Meg Schwamb
@megschwamb.bsky.social
Planetary scientist & astronomer at Queen’s University Belfast: KBOs, Planet Four(Mars), exoplanets (Planet Hunters NGTS) ,LSST SSSC co-chair. Opinions posted are my own. Pronouns: she/her
NASA will host a live event at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 19, to share imagery of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS collected by a number of the agency’s missions. The event will take place at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. www.nasa.gov/news-release... ☄️🔭
NASA to Share Comet 3I/ATLAS Images From Spacecraft, Telescopes - NASA
NASA will host a live event at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 19, to share imagery of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS collected by a number of the agency’s
www.nasa.gov
November 17, 2025 at 10:04 PM
NASA will host a live event at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 19, to share imagery of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS collected by a number of the agency’s missions. The event will take place at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. www.nasa.gov/news-release... ☄️🔭
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
Have you ever wanted @astropy.org tutorials on:
– spectroscopic data reduction from a raw FITS image,
– computing galactic orbits from Gaia measurements,
– cross-matching astronomical catalogs?
Check out the redesigned learn.astropy.org! Announcement from @numfocus.bsky.social below. 🧪🔭 #astrocode
– spectroscopic data reduction from a raw FITS image,
– computing galactic orbits from Gaia measurements,
– cross-matching astronomical catalogs?
Check out the redesigned learn.astropy.org! Announcement from @numfocus.bsky.social below. 🧪🔭 #astrocode
Explore the Redesigned Learn.Astropy.org
A New Way to Learn Astronomy with Python
numfocus.medium.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Have you ever wanted @astropy.org tutorials on:
– spectroscopic data reduction from a raw FITS image,
– computing galactic orbits from Gaia measurements,
– cross-matching astronomical catalogs?
Check out the redesigned learn.astropy.org! Announcement from @numfocus.bsky.social below. 🧪🔭 #astrocode
– spectroscopic data reduction from a raw FITS image,
– computing galactic orbits from Gaia measurements,
– cross-matching astronomical catalogs?
Check out the redesigned learn.astropy.org! Announcement from @numfocus.bsky.social below. 🧪🔭 #astrocode
I'm now catching up on grading and teaching admin, but I was able to get notifications out to the people who have funding support to participate in the LSST Solar System First Data Sprint in Belfast in February.
November 17, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I'm now catching up on grading and teaching admin, but I was able to get notifications out to the people who have funding support to participate in the LSST Solar System First Data Sprint in Belfast in February.
I've been quiet because I've been focused on getting my School/department's Athena Swan Gold application draft into shape as I am co-leading the application. The draft got completely rewritten for the better over the past month. We submitted it to the University for internal feedback last week
November 17, 2025 at 9:36 AM
I've been quiet because I've been focused on getting my School/department's Athena Swan Gold application draft into shape as I am co-leading the application. The draft got completely rewritten for the better over the past month. We submitted it to the University for internal feedback last week
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
Just heard about this huge (49 state) long covid trial using tirzepetide (aka zepbound) one of the newer glp meds. It’s run by researchers at scripps, funded by the eric & wendy schmidt foundation. It looks like it is still enrolling, fully remote participation:
longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/?ut...
longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/?ut...
LoCITT-T - Long COVID Treatment Trial
The Long COVID Treatment Trial-Tirzepatide (LoCITT-T) is investigating the efficacy of repurposing this drug to treat Long COVID.
longcovid.scripps.edu
November 16, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Just heard about this huge (49 state) long covid trial using tirzepetide (aka zepbound) one of the newer glp meds. It’s run by researchers at scripps, funded by the eric & wendy schmidt foundation. It looks like it is still enrolling, fully remote participation:
longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/?ut...
longcovid.scripps.edu/locitt-t/?ut...
