Jonathan Fortney
@jjfplanet.bsky.social
UC Santa Cruz Astronomy Professor & Department Chair, Other Worlds Laboratory (OWL) Director. Planetary Astrophysics: Exoplanets & Solar System. Father, Husband, Minnesotan, Runner. Proud product & employee of the public school system, age 5 to today.
Reposted by Jonathan Fortney
sometimes an Oxford comma can make all the difference
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 PM
sometimes an Oxford comma can make all the difference
Kids today don't realize how often light bulbs used to burn out.
November 7, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Kids today don't realize how often light bulbs used to burn out.
This is some crushing news for the crown jewel postdoctoral program for the University of California.
The President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, PPFP, has been a jewel in the crown for faculty development and recruitment at the University of California for years and the results have been an expanded faculty with almost 100% tenure rates — unprecedented success.
November 5, 2025 at 3:28 PM
This is some crushing news for the crown jewel postdoctoral program for the University of California.
Reposted by Jonathan Fortney
Are you applying to the University of California for fall admission as a first-year student? Don’t stress! We’ve got pointers and info straight from UC’s admissions experts. Don’t forget UC Applications are due Dec 1 🗓️💙💛 https://bit.ly/4opIggD
November 3, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Are you applying to the University of California for fall admission as a first-year student? Don’t stress! We’ve got pointers and info straight from UC’s admissions experts. Don’t forget UC Applications are due Dec 1 🗓️💙💛 https://bit.ly/4opIggD
Farmers Market!
November 3, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Farmers Market!
Reposted by Jonathan Fortney
Glad to see this story covered by the press. I've heard from colleagues that Goddard labs are being moved/closed during the government shutdown while employees are unable to receive notification/e-mail/warnings. There's fear that they'll return after the shutdown & labs will be gone. 🔭
#nasa is shuttering the Goddard #space #flight center in a move that may not be entirely legal, according to critics. For months, our #staff #writer @joshdinner.bsky.social interviewed NASA #employees, read #senate reports and more to give you the deepest dive yet.
www.space.com/space-explor...
www.space.com/space-explor...
November 2, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Glad to see this story covered by the press. I've heard from colleagues that Goddard labs are being moved/closed during the government shutdown while employees are unable to receive notification/e-mail/warnings. There's fear that they'll return after the shutdown & labs will be gone. 🔭
Hey kids, just reach inside and grab a handful, one at a time!
October 30, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Hey kids, just reach inside and grab a handful, one at a time!
For when you need Manhattans for dozens of people?
October 30, 2025 at 1:43 AM
For when you need Manhattans for dozens of people?
Is this the year we make dreams come true? ....no.
October 30, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Is this the year we make dreams come true? ....no.
Really important work led by @needhibhalla.bsky.social:
Commentary by @needhibhalla.bsky.social et al. on the recent attacks on DEI in biomedical research. Data show that diversity in the science increases creativity & success in tackling challenging problems.
🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 25, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Really important work led by @needhibhalla.bsky.social:
Oh man, watching college football is tough. These kids make a lot of mistakes!
October 25, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Oh man, watching college football is tough. These kids make a lot of mistakes!
Campus friend from earlier this week at UC Santa Cruz.
October 25, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Campus friend from earlier this week at UC Santa Cruz.
You know, France:
October 15, 2025 at 7:00 AM
You know, France:
I just cut into a sausage at lunch and sprayed meat juice all over Ravit Helled's shirt. Ugh, going great...
October 9, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I just cut into a sausage at lunch and sprayed meat juice all over Ravit Helled's shirt. Ugh, going great...
Reposted by Jonathan Fortney
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
Provence sunrise! Now to hear some science talks!
October 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Provence sunrise! Now to hear some science talks!
Pleasant breakfast companion in Provence, France. Very opinionated on exoplanets topics.
October 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Pleasant breakfast companion in Provence, France. Very opinionated on exoplanets topics.
Goodnight from Provence!
October 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Goodnight from Provence!
On my 9-hour flight from SFO to Munich (I'm on my way to the 30th Anniversary of 51 Pegasi b meeting in Provence this week) I watched all 9 episodes of Our Friends and Neighbors! My first-ever true "binge watch," I suppose. A solid show -- hard to go wrong with Jon Hamm!
