Phil Plait
@philplait.bsky.social
Bad Astronomer (formerly @BadAstronomer), SciCommer, Dork. Crash Course Astronomy guy. He/him. Newsletter: badastronomy.beehiiv.com
I'm self-employed so my opinions do in fact represent my company's.
I'm self-employed so my opinions do in fact represent my company's.
Pinned
Phil Plait
@philplait.bsky.social
· Oct 10
Pinned post:
Wanna know where all my stuff is? about.me/philplait
My book Under Alien Skies: underalienskies.com
My newsletter (Monday issues are free!): badastronomy.beehiiv.com
My fave post here on BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/phil...
Wanna know where all my stuff is? about.me/philplait
My book Under Alien Skies: underalienskies.com
My newsletter (Monday issues are free!): badastronomy.beehiiv.com
My fave post here on BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/phil...
Wow, that's amazing!
February 11, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Wow, that's amazing!
You just want any excuse to post that pic.:)
February 11, 2026 at 4:14 AM
You just want any excuse to post that pic.:)
Oh, of course. I wasn't thinking about the fact that all the lensed objects were at roughly the same distance. I wonder if, with sufficient observations, there'd a bump at the Einstein radius for the LMC and SMC. M31, too.
February 11, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Oh, of course. I wasn't thinking about the fact that all the lensed objects were at roughly the same distance. I wonder if, with sufficient observations, there'd a bump at the Einstein radius for the LMC and SMC. M31, too.
Without enough delta-v they'd stay in orbit near Earth and pose a danger later. And at sufficient velocity hitting the Moon there won't be much pollution. Just a smear of atoms. Still, hitting a near-Earth asteroid might be better. Two birds etc.
February 11, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Without enough delta-v they'd stay in orbit near Earth and pose a danger later. And at sufficient velocity hitting the Moon there won't be much pollution. Just a smear of atoms. Still, hitting a near-Earth asteroid might be better. Two birds etc.
Thanks! Randi was pretty good about replying to supporters. He truly enjoyed entertaining and teaching people.
February 11, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Thanks! Randi was pretty good about replying to supporters. He truly enjoyed entertaining and teaching people.
Thank you so much! And 7? Wow, do they understand it? I hope they don't get nightmares!
February 11, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Thank you so much! And 7? Wow, do they understand it? I hope they don't get nightmares!
OK fine we'll use only rockets built in blue states and the fuel will be water and maybe a nice green tea. I'll need $30B to develop this.
February 11, 2026 at 2:48 AM
OK fine we'll use only rockets built in blue states and the fuel will be water and maybe a nice green tea. I'll need $30B to develop this.
At an impact speed of 10 km/sec oh yes it will
February 11, 2026 at 2:45 AM
At an impact speed of 10 km/sec oh yes it will
I did see that, but I was wondering more about the older grifters.
February 11, 2026 at 2:43 AM
I did see that, but I was wondering more about the older grifters.
I like how the different methods fall into the somewhat obvious regimes; imaging for distant ones, transit for close ones. But why such a 1 AU bias for microlensing?
February 11, 2026 at 2:32 AM
I like how the different methods fall into the somewhat obvious regimes; imaging for distant ones, transit for close ones. But why such a 1 AU bias for microlensing?
Reposted by Phil Plait
I did the thing! I emailed, cold, the author of a book I liked to tell them it was good, and to say thanks. Know what? That's a good idea. You were all correct. Everyone should do that.
February 11, 2026 at 1:31 AM
I did the thing! I emailed, cold, the author of a book I liked to tell them it was good, and to say thanks. Know what? That's a good idea. You were all correct. Everyone should do that.
Nice. That guy was a trip. I had the privilege of hanging out with him for a few hours at a meeting and it was a riot.
February 11, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Nice. That guy was a trip. I had the privilege of hanging out with him for a few hours at a meeting and it was a riot.
I can't believe I have to point this out but there's a huge problem with your plan: it takes way too much fuel to send them into the Sun. Instead, an impact trajectory with the Moon is much more fuel-effective AND you get a light show!
February 11, 2026 at 2:26 AM
I can't believe I have to point this out but there's a huge problem with your plan: it takes way too much fuel to send them into the Sun. Instead, an impact trajectory with the Moon is much more fuel-effective AND you get a light show!
Well, wow. I just got an amazingly supportive and complimentary email which raised my spirits considerably.
