Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
@astroalysa.bsky.social
Queer & disabled astronomer formerly at UofT & CITA. Dynamics, planets, & ballet. Posts reflect opinions of Sailor Galaxia, not my employer. She/her 👩🔬💃
Pinned
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
Another TikZ masterpiece I cooked up today 🧪⚛️🧮
November 7, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Another TikZ masterpiece I cooked up today 🧪⚛️🧮
Wacky waving inflatable tube man, but it's Kate Bush at the end of the Wuthering Heights music video
November 1, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Wacky waving inflatable tube man, but it's Kate Bush at the end of the Wuthering Heights music video
Just a little creepy
September 12, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Just a little creepy
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
For the day 4 #SciArtSeptember prompt riverbank I am sharing my portrait of geologist & #paleontogist Alice Wilson (1881-1964) who mapped the Ottawa-St Lawrence river valley. 🐡🧪👩🏼🔬⚒️
After completing her BSc in ‘11 she was 1st woman offered a position at GSC & 1st female geologist in #Canada. 🧵
After completing her BSc in ‘11 she was 1st woman offered a position at GSC & 1st female geologist in #Canada. 🧵
September 4, 2025 at 11:32 AM
For the day 4 #SciArtSeptember prompt riverbank I am sharing my portrait of geologist & #paleontogist Alice Wilson (1881-1964) who mapped the Ottawa-St Lawrence river valley. 🐡🧪👩🏼🔬⚒️
After completing her BSc in ‘11 she was 1st woman offered a position at GSC & 1st female geologist in #Canada. 🧵
After completing her BSc in ‘11 she was 1st woman offered a position at GSC & 1st female geologist in #Canada. 🧵
I'm watching a documentary series about Jane Austen and the subtitles are comically large. It's like they assumed anyone watching this is 80+ years old
August 24, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I'm watching a documentary series about Jane Austen and the subtitles are comically large. It's like they assumed anyone watching this is 80+ years old
I think I hate the part I’m currently at the most, though (hotel basement RIP)
Me booting up the Last of Us: I love this game! This will be fun!
Me playing the Last of Us: Ahhhhhh I hate this part!
Me playing the Last of Us: Ahhhhhh I hate this part!
March 14, 2025 at 1:47 AM
I think I hate the part I’m currently at the most, though (hotel basement RIP)
Me booting up the Last of Us: I love this game! This will be fun!
Me playing the Last of Us: Ahhhhhh I hate this part!
Me playing the Last of Us: Ahhhhhh I hate this part!
March 14, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Me booting up the Last of Us: I love this game! This will be fun!
Me playing the Last of Us: Ahhhhhh I hate this part!
Me playing the Last of Us: Ahhhhhh I hate this part!
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
My questions for NASA HQ at this conference mostly boil down to - are you trying to protect the scientific community? are you taking risks to help us not collapse from the inside? What is the future of planetary science worth?
March 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
My questions for NASA HQ at this conference mostly boil down to - are you trying to protect the scientific community? are you taking risks to help us not collapse from the inside? What is the future of planetary science worth?
Would you watch a stream of me playing video games and chatting about astronomy? Like, viewers can ask questions and I’ll answer them or just chat about cool space stuff? 🔭🎮
March 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Would you watch a stream of me playing video games and chatting about astronomy? Like, viewers can ask questions and I’ll answer them or just chat about cool space stuff? 🔭🎮
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
Buy Canadian!
(booze)
(booze)
March 5, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Buy Canadian!
(booze)
(booze)
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
Next stop for Europa Clipper: Mars??? That’s right, we are doing a rare Mars gravity assist on March 1st to help pick up speed on our journey out to the Jupiter system. More info and cool animations below!
From NASA: On March 1st, Europa Clipper will perform a gravity assist flyby of Mars, using the planet's gravity to adjust its trajectory as it makes its way to Jupiter. No visible light images, sadly. Details: go.nasa.gov/4bfYfba
Ride along virtually: eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-s...
Ride along virtually: eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-s...
NASA’s Europa Clipper Uses Mars to Go the Distance - NASA
The orbiter bound for Jupiter’s moon Europa will investigate whether the moon is habitable, but it first will get the help of Mars’ gravitational force to get
go.nasa.gov
February 26, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Next stop for Europa Clipper: Mars??? That’s right, we are doing a rare Mars gravity assist on March 1st to help pick up speed on our journey out to the Jupiter system. More info and cool animations below!
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
"The team predicts that the two neutron stars will spiral slowly toward each other in a cosmic dance, ultimately colliding in a kilonova explosion." Inspired by @skuthunur.bsky.social article & thanks to @astro-jje.bsky.social for patiently answering all my silly binary star questions! #Sciart
February 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
"The team predicts that the two neutron stars will spiral slowly toward each other in a cosmic dance, ultimately colliding in a kilonova explosion." Inspired by @skuthunur.bsky.social article & thanks to @astro-jje.bsky.social for patiently answering all my silly binary star questions! #Sciart
Whose idea was it to make right ascension increase to the east but hour angle increase to the west? I would like to yell at them :)
February 22, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Whose idea was it to make right ascension increase to the east but hour angle increase to the west? I would like to yell at them :)
If you held a gun to my head and asked me to compute (by hand) the exact date of the year based on the Sun’s azimuth at sunset plus the observer’s latitude, I would simply take the bullet
February 22, 2025 at 12:09 AM
If you held a gun to my head and asked me to compute (by hand) the exact date of the year based on the Sun’s azimuth at sunset plus the observer’s latitude, I would simply take the bullet
Quick question about the celestial sphere and figure 1.12 from Carroll & Ostlie 🔭
Am I losing my mind or should the angle between the horizon and NCP be L rather than 90-L? If you're at the equator (L=0), NCP is on the horizon. If you're at the north pole (L=90), the NCP is at zenith. No?
