Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
@starlights.bsky.social
✨ she/her ✨ astrophysicist studying supernovae + GRBs ✨ @ Rutgers U
Pinned
Black Hole Eats Star: NASA Missions Discover Record-Setting Blast - NASA Science
Astronomers have been poring over a flood of data from NASA satellites and other facilities as they try to work out what was responsible for an extraordinary
science.nasa.gov
I am so elated to share with you the NASA press release on the mysterious GRB 250702B! It features comments from me about our JWST/NIRCam imaging, which Alyssa Pagan at @stsci.edu made a beautiful compilation of for you to see. Please read to learn more !!!
🧪🔭☄️👩🔬🦖
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
🧪🔭☄️👩🔬🦖
science.nasa.gov/science-rese...
working on a transient host galaxy paper and every time I mis-type "hsot" i get flashbacks to the HSLOT of 2021/22/23
February 17, 2026 at 5:19 AM
working on a transient host galaxy paper and every time I mis-type "hsot" i get flashbacks to the HSLOT of 2021/22/23
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Spot the cosmic imposters! 🔍
Help fine-tune NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s alert system and figure out which detected changes in the sky are cosmic events vs. imposters with Rubin Difference Detectives on @zooniverse.bsky.social!🧐
Join now: zooniverse.org/rubin
Help fine-tune NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s alert system and figure out which detected changes in the sky are cosmic events vs. imposters with Rubin Difference Detectives on @zooniverse.bsky.social!🧐
Join now: zooniverse.org/rubin
February 16, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Spot the cosmic imposters! 🔍
Help fine-tune NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s alert system and figure out which detected changes in the sky are cosmic events vs. imposters with Rubin Difference Detectives on @zooniverse.bsky.social!🧐
Join now: zooniverse.org/rubin
Help fine-tune NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory’s alert system and figure out which detected changes in the sky are cosmic events vs. imposters with Rubin Difference Detectives on @zooniverse.bsky.social!🧐
Join now: zooniverse.org/rubin
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Let me just make a few little adjustments to that title…
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
Wendy Bohon has built a TikTok following as an earthquake geologist. She helps lead earthquake work for the California Geological Survey.
How a TikToker and former actress is helping lead California’s earthquake work
Wendy Bohon has built a TikTok following as an earthquake geologist. She helps lead earthquake work for the California Geological Survey.
bit.ly
February 15, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Let me just make a few little adjustments to that title…
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
“How a scientist with a PhD in Geology and 25 years of experience is helping lead California’s earthquake work”
Way to devalue my experience.
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
“She is dead,” Officer Auderer told Officer Solan, before bursting out laughing. “No, it’s a regular person,” Officer Auderer said, adding: “Yeah, just write a check — $11,000. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.”
The officer was traveling 74 miles per hour in a 25-m.p.h. zone when he hit Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk while responding to a call. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Seattle to Pay $29 Million to Family of Woman Fatally Struck by Police S.U.V.
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:52 AM
“She is dead,” Officer Auderer told Officer Solan, before bursting out laughing. “No, it’s a regular person,” Officer Auderer said, adding: “Yeah, just write a check — $11,000. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.”
like... idk if u missed ur turn lane + the lane is full now .... in michigan they teach u to loop around the block and try again. but i guess here they teach u to hold-up traffic + zipper in ala merging @ construction on a highway
and also i guess in new jersey driving school they teach you to:
1. not go when the light is green but instead wait 3-5 s ... at every light : )
2. merge in an intersection
3. when u want to get in the other lane [normal]... u come to a complete stop and put ur turn signal on... traffic be damned
1. not go when the light is green but instead wait 3-5 s ... at every light : )
2. merge in an intersection
3. when u want to get in the other lane [normal]... u come to a complete stop and put ur turn signal on... traffic be damned
February 13, 2026 at 1:41 AM
like... idk if u missed ur turn lane + the lane is full now .... in michigan they teach u to loop around the block and try again. but i guess here they teach u to hold-up traffic + zipper in ala merging @ construction on a highway
driving in new jersey is so quirky cute fun
February 13, 2026 at 1:39 AM
driving in new jersey is so quirky cute fun
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
China's Chang'e-6 lunar lander may have solved one of the great Moon mysteries: Why does its far side look totally different than the side that faces us?
A huge impact 4.3 billion years ago partially melted the Moon's mantle & made it lopsided, according to a new study. 🧪🔭
eos.org/articles/pri...
A huge impact 4.3 billion years ago partially melted the Moon's mantle & made it lopsided, according to a new study. 🧪🔭
eos.org/articles/pri...
February 12, 2026 at 8:12 PM
China's Chang'e-6 lunar lander may have solved one of the great Moon mysteries: Why does its far side look totally different than the side that faces us?
