Jonathan O'Callaghan
@astrojonny.bsky.social
Freelance space journalist. British Science Journalist of the Year 2024. Words in The New York Times, Scientific American, New Scientist, BBC, WIRED, + more.
Bangkok, Thailand
jdaoca@gmail.com
@astro_jonny on Twitter
https://www.jonathanocallaghan.com/
Bangkok, Thailand
jdaoca@gmail.com
@astro_jonny on Twitter
https://www.jonathanocallaghan.com/
Pinned
A few pics from Bangkok. Bit surreal that we live here now.
Drove this road in Thailand today and lived to tell the tale
December 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Drove this road in Thailand today and lived to tell the tale
Mercury is perhaps the Solar System’s dullest planet, but maybe also its most fascinating – because we can’t work out how it formed.
My latest story for the BBC delves into the confusing origin of Mercury, and what it means to work out its formation.
Enjoy!
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
My latest story for the BBC delves into the confusing origin of Mercury, and what it means to work out its formation.
Enjoy!
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Mercury: The planet that shouldn't exist
Mercury has long baffled astronomers because it defies much of what we know about planet formation. A new space mission arriving in 2026 might solve the mystery.
www.bbc.com
December 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Mercury is perhaps the Solar System’s dullest planet, but maybe also its most fascinating – because we can’t work out how it formed.
My latest story for the BBC delves into the confusing origin of Mercury, and what it means to work out its formation.
Enjoy!
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
My latest story for the BBC delves into the confusing origin of Mercury, and what it means to work out its formation.
Enjoy!
www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Merry Christmas all from a beach in the middle of Thailand!
December 25, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Merry Christmas all from a beach in the middle of Thailand!
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Not everyday you get quoted in the New York Times! Thank you @astrojonny.bsky.social for the chat
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Lemon-Shaped World Is the Most Stretched-Out Planet Ever Seen
www.nytimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Not everyday you get quoted in the New York Times! Thank you @astrojonny.bsky.social for the chat
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Wait a second, there's a lemon behind that lemon-shaped planet.
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Lemon-Shaped World Is the Most Stretched-Out Planet Ever Seen
www.nytimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Wait a second, there's a lemon behind that lemon-shaped planet.
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Wait a second, there's a lemon behind that lemon-shaped planet.
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Lemon-Shaped World Is the Most Stretched-Out Planet Ever Seen
www.nytimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Wait a second, there's a lemon behind that lemon-shaped planet.
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Story by me in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/s...
Ooh, just discovered the last issue of BBC Science Focus had my feature on the cover with some rather fantastic artwork!
December 19, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Ooh, just discovered the last issue of BBC Science Focus had my feature on the cover with some rather fantastic artwork!
Encountered a Moon landing denier IRL yesterday. Been a while since I've dealt with one of those!
December 19, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Encountered a Moon landing denier IRL yesterday. Been a while since I've dealt with one of those!
Found a bar in Bangkok that served some greatly named space cocktails
December 18, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Found a bar in Bangkok that served some greatly named space cocktails
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Me deciding if I can still call myself "British Science Journalist of the Year" in 2026 despite winning the award two years ago
December 18, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Me deciding if I can still call myself "British Science Journalist of the Year" in 2026 despite winning the award two years ago
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Superb video included in today's JPL update for #PerseveranceRover (www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-p...). With synthetic frames and obviously, the rover doesn't move that fast, but the final result is impressive.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
December 18, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Superb video included in today's JPL update for #PerseveranceRover (www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-p...). With synthetic frames and obviously, the rover doesn't move that fast, but the final result is impressive.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Me deciding if I can still call myself "British Science Journalist of the Year" in 2026 despite winning the award two years ago
December 18, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Me deciding if I can still call myself "British Science Journalist of the Year" in 2026 despite winning the award two years ago
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
A new "crash clock" says Earth orbit is three days from disaster.
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
Crash clock says satellites in orbit are three days from disaster
Satellites in orbit would begin to collide in a matter of days if they lost manoeuvrability during a solar storm or other outage
www.newscientist.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A new "crash clock" says Earth orbit is three days from disaster.
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
A new "crash clock" says Earth orbit is three days from disaster.
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
Crash clock says satellites in orbit are three days from disaster
Satellites in orbit would begin to collide in a matter of days if they lost manoeuvrability during a solar storm or other outage
www.newscientist.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:29 PM
A new "crash clock" says Earth orbit is three days from disaster.