A fun and entertaining episode of Sky at Night - Highly recommend a watch if you're in the UK www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
The Sky at Night - Space Mysteries: The Sky at Night Meets Curious Cases
In a spectacular season finale, the team are joined by Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain in front of a live studio audience to answer viewers' burning queries about space.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 3:22 PM
A fun and entertaining episode of Sky at Night - Highly recommend a watch if you're in the UK www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Spending part of the evening in an online seminar/training session of active learning for physics and astronomy courses. I try and use active learning in my classes when I can.
November 13, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Spending part of the evening in an online seminar/training session of active learning for physics and astronomy courses. I try and use active learning in my classes when I can.
TMT Explores a Promising Path Forward in Spain www.tmt.org/news/708 🔭 ☄️
TMT Explores a Promising Path Forward in Spain
TMT is exploring a promising avenue for a new observatory based in Spain.
www.tmt.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:38 PM
TMT Explores a Promising Path Forward in Spain www.tmt.org/news/708 🔭 ☄️
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
JWST's recent Cycle 5 call garnered 2,935 proposals (requests to use this amazing telescope and its data 🔭), breaking the record that it set last year! The proposals represent 7,509 unique investigators over a range of career stages, and come from institutions in 59 countries and 47 U.S. states!
November 12, 2025 at 5:59 PM
JWST's recent Cycle 5 call garnered 2,935 proposals (requests to use this amazing telescope and its data 🔭), breaking the record that it set last year! The proposals represent 7,509 unique investigators over a range of career stages, and come from institutions in 59 countries and 47 U.S. states!
In London next Wednesday? Do you like wine and astronomy (who doesn't like learning about space?)? Then this event is for you www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cosmology-...
Cosmology and Wine: An evening with Chris Lintott
Super excited to welcome you for an evening of wine, cheese & cosmological
conversation with one of the UK’s most celebrated cosmologists
www.eventbrite.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 10:50 AM
In London next Wednesday? Do you like wine and astronomy (who doesn't like learning about space?)? Then this event is for you www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cosmology-...
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
Hey look it's a @vrubinobs.bsky.social difference imaging zooniverse game! Help us classify real vs bogus detections with REAL RUBIN DATA! www.zooniverse.org/projects/ebe...
November 11, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Hey look it's a @vrubinobs.bsky.social difference imaging zooniverse game! Help us classify real vs bogus detections with REAL RUBIN DATA! www.zooniverse.org/projects/ebe...
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
Some final aurora photos from me tonight, taken during the recent substorm at Coot Lake, Boulder CO. What a night! Let’s wait and see if tomorrow brings the expected round two.
November 12, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Some final aurora photos from me tonight, taken during the recent substorm at Coot Lake, Boulder CO. What a night! Let’s wait and see if tomorrow brings the expected round two.
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
If you don’t do research you’re not an observatory, you’re a tourist attraction. Solidarity to the excellent astronomers at Lowell.
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.
Lowell Observatory slashes research funding in the midst of financial struggle
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.
buff.ly
November 11, 2025 at 4:28 AM
If you don’t do research you’re not an observatory, you’re a tourist attraction. Solidarity to the excellent astronomers at Lowell.
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
New paper day - looking at the rotation rates of bars in galaxies in different environments. Work by the awesome Natalia Puczek, who did her MPhys project with Becky Smethurst. arxiv.org/abs/2511.02054
Bars in low-density environments rotate faster than bars in dense regions
Does the environment of a galaxy directly influence the kinematics of its bar? We present observational evidence that bars in high-density environments exhibit significantly slower rotation rates than...
arxiv.org
November 5, 2025 at 9:22 AM
New paper day - looking at the rotation rates of bars in galaxies in different environments. Work by the awesome Natalia Puczek, who did her MPhys project with Becky Smethurst. arxiv.org/abs/2511.02054
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
Help us to build the Astronomy feeds and The Astrosky Ecosystem! 🔭 ☄️ #astrophotography
We'd especially like to find >1 frontend dev to help work on replacing @bot.astronomy.blue with a simpler web interface, but we have some backend & devops needs to fill too.
