Matthew Kenworthy
@mattkenworthy.bsky.social
Professor of astronomy working at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands on the direct imaging of extrasolar planets and transits of giant ring systems || Opinions my own || Will tell Dad jokes for cash. https://kenworthy.space/
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Friday HSLA spectrum! My friend Beta Pictoris, first star to have its debris disk imaged and including STIS data I worked on as an undergrad, eleven programs in all. It has two planetary companions more massive than #Jupiter #astrosci #exoplanets 🔭
November 21, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Friday HSLA spectrum! My friend Beta Pictoris, first star to have its debris disk imaged and including STIS data I worked on as an undergrad, eleven programs in all. It has two planetary companions more massive than #Jupiter #astrosci #exoplanets 🔭
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
“[W]hen I hear Farage talking about rounding up & deporting hundreds of thousands of human beings, & threatening those with leave to remain or settled status, I cannot help but think of the schoolboy sidling up to me & telling me that “Hitler was right”.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Don’t believe Nigel Farage’s denials. He targeted me for being Jewish – and it hurt | Peter Ettedgui
Now that my former classmate has finally spoken about the allegations of his behaviour at school, I feel compelled to address his points directly, says Peter Ettedgui, a film director and producer
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:05 AM
“[W]hen I hear Farage talking about rounding up & deporting hundreds of thousands of human beings, & threatening those with leave to remain or settled status, I cannot help but think of the schoolboy sidling up to me & telling me that “Hitler was right”.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
A very exciting paper by Kral et al. on “Exomoon search with VLTI/GRAVITY around the substellar companion HD 206893 B” using astrometric measurements of the companion to search for a putative #exomoon. Half a Jupiter mass at 0.22 au maaaaybe? We’re getting closer! #astrodon #astrosci #exoplanets
November 26, 2025 at 8:52 AM
A very exciting paper by Kral et al. on “Exomoon search with VLTI/GRAVITY around the substellar companion HD 206893 B” using astrometric measurements of the companion to search for a putative #exomoon. Half a Jupiter mass at 0.22 au maaaaybe? We’re getting closer! #astrodon #astrosci #exoplanets
In work early this morning to tackle a big project and the internet is incredibly flaky ri- ERR NO SIGHUP
November 25, 2025 at 8:39 AM
In work early this morning to tackle a big project and the internet is incredibly flaky ri- ERR NO SIGHUP
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Thev sound in this video is fascinating. You can hear what I think is background rain and pumice fall. But the roaring... Is that from the eruption or from the PDC? In contrast to that PDC video from the Kraffts where the the current is silent.
youtu.be/T02pJdKARLo?...
youtu.be/T02pJdKARLo?...
Eerie Sound from Approaching Pyroclastic Flow at Semeru Volcano (Nov 19, 2025)
YouTube video by afarTV
youtu.be
November 20, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Thev sound in this video is fascinating. You can hear what I think is background rain and pumice fall. But the roaring... Is that from the eruption or from the PDC? In contrast to that PDC video from the Kraffts where the the current is silent.
youtu.be/T02pJdKARLo?...
youtu.be/T02pJdKARLo?...
SI units for #ExoELT instruments are mass and height in Chilean Elephants (ChEl) and German Giraffes (GeGi), respectively.
I will not be taking questions at this time.
I will not be taking questions at this time.
November 18, 2025 at 9:24 AM
SI units for #ExoELT instruments are mass and height in Chilean Elephants (ChEl) and German Giraffes (GeGi), respectively.
I will not be taking questions at this time.
I will not be taking questions at this time.
At #ExoELT on Monday we had summaries of the #ELT instruments: METIS (Mid-IR imager and specrograph), MICADO (wide field imager), HARMONI (Near-IR IFU) and 2nd gen ANDES (R~100k spectrograph) - the hardware is suitably enormous - cryogenic dewars typically bigger than a hotel room! #astrodon
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
But what about the ELT instruments themselves I hear you ask, how big are they? Well, dear reader, they are giraffe-sized and weigh four elephants #ExoELT 👀🦒🐘
November 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
But what about the ELT instruments themselves I hear you ask, how big are they? Well, dear reader, they are giraffe-sized and weigh four elephants #ExoELT 👀🦒🐘
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Many #exoplanet astronomers are at #ESO headquarters near Munich to talk about #exoplanets with the Extremely Large Telescope #ELTref="/hashtag/ELT" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#ELT this week - first light in 2029/2030 - you can put one of the 8.4m VLT telescopes on the instrument platform of the #ELT… gulp! ☄️ #astrodon Follow along on #ExoELT
November 17, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Many #exoplanet astronomers are at #ESO headquarters near Munich to talk about #exoplanets with the Extremely Large Telescope #ELTref="/hashtag/ELT" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#ELT this week - first light in 2029/2030 - you can put one of the 8.4m VLT telescopes on the instrument platform of the #ELT… gulp! ☄️ #astrodon Follow along on #ExoELT
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
The most insightful discussion I seen on the Loeb and his insertion into the 3I/Atlas apparition:
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb
How media hype and misunderstanding fuel pseudoscientific fascination Introduction The word “cult” is used here in the sense given by...