It reminded me: if you like an artist or writer or whatever and their email is public, sending them a quick note will make their day. YMMV, but I really enjoy complimenting someone I admire.
It reminded me: if you like an artist or writer or whatever and their email is public, sending them a quick note will make their day. YMMV, but I really enjoy complimenting someone I admire.
February 11, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Well, wow. I just got an amazingly supportive and complimentary email which raised my spirits considerably.
It reminded me: if you like an artist or writer or whatever and their email is public, sending them a quick note will make their day. YMMV, but I really enjoy complimenting someone I admire.
It reminded me: if you like an artist or writer or whatever and their email is public, sending them a quick note will make their day. YMMV, but I really enjoy complimenting someone I admire.
Reposted by Phil Plait
That time I stood in front of a giant snow pile by the curb talking into my phone like a lunatic 😆
Why has it been so cold this winter? Senior Editor Andrea Thompson breaks down this winter’s extreme weather: a polar vortex sending the Eastern U.S. into a deep freeze, while the West faces record-breaking warmth.
🎤✏️: @andreatweather.bsky.social
🎞️: Carin Leong
🎤✏️: @andreatweather.bsky.social
🎞️: Carin Leong
February 10, 2026 at 11:03 PM
That time I stood in front of a giant snow pile by the curb talking into my phone like a lunatic 😆
About a week ago I was wondering why we hadn't heard from the progeny for a while. I don't like it when they're quiet. I'd rather know what evil grift they're working on.
February 10, 2026 at 11:20 PM
About a week ago I was wondering why we hadn't heard from the progeny for a while. I don't like it when they're quiet. I'd rather know what evil grift they're working on.
Does Trump count for this once or twice?
February 10, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Does Trump count for this once or twice?
That's way less than the percentage in the Trump administration.
The latest research shows that less than 2% of immigrants detained in Trump's second term are rapists and murderers, and less than 2% are gang members. Source: www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arr...
Emmer steps to the mic and says: "Pedophiles. Rapists. Murderers."
February 10, 2026 at 10:31 PM
That's way less than the percentage in the Trump administration.
Cooooool
Galaxy mug. Stoneware. Hand-built. One of a kind. Just listed. Surly.etsy.com #sciart
February 10, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Cooooool
Dear Republicans: are you *sure* this is the guy you want to fall on your sword for?
Jamie Raskin Reveals Trump’s Name Shows Up in Unredacted Epstein Files ‘More Than a Million Times’
Jamie Raskin Reveals Trump’s Name Shows Up in Unredacted Epstein Files ‘More Than a Million Times’
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) revealed on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's name appears in the unredacted Epstein files “more than a million times.”
The post Jamie Raskin Reveals Trump’s Name Shows Up in Unredacted Epstein Files ‘More Than a Million Times’ first appeared on Mediaite.
dlvr.it
February 10, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Dear Republicans: are you *sure* this is the guy you want to fall on your sword for?
It's amazing how well Randall understands astronomers
![Comic. [Person with ponytail pointing to diagram on wall as she talks to two other people, one with short hair.] PERSON 1: The high carbon content of the skeleton indicates that the individual lived less than 12.6 billion years ago, after the first round of stellar nucleosynthesis. [caption] Cosmologist carbon dating](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiaaaa2fduedn5fusan4xvikaehxgps2yxdlv7vb3j7ep323zta2u4@jpeg)
February 10, 2026 at 8:28 PM
It's amazing how well Randall understands astronomers
Yeah, I wrote this for Discover, I think, or maybe Slate, and when it moved to SYFY the formatting got all messed up. It happened to a lot of my articles. I asked about a zillion times but it never got fixed.
February 10, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Yeah, I wrote this for Discover, I think, or maybe Slate, and when it moved to SYFY the formatting got all messed up. It happened to a lot of my articles. I asked about a zillion times but it never got fixed.
Yeah, I wrote this for Discover, I think, or maybe Slate, and when it moved to SYFY the formatting got all messed up. It happened to a lot of my articles. I asked about a zillion times but it never got fixed.
February 10, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Yeah, I wrote this for Discover, I think, or maybe Slate, and when it moved to SYFY the formatting got all messed up. It happened to a lot of my articles. I asked about a zillion times but it never got fixed.
February 10, 2026 at 7:32 PM