Kelsey Johnson
banner
profkelsey.bsky.social
Kelsey Johnson
@profkelsey.bsky.social
Mother, astrophysicist, educator, writer, artist, thinker about things. Views expressed are mine. Duh.
Gorgeous picture-perfect autumn day at #UVA today. This is my favorite time of year in Virginia. 🍁🍂🎃
October 28, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Reposted by Kelsey Johnson
Are you ready to explore the known, unknown, and possibly unknowable with @profkelsey.bsky.social? We talk about her book Into The Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos. Part 1 of the interview aired this week howonearthradio.org/archives/10317
Join us for Part 2 next week.
Into The Unknown (Part 1)
Into The Unknown (starts at 7:57) What do we know about the universe, and how do we know we know it? Conversely, what do we know we don’t know, what don’t we know that we don’t know, and why not? T…
howonearthradio.org
October 25, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Procrastination takes may forms. Tonight as a service to the astronomical community I offer help with your JWST proposal titles.
#JWST 🧪🔭✨
October 15, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Reposted by Kelsey Johnson
And that brings us to tonight's #HATM questions-
1) What are your favorite books on the history of space exploration? Or on space itself?
(It's totally @profkelsey.bsky.social latest book. Link below)
2) And what is on the menu at your home tonight?
amzn.to/3WB72xQ
Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos
Humans have learned a lot about the world around us and the universe beyond. We have made powerful insights and created profound theories about the universe and everything in it. Surely the ultimate t...
amzn.to
October 12, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Ok wait, just so we are clear, does the FCC idea that media should not lie to the public apply to, oh I don’t know, like Fox News? Just curious.
ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments After F.C.C. Pressure
www.nytimes.com
September 18, 2025 at 12:46 PM
On brand. 🧪🔭✨
NASA chief to defy agency’s charter, terminating science

On August 14, 2025, NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy announced a new direction for NASA, eliminating science and focusing on spaceflight.

Who cares if it violates the NASA charter?
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#space #astro #nasa #ohwell
NASA chief to defy agency's charter, terminating science
NASA's 1958 charter's top priority was, "the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space." Is this how it ends?
bigthink.com
August 20, 2025 at 10:43 PM
This tracks.🔭🧪✨
SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.
www.nytimes.com
August 15, 2025 at 12:29 PM
I am excited to see the memes that come from this.
JD Vance’s team had water level of Ohio river raised for family’s boating trip
Exclusive: Incident raises questions of exploitation of public services, but Secret Service says it was requested for ‘safe navigation’
www.theguardian.com
August 8, 2025 at 4:51 PM
<checks watch>
Yep, the year is 2025.
August 5, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Sharing a photo from the road today. A friend captioned it:
“Actual footage of university budget software trying to reimburse me for the $25 I spent on snacks for a group meeting.”
There is a meme in here somewhere.
July 16, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Just a friendly reminder that the universe can put our egos in check whenever it wants.
🔭🧪✨
This Is Not the Way We Usually Imagine the World Will End
www.nytimes.com
June 28, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I am sick to my stomach.
#UVA
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration
www.nytimes.com
June 27, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Yeah, this is one heck of a powerful telescope indeed. It is not hyperbole to say it may even save humanity if the wrong chunk of rock decides to cross our orbit.
🔭🧪✨
This Powerful Telescope Quickly Found 2,100 New Asteroids
www.nytimes.com
June 26, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Fantastic article about Rubin (both the person and the shiny new observatory) in the @nytimes.com today. Unlike many (not all!) of the male scientists with household names, she was a profoundly good and caring human. ALL of the women in #astrophysics today are standing on her shoulders.
🔭🧪✨
Vera Rubin’s Legacy Lives On in a Troubled Scientific Landscape
www.nytimes.com
June 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM
A triumph of human persistence and ingenuity: At the age of 35, the Hubble Space Telescope is more productive than ever. Wow.
(Courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Wiseman @aas.org).
🔭🧪✨
June 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Dara Norman @aas.org President kicks off the meeting with inspiration. “We are all in this together”. #aas246
🧪🔭✨
June 9, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Anyone else want to get some popcorn?
Live Updates: Trump-Musk Alliance Dissolves as They Hurl Personal Attacks
www.nytimes.com
June 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Um.
“political appointees in charge of vetting scientific research and gives them the authority to “correct scientific information,” control the way it is communicated to the public and the power to “discipline” anyone who violates the way the administration views science.”
🤯🔭🧪
The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to ‘Correct’ Research.
www.nytimes.com
June 3, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I am proud of the @aas.org for leading this effort. The gutting of the NSF is devastating to future innovation and discovery.
🔭🧪✨🚀
AAS and 52 other science societies and organizations sent a letter to Congress this morning expressing concern over recent organizational and financial developments at NSF, and urging Congress to exercise its oversight authority to preserve American STEM leadership. aas.org/press/letter... 🔭
May 30, 2025 at 5:57 PM
NYT brought receipts:
“One Thing Helping Trump’s Approval Rating: Some People Are Not Paying Attention.”
One Thing Helping Trump’s Approval Rating: Some People Are Not Paying Attention
Voters were more likely to approve of President Trump’s job performance if they had not been following some of the major news stories of his first 100 days in office, a recent New York Times/Siena Col...
www.nytimes.com
May 18, 2025 at 12:05 PM
To celebrate the end of the semester and a blissful day without meetings, I’m starting prep for a course I want to teach next year on Exotheology—exploring the relationship between theological ideas and the possibility of ET life. I am in academic nerd heaven.
🔭🧪👽
May 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
We’ve left Earth a mess, so let’s go destroy space too. We’re like spoiled children who never learned to take care of their things or clean up after themselves.
To the universe, I am sorry humans are so foolish. 🌎
May 10, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Pure unbridled catastrophic hubristic ignorant myopathy.
🔭🧪😩
Trump administration to stop US research on space pollution, in boon to Elon Musk
SpaceX and Starlink owner may benefit from Trump cuts to projects that could have led to regulations and costs
www.theguardian.com
May 10, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Go Hoos!
While the university has ended the group's special status designation, with the support of the student body, student guides are doubling down on their commitment to share their campus’ history.
UVA Tried To Shut Down Its Historical Tours Discussing Slavery. These Students Resisted.
A conservative alumni group took issue with the discussion of difficult parts of UVA’s history.
www.teenvogue.com
May 7, 2025 at 12:07 PM
This is the content that keeps me from abandoning social media.
H/t @danielluopi.bsky.social
May 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM