Jen Willis 💫🎃
@jenwillis.bsky.social
Writer. Editor. @SkyandTelescope columnist.
Chronic illness/pain/optimism. ND. Astronerd. Fangirl of trees, otters, & more. She/her.
jennifer-willis.com
Chronic illness/pain/optimism. ND. Astronerd. Fangirl of trees, otters, & more. She/her.
jennifer-willis.com
Pinned
Jen Willis 💫🎃
@jenwillis.bsky.social
· Nov 28
Everything You Need to Vote - Vote.org
Register to vote. Check your registration status. Get your absentee ballot. Fast, free, easy, secure, nonpartisan.
vote.org
You know what all the cool kids* are doing? Checking their voter registration on a regular basis, and/or registering for the first time.
vote.org
(*I mean, maybe? I am not cool. But voting is super important.)
vote.org
(*I mean, maybe? I am not cool. But voting is super important.)
Because I seem to be doing some random reading this afternoon, I'll share this thoughtful and compelling piece by @danfalk.bsky.social about Carl Sagan and his wonderful novel and movie, Contact.
nautil.us/a-surprising...
nautil.us/a-surprising...
A Surprising Side of Carl Sagan
In Contact, the great science advocate posed a religious question about the cosmos.
nautil.us
January 22, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Because I seem to be doing some random reading this afternoon, I'll share this thoughtful and compelling piece by @danfalk.bsky.social about Carl Sagan and his wonderful novel and movie, Contact.
nautil.us/a-surprising...
nautil.us/a-surprising...
My latest message to my electeds, via Resitbot. Feel free to copy, if you're so moved. (But maybe correct my typo first?)
January 22, 2026 at 2:10 AM
My latest message to my electeds, via Resitbot. Feel free to copy, if you're so moved. (But maybe correct my typo first?)
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
HIRING: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore is searching for a Office of Public Outreach Division Head. The person would lead the science communication and public outreach activities for the Institute.
Apply today or share this post with your network: https://bit.ly/4qeUTMt
Apply today or share this post with your network: https://bit.ly/4qeUTMt
January 9, 2026 at 7:50 PM
HIRING: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore is searching for a Office of Public Outreach Division Head. The person would lead the science communication and public outreach activities for the Institute.
Apply today or share this post with your network: https://bit.ly/4qeUTMt
Apply today or share this post with your network: https://bit.ly/4qeUTMt
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
With much of the country facing severe temperature drops and winter weather in the next days due to an #ArcticBlast, Alley Cat Allies is sharing tips to help community cats stay warm and safe.
8 severe weather tips: www.alleycat.org/arctic-blast...
#winterstorm #communitycats #wintertips
(1/3)
8 severe weather tips: www.alleycat.org/arctic-blast...
#winterstorm #communitycats #wintertips
(1/3)
January 21, 2026 at 12:23 AM
With much of the country facing severe temperature drops and winter weather in the next days due to an #ArcticBlast, Alley Cat Allies is sharing tips to help community cats stay warm and safe.
8 severe weather tips: www.alleycat.org/arctic-blast...
#winterstorm #communitycats #wintertips
(1/3)
8 severe weather tips: www.alleycat.org/arctic-blast...
#winterstorm #communitycats #wintertips
(1/3)
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
notable foam art that brightened my day
January 21, 2026 at 6:23 PM
notable foam art that brightened my day
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Arp 314 - From Judy Schmidt (geckzilla.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2hQWksS
January 21, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Arp 314 - From Judy Schmidt (geckzilla.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2hQWksS
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
#apod 2026-01-21
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
Web page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260121.html
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
Web page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260121.html
January 21, 2026 at 6:30 AM
#apod 2026-01-21
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
Web page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260121.html
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1365 from Webb
Web page: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260121.html
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
This is Chloe. She doesn't understand why she can't have any of your Chinese food. Brought over a clean plate and everything. 13/10 (TT: morgansieberrr)
January 21, 2026 at 12:11 AM
This is Chloe. She doesn't understand why she can't have any of your Chinese food. Brought over a clean plate and everything. 13/10 (TT: morgansieberrr)
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Fantastic images and a front row to seat last night’s auroras.
