Channon Visscher
@cvisscher.bsky.social
Professor of Chemistry & Planetary Sciences at Dordt University (IA) and Research Scientist with the Space Science Institute (CO)
Github: https://cvisscher.github.io/
Github: https://cvisscher.github.io/
we had spent much of the (chilly) evening in the countryside away from any lights, but my favorite image of the night ended up being the aurora just casually, majestically, filling the sky above our homes
November 12, 2025 at 4:35 PM
we had spent much of the (chilly) evening in the countryside away from any lights, but my favorite image of the night ended up being the aurora just casually, majestically, filling the sky above our homes
Teaching some comparative planetology, it turns out that lighting half-buried firecrackers in a bed of sand does a pretty nice job of simulating the formation of impact craters ; ) 🧪🔭
October 21, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Teaching some comparative planetology, it turns out that lighting half-buried firecrackers in a bed of sand does a pretty nice job of simulating the formation of impact craters ; ) 🧪🔭
I think about this plot all the time, and especially with respect to things like autism. If you’d lived in 1940 and had access to this data, would it feel like an “epidemic” of left-handedness?
September 25, 2025 at 12:11 AM
I think about this plot all the time, and especially with respect to things like autism. If you’d lived in 1940 and had access to this data, would it feel like an “epidemic” of left-handedness?
The Summer I Misplaced the Moon... #TSITP 🔭
Watching the finale last night I happened to notice a few oddities regarding the placement of the Moon, so I wrote a quick set of review slides to work through with my intro astro class ; )
(other than times/locations, this should be spoiler free)
Watching the finale last night I happened to notice a few oddities regarding the placement of the Moon, so I wrote a quick set of review slides to work through with my intro astro class ; )
(other than times/locations, this should be spoiler free)
September 18, 2025 at 8:56 PM
The Summer I Misplaced the Moon... #TSITP 🔭
Watching the finale last night I happened to notice a few oddities regarding the placement of the Moon, so I wrote a quick set of review slides to work through with my intro astro class ; )
(other than times/locations, this should be spoiler free)
Watching the finale last night I happened to notice a few oddities regarding the placement of the Moon, so I wrote a quick set of review slides to work through with my intro astro class ; )
(other than times/locations, this should be spoiler free)
The two kinds of overleaf authors 🧪
September 16, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The two kinds of overleaf authors 🧪
Our (Faherty et al) newly published JWST detection of silane (SiH4) in the brown dwarf W1534 (aka "The Accident")! This molecule isn't seen on Jupiter because it's removed by deep silicate clouds, but unusual chemical properties of W1534 allow SiH4 to be mixed up into the visible atmosphere 🔭 🧪
NASA Study: Celestial ‘Accident’ Sheds Light on Jupiter, Saturn Riddle
An unusual cosmic object is helping scientists better understand the chemistry hidden deep in Jupiter and Saturn’s atmospheres — and potentially those of exoplanets.
www.jpl.nasa.gov
September 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Our (Faherty et al) newly published JWST detection of silane (SiH4) in the brown dwarf W1534 (aka "The Accident")! This molecule isn't seen on Jupiter because it's removed by deep silicate clouds, but unusual chemical properties of W1534 allow SiH4 to be mixed up into the visible atmosphere 🔭 🧪
Reposted by Channon Visscher
I wrote about how Earth's wobble causes our view of the skies to shift over time. Here's a paywall-free gift link. With @fparis.bsky.social and @iamrumz.bsky.social
Your Zodiac Sign Is 2,000 Years Out of Date (Gift Article)
Over millennia, our view of the stars has shifted, because of Earth’s wobble. It may be time to rethink your sign.
www.nytimes.com
September 9, 2025 at 1:08 AM
I wrote about how Earth's wobble causes our view of the skies to shift over time. Here's a paywall-free gift link. With @fparis.bsky.social and @iamrumz.bsky.social
Reposted by Channon Visscher
Reposted by Channon Visscher
The heartbreaking thing about this
is that there’s already a proven way
to invest lots of money in a knowledge machine
that produces unforeseeable results
that include fantastically profitable ideas
(and some life-saving ones)
and generally benefit society
and this machine is called
a university
is that there’s already a proven way
to invest lots of money in a knowledge machine
that produces unforeseeable results
that include fantastically profitable ideas
(and some life-saving ones)
and generally benefit society
and this machine is called
a university
From the replies (bsky.app/profile/dasb...) here's Sam Altman doing what the quoted post described. He seems serious about it.
