Noel Richardson
@astro-noel.bsky.social
Astronomer studying massive stars and binaries with an amazing group of students.
Come on Tigers! 🐅 ⚾️
October 11, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Come on Tigers! 🐅 ⚾️
Sabbatical... so I am submitting 8 telescope proposals this season.
1 JWST
1 CHARA
5 Gemini (2 poor-weather, 1 Fast turnaround, and 2 regular)
1 Subaru exchange.
When I was teaching, my time was more limited so I didn't do this to myself.
1 JWST
1 CHARA
5 Gemini (2 poor-weather, 1 Fast turnaround, and 2 regular)
1 Subaru exchange.
When I was teaching, my time was more limited so I didn't do this to myself.
September 30, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Sabbatical... so I am submitting 8 telescope proposals this season.
1 JWST
1 CHARA
5 Gemini (2 poor-weather, 1 Fast turnaround, and 2 regular)
1 Subaru exchange.
When I was teaching, my time was more limited so I didn't do this to myself.
1 JWST
1 CHARA
5 Gemini (2 poor-weather, 1 Fast turnaround, and 2 regular)
1 Subaru exchange.
When I was teaching, my time was more limited so I didn't do this to myself.
Arxiv is doing what’s its done for years:
April Fools joke papers ✅
Conference papers ✅
Short papers accepted by RNAAS ❌
This bothers me as it literally keeps students from better showcasing their skills - and in this case, it’s a student from a historically underrepresented demographic.
April Fools joke papers ✅
Conference papers ✅
Short papers accepted by RNAAS ❌
This bothers me as it literally keeps students from better showcasing their skills - and in this case, it’s a student from a historically underrepresented demographic.
September 15, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Arxiv is doing what’s its done for years:
April Fools joke papers ✅
Conference papers ✅
Short papers accepted by RNAAS ❌
This bothers me as it literally keeps students from better showcasing their skills - and in this case, it’s a student from a historically underrepresented demographic.
April Fools joke papers ✅
Conference papers ✅
Short papers accepted by RNAAS ❌
This bothers me as it literally keeps students from better showcasing their skills - and in this case, it’s a student from a historically underrepresented demographic.
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Americans Astronomers
watching watching
US politics Betelgeuse
🤝
“It could happen at any time”
watching watching
US politics Betelgeuse
🤝
“It could happen at any time”
September 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Americans Astronomers
watching watching
US politics Betelgeuse
🤝
“It could happen at any time”
watching watching
US politics Betelgeuse
🤝
“It could happen at any time”
Yesterday, we had a good monsoon storm, with a complete double rainbow stretching from horizon to horizon following.
August 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Yesterday, we had a good monsoon storm, with a complete double rainbow stretching from horizon to horizon following.
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Exciting news! My second first-author paper is out on the arXiv today!! arxiv.org/abs/2507.14610
We present a brand new JWST image of the Apep colliding wind binary in the mid-infrared, and we study what this nebula can tell us about the THREE stars in it's centre. Read on for more... 1/?🔭🧪
We present a brand new JWST image of the Apep colliding wind binary in the mid-infrared, and we study what this nebula can tell us about the THREE stars in it's centre. Read on for more... 1/?🔭🧪
July 22, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Exciting news! My second first-author paper is out on the arXiv today!! arxiv.org/abs/2507.14610
We present a brand new JWST image of the Apep colliding wind binary in the mid-infrared, and we study what this nebula can tell us about the THREE stars in it's centre. Read on for more... 1/?🔭🧪
We present a brand new JWST image of the Apep colliding wind binary in the mid-infrared, and we study what this nebula can tell us about the THREE stars in it's centre. Read on for more... 1/?🔭🧪
Reposted by Noel Richardson
WR 48A from JWST. You know you need some weird in your day.
From GO 4093: Fingerprinting the history of episodic dust creation in Wolf-Rayet binaries, Principal Investigator Noel Richardson
flic.kr/p/2riubcR
From GO 4093: Fingerprinting the history of episodic dust creation in Wolf-Rayet binaries, Principal Investigator Noel Richardson
flic.kr/p/2riubcR
July 24, 2025 at 5:55 AM
WR 48A from JWST. You know you need some weird in your day.
From GO 4093: Fingerprinting the history of episodic dust creation in Wolf-Rayet binaries, Principal Investigator Noel Richardson
flic.kr/p/2riubcR
From GO 4093: Fingerprinting the history of episodic dust creation in Wolf-Rayet binaries, Principal Investigator Noel Richardson
flic.kr/p/2riubcR
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Apep. JWST. It's weird. Just look at it.
From GO 5842: What lies beyond the inner spiral of Apep?
Principal Investigator: Yinuo Han
flic.kr/p/2riELBn
From GO 5842: What lies beyond the inner spiral of Apep?
Principal Investigator: Yinuo Han
flic.kr/p/2riELBn
July 25, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Apep. JWST. It's weird. Just look at it.
From GO 5842: What lies beyond the inner spiral of Apep?