Am I losing my mind or should the angle between the horizon and NCP be L rather than 90-L? If you're at the equator (L=0), NCP is on the horizon. If you're at the north pole (L=90), the NCP is at zenith. No?
February 21, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Quick question about the celestial sphere and figure 1.12 from Carroll & Ostlie 🔭
Am I losing my mind or should the angle between the horizon and NCP be L rather than 90-L? If you're at the equator (L=0), NCP is on the horizon. If you're at the north pole (L=90), the NCP is at zenith. No?
Am I losing my mind or should the angle between the horizon and NCP be L rather than 90-L? If you're at the equator (L=0), NCP is on the horizon. If you're at the north pole (L=90), the NCP is at zenith. No?
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
MUTUAL AID ALERT:
Stand with our community in Astro+ adjacent fields impacted by the attack on DEIA, support our community by giving aid through our GoFundMe. See links in thread!
- choir collab, @blackinastro.bsky.social, Astro Poverty Survey Team, MVMT Consulting @dranicole.bsky.social)
Stand with our community in Astro+ adjacent fields impacted by the attack on DEIA, support our community by giving aid through our GoFundMe. See links in thread!
- choir collab, @blackinastro.bsky.social, Astro Poverty Survey Team, MVMT Consulting @dranicole.bsky.social)
February 19, 2025 at 6:28 PM
MUTUAL AID ALERT:
Stand with our community in Astro+ adjacent fields impacted by the attack on DEIA, support our community by giving aid through our GoFundMe. See links in thread!
- choir collab, @blackinastro.bsky.social, Astro Poverty Survey Team, MVMT Consulting @dranicole.bsky.social)
Stand with our community in Astro+ adjacent fields impacted by the attack on DEIA, support our community by giving aid through our GoFundMe. See links in thread!
- choir collab, @blackinastro.bsky.social, Astro Poverty Survey Team, MVMT Consulting @dranicole.bsky.social)
Reposted by Dr. Alysa Orbits (Obertas)
alert! we're organizing to help folks in astronomy + planetary sciences who've lost their jobs without warning, or have important DEIA initiatives that suddenly lost funding
please share with your networks!! #extragalactic #exoplanets #astronomy #cosmology
please share with your networks!! #extragalactic #exoplanets #astronomy #cosmology
MUTUAL AID ALERT:
Stand with our community in Astro+ adjacent fields impacted by the attack on DEIA, support our community by giving aid through our GoFundMe. See links in thread!
- choir collab, @blackinastro.bsky.social, Astro Poverty Survey Team, MVMT Consulting @dranicole.bsky.social)
Stand with our community in Astro+ adjacent fields impacted by the attack on DEIA, support our community by giving aid through our GoFundMe. See links in thread!
- choir collab, @blackinastro.bsky.social, Astro Poverty Survey Team, MVMT Consulting @dranicole.bsky.social)
February 19, 2025 at 6:36 PM
alert! we're organizing to help folks in astronomy + planetary sciences who've lost their jobs without warning, or have important DEIA initiatives that suddenly lost funding
please share with your networks!! #extragalactic #exoplanets #astronomy #cosmology
please share with your networks!! #extragalactic #exoplanets #astronomy #cosmology
What if we kissed in the Deep Roads
February 17, 2025 at 3:02 AM
What if we kissed in the Deep Roads
God, Alistair really is Maric’s son
Also, was not expecting to find myself feeling so much compassion for Loghain so early on
These poor kids :(
Also, was not expecting to find myself feeling so much compassion for Loghain so early on
These poor kids :(
Curling up with a glass of wine and The Stolen Throne because Ferelden is my valentine
February 16, 2025 at 4:20 AM
God, Alistair really is Maric’s son
Also, was not expecting to find myself feeling so much compassion for Loghain so early on
These poor kids :(
Also, was not expecting to find myself feeling so much compassion for Loghain so early on
These poor kids :(
I know very old timey astronomers only had their eyeballs to use as detectors so what else were they supposed to do, but I can't stand magnitudes.
I feel like a fool every time I explain them to someone who's grown up in an era of abundant CCDs.
I feel like a fool every time I explain them to someone who's grown up in an era of abundant CCDs.
Drinking game idea: take a shot every time you say, "For historical reasons..." when teaching astronomy
February 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I know very old timey astronomers only had their eyeballs to use as detectors so what else were they supposed to do, but I can't stand magnitudes.
I feel like a fool every time I explain them to someone who's grown up in an era of abundant CCDs.
I feel like a fool every time I explain them to someone who's grown up in an era of abundant CCDs.
Drinking game idea: take a shot every time you say, "For historical reasons..." when teaching astronomy
February 15, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Drinking game idea: take a shot every time you say, "For historical reasons..." when teaching astronomy