Alejandro S. Borlaff
@asborlaff.bsky.social
NASA Space Scientist at Ames Research Center. Astrofísico. Desarrollando telescopios espaciales. Galaxies and rocket science. @ESA @unicomplutense @IAC_astrofisica.
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
🔭✨A mysterious iron ‘bar’ has been discovered in the Ring Nebula.
Using the new #WEAVE spectrograph on the William Herschel telescope (La Palma), a team led by @ucl.ac.uk and #CardiffUniversity, with the participation of IAC, has detected a structure never seen before.
👉 www.iac.es/en/outreach/...
Using the new #WEAVE spectrograph on the William Herschel telescope (La Palma), a team led by @ucl.ac.uk and #CardiffUniversity, with the participation of IAC, has detected a structure never seen before.
👉 www.iac.es/en/outreach/...
January 16, 2026 at 10:37 AM
🔭✨A mysterious iron ‘bar’ has been discovered in the Ring Nebula.
Using the new #WEAVE spectrograph on the William Herschel telescope (La Palma), a team led by @ucl.ac.uk and #CardiffUniversity, with the participation of IAC, has detected a structure never seen before.
👉 www.iac.es/en/outreach/...
Using the new #WEAVE spectrograph on the William Herschel telescope (La Palma), a team led by @ucl.ac.uk and #CardiffUniversity, with the participation of IAC, has detected a structure never seen before.
👉 www.iac.es/en/outreach/...
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
1 PhD in planetary astro vs. a dude & his AI 🥴
January 16, 2026 at 5:44 AM
1 PhD in planetary astro vs. a dude & his AI 🥴
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Took a very preliminary look at the first of the new Chinese megaconstellation ITU filings (CTC1). Inclinations from 40 to 100 deg, heights from 300 to 21500 km, plus 4 sats in Molniya orbit.
January 13, 2026 at 7:12 AM
Took a very preliminary look at the first of the new Chinese megaconstellation ITU filings (CTC1). Inclinations from 40 to 100 deg, heights from 300 to 21500 km, plus 4 sats in Molniya orbit.
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Finally uploaded this piece to ArtStation too. @jointheschwarz.bsky.social took us to a pulsar during a #StarWarsRPG adventure, so I had to draw it 😄
In the link you can also see the original pencil drawing with no edits, and a quick mock-up I did to help me draw the Gymsnor-3 freighter:
In the link you can also see the original pencil drawing with no edits, and a quick mock-up I did to help me draw the Gymsnor-3 freighter:
Race to the pulsar, Héctor Vives
A couple years ago we got to visit a pulsar in our Star Wars RPG adventure! So, being the astrophysicist that I am, I just had to draw it.
Several crews, including ours, were summoned to a planet in ...
www.artstation.com
January 5, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Finally uploaded this piece to ArtStation too. @jointheschwarz.bsky.social took us to a pulsar during a #StarWarsRPG adventure, so I had to draw it 😄
In the link you can also see the original pencil drawing with no edits, and a quick mock-up I did to help me draw the Gymsnor-3 freighter:
In the link you can also see the original pencil drawing with no edits, and a quick mock-up I did to help me draw the Gymsnor-3 freighter:
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
So very here for @profkelsey.bsky.social giving a room of astronomers a 101 on the ethics of outer space. Get to room 226a if you're at #aas247 and learn some things!
January 6, 2026 at 5:14 PM
So very here for @profkelsey.bsky.social giving a room of astronomers a 101 on the ethics of outer space. Get to room 226a if you're at #aas247 and learn some things!
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias y el Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos publican su Calendario Astronómico 2026.
📅 Eclipse de Sol (12 de agosto), cometas, lluvias de estrellas y más.
🔗 Ver completo 👉 www.iac.es/es/divulgaci...
#Astronomía #EclipseSolar #CalendarioAstronómico #IAC
📅 Eclipse de Sol (12 de agosto), cometas, lluvias de estrellas y más.
🔗 Ver completo 👉 www.iac.es/es/divulgaci...
#Astronomía #EclipseSolar #CalendarioAstronómico #IAC
December 29, 2025 at 3:09 PM
El Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias y el Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos publican su Calendario Astronómico 2026.
📅 Eclipse de Sol (12 de agosto), cometas, lluvias de estrellas y más.
🔗 Ver completo 👉 www.iac.es/es/divulgaci...
#Astronomía #EclipseSolar #CalendarioAstronómico #IAC
📅 Eclipse de Sol (12 de agosto), cometas, lluvias de estrellas y más.
🔗 Ver completo 👉 www.iac.es/es/divulgaci...
#Astronomía #EclipseSolar #CalendarioAstronómico #IAC
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
3I/ATLAS Flyby apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25122...
This deep exposure captures the comet from another star system as it gently swept across a faint background of stars in the constellation Leo
This deep exposure captures the comet from another star system as it gently swept across a faint background of stars in the constellation Leo
December 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
3I/ATLAS Flyby apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25122...