More details in the post below ⬇️
We'd especially like to find >1 frontend dev to help work on replacing @bot.astronomy.blue with a simpler web interface, but we have some backend & devops needs to fill too.
More details in the post below ⬇️
We're looking for new developers! - Blog - The Astrosky Ecosystem
We'd like to expand our team to include new devs. We'd especially love to hear from you if you're a frontend developer.
astrosky.eco
November 6, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Help us to build the Astronomy feeds and The Astrosky Ecosystem! 🔭 ☄️ #astrophotography
We'd especially like to find >1 frontend dev to help work on replacing @bot.astronomy.blue with a simpler web interface, but we have some backend & devops needs to fill too.
More details in the post below ⬇️
We'd especially like to find >1 frontend dev to help work on replacing @bot.astronomy.blue with a simpler web interface, but we have some backend & devops needs to fill too.
More details in the post below ⬇️
A really nice interview from Matt Holman talking abut the ephemeris generator that powers Sorcha, an LSST Solar System Survey Simulator (sorcha.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) 🔭
November 7, 2025 at 3:37 PM
A really nice interview from Matt Holman talking abut the ephemeris generator that powers Sorcha, an LSST Solar System Survey Simulator (sorcha.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) 🔭
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
These will go quickly - if you can join me on 3rd Dec in London, then grab a free ticket quickly.
🚀 In-person tickets now open: From Mars with Love - 50 years of exploring the Red Planet 🌌
🎟️ gres.hm/mars-love
Join Prof @chrislintott.bsky.social to uncover how #Mars evolved from barren desert to a world that may once have hosted life...
@oxfordphysics.bsky.social
#astronomy
🎟️ gres.hm/mars-love
Join Prof @chrislintott.bsky.social to uncover how #Mars evolved from barren desert to a world that may once have hosted life...
@oxfordphysics.bsky.social
#astronomy
From Mars with Love: Postcards from 50 Years of Exploring The Red Planet
During the fifty years since the launch of the Viking spacecraft to Mars, our view of the red planet has changed from hostile desert to a world which was once covered in water, and which may just poss...
gres.hm
November 6, 2025 at 1:18 PM
These will go quickly - if you can join me on 3rd Dec in London, then grab a free ticket quickly.
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
“Tens or hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded NASA property and laboratories are at risk of either being discarded, mishandled, or out-of-commission for significant time periods.” 🔭🧪
www.gesta-goddard.org/blog/gestas-...
www.gesta-goddard.org/blog/gestas-...
GESTA’s Summary of Goddard Building Closures Status
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is the largest group of scientists, technicians and engineers in the US who develop Earth and space science flight missions. Below is GESTA's understanding of the...
www.gesta-goddard.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:50 AM
“Tens or hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded NASA property and laboratories are at risk of either being discarded, mishandled, or out-of-commission for significant time periods.” 🔭🧪
www.gesta-goddard.org/blog/gestas-...
www.gesta-goddard.org/blog/gestas-...
NASA may be quietly gutting an iconic campus with what it calls strategic closures, workers fear edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/s...
NASA may be quietly gutting an iconic campus with what it calls strategic closures, workers fear | CNN
Buildings at Goddard’s Maryland campus are being emptied and padlocked, sources say. NASA leadership has pushed back against the concerns.
edition.cnn.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:50 AM
NASA may be quietly gutting an iconic campus with what it calls strategic closures, workers fear edition.cnn.com/2025/11/04/s...
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
NEW: Around Halloween, a Japanese astronomer caught two strange bright flashes on the Moon, one after the other. What were these spooky lights? Aliens having a rave?
Nope. They were asteroid impacts: a reminder that the Moon is a constant battleground.
@nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
Nope. They were asteroid impacts: a reminder that the Moon is a constant battleground.
@nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
What Were Those 2 Spooky Flashes That Lit Up the Moon?
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:57 AM
NEW: Around Halloween, a Japanese astronomer caught two strange bright flashes on the Moon, one after the other. What were these spooky lights? Aliens having a rave?
