Dr Robert Minchin
@robminchin.bsky.social
Radio astronomer at NRAO, posting on a personal basis. Affirming Christian (Episcopalian). Alumnus of Durham (MSci) & Cardiff (PhD). He/him.
Paper day! No, you’re not seeing double, it’s a second paper this month! This one is:
“High resolution observations of 'dark' neutral hydrogen clouds in the Virgo cluster with the Very Large Array” (Minchin et al. 2026, ApJ, accepted) #RadioAstronomy #ExtragalacticAstronomy
arxiv.org/abs/2601.19011
“High resolution observations of 'dark' neutral hydrogen clouds in the Virgo cluster with the Very Large Array” (Minchin et al. 2026, ApJ, accepted) #RadioAstronomy #ExtragalacticAstronomy
arxiv.org/abs/2601.19011
High resolution observations of 'dark' neutral hydrogen clouds in the Virgo cluster with the Very Large Array
We have observed six `dark' neutral hydrogen (HI) clouds discovered in the Virgo cluster by the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey (AGES) with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), giving higher a...
arxiv.org
January 28, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Paper day! No, you’re not seeing double, it’s a second paper this month! This one is:
“High resolution observations of 'dark' neutral hydrogen clouds in the Virgo cluster with the Very Large Array” (Minchin et al. 2026, ApJ, accepted) #RadioAstronomy #ExtragalacticAstronomy
arxiv.org/abs/2601.19011
“High resolution observations of 'dark' neutral hydrogen clouds in the Virgo cluster with the Very Large Array” (Minchin et al. 2026, ApJ, accepted) #RadioAstronomy #ExtragalacticAstronomy
arxiv.org/abs/2601.19011
Church in the snow this morning in Socorro. ⚓️
January 25, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Church in the snow this morning in Socorro. ⚓️
Reposted by Dr Robert Minchin
The New Mexico Space Trail—a roadtrip of 52 historic sites related to space—includes the NSF #VeryLargeArray! 📡🌌
via AOL
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #NewMexico
via AOL
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #NewMexico
This Is One of the Most Unique Road Trips in the U.S.—With 52 Sites Dedicated to Space, Stargazing, and UFOs
New Mexico really can be out of this world.
www.aol.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:53 PM
The New Mexico Space Trail—a roadtrip of 52 historic sites related to space—includes the NSF #VeryLargeArray! 📡🌌
via AOL
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #NewMexico
via AOL
#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #NewMexico
Paper day!
“Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in clusters : the peculiar gas loss of VCC 1964”, Taylor, Partík & Minchin (2026), A&A, accepted.
arxiv.org/abs/2601.05948
(Actually came out on Monday, but I was down with a post-#AAS247 cold)
#Extragalctic #Radioastronomy
“Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in clusters : the peculiar gas loss of VCC 1964”, Taylor, Partík & Minchin (2026), A&A, accepted.
arxiv.org/abs/2601.05948
(Actually came out on Monday, but I was down with a post-#AAS247 cold)
#Extragalctic #Radioastronomy
Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in clusters : the peculiar gas loss of VCC 1964
Context : Ultra Diffuse Galaxies are low surface brightness systems which have been detected in HI in the field, where their line widths sometimes indicate significant dark matter deficits. They are r...
arxiv.org
January 16, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Paper day!
“Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in clusters : the peculiar gas loss of VCC 1964”, Taylor, Partík & Minchin (2026), A&A, accepted.
arxiv.org/abs/2601.05948
(Actually came out on Monday, but I was down with a post-#AAS247 cold)
#Extragalctic #Radioastronomy
“Ultra Diffuse Galaxies in clusters : the peculiar gas loss of VCC 1964”, Taylor, Partík & Minchin (2026), A&A, accepted.
arxiv.org/abs/2601.05948
(Actually came out on Monday, but I was down with a post-#AAS247 cold)
#Extragalctic #Radioastronomy
Reposted by Dr Robert Minchin
National Radio Astronomy Observatory: Radio Telescopes Uncover “Invisible” Gas Around Record-Shattering Cosmic Explosion public.nrao.edu/news/radio-t... #AAS247
Radio telescopes uncover “invisible” gas around record-shattering cosmic explosion - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Astronomers using the NSF Very Large Array and ALMA have uncovered dense, “invisible” gas surrounding AT2024wpp—the brightest known fast blue optical transient—revealing that a massive star was torn a...
public.nrao.edu
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
National Radio Astronomy Observatory: Radio Telescopes Uncover “Invisible” Gas Around Record-Shattering Cosmic Explosion public.nrao.edu/news/radio-t... #AAS247
Maura McLaughlin’s plenary talk on low frequency gravitational wave astronomy (ie, pulsar timing arrays) getting under way at #AAS247, preceded by the award of the 2025 Bruno Rossi Award to Maura and Xavi Siemens for NANOGrav
January 8, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Maura McLaughlin’s plenary talk on low frequency gravitational wave astronomy (ie, pulsar timing arrays) getting under way at #AAS247, preceded by the award of the 2025 Bruno Rossi Award to Maura and Xavi Siemens for NANOGrav
Christian Astronomers dinner at #AAS247. Meet at the notice board at 18:30–18:45 or 19:00 at Majerle’s sports bar (2nd and Washington), in a back room.
January 7, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Christian Astronomers dinner at #AAS247. Meet at the notice board at 18:30–18:45 or 19:00 at Majerle’s sports bar (2nd and Washington), in a back room.
