Misty Bentz
@astronomisty.bsky.social
Astronomer and Professor at Georgia State University. She/Her. Big fan of black holes, cats, and cross-stitch. Seestar smart telescope enthusiast. Novice gardener with a penchant for native plants.
Pinned
Misty Bentz
@astronomisty.bsky.social
· Aug 21
Sitting outside at night with my little telescope and marveling at our universe. We are so lucky to be alive and witnessing these wonders, and we are also so small and alone, together, in a vast and empty space. It’s a good reminder that we MUST take care of each other; we are all we have.
Sh 2-140 is about 3000 light years away in the direction of Cepheus. An emission nebula, it is heated by young stars. The sharp edge along the bottom of the nebula marks a dark molecular cloud where new stars are forming.
8.2hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
8.2hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
November 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Sh 2-140 is about 3000 light years away in the direction of Cepheus. An emission nebula, it is heated by young stars. The sharp edge along the bottom of the nebula marks a dark molecular cloud where new stars are forming.
8.2hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
8.2hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
Most of my garden is going to sleep for the winter, but this sunny little coneflower isn’t quite ready yet! 🌱🌺#bloomscrolling
November 16, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Most of my garden is going to sleep for the winter, but this sunny little coneflower isn’t quite ready yet! 🌱🌺#bloomscrolling
Reposted by Misty Bentz
I hope he receives forgiveness for that whole Ice Town debacle
Adam Scott meeting the pope, for anyone interested in that sort of thing
November 15, 2025 at 11:34 PM
I hope he receives forgiveness for that whole Ice Town debacle
Here's a cleaned up image of C/2025 K1 ATLAS 🔭🧪
I was only able to get ~25min before sunrise, but it's a good thing I woke up at 5:30 so I could be sure to see this comet before it heads back to the outer solar system.
#Seestar S50
Software: Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
I was only able to get ~25min before sunrise, but it's a good thing I woke up at 5:30 so I could be sure to see this comet before it heads back to the outer solar system.
#Seestar S50
Software: Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
November 15, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Here's a cleaned up image of C/2025 K1 ATLAS 🔭🧪
I was only able to get ~25min before sunrise, but it's a good thing I woke up at 5:30 so I could be sure to see this comet before it heads back to the outer solar system.
#Seestar S50
Software: Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
I was only able to get ~25min before sunrise, but it's a good thing I woke up at 5:30 so I could be sure to see this comet before it heads back to the outer solar system.
#Seestar S50
Software: Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
Not sure why I’m awake, but might as well look at this comet!
C/2025 K1 ATLAS
Apparently this “the other ATLAS”, a new comet from the Oort Cloud making its first (and perhaps only) trip through the inner solar system. 🔭 🧪 #Seestar S50
C/2025 K1 ATLAS
Apparently this “the other ATLAS”, a new comet from the Oort Cloud making its first (and perhaps only) trip through the inner solar system. 🔭 🧪 #Seestar S50
November 15, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Not sure why I’m awake, but might as well look at this comet!
C/2025 K1 ATLAS
Apparently this “the other ATLAS”, a new comet from the Oort Cloud making its first (and perhaps only) trip through the inner solar system. 🔭 🧪 #Seestar S50
C/2025 K1 ATLAS
Apparently this “the other ATLAS”, a new comet from the Oort Cloud making its first (and perhaps only) trip through the inner solar system. 🔭 🧪 #Seestar S50
Reposted by Misty Bentz
"Of course, it doesn’t feel right to want IT to HAPPEN. And it’s obviously not okay to try to make IT HAPPEN. That’s not what this is ABOUT, just to make things CLEAR LEGALLY as far as VARIOUS AGENCIES are concerned."
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/whe...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/whe...
When It Happens
It’s been so long, you sometimes forget that eventually, IT will HAPPEN. It’s impossible to say when IT will HAPPEN. But it can’t be too long until...
www.mcsweeneys.net
November 13, 2025 at 7:27 PM
"Of course, it doesn’t feel right to want IT to HAPPEN. And it’s obviously not okay to try to make IT HAPPEN. That’s not what this is ABOUT, just to make things CLEAR LEGALLY as far as VARIOUS AGENCIES are concerned."