August 19, 2025 at 5:33 PM
The heartbreaking thing about this
is that there’s already a proven way
to invest lots of money in a knowledge machine
that produces unforeseeable results
that include fantastically profitable ideas
(and some life-saving ones)
and generally benefit society
and this machine is called
a university
is that there’s already a proven way
to invest lots of money in a knowledge machine
that produces unforeseeable results
that include fantastically profitable ideas
(and some life-saving ones)
and generally benefit society
and this machine is called
a university
Reposted by Channon Visscher
I have a complaint about Avi Loeb's latest work and I want to speak to management.
medium.com/@steve.desch...
medium.com/@steve.desch...
This is not the quality of pseudoscience infotainment to which I have grown accustomed
Teasing the public with fraudulent or self-deluded promises of aliens used to mean something. It took work. It meant slapping together…
medium.com
August 8, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I have a complaint about Avi Loeb's latest work and I want to speak to management.
medium.com/@steve.desch...
medium.com/@steve.desch...
We had an over 99mph(!) derecho pass through last night and lost a few of our favorite small trees. Thankfully house is fine we are all safe & sound!
July 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
We had an over 99mph(!) derecho pass through last night and lost a few of our favorite small trees. Thankfully house is fine we are all safe & sound!
Reposted by Channon Visscher
I liked Caroline Morley's Exoclimes poster describing our Sonora model set so much that I'm going to hang up a replica in my office.
July 18, 2025 at 9:29 PM
I liked Caroline Morley's Exoclimes poster describing our Sonora model set so much that I'm going to hang up a replica in my office.
Reposted by Channon Visscher
10 years ago, #OnThisDay in 2015, NASA's New Horizons probe performed the first flyby of dwarf planet Pluto, completing the initial survey of the Solar System. This 'true colour' photo was taken on 14 July 2015, showing numerous impact craters and the large basin of the Sputnik Planitia.
July 14, 2025 at 1:10 PM
10 years ago, #OnThisDay in 2015, NASA's New Horizons probe performed the first flyby of dwarf planet Pluto, completing the initial survey of the Solar System. This 'true colour' photo was taken on 14 July 2015, showing numerous impact craters and the large basin of the Sputnik Planitia.
Reposted by Channon Visscher
The current administration has more successfully destroyed US science and the scientific enterprise than the hypothetical nuclear weapons program in Iran.
NEW: NSF will be kicked out of their building. Announcement will be made tomorrow by HUD Sec. and Governor of VA. HUD will take over the NSF building over the next two years.
NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."
NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."
June 24, 2025 at 11:35 PM
The current administration has more successfully destroyed US science and the scientific enterprise than the hypothetical nuclear weapons program in Iran.
Reposted by Channon Visscher
I rarely post personal things. But I need to talk about my 4-year-old niece, Hope.
She has a rare disease. A drug called elamipretide has helped her survive.
But the FDA recently denied its approval.
Now, her health hangs in the balance.
Please share her story & urge the FDA to reconsider. 🧵
She has a rare disease. A drug called elamipretide has helped her survive.
But the FDA recently denied its approval.
Now, her health hangs in the balance.
Please share her story & urge the FDA to reconsider. 🧵
June 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
I rarely post personal things. But I need to talk about my 4-year-old niece, Hope.
She has a rare disease. A drug called elamipretide has helped her survive.
But the FDA recently denied its approval.
Now, her health hangs in the balance.