Reposted by Dr Robert Minchin
NASA Discovers Distant Planet With Conditions That Could Sustain Rocks https://theonion.com/nasa-discovers-distant-planet-with-conditions-that-could-sustain-rocks/
January 6, 2026 at 9:15 PM
NASA Discovers Distant Planet With Conditions That Could Sustain Rocks https://theonion.com/nasa-discovers-distant-planet-with-conditions-that-could-sustain-rocks/
The @thenrao.bsky.social townhall is about to start at #AAS247, in room301c. Brian is giving out the drink tickets!
January 7, 2026 at 1:40 AM
The @thenrao.bsky.social townhall is about to start at #AAS247, in room301c. Brian is giving out the drink tickets!
1,800 hours of VLA observations condensed into 5 minutes at #AAS247 by @thenrao.bsky.social ‘s Cosima Eibensteiner!
January 5, 2026 at 9:43 PM
1,800 hours of VLA observations condensed into 5 minutes at #AAS247 by @thenrao.bsky.social ‘s Cosima Eibensteiner!
January 5, 2026 at 6:45 PM
You can’t miss @thenrao.bsky.social booth as you enter the hall at #AAS247. I’ll be here during the opening reception tonight – stop by and say hi!
January 5, 2026 at 1:50 AM
You can’t miss @thenrao.bsky.social booth as you enter the hall at #AAS247. I’ll be here during the opening reception tonight – stop by and say hi!
The @thenrao.bsky.social booth looking (almost*) ready to go at #AAS247. See you all this evening at the opening reception!
*The Very Large TV is still waiting to be put up
*The Very Large TV is still waiting to be put up
January 4, 2026 at 7:29 PM
The @thenrao.bsky.social booth looking (almost*) ready to go at #AAS247. See you all this evening at the opening reception!
*The Very Large TV is still waiting to be put up
*The Very Large TV is still waiting to be put up
Use the 3rd St entrance to the Convention Center – other doors are locked. Then just keep climbing (escalators are out of order) and eventually you find #AAS247 registration on the 3rd floor (same level as the bridge).
January 4, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Use the 3rd St entrance to the Convention Center – other doors are locked. Then just keep climbing (escalators are out of order) and eventually you find #AAS247 registration on the 3rd floor (same level as the bridge).
Happy New Year!
¡Prospero Año Nuevo!
Blwydden Newydd Dda!
¡Prospero Año Nuevo!
Blwydden Newydd Dda!
January 1, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Happy New Year!
¡Prospero Año Nuevo!
Blwydden Newydd Dda!
¡Prospero Año Nuevo!
Blwydden Newydd Dda!
Okay, I understand (even if I don't agree with) pushing Holy Innocents to the 29th. But why is Venite still doing Holly Innocents today (the 30th)? Too many Becket fans insisting it can't have the 29th?
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December 30, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Okay, I understand (even if I don't agree with) pushing Holy Innocents to the 29th. But why is Venite still doing Holly Innocents today (the 30th)? Too many Becket fans insisting it can't have the 29th?
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Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Merry Christmas!
Having been to a number of parties in Ireland, the image contoured up by the phrase "Irish goodbye" is saying goodbye to everyone at least twice, with interactions such as:
Have I already said goodbye to you?
Oh yes. Twice.
Better make it a third time for luck then. Bye!
Have I already said goodbye to you?
Oh yes. Twice.
Better make it a third time for luck then. Bye!
December 3, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Having been to a number of parties in Ireland, the image contoured up by the phrase "Irish goodbye" is saying goodbye to everyone at least twice, with interactions such as:
Have I already said goodbye to you?
Oh yes. Twice.
Better make it a third time for luck then. Bye!
Have I already said goodbye to you?
Oh yes. Twice.
Better make it a third time for luck then. Bye!
We're back in the time of year for Lessons and Carols, and for once again remembering that the rubrics in the Book of Occasional Services insist that this ends with a blessing, even when led by a lay person. How do others deal with this (and can we get it fixed)? ⚓
December 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
We're back in the time of year for Lessons and Carols, and for once again remembering that the rubrics in the Book of Occasional Services insist that this ends with a blessing, even when led by a lay person. How do others deal with this (and can we get it fixed)? ⚓
Time to post this again it looks like⚓
As many churches kick off “stewardship season”, a quick reminder that the biblical concept of the tithe is a tenth of the produce of the land, falling squarely on property owners with no burden on waged workers. It is a progressive tax on the proceeds of ownership, not a regressive flat income tax.⚓️
November 4, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Time to post this again it looks like⚓
Reposted by Dr Robert Minchin
NEW: NRAO to Outfit the VLBA with New Ultra Wideband Receivers
A major upgrade is coming to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) – state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 - 40 gigahertz (GHz).
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #NRAO #VLBA
A major upgrade is coming to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) – state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 - 40 gigahertz (GHz).
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #NRAO #VLBA
National Radio Astronomy Observatory to Outfit the VLBA with New Ultra Wideband Receivers - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is upgrading the NSF Very Long Baseline Array with new ultra wideband receivers spanning 8–40 GHz, expanding its scientific reach and enabling Ka-band observat...
public.nrao.edu
September 26, 2025 at 6:07 PM
NEW: NRAO to Outfit the VLBA with New Ultra Wideband Receivers
A major upgrade is coming to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) – state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 - 40 gigahertz (GHz).
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #NRAO #VLBA
A major upgrade is coming to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) – state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 - 40 gigahertz (GHz).
#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #NRAO #VLBA