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/whe...
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/whe...
Reposted by Misty Bentz
how stupid is it the “glass ceiling” probably just turned out to be “donors want dudes they can blackmail, not competent people who are good at their jobs”
November 13, 2025 at 7:40 PM
how stupid is it the “glass ceiling” probably just turned out to be “donors want dudes they can blackmail, not competent people who are good at their jobs”
Reposted by Misty Bentz
Like many women scientists of a certain age, it is difficult to express how much I fucking LOATHE Larry Summers. 👩🏻🔬🧪
Oh he’s in the Epstein files? I’m shocked, shocked…
Oh he’s in the Epstein files? I’m shocked, shocked…
Bless Elizabeth Warren for making sure Larry Summers never achieved his dream of being Fed Chair. Small victories.
November 13, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Like many women scientists of a certain age, it is difficult to express how much I fucking LOATHE Larry Summers. 👩🏻🔬🧪
Oh he’s in the Epstein files? I’m shocked, shocked…
Oh he’s in the Epstein files? I’m shocked, shocked…
Decided to drive to a darker location with my friend and this was the best we saw tonight. 11:30pm at Allatoona Lake, GA #aurora #northernlights
November 13, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Decided to drive to a darker location with my friend and this was the best we saw tonight. 11:30pm at Allatoona Lake, GA #aurora #northernlights
Super faint aurora or wishful thinking? 🤷♀️
North is at the bottom of the picture
Sandy Springs, GA at 10:30pm
North is at the bottom of the picture
Sandy Springs, GA at 10:30pm
November 12, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Super faint aurora or wishful thinking? 🤷♀️
North is at the bottom of the picture
Sandy Springs, GA at 10:30pm
North is at the bottom of the picture
Sandy Springs, GA at 10:30pm
Reposted by Misty Bentz
So this happened an hour ago. I don’t think I’ve seen red this deep in a long time. You could see it quite clearly with the naked eye. #aurora
November 12, 2025 at 2:07 AM
So this happened an hour ago. I don’t think I’ve seen red this deep in a long time. You could see it quite clearly with the naked eye. #aurora
I was feeling stabby last night (gee, I wonder why?), so I started a new project 🧶 #crossstitch
November 10, 2025 at 11:13 PM
I was feeling stabby last night (gee, I wonder why?), so I started a new project 🧶 #crossstitch
It’s snowing! ❄️
November 10, 2025 at 9:29 PM
It’s snowing! ❄️
Reposted by Misty Bentz
We can't give up now. ❄️
November 10, 2025 at 2:47 AM
We can't give up now. ❄️
Prepping for the first freeze of the season. I had pretty good luck last year, but we will see how many of these cuttings survive until spring! (Have a bunch more in a different window too)
I also planted 4 packs of crocus bulbs today and am looking forward to their cheerful faces heralding spring 🌱
I also planted 4 packs of crocus bulbs today and am looking forward to their cheerful faces heralding spring 🌱
November 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Prepping for the first freeze of the season. I had pretty good luck last year, but we will see how many of these cuttings survive until spring! (Have a bunch more in a different window too)
I also planted 4 packs of crocus bulbs today and am looking forward to their cheerful faces heralding spring 🌱
I also planted 4 packs of crocus bulbs today and am looking forward to their cheerful faces heralding spring 🌱
NGC 6946, the Fireworks Galaxy, and open cluster NGC 6939. The latter is a loose collection of stars only ~4000 light years away, while the former is a gravitationally bound “island universe” about 25 million light years away.
5.7hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
5.7hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
November 7, 2025 at 1:48 AM
NGC 6946, the Fireworks Galaxy, and open cluster NGC 6939. The latter is a loose collection of stars only ~4000 light years away, while the former is a gravitationally bound “island universe” about 25 million light years away.
5.7hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
5.7hrs, #Seestar S50 🔭 🧪
Siril, GraXpert, Starnet, GIMP
Face-eating contest
Like for leopards, right?
Like for leopards, right?
November 7, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Face-eating contest
Like for leopards, right?
Like for leopards, right?