This deep exposure captures the comet from another star system as it gently swept across a faint background of stars in the constellation Leo
This deep exposure captures the comet from another star system as it gently swept across a faint background of stars in the constellation Leo
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Thanks to @drcarpineti.bsky.social at @iflscience.com for featuring CSE in this story about the recent Nature paper by Borlaff, Marcum and Howell.
www.iflscience.com/space-astron...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Satellites
www.iflscience.com/space-astron...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Satellites
Space Astronomy Is Under Threat As New Paper "Raises Important Concerns" About Megaconstellations
Light pollution from satellites affects more than just the Earth.
www.iflscience.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Thanks to @drcarpineti.bsky.social at @iflscience.com for featuring CSE in this story about the recent Nature paper by Borlaff, Marcum and Howell.
www.iflscience.com/space-astron...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Satellites
www.iflscience.com/space-astron...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Satellites
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
I mean, just check out this stunning new image from SPHEREx, the latest NASA space mission. It's mapping the full sky in 102 colors, and choosing the right combinations can reveal different information about the Universe. Here's our galaxy in infrared colors that pick out stars:
December 19, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I mean, just check out this stunning new image from SPHEREx, the latest NASA space mission. It's mapping the full sky in 102 colors, and choosing the right combinations can reveal different information about the Universe. Here's our galaxy in infrared colors that pick out stars:
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Earth’s orbit is now so crowded with spacecraft and debris that a catastrophic satellite collision could occur in just 2.8 days if avoidance systems fail, which could disrupt GPS and global communications, according to a new study.
www.accuweather.com/en/space-new...
www.accuweather.com/en/space-new...
'Crash Clock' warns Earth orbit is nearing disaster as megaconstellations push space traffic to brink
Satellite ‘Crash Clock’ shows orbit 2.8 days from potential disaster
www.accuweather.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Earth’s orbit is now so crowded with spacecraft and debris that a catastrophic satellite collision could occur in just 2.8 days if avoidance systems fail, which could disrupt GPS and global communications, according to a new study.
www.accuweather.com/en/space-new...
www.accuweather.com/en/space-new...
Remember the mysterious giant oxygen cloud that was found around our neighbour the Andromeda Galaxy?
My friend @alumbrerasc.bsky.social from @cefca-oaj.bsky.social discovered that it is much closer to you than previously thought 👀
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/mystery-so...
My friend @alumbrerasc.bsky.social from @cefca-oaj.bsky.social discovered that it is much closer to you than previously thought 👀
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/mystery-so...
Mystery solved? Baffling huge nebula near Andromeda Galaxy is actually in our neighborhood
Weird arcing cloud of oxygen is most likely part of the Milky Way, not our giant neighbor
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Remember the mysterious giant oxygen cloud that was found around our neighbour the Andromeda Galaxy?
My friend @alumbrerasc.bsky.social from @cefca-oaj.bsky.social discovered that it is much closer to you than previously thought 👀
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/mystery-so...
My friend @alumbrerasc.bsky.social from @cefca-oaj.bsky.social discovered that it is much closer to you than previously thought 👀
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/mystery-so...
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
The number of active satellites in orbit has now passed the 14000 mark according to my estimates:
December 15, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The number of active satellites in orbit has now passed the 14000 mark according to my estimates:
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Day 2 of the UN/SKAO Workshop on #DarkAndQuietSkies for Science and Society in Vienna. Yesteray focused on impacts to astronomy and mitigations, and today features more of an industry perspective. Patricia Cooper opened with a keynote describing how the LEO space boom is just getting started.
December 10, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Day 2 of the UN/SKAO Workshop on #DarkAndQuietSkies for Science and Society in Vienna. Yesteray focused on impacts to astronomy and mitigations, and today features more of an industry perspective. Patricia Cooper opened with a keynote describing how the LEO space boom is just getting started.
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
We're back after lunch in Vienna for more #DarkAndQuietSkies. This next panel, moderated by Patricia Cooper, features speakers from Eutelsat (formerly OneWeb), Amazon Leo (formerly Kuiper), SpaceX Starlink, and AST SpaceMobile. The latter two are online. Should be an interesting afternoon 🔭
December 10, 2025 at 12:39 PM
We're back after lunch in Vienna for more #DarkAndQuietSkies. This next panel, moderated by Patricia Cooper, features speakers from Eutelsat (formerly OneWeb), Amazon Leo (formerly Kuiper), SpaceX Starlink, and AST SpaceMobile. The latter two are online. Should be an interesting afternoon 🔭
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
We are continuing to expand our efforts to protect the night skies.
ESO signed an agreement with the IAU's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky to become a contributing partner.
https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann25010/
🔭 🧪
📷 A. Daniels (SKAO)
ESO signed an agreement with the IAU's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky to become a contributing partner.
https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann25010/
🔭 🧪
📷 A. Daniels (SKAO)
December 10, 2025 at 1:11 PM
We are continuing to expand our efforts to protect the night skies.
ESO signed an agreement with the IAU's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky to become a contributing partner.
https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann25010/
🔭 🧪
📷 A. Daniels (SKAO)
ESO signed an agreement with the IAU's Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky to become a contributing partner.
https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann25010/
🔭 🧪
📷 A. Daniels (SKAO)
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Desde que tú no me quieres
yo todos los días me muero.
