniverse for 🪐 Black in Space Week 🔭, we have two very special interview articles with black astronomers Logan White and Phoenix-Avery Sarian! Summaries for each article and links in the thread below ⬇️!

A page of text headed 'Editorial'.

This month we highlight a score of Black astronomers trying to pursue their ambitions without fear, and Black In Astro, an organization supporting predominantly early-career Black people working in the space sciences. Editorial: www.nature.com/articles/s41... #BlackSpaceWeek #EquityInSTEM 🔭

Image promoting #BlackSpaceWeek 2025, scheduled for June 15–21. Each day has a theme and event: • June 15, Sunday: #IntroducingTheUniverse – Virtual mixer and reading with StriveHigher • June 16, Monday: #PicturingTheUniverse – Black in Planetarium Panel • June 17, Tuesday: #AccessingTheUniverse – Black in Space Policy Panel • June 18, Wednesday: #SharingTheUniverse – Black in Journalism Panel • June 19, Thursday: #ShowcasingTheUniverse – Social Media Scavenger Hunt • June 20, Friday: #ReadingTheUniverse – Black in Storytelling Panel • June 21, Saturday: #CraftingTheUniverse – Virtual Craft Night Background features a starry sky. Logo includes a purple raised fist with “BIA.” Graphic by @CheyennePolius, website: www.blackinastro.com.

Schedule for #BlackSpaceWeek 2025! Links to register coming soon🤭 Which event/panels pique your interest? 👀

The Universe is full of color, and we're T-8 days from the world's first look at Rubin's view of it! 🔭 🧪

Get ready to join us for the first preview of the cosmos captured by Rubin #RubinFirstLook
🗓️: June 23, 2025
⌚️: 11am US EDT

rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-f...

An advert with a photo of a woman in the centre. The background behind the woman are galaxy spirals.

On Wednesday 18th June, I'll be hosting @astro-jje.bsky.social in @oxfordphysics.bsky.social, where she will be giving the annual Pride Lecture. If you'd like to attend, please sign up through the following link or scan the QR code in the attached flyer: www.physics.ox.ac.uk/events/pride...

Poster advertising the 'Rutgers Summer Transient Soiree' this July 16-18 at Rutgers University. There is a QR code on the bottom left, and there is also information about the conference + the invited lecturers.

Excited to announce the 'Rutgers Summer Transient Soiree' this July 16-18! To offset the uncertain funding landscape, we are offering a hybrid option + requiring NO registration fee. Non-faculty are especially encouraged to apply!

Please apply by May 31! More in the replies!

🧪🔭☄️ #highenergyastro

Our our @science.esa.int Research Fellow Louise Breuval wrote a fantastic astro/history paper performing a re-analysis of Henrietta Leavitt's work on the Cepheid period-luminosity relation, with the exact same stars but modern data & methods. arxiv.org/abs/2502.17438 🔭

This image contains information about the 2026 IPAC Visiting Graduate Student Fellowship program. The Call for Applications is now open for graduate students who hold U.S. citizenship, national, or permanent resident status by the application deadline, which is at 4 p.m. PDT on April 30, 2025. Applicants may be currently enrolled at US or non-US institutions. Learn more about IPAC's Visiting Graduate Student Fellowship program at https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/page/graduate-fellowship-2026.

IPAC's Visiting Graduate Student Fellowship program is accepting applications!🥳

✨Gain research experience and mentoring from IPAC scientists
✨Access large science datasets
✨Receive a monthly stipend

Browse the research projects and apply by 4/30: www.ipac.caltech.edu/page/graduate-fellowship-2026

Check out this post I wrote with some other astrobiters for action items on how to contact your congresspeople to support NASA funding!

The atomic spectral lines in this app come from the NIST atomic spectroscopy group, which has provided the world with spectroscopic measurements for 120 years.

Today we got word that the federal government is laying off the entire group. 🔭🧪

Multiwavelength Evidence for Two New Candidate Transitional Millisecond Pulsars in the Sub-luminous Disk State: 4FGL J0639.1--8009 and 4FGL J1824.2+1231 We report the discovery of two new Galactic accreting compact objects consistent with the respective positions of the unassociated Fermi-LAT gamma-ray sources 4FGL J0639.1--8009 and 4FGL J1824.2+1231....

My first PhD paper is out! We present two new compact binaries that seem to belong to the rare class of 'transitional' millisecond pulsars. arxiv.org/abs/2503.07709

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Advocacy for the Astronomical Sciences. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Learn from the AAS public policy team about how you can take action to support the astronomical sciences! In this one-hour webinar, we will discuss how you can schedule zoom or in-district meetings wi...

Advocacy for the Astronomical Sciences

The @policy.aas.org team will be hosting a webinar on 19 March from 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET to discuss how you can take action to support the astronomical sciences. Come join us and get involved in science advocacy! aas-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Lights, camera, action!

The world's largest digital camera has been installed at NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory! 🤩

The LSST Camera was the final major component of the observatory. With it in place, Rubin officially enters its final phase of testing!🔭

🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/lsst-camera-installed

Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!

Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!

#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence

Home Space Science is for Everyone: An Open Letter Written February 6, 2025

I am a coauthor of this letter, which asks folks in power at NASA and other institutions of space exploration to do more to resist ongoing efforts, and instead support the incredibly diverse people across the country that make the field what it is. Sign here: sites.google.com/view/space-s...

Trans Solidarity in the Frozen North — Assigned Our photojournalist documents a community coming together at the Trans Unity Rally in Lansing, Michigan.

WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY!

Photojournalist Piper Bly (@piperbomb.bsky.social) captures a spirit of protest and community at one of many, many rallies in defense of trans rights that have begun across the country.

www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...

The @esa.int Gaia satellite takes its final ever observations today 😭🔭

During its final few months of life, some technical tests will be performed, during which it will be much easier to see from Earth than usual. ESA published a guide on how to try and take photographs of the satellite:

yes

@bot.astronomy.blue signup