Ned Wright
@mapping3k.bsky.social
UCLA astronomer working on space CMB and IR. On the COBE, WMAP, SIRTF and WISE missions. See my cosmology tutorial at https://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmolog.htm
Happy New years Eastern time!
January 1, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Happy New years Eastern time!
UCLA's campus is closed Dec 24 thru Jan 4, so my accomplishments lie elsewhere:
rewatched The Santa Clause
cooked food for 11 guests who all canceled due to rain on 12/24
rewatched The Muppet Christmas Carol
saw the green flash on 12/27
rewatched The Santa Clause
cooked food for 11 guests who all canceled due to rain on 12/24
rewatched The Muppet Christmas Carol
saw the green flash on 12/27
December 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
UCLA's campus is closed Dec 24 thru Jan 4, so my accomplishments lie elsewhere:
rewatched The Santa Clause
cooked food for 11 guests who all canceled due to rain on 12/24
rewatched The Muppet Christmas Carol
saw the green flash on 12/27
rewatched The Santa Clause
cooked food for 11 guests who all canceled due to rain on 12/24
rewatched The Muppet Christmas Carol
saw the green flash on 12/27
Not a foggy Xmas eve but a very rainy one here in LA.
Our Noche Buena dinner for 15 collapsed to only the folks staying in our house - 4 in all.
Our Noche Buena dinner for 15 collapsed to only the folks staying in our house - 4 in all.
December 25, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Not a foggy Xmas eve but a very rainy one here in LA.
Our Noche Buena dinner for 15 collapsed to only the folks staying in our house - 4 in all.
Our Noche Buena dinner for 15 collapsed to only the folks staying in our house - 4 in all.
Donald J Trump is the child of an immigrant and is definitely a problem so I agree with Stephen Goering Miller?
December 24, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Donald J Trump is the child of an immigrant and is definitely a problem so I agree with Stephen Goering Miller?
Here in LA the solstice came at 7 AM on 21 Dec 2025. The Sun reached the southernmost part of its path around the ecliptic, so in the Northern Hemisphere days will start to to lengthen. While today is the shortest day, the earliest sunset was 4 Dec 2025 & the latest sunrise will be 7 Jan 2026.
December 21, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Here in LA the solstice came at 7 AM on 21 Dec 2025. The Sun reached the southernmost part of its path around the ecliptic, so in the Northern Hemisphere days will start to to lengthen. While today is the shortest day, the earliest sunset was 4 Dec 2025 & the latest sunrise will be 7 Jan 2026.
Tire poppers I took off the boulevard on my morning walk Saturday
December 21, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Tire poppers I took off the boulevard on my morning walk Saturday
Found at the side of the boulevard yesterday and today. Spilled nails and a very experienced penny.
December 14, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Found at the side of the boulevard yesterday and today. Spilled nails and a very experienced penny.
Belated post of a post Thanksgiving panorama from a vacant lot at the end of the next street up. Great view of the reservoir. It’s for sale for millions but you’ll need millions more for engineering.
December 14, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Belated post of a post Thanksgiving panorama from a vacant lot at the end of the next street up. Great view of the reservoir. It’s for sale for millions but you’ll need millions more for engineering.
Up early to see the ISS moving through the sky from SW to NE. I noticed Mercury was up in the ESE so I looked at it too. As usual Mercury is pretty bright compared to most stars but seen against a bright sky close to the Sun. Left pic is ISS, right pic is Mercury.
December 11, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Up early to see the ISS moving through the sky from SW to NE. I noticed Mercury was up in the ESE so I looked at it too. As usual Mercury is pretty bright compared to most stars but seen against a bright sky close to the Sun. Left pic is ISS, right pic is Mercury.
My @nytimes.com troubles continue:
words found in the spelling bee on the iPhone app are not recorded but at least the webpage works OK.
Stories on the athletic disappear in less than a second on the iPhone app and do't appear at all on the webpage.
The app has been borked for more than a week.
words found in the spelling bee on the iPhone app are not recorded but at least the webpage works OK.
Stories on the athletic disappear in less than a second on the iPhone app and do't appear at all on the webpage.
The app has been borked for more than a week.
December 5, 2025 at 9:30 PM
My @nytimes.com troubles continue:
words found in the spelling bee on the iPhone app are not recorded but at least the webpage works OK.
Stories on the athletic disappear in less than a second on the iPhone app and do't appear at all on the webpage.
The app has been borked for more than a week.
words found in the spelling bee on the iPhone app are not recorded but at least the webpage works OK.
Stories on the athletic disappear in less than a second on the iPhone app and do't appear at all on the webpage.
The app has been borked for more than a week.
Sunrise before the earliest sunset of the year at the latitude of LA.
December 4, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Sunrise before the earliest sunset of the year at the latitude of LA.
Space-X launch of Starlink’s 12/1/2025 from Vandenberg as seen from my house. Booster in first picture, staging behind tree, then second stage in second picture.
December 2, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Space-X launch of Starlink’s 12/1/2025 from Vandenberg as seen from my house. Booster in first picture, staging behind tree, then second stage in second picture.
Happy Thanksgiving!
No big dinner for us today but I cooked and carved a 22 lb turkey for the UUSM.org potluck last Sunday.
So we have leftovers!
Turkey soup, turkey pot pie, turkey quesadillas, and canned cranberry sauce!
No big dinner for us today but I cooked and carved a 22 lb turkey for the UUSM.org potluck last Sunday.
So we have leftovers!
Turkey soup, turkey pot pie, turkey quesadillas, and canned cranberry sauce!
Home - Unitarian Univeralist Community Church of Santa Monica
UUSM grows together, united by common values. Discover how we make compassion, love, and justice real in the world, today.
UUSM.org
November 27, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Happy Thanksgiving!
