The Hitchhiker's Guide to Radio Galaxies

I had a fantastic time at NAM 2025! So much outstanding science, and even more outstanding people!

I also had a really positive response to my talk, which was so encouraging to see! I am now more confident that we will work together on asking and addressing some very difficult questions.

Cis people: if you see someone trying to bully trans folks out of single-sex spaces, it’s your moral duty to intervene.

Popping by briefly to say I stand with my trans and non-binary friends. I am appalled and furious at the Supreme Court ruling and the consequences that are transpiring. This is not a victory for women, it plays into the hands of those who cause us all harm.

Please stay safe, friends ❤️
#LGBwiththeT

Gaia has had a HUGE impact on #galactic science (even with just 3/5 data releases so far). It was a fantastic, fantastic mission. 🔭

Farewell, little spinny space tophat. You did a great job. 😢

In the centre is an elliptical galaxy, seen as an oval-shaped glow around a small bright core. Around this is wrapped a broad band of light, appearing like a spiral galaxy stretched and warped into a ring, with bright blue lines drawn through it where the spiral arms have been stretched into circles. A few distant objects are visible around the ring on a black background.

🆕 This new NASA/ESA/CSA James #Webb Space Telescope image shows a rare cosmic phenomenon called an 'Einstein ring' 🧪🔭

www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed... @science.esa.int @spacetelescope.bsky.social

a cartoon drawing of a green parrot with a large beak . ALT: a cartoon drawing of a green parrot with a large beak .

Slack: *any message*
Astronomers:

Gaia science essays Accessible essays on the huge range of scientific results, and other background, from the European Space Agency's Gaia space astrometry mission. Audio interviews with some of the leading scientists an...

Want to learn more about the impact of @esa.int's Gaia mission on #galactic & Milky Way science?

Retired Gaia project scientist Michael Perryman has written over 200 essays on various topics in Galactic astronomy, at a level accessible to non-experts. They provide a really lovely overview!

Astronomers! One of the best things about the old astro-Twitter was that there was frequent discussion of the latest research.

The new AstroSci feed is the perfect place to have this kind of science discussion! ☄️

If you see a cool paper - post about it!

YouTube video by ESA Education What plants can grow in space?

📺 Check out the latest video on the ESA #Education YouTube channel to find out what plants are best to grow in space! 👩‍🚀🌱 @exploration.esa.int

It's been up and down all week, at least for me. Quite worrying.

Big news! We’ve just launched some new accounts 🎉

Give them a follow:
🔭 @esascience.esa.int
🧑‍🚀 @esaexploration.esa.int
🚀 @esatransport.esa.int
🌍 @esaearth.esa.int
📡 @esaoperations.esa.int
⚙️ @esatechnology.esa.int
🛰️ @esaconnectivity.esa.int

Stay tuned for exciting things ahead! 💙✨

Time to abandon my career, return to STEM, and propose the most ambitiously high-risk-of-mauling zoological research project of all time

Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday.

Sabotage. Criminal sabotage.

"[The NSF] is planning to lay off between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months, a top National Science Foundation official said Tuesday."

www.eenews.net/articles/sci...

AtLAST Forum - February 2025 - AtLAST Welcome to the AtLAST Forum, a platform for the community to exchange ideas and opinions about the AtLAST project and anything related to it.

Do not miss the first AtLAST Forum tomorrow 6 Feb at 8 UTC. This is a platform for the community to exchange ideas and opinions about AtLAST and anything related to it. There will be two talks followed by a plenary discussion session, see: www.atlast.uio.no/news-and-eve... 🔭🧪

A great thread about the (VERY VERY UNLIKELY!) chance that asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit the Earth. 🔭

If it impacted above a city, it would cause tremendous damage - so even though its chance of impact is vanishingly small, we may need to think about an asteroid redirect mission to play it safe.

📢 New Athena Science Community: Call for Membership Now OPEN Until March 16!

For full information, visit
🔗https://indico.ifca.es/e/NASC_AO2025

Please share this with your colleagues who may also be interested in joining our community!