Frogston Primary totally lucked out on their first night away at 🏴Lagganlia outdoor centre: clear skies and #aurora! Just as well we told them all about sun-spew in last week's planetarium show! Super proud of our P7 trained-astronomers who braved -2℃ to take these fantastic space photos. #SYTN 🤗🥳🔭🧪
January 20, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Fantastic images and a front row to seat last night’s auroras.
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
#Aurora over Europe!
We're currently experiencing a strong geomagnetic storm, which caused a stunning auroral display all over Europe last night. This time-lapse was captured by our colleague Stefan Ströbele over our headquarters in Garching near Munich. 🔭 🧪
📹 S. Ströbele/ESO
We're currently experiencing a strong geomagnetic storm, which caused a stunning auroral display all over Europe last night. This time-lapse was captured by our colleague Stefan Ströbele over our headquarters in Garching near Munich. 🔭 🧪
📹 S. Ströbele/ESO
January 20, 2026 at 4:35 PM
#Aurora over Europe!
We're currently experiencing a strong geomagnetic storm, which caused a stunning auroral display all over Europe last night. This time-lapse was captured by our colleague Stefan Ströbele over our headquarters in Garching near Munich. 🔭 🧪
📹 S. Ströbele/ESO
We're currently experiencing a strong geomagnetic storm, which caused a stunning auroral display all over Europe last night. This time-lapse was captured by our colleague Stefan Ströbele over our headquarters in Garching near Munich. 🔭 🧪
📹 S. Ströbele/ESO
Every damn day.
When I was younger, I fully expected to live through the US's waning influence on the world stage and our loss of status as a superpower. Never once, however, did I imagine the decline would be this stupid.
January 20, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Every damn day.
Well, it's been a year.
January 20, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Well, it's been a year.
A strategy I have not yet tried.
as an author getting any kind of sales bump out of a viral post is so rare you might as well hope to gain notoriety by standing in a field and waiting to be the first writer to catch a meteorite with your teeth instead
January 20, 2026 at 3:58 PM
A strategy I have not yet tried.
You cannot appease the hungry void. Bottomless greed will never be satisfied.
January 20, 2026 at 3:22 PM
You cannot appease the hungry void. Bottomless greed will never be satisfied.
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Titan's Northern Wetlands and Atmosphere - From Val Klavans (valklavans.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/mdN4EV
January 20, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Titan's Northern Wetlands and Atmosphere - From Val Klavans (valklavans.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/mdN4EV
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Someday the retailers will have a category for "solarpunk" or "hopeful climate fiction"...but today is not that day.
You'll find my books under "Metaphysical Sci-Fi" (which it is)
Book 2 is also kicking butt on the charts while it's free!
(Psst Bk1 is free too)
susankayequinn.com/series/nothi...
You'll find my books under "Metaphysical Sci-Fi" (which it is)
Book 2 is also kicking butt on the charts while it's free!
(Psst Bk1 is free too)
susankayequinn.com/series/nothi...
January 5, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Someday the retailers will have a category for "solarpunk" or "hopeful climate fiction"...but today is not that day.
You'll find my books under "Metaphysical Sci-Fi" (which it is)
Book 2 is also kicking butt on the charts while it's free!
(Psst Bk1 is free too)
susankayequinn.com/series/nothi...
You'll find my books under "Metaphysical Sci-Fi" (which it is)
Book 2 is also kicking butt on the charts while it's free!
(Psst Bk1 is free too)
susankayequinn.com/series/nothi...
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
in case you stan Pluto and you didn’t click through on my other post you really have to see this.
These are the icy mountains of Pluto. It took 9 years to get these magnificent images… and 4.8 billion kilometers.
January 19, 2026 at 11:44 AM
in case you stan Pluto and you didn’t click through on my other post you really have to see this.
Note to self:
Gazing through binoculars at the celestial disco ball that is Sirius, and then coming inside to look at images of and documentaries about Titan, one of the moons of Saturn? Always a good idea.
