CatherineQ
@catherineq.bsky.social
Astronomer, science communicator, over-thinker extraordinaire. @AucklandUni space person @AucklandSpace. Autoimmune illness. 🇳🇿🇺🇸
Reposted by CatherineQ
Listen, I'm not saying I endorse brutal mockery of Avi Loeb's claims that every interstellar comet we see is an alien spaceship, but I will link to it because the aliens made me in order to sow doubt about their cometships.
oddnews.com/article/this...
oddnews.com/article/this...
“This Comet Thing Is Aliens,” Says Resident Harvard Fraud Avi Loeb
Like he does every week, without evidence.
oddnews.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Listen, I'm not saying I endorse brutal mockery of Avi Loeb's claims that every interstellar comet we see is an alien spaceship, but I will link to it because the aliens made me in order to sow doubt about their cometships.
oddnews.com/article/this...
oddnews.com/article/this...
Reposted by CatherineQ
I really need to get to bed, but I just poked my head out the back door again. This is the view from my deck. All of this is looking south. When the geomagnetic storms are like this, the oval overshoots me and stretches into the US, which is why so many are seeing it tonight. #aurora
November 12, 2025 at 5:16 AM
I really need to get to bed, but I just poked my head out the back door again. This is the view from my deck. All of this is looking south. When the geomagnetic storms are like this, the oval overshoots me and stretches into the US, which is why so many are seeing it tonight. #aurora
People who “thumbs up” outlook messages make me wish I knew how to thumbs up an outlook message.
a cartoon character is sitting in a car with a netflix logo on the bottom
ALT: a cartoon character is sitting in a car with a netflix logo on the bottom
media.tenor.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:44 AM
People who “thumbs up” outlook messages make me wish I knew how to thumbs up an outlook message.
It’s probably not the greatest sign that I’m so blown away when academics are really polite to staff.
October 28, 2025 at 3:37 AM
It’s probably not the greatest sign that I’m so blown away when academics are really polite to staff.
Reposted by CatherineQ
I've always said this, but since last November, I've been pointing this out frequently in whatever venues to whatever audiences I can: "The planet NASA studies most is Earth."
A lot of comments on Mars rovers or Moon landings, but it's important to remember that the planet NASA studies most is Earth. This is less about cutting flashy things like moonwalks and more about keeping communities in the dark on climate, weather, agriculture, pollution, natural hazards, and more.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers reut.rs/4302N2L
October 14, 2025 at 6:39 AM
I've always said this, but since last November, I've been pointing this out frequently in whatever venues to whatever audiences I can: "The planet NASA studies most is Earth."
Reposted by CatherineQ
the Muppets have been real quiet since the Louvre heist
October 19, 2025 at 10:19 PM
the Muppets have been real quiet since the Louvre heist
Just spent day with a very lovely American delegation and am now feeling reverse homesick. 🇳🇿🇺🇸 (but then this is my view on the commute home so…pros and cons)
October 20, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Just spent day with a very lovely American delegation and am now feeling reverse homesick. 🇳🇿🇺🇸 (but then this is my view on the commute home so…pros and cons)
October 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
This day has been disproportionately bad.
September 19, 2025 at 6:03 AM
This day has been disproportionately bad.
Reposted by CatherineQ
September 7, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Any Bluesky space people at IAC in Sydney this year?
September 7, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Any Bluesky space people at IAC in Sydney this year?
Off we go. Anytime Ōtautahi - anytime - you are the best.
August 12, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Off we go. Anytime Ōtautahi - anytime - you are the best.
Favourite city Ōtautahi Christchurch
August 12, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Favourite city Ōtautahi Christchurch
Reposted by CatherineQ
“I look up at the moon, and wonder: When will we be going back? And who will that be?” - Jim Lovell
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
August 10, 2025 at 8:00 AM
“I look up at the moon, and wonder: When will we be going back? And who will that be?” - Jim Lovell
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
About 85% of people at this airport gate are hacking up a lung. Lovely.