Y alimento, con mi carne,
en Monfragüe buitres negros,
en Monfragüe buitres negros.
Robe Iniesta🪽
yo todos los días me muero.
Y alimento, con mi carne,
en Monfragüe buitres negros,
en Monfragüe buitres negros.
Robe Iniesta🪽
December 10, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Desde que tú no me quieres
yo todos los días me muero.
Y alimento, con mi carne,
en Monfragüe buitres negros,
en Monfragüe buitres negros.
Robe Iniesta🪽
yo todos los días me muero.
Y alimento, con mi carne,
en Monfragüe buitres negros,
en Monfragüe buitres negros.
Robe Iniesta🪽
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
An absolute horrific nightmare of two AI bots caught in a loop with each other is the perfect example of the total nothingness of AI “brains”.
December 9, 2025 at 9:09 PM
An absolute horrific nightmare of two AI bots caught in a loop with each other is the perfect example of the total nothingness of AI “brains”.
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Greetings from Vienna, where the UN/SKAO Workshop on Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society is underway! If you ever need a reminder of why astronomers do what we do, I implore you to listen to IAU President Willy Benz describe how observatories peer into the universe as time machines. 🔭
December 9, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Greetings from Vienna, where the UN/SKAO Workshop on Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society is underway! If you ever need a reminder of why astronomers do what we do, I implore you to listen to IAU President Willy Benz describe how observatories peer into the universe as time machines. 🔭
National Geographic se hace eco del problema de la contaminación del cielo nocturno por las megaconstelaciones de satélites.
Incluso los telescopios espaciales tendrán que restringir sus observaciones para evitar los satelites de internet.
www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/nasa...
Incluso los telescopios espaciales tendrán que restringir sus observaciones para evitar los satelites de internet.
www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/nasa...
La NASA advierte: (casi) todas las imágenes de telescopios espaciales estarán contaminadas muy pronto
Se espera que, para 2030, haya 530.000 satélites en la órbita baja de la Tierra. Algo que no solo afectará a los observatorios terrestres
www.nationalgeographic.com.es
December 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
National Geographic se hace eco del problema de la contaminación del cielo nocturno por las megaconstelaciones de satélites.
Incluso los telescopios espaciales tendrán que restringir sus observaciones para evitar los satelites de internet.
www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/nasa...
Incluso los telescopios espaciales tendrán que restringir sus observaciones para evitar los satelites de internet.
www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/nasa...
The beacons are lit
December 8, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The beacons are lit
Thank you @npr.org for sharing our work about satellite light contamination. The first step to solve a problem is to study it.
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments. n.pr/3XCQwhB
Light from satellites will ruin majority of some space telescope images, study says
Astronomers have long been concerned about reflections from satellites showing up in images taken by telescopes and other scientific instruments.
n.pr
December 8, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Thank you @npr.org for sharing our work about satellite light contamination. The first step to solve a problem is to study it.
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
I can remember when it used to be exciting to see a satellite moving across the night sky.
By 2040, ~40% of the images from Hubble Space Telescope, and more than 96% from new and future space telescopes like SPHEREx, ARRAKIHS, and Xuntian will be contaminated by internet satellite constellations.
Read our new NASA article in Nature:
nature.com/articles/s4158…
Read our new NASA article in Nature:
nature.com/articles/s4158…
December 7, 2025 at 6:40 AM
I can remember when it used to be exciting to see a satellite moving across the night sky.
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Ever since the first SpaceX Starlink satellites were launched in 2019, astronomers have warned that satellite constellations will contaminate images of the night sky.
A new study finds that in the next 2 decades, even space-based telescopes could face the same issue. https://scim.ag/3XyjcIw
A new study finds that in the next 2 decades, even space-based telescopes could face the same issue. https://scim.ag/3XyjcIw
Satellite fleets pose problems for space telescopes, too
Proposed “megaconstellations” would contaminate images from telescopes in low-Earth orbit, including Hubble
scim.ag
December 3, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Ever since the first SpaceX Starlink satellites were launched in 2019, astronomers have warned that satellite constellations will contaminate images of the night sky.
A new study finds that in the next 2 decades, even space-based telescopes could face the same issue. https://scim.ag/3XyjcIw
A new study finds that in the next 2 decades, even space-based telescopes could face the same issue. https://scim.ag/3XyjcIw
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Low-flying satellites can ruin astronomical observations
Surging satellite numbers threaten to dazzle even space telescopes
Low-flying satellites can ruin astronomical observations
econ.st
December 3, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Low-flying satellites can ruin astronomical observations
Reposted by Alejandro S. Borlaff
Satellites keep photobombing the Hubble telescope, and it’s getting worse
Satellites keep photobombing the Hubble telescope, and it’s getting worse
Overcrowded orbits are making astronomers’ jobs harder.
buff.ly
December 3, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Satellites keep photobombing the Hubble telescope, and it’s getting worse