November 6, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Saw this on FB today:
"The American Astronomical Society today announced that Dr. Kevin B. Marvel, the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his position effective 9 January 2026... to take up duties as the Executive Director for the Society for Neuroscience in March 2026."
"The American Astronomical Society today announced that Dr. Kevin B. Marvel, the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his position effective 9 January 2026... to take up duties as the Executive Director for the Society for Neuroscience in March 2026."
AAS Announces the Resignation of Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kevin B. Marvel | American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society today announced that Dr. Kevin B. Marvel, the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his position effective 9 January 2026.
aas.org
November 4, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Saw this on FB today:
"The American Astronomical Society today announced that Dr. Kevin B. Marvel, the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his position effective 9 January 2026... to take up duties as the Executive Director for the Society for Neuroscience in March 2026."
"The American Astronomical Society today announced that Dr. Kevin B. Marvel, the Society’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his position effective 9 January 2026... to take up duties as the Executive Director for the Society for Neuroscience in March 2026."
Reposted by Misty Bentz
It can often feel like there's a whole lot outside our control.
But if there's any kind of election in your town today, that's a way to make a meaningful difference in your state or local affairs.
But if there's any kind of election in your town today, that's a way to make a meaningful difference in your state or local affairs.
Today I’m voting for school board. Keep the local MAGA out. Keep the ABA teacher with no real information about her out too (IYKYK).
Your local election for boards and judges and funding and so forth really do matter. Go vote!
Your local election for boards and judges and funding and so forth really do matter. Go vote!
November 4, 2025 at 12:46 PM
It can often feel like there's a whole lot outside our control.
But if there's any kind of election in your town today, that's a way to make a meaningful difference in your state or local affairs.
But if there's any kind of election in your town today, that's a way to make a meaningful difference in your state or local affairs.
Reposted by Misty Bentz
Same for extra resources. Alt texting.
November 3, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Same for extra resources. Alt texting.
Reposted by Misty Bentz
Reposting with Alt Text. Location of free food pantries in Atlanta for those in need.
November 3, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reposting with Alt Text. Location of free food pantries in Atlanta for those in need.
Reposted by Misty Bentz
LLMs are racist snd sexist because the material they’re trained on is racist snd sexist and they’re owned and operated by racist, sexist billionaires.
Stop using this shit. It’s fucking up your brain.
Stop using this shit. It’s fucking up your brain.
When ChatGPT was asked to rate 40,000 résumés, it ranked the older male candidates as better quality than the younger female applicants.
Age and gender distortion in online media and large language models - Nature
Stereotypes of age-related gender bias are socially distorted, as evidenced by the age gap in the representations of women and men across various media and algorithms, despite no systematic age differ...
www.nature.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
LLMs are racist snd sexist because the material they’re trained on is racist snd sexist and they’re owned and operated by racist, sexist billionaires.
Stop using this shit. It’s fucking up your brain.
Stop using this shit. It’s fucking up your brain.
Reposted by Misty Bentz
Deeply unexpected that one of the best exhibits of extraterrestrial gems and minerals is in the terminal of the Portland, Maine airport??
April 4, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Deeply unexpected that one of the best exhibits of extraterrestrial gems and minerals is in the terminal of the Portland, Maine airport??
I like to keep a small project in my bag to work on during my commute (by train—I’m not driving). Just finished this one! 🧶
Little starry adventure in geometry, by The Steady Thread
stitched in DMC threads on white 16ct aida—I selected primary colors instead of what was recommended
5” square frame
Little starry adventure in geometry, by The Steady Thread
stitched in DMC threads on white 16ct aida—I selected primary colors instead of what was recommended
5” square frame
November 1, 2025 at 10:12 PM
I like to keep a small project in my bag to work on during my commute (by train—I’m not driving). Just finished this one! 🧶
Little starry adventure in geometry, by The Steady Thread
stitched in DMC threads on white 16ct aida—I selected primary colors instead of what was recommended
5” square frame
Little starry adventure in geometry, by The Steady Thread
stitched in DMC threads on white 16ct aida—I selected primary colors instead of what was recommended
5” square frame