August 11, 2025 at 6:04 PM
About 85% of people at this airport gate are hacking up a lung. Lovely.
“I look up at the moon, and wonder: When will we be going back? And who will that be?” - Jim Lovell
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
August 10, 2025 at 8:00 AM
“I look up at the moon, and wonder: When will we be going back? And who will that be?” - Jim Lovell
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
Image: “Earthrise” - Apollo 8 (taken by Bill Anders as Jim Lovell looked on)
RIP to a truly great man.
Glad the Apollo 13 movie is getting reruns lately.
This scene is even more moving today: right, Tom Hanks playing Jim Lovell; left, cameo appearance by actual Jim Lovell (1928 Mar 25 - 2025 Aug 7).
This scene is even more moving today: right, Tom Hanks playing Jim Lovell; left, cameo appearance by actual Jim Lovell (1928 Mar 25 - 2025 Aug 7).
August 9, 2025 at 7:50 AM
RIP to a truly great man.
It must be such a great feeling to have the correct chromosomes to have your expertise valued.
August 3, 2025 at 6:48 AM
It must be such a great feeling to have the correct chromosomes to have your expertise valued.
Always helps me to sleep better at night, safe in the knowledge that our government is focussed on the really important things… 🤦♀️ #ThisIsRacist
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/confirmat...
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/confirmat...
'English-first': Changes confirmed for NZ passport will place English before te reo Māori
The current passport, with te reo Māori text first, came into effect in 2021.
www.nzherald.co.nz
July 25, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Always helps me to sleep better at night, safe in the knowledge that our government is focussed on the really important things… 🤦♀️ #ThisIsRacist
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/confirmat...
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/confirmat...
Reposted by CatherineQ
“The NZ passport should have English at the top cause in an international context that’s what people understand”
Ok racist uncle what’s this then
Ok racist uncle what’s this then
July 25, 2025 at 7:19 AM
“The NZ passport should have English at the top cause in an international context that’s what people understand”
Ok racist uncle what’s this then
Ok racist uncle what’s this then
Reposted by CatherineQ
Those of you who've been following me for a while may have seen me share this before, usually when I hear that someone has just learnt that they may or do have cancer.
While it's framed as how not to say the wrong thing to that person, I was so glad I knew about it before I ended up in the centre.
While it's framed as how not to say the wrong thing to that person, I was so glad I knew about it before I ended up in the centre.
How not to say the wrong thing
Have you ever said something crass you regret and wish you could take back? Millions of readers have learned this simple trick to avoid embarrassment and hurt feelings since it was first published in ...
www.latimes.com
July 16, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Those of you who've been following me for a while may have seen me share this before, usually when I hear that someone has just learnt that they may or do have cancer.
While it's framed as how not to say the wrong thing to that person, I was so glad I knew about it before I ended up in the centre.
While it's framed as how not to say the wrong thing to that person, I was so glad I knew about it before I ended up in the centre.
Reposted by CatherineQ
Our members @drpriaero.bsky.social and @catherineq.bsky.social quoted in @thespinoff.bsky.social on NZ's MethaneSat involvement:
thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...
thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...
What went wrong with MethaneSat – and who should answer for it?
New Zealand’s first publicly funded space mission has ended with a lost satellite and a debate about how we spend our money in space.<br />
thespinoff.co.nz
July 10, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Our members @drpriaero.bsky.social and @catherineq.bsky.social quoted in @thespinoff.bsky.social on NZ's MethaneSat involvement:
thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...
thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...
Reposted by CatherineQ
Next time, may I politely suggest careful consideration occurs BEFORE plans are made which fly in the face of both expert advice and good sense.
Wellington Hospital will not proceed with cutting maternity and gynaecology beds
Wellington Hospital will not proceed with cutting maternity and gynaecology beds
The proposed trial at Wellington Regional Hospital will no longer go ahead.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 8, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Next time, may I politely suggest careful consideration occurs BEFORE plans are made which fly in the face of both expert advice and good sense.