Gazing through binoculars at the celestial disco ball that is Sirius, and then coming inside to look at images of and documentaries about Titan, one of the moons of Saturn? Always a good idea.
January 19, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Note to self:
Gazing through binoculars at the celestial disco ball that is Sirius, and then coming inside to look at images of and documentaries about Titan, one of the moons of Saturn? Always a good idea.
Gazing through binoculars at the celestial disco ball that is Sirius, and then coming inside to look at images of and documentaries about Titan, one of the moons of Saturn? Always a good idea.
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Registration for Octocon 2026 is now open! Clayton Hotel, Cork City & Online on 3rd-4th of October with GOHs @cemurphy.bsky.social y.bsky.social & @aptshadow.bsky.social.
€10 off limited Early Bird memberships:
octocon.com/join-us/
#Octocon #Fantasy #SciFi #Fandom #CorkCity
€10 off limited Early Bird memberships:
octocon.com/join-us/
#Octocon #Fantasy #SciFi #Fandom #CorkCity
January 18, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Registration for Octocon 2026 is now open! Clayton Hotel, Cork City & Online on 3rd-4th of October with GOHs @cemurphy.bsky.social y.bsky.social & @aptshadow.bsky.social.
€10 off limited Early Bird memberships:
octocon.com/join-us/
#Octocon #Fantasy #SciFi #Fandom #CorkCity
€10 off limited Early Bird memberships:
octocon.com/join-us/
#Octocon #Fantasy #SciFi #Fandom #CorkCity
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Mars - Phobos over Tharsis Region - ESA Mars Express - From Andrea Luck (andrealuck.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2pG5toU
January 17, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Mars - Phobos over Tharsis Region - ESA Mars Express - From Andrea Luck (andrealuck.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2pG5toU
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
I encourage people to take sanity breaks. Stay engaged, but don’t let it consume you.
Go on walks. Read a book. Intentionally do *something* that makes you happy and unplug from the shitshow for a day or two - it’ll still be here when you get back.
Go on walks. Read a book. Intentionally do *something* that makes you happy and unplug from the shitshow for a day or two - it’ll still be here when you get back.
January 17, 2026 at 4:15 AM
I encourage people to take sanity breaks. Stay engaged, but don’t let it consume you.
Go on walks. Read a book. Intentionally do *something* that makes you happy and unplug from the shitshow for a day or two - it’ll still be here when you get back.
Go on walks. Read a book. Intentionally do *something* that makes you happy and unplug from the shitshow for a day or two - it’ll still be here when you get back.
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
If you’re in Minneapolis and need a place to just BE right now, Big Hill Books and Birchbark Books & Native Arts are both open and ready to welcome you with open arms.
January 8, 2026 at 6:47 PM
If you’re in Minneapolis and need a place to just BE right now, Big Hill Books and Birchbark Books & Native Arts are both open and ready to welcome you with open arms.
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
Art and writing is a form of protest. It is a form of empowerment. It is part of being human.
That is why you write when the world is on fire.
That is why you write when the world is on fire.
January 16, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Art and writing is a form of protest. It is a form of empowerment. It is part of being human.
That is why you write when the world is on fire.
That is why you write when the world is on fire.
Reposted by Jen Willis 💫🎃
But the bigger reason that you should write and make art, is that your work is someone else's respite.
You don't know who they are. They may be someone in the future. But if you have escaped into a book, or a painting, or a TV show... Someone created that.
You can do that for someone else.
You don't know who they are. They may be someone in the future. But if you have escaped into a book, or a painting, or a TV show... Someone created that.
You can do that for someone else.
January 16, 2026 at 3:48 PM
But the bigger reason that you should write and make art, is that your work is someone else's respite.
You don't know who they are. They may be someone in the future. But if you have escaped into a book, or a painting, or a TV show... Someone created that.
You can do that for someone else.
You don't know who they are. They may be someone in the future. But if you have escaped into a book, or a painting, or a TV show... Someone created that.
You can do that for someone else.