A huge impact 4.3 billion years ago partially melted the Moon's mantle & made it lopsided, according to a new study. 🧪🔭
eos.org/articles/pri...
A huge impact 4.3 billion years ago partially melted the Moon's mantle & made it lopsided, according to a new study. 🧪🔭
eos.org/articles/pri...
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Lot of great astronomers on the list this year! Congrats @yymao.bsky.social, among others!
RCSA welcomes 24 early career teacher-scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy as recipients of its 2026 #CottrellScholar Awards. Each awardee receives $120,000. Congratulations to this exceptional class!
2026 Cottrell Scholar Awards
Research Corporation for Science Advancement, America's first foundation dedicated wholly to science, has named 24 early career scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy as recipients of its 2026 ...
rescorp.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Lot of great astronomers on the list this year! Congrats @yymao.bsky.social, among others!
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
🔭🧪 Are you interested in having a night sky? (Like at all?)
File comments with the FCC telling them to deny permission to Starlink for “a million satellites” and to Reflect Orbital for their giant sunlight mirror in space.
The American Astronomical Society has info on how 👇
File comments with the FCC telling them to deny permission to Starlink for “a million satellites” and to Reflect Orbital for their giant sunlight mirror in space.
The American Astronomical Society has info on how 👇
How to Submit Comments on Satellite Applications to the FCC
Step-by-step guide for submitting comments on satellite applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
aas.org
February 11, 2026 at 11:47 PM
🔭🧪 Are you interested in having a night sky? (Like at all?)
File comments with the FCC telling them to deny permission to Starlink for “a million satellites” and to Reflect Orbital for their giant sunlight mirror in space.
The American Astronomical Society has info on how 👇
File comments with the FCC telling them to deny permission to Starlink for “a million satellites” and to Reflect Orbital for their giant sunlight mirror in space.
The American Astronomical Society has info on how 👇
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Get to know some of our staff and scientists through Rubin Voices!
Each feature introduces you to someone helping make NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory a reality.
Bonus: each one includes a trading card, so you can start your Rubin collection. Can you collect them all? 🔭🧪
🔗: https://bit.ly/3ZvDHXm
Each feature introduces you to someone helping make NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory a reality.
Bonus: each one includes a trading card, so you can start your Rubin collection. Can you collect them all? 🔭🧪
🔗: https://bit.ly/3ZvDHXm
February 11, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Get to know some of our staff and scientists through Rubin Voices!
Each feature introduces you to someone helping make NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory a reality.
Bonus: each one includes a trading card, so you can start your Rubin collection. Can you collect them all? 🔭🧪
🔗: https://bit.ly/3ZvDHXm
Each feature introduces you to someone helping make NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory a reality.
Bonus: each one includes a trading card, so you can start your Rubin collection. Can you collect them all? 🔭🧪
🔗: https://bit.ly/3ZvDHXm
happy international day of women and girls in science 🧪🔭👩🔬🦖✨🦎 How are you supporting #womeninSTEM today? some ideas below:
www.unesco.org/en/days/wome...
www.unesco.org/en/days/wome...
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
11 February
www.unesco.org
February 11, 2026 at 7:29 PM
happy international day of women and girls in science 🧪🔭👩🔬🦖✨🦎 How are you supporting #womeninSTEM today? some ideas below:
www.unesco.org/en/days/wome...
www.unesco.org/en/days/wome...
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Power! At The Fish Disco
I'm at the power plant
I'm at the fish disco
I'm at the combination power plant fish disco
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
I'm at the fish disco
I'm at the combination power plant fish disco
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
£700m plan with ‘fish disco’ could save 90% of marine life, says Hinkley Point C study
Scientists find underwater acoustic project to stop fish being sucked into cooling systems could save 44 tonnes a year
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Power! At The Fish Disco
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
These are long term drugs, you can't simply go off them, like any diet, the weight comes back.
So this isn't a simply solution: It's a life long treatment.
So this isn't a simply solution: It's a life long treatment.
February 9, 2026 at 4:12 PM
These are long term drugs, you can't simply go off them, like any diet, the weight comes back.
So this isn't a simply solution: It's a life long treatment.
So this isn't a simply solution: It's a life long treatment.
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
If doctors can determine what weight a person "should" be at...what are the factors involved in that?
Because we as a society really really stigmatize weight. And doctors are involved in that stigma just as much as anyone else.
Because we as a society really really stigmatize weight. And doctors are involved in that stigma just as much as anyone else.
February 9, 2026 at 4:11 PM
If doctors can determine what weight a person "should" be at...what are the factors involved in that?
Because we as a society really really stigmatize weight. And doctors are involved in that stigma just as much as anyone else.
Because we as a society really really stigmatize weight. And doctors are involved in that stigma just as much as anyone else.