Nope. They were asteroid impacts: a reminder that the Moon is a constant battleground.
@nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
Nope. They were asteroid impacts: a reminder that the Moon is a constant battleground.
@nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
It would be nice if more people understood statistical significance. As well as Newton's 3rd Law.
Updated Comet 3I/ATLAS #3IATLAS orbit dropped from JPL Small-Body Database, including measured positions thru Nov 4.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_l...
The “non-gravitational” acceleration terms in the orbit are *barely statistically significant*…the radial term A1 is (1.11+-0.30)e-7 au/day2 (3.7sig)
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_l...
The “non-gravitational” acceleration terms in the orbit are *barely statistically significant*…the radial term A1 is (1.11+-0.30)e-7 au/day2 (3.7sig)
Small-Body Database Lookup
This website makes extensive use of JavaScript. The top menus will not function without it and most tools will also not work.
ssd.jpl.nasa.gov
November 5, 2025 at 4:37 AM
It would be nice if more people understood statistical significance. As well as Newton's 3rd Law.
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
How do people around the world encounter science, and what shapes those encounters?
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
How the World Talks About Science
Our new international study finds that science communication looks very different depending on culture, media systems, and access to technology.
matthewfacciani.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:35 PM
How do people around the world encounter science, and what shapes those encounters?
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
It's happening! It's happening!
In a few years, the biggest optical eye (39m in diameter) on the planet will look towards the stars!
(ELT = Extremely Large Telescope. Astronomers are very* creative when naming things)
In a few years, the biggest optical eye (39m in diameter) on the planet will look towards the stars!
(ELT = Extremely Large Telescope. Astronomers are very* creative when naming things)
Open Sesame!
The ELT doors have moved for the first time. This was no small feat, as each door will weigh 650 tonnes once completed.
The ELT dome & its doors will guard the telescope from the harsh conditions of the Atacama Desert.
https://www.eso.org/public/videos/potw2544a/
🔭 🧪
📹 ESO/ACe
The ELT doors have moved for the first time. This was no small feat, as each door will weigh 650 tonnes once completed.
The ELT dome & its doors will guard the telescope from the harsh conditions of the Atacama Desert.
https://www.eso.org/public/videos/potw2544a/
🔭 🧪
📹 ESO/ACe
November 3, 2025 at 8:56 AM
It's happening! It's happening!
In a few years, the biggest optical eye (39m in diameter) on the planet will look towards the stars!
(ELT = Extremely Large Telescope. Astronomers are very* creative when naming things)
In a few years, the biggest optical eye (39m in diameter) on the planet will look towards the stars!
(ELT = Extremely Large Telescope. Astronomers are very* creative when naming things)
"The planet's vital signs are flashing red. The consequences of human-driven alterations of the climate are no longer future threats but are here now. This unfolding emergency stems from failed foresight, political inaction, unsustainable economic systems, and misinformation."
The 2025 state of the climate report: a planet on the brink
We are hurtling toward climate chaos. The planet's vital signs are flashing red. The consequences of human-driven alterations of the climate are no longer
academic.oup.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:36 AM
"The planet's vital signs are flashing red. The consequences of human-driven alterations of the climate are no longer future threats but are here now. This unfolding emergency stems from failed foresight, political inaction, unsustainable economic systems, and misinformation."
Reposted by Meg Schwamb
"The future is still being written. Through choices in policy, investment, education, and care for one another and the Earth, we can still create a turning point. It begins by embracing our shared humanity and recognizing the profound interconnectedness of all life on the planet"
The 2025 state of the climate report: a planet on the brink
We are hurtling toward climate chaos. The planet's vital signs are flashing red. The consequences of human-driven alterations of the climate are no longer
academic.oup.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:37 AM
"The future is still being written. Through choices in policy, investment, education, and care for one another and the Earth, we can still create a turning point. It begins by embracing our shared humanity and recognizing the profound interconnectedness of all life on the planet"