Please share her story & urge the FDA to reconsider. 🧵
She has a rare disease. A drug called elamipretide has helped her survive.
But the FDA recently denied its approval.
Now, her health hangs in the balance.
Please share her story & urge the FDA to reconsider. 🧵
I think about this quote at least once week, from @laurarbnsn.bsky.social
June 23, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I think about this quote at least once week, from @laurarbnsn.bsky.social
A nice series of snapshots celebrating the 50th anniversary of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at WashU in St. Louis
McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences celebrates 50 years of science and exploration
A half-century ago, aviation pioneer and former WashU board chair James S. McDonnell announced a $4 million gift (worth nearly $26 million today) to create the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences ...
artsci.washu.edu
May 20, 2025 at 7:56 PM
A nice series of snapshots celebrating the 50th anniversary of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at WashU in St. Louis
Reposted by Channon Visscher
The reason we do atmospheric modeling is to learn about processes. We found our Elf Owl models didn't predict the CO2 abundance in brown dwarfs correctly. This was a win, we learned something new! IOur new arXiv note explains it all and how we fixed it. Thanks Nick Wogan! arxiv.org/abs/2505.03994
The Sonora Substellar Atmosphere Models. V: A Correction to the Disequilibrium Abundance of CO$_2$ for Sonora Elf Owl
To aid the interpretation of observations of substellar atmospheres, Mukherjee et al. (2024) created the Sonora Elf Owl grid of model atmospheres, simulations that accounted for disequilibrium quench ...
arxiv.org
May 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
The reason we do atmospheric modeling is to learn about processes. We found our Elf Owl models didn't predict the CO2 abundance in brown dwarfs correctly. This was a win, we learned something new! IOur new arXiv note explains it all and how we fixed it. Thanks Nick Wogan! arxiv.org/abs/2505.03994
Reposted by Channon Visscher
Scientists who study climate don't automatically attribute all changes to human activity. Rather, we carefully investigate every possible natural factor that could explain the planet's warming.
Could these be the real culprits?
The evidence is in--and the answer is NO.
This thread explains! 🧵
Could these be the real culprits?
The evidence is in--and the answer is NO.
This thread explains! 🧵
May 1, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Scientists who study climate don't automatically attribute all changes to human activity. Rather, we carefully investigate every possible natural factor that could explain the planet's warming.
Could these be the real culprits?
The evidence is in--and the answer is NO.
This thread explains! 🧵
Could these be the real culprits?
The evidence is in--and the answer is NO.
This thread explains! 🧵
Reposted by Channon Visscher
okay now that you all have gotten a taste of America's rational and predictable new trade policy, everyone who wants to build your new factories here just form an orderly line
April 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
okay now that you all have gotten a taste of America's rational and predictable new trade policy, everyone who wants to build your new factories here just form an orderly line
Reposted by Channon Visscher
Today we say goodbye to ESA’s Milky Way-mapper Gaia! The Gaia spacecraft has completed its sky-scanning and will be switched off this morning.
March 27, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Today we say goodbye to ESA’s Milky Way-mapper Gaia! The Gaia spacecraft has completed its sky-scanning and will be switched off this morning.
Reposted by Channon Visscher
This cut is so short-sighted, as highlighted by this NIST blog post from just 5 days ago. www.nist.gov/blogs/taking...
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March 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
This cut is so short-sighted, as highlighted by this NIST blog post from just 5 days ago. www.nist.gov/blogs/taking...
🧪
🧪
Reposted by Channon Visscher
Pet peeve: I hate how often ppl claim “all the researchers will just move to Europe/Canada!” You vastly under-estimate how little money there is there vs the USA- and unless that changes ASAP this loss is just going to decimate global science, full stop. 🧪🔭
March 16, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Pet peeve: I hate how often ppl claim “all the researchers will just move to Europe/Canada!” You vastly under-estimate how little money there is there vs the USA- and unless that changes ASAP this loss is just going to decimate global science, full stop. 🧪🔭