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Hi everyone! I am trying to look into demographics + potential recruitment/retention initiatives for minorities in astrophysics, particularly in the EU, and have no idea where to start. Any advice, papers, and academics would be super helpful!
February 9, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Hi everyone! I am trying to look into demographics + potential recruitment/retention initiatives for minorities in astrophysics, particularly in the EU, and have no idea where to start. Any advice, papers, and academics would be super helpful!
2 more minutes of daylight tomorrow < 3
The sun will rise in #Baltimore #Maryland tomorrow at 7:05, 65 seconds earlier than the day before.
It will set at 17:35, 70 seconds later than the day before.
It will set at 17:35, 70 seconds later than the day before.
February 8, 2026 at 10:53 PM
2 more minutes of daylight tomorrow < 3
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
I'd watch a muppet show movie where the muppets infiltrate an academic conference.
February 7, 2026 at 2:45 PM
I'd watch a muppet show movie where the muppets infiltrate an academic conference.
wait this is the first explanation of this to actually make sense to me; thank u dr katie mack 🙏
This galaxy is VERY tiny—much much smaller than our own Milky Way—& incredibly distant. But we can see it AND distinguish its shape!
How?
The light we see from it is from SO LONG AGO that the Universe was MUCH smaller at the time: we see it as it was when it was close enough to us to look big!! 🤯
How?
The light we see from it is from SO LONG AGO that the Universe was MUCH smaller at the time: we see it as it was when it was close enough to us to look big!! 🤯
This is what the most distant confirmed galaxy looks like. The light we're receiving was emitted when the Universe was ~15x smaller in linear size than today, and right now it's ~30 billion light-years away from us. The light was emitted when the Universe was <300 million years old. Pretty amazing!
February 7, 2026 at 2:43 AM
wait this is the first explanation of this to actually make sense to me; thank u dr katie mack 🙏
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
6/ The Post has lost over 375,000 subscribers in just over a year. If 10% of those readers subscribed to The 51st instead, we could hire 10 reporters and five editors, dramatically scaling our coverage of the city at this critical time. 51st.news/signup
Join The 51st
The 51st is a worker-led nonprofit news source for D.C. Our reporting is rooted in our conviction that local journalism is meant to make people’s lives better — no paywalls, ever. But that's only…
51st.news
February 4, 2026 at 7:21 PM
6/ The Post has lost over 375,000 subscribers in just over a year. If 10% of those readers subscribed to The 51st instead, we could hire 10 reporters and five editors, dramatically scaling our coverage of the city at this critical time. 51st.news/signup
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
Galaxy Slam! Meet Marcia Rieke, Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory. As principal investigator for NIRCam on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, she helps reveal the universe’s earliest galaxies using infrared light. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhxf...
February 4, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Galaxy Slam! Meet Marcia Rieke, Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory. As principal investigator for NIRCam on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, she helps reveal the universe’s earliest galaxies using infrared light. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhxf...
42 kilonovae per year !!! we've only ever seen 8 !!! wow
The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time will detect an astonishing number of transients — including kilonovae from colliding neutron stars. aasnova.org/2026/02/04/h... 🔭🧪
How Many Kilonovae Will Rubin Observatory Help Us Spot?
The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time will detect an astonishing number of transients — including kilonovae from colliding neutron stars.
aasnova.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:51 PM
42 kilonovae per year !!! we've only ever seen 8 !!! wow
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
The Winter Olympics start this week and you can step into Italy and out into space through our AstrOlympics project. Compare the amazing feats of the athletes with the spectacular phenomena across the cosmos.
chandra.si.edu/astrolympics...
chandra.si.edu/astrolympics...
February 4, 2026 at 3:19 PM
The Winter Olympics start this week and you can step into Italy and out into space through our AstrOlympics project. Compare the amazing feats of the athletes with the spectacular phenomena across the cosmos.
chandra.si.edu/astrolympics...
chandra.si.edu/astrolympics...
'reputation' is still that album btw
February 3, 2026 at 10:48 PM
'reputation' is still that album btw
Reposted by Huei Sears, PhD 🌟
This is what taxpayer-funded open science plus decades of hard-won investment and expertise looks like
New JWST 🔭 data is available for Uranus, here is just a brief look, manual color stretching with DS9.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.
February 2, 2026 at 10:44 PM
This is what taxpayer-funded open science plus decades of hard-won investment and expertise looks like
mmhmm mmhmm 'quadruple profits' i see i see
Southwest Airlines expects to quadruple profits this year after making changes including charging for checked bags, adding fees for extra-legroom seats, and eliminating open seating, WSJ reports.
February 2, 2026 at 8:00 PM
mmhmm mmhmm 'quadruple profits' i see i see