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
If all satellite lost the ability to maneuver (eg in a solar storm), it says collisions would be imminent.
Really interesting study this. Story by me in @newscientist.com
www.newscientist.com/article/2508...
Did all life start with RNA? Some scientists think so – and a new experiment suggests it might have formed naturally on many worlds.
Story by me in Scientific American
www.scientificamerican.com/article/rna-...
Story by me in Scientific American
www.scientificamerican.com/article/rna-...
Rocky Planets May Make Life’s Precursor, RNA, All across the Universe
New experiments show how RNA might form not just on Earth but on other rocky planets, too
www.scientificamerican.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Did all life start with RNA? Some scientists think so – and a new experiment suggests it might have formed naturally on many worlds.
Story by me in Scientific American
www.scientificamerican.com/article/rna-...
Story by me in Scientific American
www.scientificamerican.com/article/rna-...
My first piece of in-person reporting from Thailand!
At the Thai Space Expo in October, space companies flocked to Bangkok to discuss opportunities in the region. What does the future hold?
ter.li/JO
At the Thai Space Expo in October, space companies flocked to Bangkok to discuss opportunities in the region. What does the future hold?
ter.li/JO
Southeast Asia seeks its place in space
At the Thai Space Expo, attendees explored possible futures for the region.
ter.li
December 15, 2025 at 3:12 PM
My first piece of in-person reporting from Thailand!
At the Thai Space Expo in October, space companies flocked to Bangkok to discuss opportunities in the region. What does the future hold?
ter.li/JO
At the Thai Space Expo in October, space companies flocked to Bangkok to discuss opportunities in the region. What does the future hold?
ter.li/JO
Okay but like how many updates does Google Chrome need
December 12, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Okay but like how many updates does Google Chrome need
And then 5I, 6I, 7I… exciting!
Something I hadn’t said aloud until today… as closest approach for 3I/ATLAS nears, remember that we’re *probably* only a few months away from detecting 4I/Rubin!
December 11, 2025 at 12:38 PM
And then 5I, 6I, 7I… exciting!
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Something I hadn’t said aloud until today… as closest approach for 3I/ATLAS nears, remember that we’re *probably* only a few months away from detecting 4I/Rubin!
December 11, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Something I hadn’t said aloud until today… as closest approach for 3I/ATLAS nears, remember that we’re *probably* only a few months away from detecting 4I/Rubin!
Refueling satellites in geostationary orbit is probably doable, says a new NASA-backed report – but is there demand for it?
Story by me in Aerospace America
aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/no-technolog...
Story by me in Aerospace America
aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/no-technolog...
No technological barriers to refueling GEO satellites, NASA report finds
aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org
December 11, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Refueling satellites in geostationary orbit is probably doable, says a new NASA-backed report – but is there demand for it?
Story by me in Aerospace America
aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/no-technolog...
Story by me in Aerospace America
aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/no-technolog...
Avi Loeb's mind is going to be blown when Rubin finds like 50 interstellar objects
December 9, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Avi Loeb's mind is going to be blown when Rubin finds like 50 interstellar objects
Totally missed that Amazon's Project Kuiper is now Amazon Leo. At least that'll save me mistyping Kiuper every other article.
spacenews.com/project-kuip...
spacenews.com/project-kuip...
Project Kuiper becomes Amazon Leo ahead of LEO broadband service debut
Project Kuiper has shed its seven-year-old code name, emerging as Amazon Leo Nov. 13 as the company nears the start of initial broadband services from the low Earth orbit constellation next year.
spacenews.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Totally missed that Amazon's Project Kuiper is now Amazon Leo. At least that'll save me mistyping Kiuper every other article.
spacenews.com/project-kuip...
spacenews.com/project-kuip...
Had a really weird incident last week where I was told by NASA PR that they wouldn't let me interview the lead author of an upcoming embargoed study until... after the study was published. Which kind of defeats the point of an embargo, no.
December 9, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Had a really weird incident last week where I was told by NASA PR that they wouldn't let me interview the lead author of an upcoming embargoed study until... after the study was published. Which kind of defeats the point of an embargo, no.
There's now a NASA story on this one, complete with a very cool visualisation of how this would work!
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
December 9, 2025 at 3:14 AM
There's now a NASA story on this one, complete with a very cool visualisation of how this would work!
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...