No big dinner for us today but I cooked and carved a 22 lb turkey for the UUSM.org potluck last Sunday.
So we have leftovers!
Turkey soup, turkey pot pie, turkey quesadillas, and canned cranberry sauce!
No big dinner for us today but I cooked and carved a 22 lb turkey for the UUSM.org potluck last Sunday.
So we have leftovers!
Turkey soup, turkey pot pie, turkey quesadillas, and canned cranberry sauce!
The @nytimes.com app on the iphone is screwed up again.
The spelling bee fails to record progress.
The sports stories show up on the screen for a fraction of a second before the screen goes blank.
The webpage is OK on a browser.
The spelling bee fails to record progress.
The sports stories show up on the screen for a fraction of a second before the screen goes blank.
The webpage is OK on a browser.
November 27, 2025 at 9:27 AM
The @nytimes.com app on the iphone is screwed up again.
The spelling bee fails to record progress.
The sports stories show up on the screen for a fraction of a second before the screen goes blank.
The webpage is OK on a browser.
The spelling bee fails to record progress.
The sports stories show up on the screen for a fraction of a second before the screen goes blank.
The webpage is OK on a browser.
So @ladwp.com staged an 18 minute power outage for Thanksgiving eve but the electricity is back on now
November 27, 2025 at 6:17 AM
So @ladwp.com staged an 18 minute power outage for Thanksgiving eve but the electricity is back on now
It's a good thing LA has a warm climate.
We finally get the heat back on in late November.
We finally get the heat back on in late November.
November 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM
It's a good thing LA has a warm climate.
We finally get the heat back on in late November.
We finally get the heat back on in late November.
The @nytimes spelling bee on the iphone app is broken again, now for three straight days. It doesn't record your progress or accomplishments.
Looks like they pushed an update, didn't test it, and then left for Thanksgiving.
Use the webpage in a browser if you want to get credit.
Looks like they pushed an update, didn't test it, and then left for Thanksgiving.
Use the webpage in a browser if you want to get credit.
November 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The @nytimes spelling bee on the iphone app is broken again, now for three straight days. It doesn't record your progress or accomplishments.
Looks like they pushed an update, didn't test it, and then left for Thanksgiving.
Use the webpage in a browser if you want to get credit.
Looks like they pushed an update, didn't test it, and then left for Thanksgiving.
Use the webpage in a browser if you want to get credit.
Very inept fake field goal attempt by UCLA football.
November 23, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Very inept fake field goal attempt by UCLA football.
Mail truck got stuck trying to make the turn up to my house. Finally getting towed away 4 hours later.
November 15, 2025 at 5:51 AM
Mail truck got stuck trying to make the turn up to my house. Finally getting towed away 4 hours later.
Just got a LOUD and annoying emergency message from South Pasadena which is 25 miles away. The message: “never mind”!
Probably annoyed everyone in LA county, all 10 million of us.
Probably annoyed everyone in LA county, all 10 million of us.
November 12, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Just got a LOUD and annoying emergency message from South Pasadena which is 25 miles away. The message: “never mind”!
Probably annoyed everyone in LA county, all 10 million of us.
Probably annoyed everyone in LA county, all 10 million of us.
In SLO for the 19th JDMFF (James Dean Memorial Film Festival, where we just go see movies in theaters). I saw
Predator: Badlands - 85% on the tomatometer
Bugonia - 87% "
If I Had Legs I Would Kick You - 93% "
I thought these were all TERRIBLE movies. Scandalous grade inflation on Rotten Tomatoes.
Predator: Badlands - 85% on the tomatometer
Bugonia - 87% "
If I Had Legs I Would Kick You - 93% "
I thought these were all TERRIBLE movies. Scandalous grade inflation on Rotten Tomatoes.
November 10, 2025 at 1:04 AM
In SLO for the 19th JDMFF (James Dean Memorial Film Festival, where we just go see movies in theaters). I saw
Predator: Badlands - 85% on the tomatometer
Bugonia - 87% "
If I Had Legs I Would Kick You - 93% "
I thought these were all TERRIBLE movies. Scandalous grade inflation on Rotten Tomatoes.
Predator: Badlands - 85% on the tomatometer
Bugonia - 87% "
If I Had Legs I Would Kick You - 93% "
I thought these were all TERRIBLE movies. Scandalous grade inflation on Rotten Tomatoes.
To @padilla.senate.gov - please do not cave to the GOP without extending the ACA tax credits. And see if you can fstiffen a few backbones in the Senate.
November 10, 2025 at 12:53 AM
To @padilla.senate.gov - please do not cave to the GOP without extending the ACA tax credits. And see if you can fstiffen a few backbones in the Senate.
To @schiff.senate.gov - please do not cave to the Rs regarding the ACA tax credit extension. And stiffen your colleagues' backbones!
November 10, 2025 at 12:51 AM
To @schiff.senate.gov - please do not cave to the Rs regarding the ACA tax credit extension. And stiffen your colleagues' backbones!
The @nytimes.com spelling bee screwed up again today, casually throwing away my progress: 43/45 words and 215/226 points on the NYT iPhone app. Do they even do quality control?
November 9, 2025 at 3:17 PM
The @nytimes.com spelling bee screwed up again today, casually throwing away my progress: 43/45 words and 215/226 points on the NYT iPhone app. Do they even do quality control?
CA Prop 50 has passed, capping an election night where (almost?) every result went against Trump. I grew up in VA where the Dems won the races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and gained 12 seats in the 100 seat House of Delegates.
November 5, 2025 at 4:52 AM
CA Prop 50 has passed, capping an election night where (almost?) every result went against Trump. I grew up in VA where the Dems won the races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and gained 12 seats in the 100 seat House of Delegates.