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:37 AM
The most insightful discussion I seen on the Loeb and his insertion into the 3I/Atlas apparition:
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Henceforward, define an interstellar comet as “anomalous” if and only if Avi Loeb does NOT develop a 10-point argument as to why its properties and behavior indicate it is ACTUALLY an alien spacecraft.
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Henceforward, define an interstellar comet as “anomalous” if and only if Avi Loeb does NOT develop a 10-point argument as to why its properties and behavior indicate it is ACTUALLY an alien spacecraft.
‘An Overview of Exocomets’ is a very comprehensive review led by Daniela Iglesias started at an @issibern.ch meeting. I worked on Figure 1 detailing comets around the Sun, Beta Pic and a white dwarf - I’m very proud of it, and it is available on @github.com: Exocomet systems #astrodon #exoplanet ☄
November 12, 2025 at 8:32 AM
‘An Overview of Exocomets’ is a very comprehensive review led by Daniela Iglesias started at an @issibern.ch meeting. I worked on Figure 1 detailing comets around the Sun, Beta Pic and a white dwarf - I’m very proud of it, and it is available on @github.com: Exocomet systems #astrodon #exoplanet ☄
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was born with different and more ancient chemistry, has been more irradiated, and is speeding toward the Sun faster compared to Solar System comets. It's got a unique personality. But since literally Day 1 it was recognized as a comet and has only ever done comety things.
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 10, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was born with different and more ancient chemistry, has been more irradiated, and is speeding toward the Sun faster compared to Solar System comets. It's got a unique personality. But since literally Day 1 it was recognized as a comet and has only ever done comety things.
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
This slide by @mubdi.bsky.social at #adass2025 should be on ever astronomer's wall. Software is a central part of science and should be published accordingly!
November 11, 2025 at 11:22 AM
This slide by @mubdi.bsky.social at #adass2025 should be on ever astronomer's wall. Software is a central part of science and should be published accordingly!
So, I have a 2019 Macbook Pro whose battery life is now less than one hour. I asked our IT department for a quote to replace the battery, but apparently it is now considered “vintage” by Apple and would cost the best part of 1000 Euros to replace(!) or until I get the urge to fix it myself…
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 AM
So, I have a 2019 Macbook Pro whose battery life is now less than one hour. I asked our IT department for a quote to replace the battery, but apparently it is now considered “vintage” by Apple and would cost the best part of 1000 Euros to replace(!) or until I get the urge to fix it myself…
I am now changing all my important passwords to "louvre" in solidarity with the Louvre. We've all been there. Well, not me specifically, just *gestures towards window* out there.
November 11, 2025 at 7:15 AM
I am now changing all my important passwords to "louvre" in solidarity with the Louvre. We've all been there. Well, not me specifically, just *gestures towards window* out there.
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
Every time someone’s like “put that in the louvre,” my head now goes “and then steal it from the louvre, the security password is louvre”
November 11, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Every time someone’s like “put that in the louvre,” my head now goes “and then steal it from the louvre, the security password is louvre”
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Lammers and Winn “On the Exoplanet Yield of Gaia Astrometry” makes breathtaking predictions for the Gaia DR4 data release in December 2026 - around 7500 new exoplanets around nearby stars! It will be revolutionary… and indicate new nearby systems to be imaged… #astrodon #exoplanets ☄️
November 7, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Lammers and Winn “On the Exoplanet Yield of Gaia Astrometry” makes breathtaking predictions for the Gaia DR4 data release in December 2026 - around 7500 new exoplanets around nearby stars! It will be revolutionary… and indicate new nearby systems to be imaged… #astrodon #exoplanets ☄️
Shah+ on “The nature of ASASSN-24fw’s occultation” going for an exoring/exodisk explanation for the occulter with a minimum mass of 4 Jupiters for the companion #exoplanet #astrodon ☄
November 6, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Shah+ on “The nature of ASASSN-24fw’s occultation” going for an exoring/exodisk explanation for the occulter with a minimum mass of 4 Jupiters for the companion #exoplanet #astrodon ☄
Reposted by Matthew Kenworthy
The 1st law of thermoacademics: the amount of urgent work to be done is constant.
The 2nd law of thermoacademics: the amount of work previously deemed urgent is ever increasing
#academicchatter #chemsky
The 2nd law of thermoacademics: the amount of work previously deemed urgent is ever increasing
#academicchatter #chemsky
November 6, 2025 at 1:58 AM
The 1st law of thermoacademics: the amount of urgent work to be done is constant.
The 2nd law of thermoacademics: the amount of work previously deemed urgent is ever increasing
#academicchatter #chemsky
The 2nd law of thermoacademics: the amount of work previously deemed urgent is ever increasing
#academicchatter #chemsky