October 5, 2025 at 11:35 AM
On my 9-hour flight from SFO to Munich (I'm on my way to the 30th Anniversary of 51 Pegasi b meeting in Provence this week) I watched all 9 episodes of Our Friends and Neighbors! My first-ever true "binge watch," I suppose. A solid show -- hard to go wrong with Jon Hamm!
Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
--John Steinbeck
--John Steinbeck
October 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
--John Steinbeck
--John Steinbeck
For my scientific temperament I needed a field that was more controversial, more open-ended and new, where quick was useful and sloppy did not matter too much because it would all change soon anyway. --Ed Salpeter
October 3, 2025 at 5:34 PM
For my scientific temperament I needed a field that was more controversial, more open-ended and new, where quick was useful and sloppy did not matter too much because it would all change soon anyway. --Ed Salpeter
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
-- Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach
-- Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach
October 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
-- Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach
-- Douglas Hofstadter, Gödel, Escher, Bach
Reposted by Jonathan Fortney
📢 Don't forget to join us for this talk tomorrow (Thursday)!
13:00 UTC = 15:00 CEST = 09:00 EDT = 06:00 PDT = 22:00 JST
If you haven't signed up to our mailing list to access the Zoom-link, you can also watch it live on our YouTube channel 🔭☄️🧪 #exoplanet livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMr2...
13:00 UTC = 15:00 CEST = 09:00 EDT = 06:00 PDT = 22:00 JST
If you haven't signed up to our mailing list to access the Zoom-link, you can also watch it live on our YouTube channel 🔭☄️🧪 #exoplanet livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMr2...
Cloudy with a chance of... haze? Aerosol? Carbon dioxide?!🌦️
Next #RockyWorldsDiscussion on Thu 2 Oct @ 13:00 UTC will feature Kazumasa Ohno (NAOJ) and recent JWST results that lift the hazy veil on the composition of sub-Neptune #exoplanet GJ 1214 b 🪐🔭🧪
More: www.rockyworlds.org/event-detail...
Next #RockyWorldsDiscussion on Thu 2 Oct @ 13:00 UTC will feature Kazumasa Ohno (NAOJ) and recent JWST results that lift the hazy veil on the composition of sub-Neptune #exoplanet GJ 1214 b 🪐🔭🧪
More: www.rockyworlds.org/event-detail...
October 1, 2025 at 2:20 PM
📢 Don't forget to join us for this talk tomorrow (Thursday)!
13:00 UTC = 15:00 CEST = 09:00 EDT = 06:00 PDT = 22:00 JST
If you haven't signed up to our mailing list to access the Zoom-link, you can also watch it live on our YouTube channel 🔭☄️🧪 #exoplanet livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMr2...
13:00 UTC = 15:00 CEST = 09:00 EDT = 06:00 PDT = 22:00 JST
If you haven't signed up to our mailing list to access the Zoom-link, you can also watch it live on our YouTube channel 🔭☄️🧪 #exoplanet livestream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMr2...
I'm really excited about this one! It's fantastic working with Dr. Yayaati Chachan:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.20428
"Revising the Giant Planet Mass-Metallicity Relation: Deciphering the Formation Sequence of Giant Planets"
Lots of great nuggets her, including that even super-Jupiters are very metal-rich.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.20428
"Revising the Giant Planet Mass-Metallicity Relation: Deciphering the Formation Sequence of Giant Planets"
Lots of great nuggets her, including that even super-Jupiters are very metal-rich.
Revising the Giant Planet Mass-Metallicity Relation: Deciphering the Formation Sequence of Giant Planets
The rate at which giant planets accumulate solids and gas is a critical component of planet formation models, yet it is extremely challenging to predict from first principles. Characterizing the heavy...
arxiv.org
September 26, 2025 at 4:25 AM
I'm really excited about this one! It's fantastic working with Dr. Yayaati Chachan:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.20428
"Revising the Giant Planet Mass-Metallicity Relation: Deciphering the Formation Sequence of Giant Planets"
Lots of great nuggets her, including that even super-Jupiters are very metal-rich.
arxiv.org/abs/2509.20428
"Revising the Giant Planet Mass-Metallicity Relation: Deciphering the Formation Sequence of Giant Planets"
Lots of great nuggets her, including that even super-Jupiters are very metal-rich.