Vuelve chatea con una astrónoma! 👩‍💻💫

🗓️ 19 de febrero, de 10:00 a 22:00h (peninsular)
🔗 www.sea-astronomia.es/comision-muj...

#11F #11febrero @11defebreroes.bsky.social

A handy starter pack for anyone wanting to follow @bas.ac.uk people and projects. Let me know if you want to be added!
go.bsky.app/TaqF39K

Even for someone who has studied galaxies his entire career, it is still deeply satisfying and somewhat surprising that I can plonk a 🔭 on our patio in the middle of Nottingham, point it over the roof of our 🏠, and see this.

Hello out there scientists. If you're having meetings or grants or anything else impacted by freeze of NSF meetings, please feel free to reach out to me to share your story.

Signal: thealexknapp.79
Email: aknapp@forbes.com

Do you have recommendations for books, web pages and other resources that can help get one started with learning about astronomy? Super beginner level? Please post them in the replies! 🔭

White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government.

This means meaving e.g. large numbers of scientists without income, with nothing to live on, devastating their lives and ending their work.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

An example of a galaxy hosting a fast radio burst identified by the CRACO system using the ASKAP radio telescope. The central image shows a galaxy (white on a black background). The inset plot shows the signal from a fast radio burst named FRB 240615. Image credit: Yuanming Wang, the CRAFT Collaboration.

A new result led by my former student Ziteng (Andy) Wang and colleagues:

"20 mysterious radio bursts" found using our new Commensal Realtime ASKAP Fast Transient COherent (CRACO) system.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01...

(With commentary by @astrolaura.com)

#RadioAstronomy

This deep image of NGC 891 reguired over 34 hours of exposure. A tremendous amount of galactic cirrus was also captured with this image but supressed for this traditional view. Numerous far more distant galaxies can also be seen in this picture.

NGC-891
Photo credit R. Jay GaBany
Constellation Andromeda
Discovered W. Herschel 1784
Distance 30 million light years
Equipment, $53K half-meter Officina Stellare Pro RC 500 telescope
Exposure 34 hours
For his amazing photos Jay won the Chanbliss Amateur Achievement award

White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion The Trump administration has put a hold on all federal financial grants and loans, affecting tens of billions of dollars in payments.

I think some people hear “grants” and think that without them, scientists and government workers just have less stuff to play with at work. But grants fund salaries for students, academics, researchers, and people who work in all areas of public service.

“Pausing” grants means people don’t eat.

A spiral galaxy that is evidently seen mostly from the side.

I really appreciate that so many astronomers put their data up online! In my particular case, it makes lecture preparation much easier. Here is NGC 3198, which I built from separate B, V and R filter images on the SINGS page of the galaxy. As you can see, we see that disk from the side. 1/ 🧪🔭

Panel 1. A quote in a starry sky: “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars. - Oscar Wilde” Below, people are lying in the gutter. One is looking through a telescope. Panel 2. “Guys, astronomy is amazing.” Says the figure with a telescope ”You should all give it a try.” To which others reply “Sure. Why not?”. Panel 3. Now the quote reads: “We are all in the gutter but we are looking at the stars.” All the people are looking through telescopes. Panel 4. “This is great! Apart from being in the gutter.” Says one of the people. Another replies ”Let’s go to the observatory!” and leads the way. Panel 5. The quote now reads: “We are all looking at the stars but some of us are in the gutter.” Everyone is in the observatory except two figures who lie in the gutter looking up through their telescopes. Panel 6. The original telescope bearer leans out of the window and asks “Why are you guys still in the gutter?” and they reply “We don’t like too much change”.

My cartoon for this week’s @newscientist.bsky.social

Huh, That's Funny A night where comedy and science collide. Join a collection of comedians, scientists and the just plain curious in Jericho's most comfortable basement for a night that will make you laugh...and then ...

Really need to sell a few more tickets for Thursday science comedy: come to the basement! You’ll laugh a lot and think a bit. wegottickets.com/f/13642/

Imagine if all birds could make the same noises crickets make when rubbing their wings. With an extra loud setting for seagulls.