Principal Investigator: Yinuo Han
flic.kr/p/2riELBn
From GO 5842: What lies beyond the inner spiral of Apep?
Principal Investigator: Yinuo Han
flic.kr/p/2riELBn
Reposted by Noel Richardson
If you're a trans or non-binary scientist, consider appearing on the podcast Assigned Scientist at Bachelor's, the only podcast dedicating to interviewing, and highlighting the research of, trans and non-binary scientists, cohosted by your truly!
ASAB Guest Info
ASAB is a podcast which brings on trans and non-binary guests in science (undergrad or grad students, technicians, professors, educators, researchers, science journalists, photographers, or even someo...
docs.google.com
July 23, 2025 at 2:23 AM
If you're a trans or non-binary scientist, consider appearing on the podcast Assigned Scientist at Bachelor's, the only podcast dedicating to interviewing, and highlighting the research of, trans and non-binary scientists, cohosted by your truly!
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Not the most important part of this post by a long shot, BUT...
YAY for massive binary stars and dusty spirals in space! 💫🌀 So excited to be on this paper with @astro-noel.bsky.social and my awesome grad student Emma Lieb.
(And do please sign to #SaveNASA, which funds this super cool research!)
YAY for massive binary stars and dusty spirals in space! 💫🌀 So excited to be on this paper with @astro-noel.bsky.social and my awesome grad student Emma Lieb.
(And do please sign to #SaveNASA, which funds this super cool research!)
HUNDREDS of NASA employees sign a declaration protesting the brutal attacks by Trump and his regime. I signed it too, as should you.
Plus: Incredible image of dusty spirals blasted out by a terrifying binary star.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/nasa-decla...
🔭🧪
Plus: Incredible image of dusty spirals blasted out by a terrifying binary star.
badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/nasa-decla...
🔭🧪
NASA declaration against Trump’s science attacks, more dusty WR star spirals
The Voyager Declaration takes a stand against budget cuts, and a gorgeous JWST image of Wolf-Rayet star dust expulsion
badastronomy.beehiiv.com
July 22, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Not the most important part of this post by a long shot, BUT...
YAY for massive binary stars and dusty spirals in space! 💫🌀 So excited to be on this paper with @astro-noel.bsky.social and my awesome grad student Emma Lieb.
(And do please sign to #SaveNASA, which funds this super cool research!)
YAY for massive binary stars and dusty spirals in space! 💫🌀 So excited to be on this paper with @astro-noel.bsky.social and my awesome grad student Emma Lieb.
(And do please sign to #SaveNASA, which funds this super cool research!)
Between family visiting us and a short vacation to Southern California, I think I’ve driven too much lately. So as I decided how to get to Tucson for the Cottrell conference, I booked a shuttle to Tucson, stopping in PHX.
As I see monsoon clouds towards Tucson, I am very happy with this decision.
As I see monsoon clouds towards Tucson, I am very happy with this decision.
July 16, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Between family visiting us and a short vacation to Southern California, I think I’ve driven too much lately. So as I decided how to get to Tucson for the Cottrell conference, I booked a shuttle to Tucson, stopping in PHX.
As I see monsoon clouds towards Tucson, I am very happy with this decision.
As I see monsoon clouds towards Tucson, I am very happy with this decision.
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University: Astronomers Unlock Secrets of Cosmic Dust With JWST news.erau.edu/headlines/em...
Embry-Riddle Professor, Undergrads Unlock Secrets of Cosmic Dust With the Webb Telescope
news.erau.edu
July 9, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University: Astronomers Unlock Secrets of Cosmic Dust With JWST news.erau.edu/headlines/em...
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Nobel Prize Laureate Kip Thorne speaking yesterday at the Albert Einstein Institute in Postdam, Germany:
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
June 4, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Nobel Prize Laureate Kip Thorne speaking yesterday at the Albert Einstein Institute in Postdam, Germany:
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
Reposted by Noel Richardson
The failure of the National Academy of Sciences USA to make a clear and unequivocal statement about the disastrous Trump administration science policies — it lets all of us down and dooms them to eventual irrelevance.
US science is being wrecked, and its leadership is fighting the last war
Facing an extreme budget, the National Academies hosted an event that ignored it.
arstechnica.com
June 5, 2025 at 4:19 AM
The failure of the National Academy of Sciences USA to make a clear and unequivocal statement about the disastrous Trump administration science policies — it lets all of us down and dooms them to eventual irrelevance.
I am delighted to announce that my paper was accepted to the Astrophysical Journal this morning. Here's the submitted version to arXiv: arxiv.org/abs/2505.11616
Carbon-rich dust injected into the interstellar medium by Galactic WC binaries survives for hundreds of years
Some carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet stars (WC stars) show an infrared excess from dust emission. Dust forms in the collision of the WC wind with a companion star's wind. As this dust is carried towards the IS...
arxiv.org
May 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
I am delighted to announce that my paper was accepted to the Astrophysical Journal this morning. Here's the submitted version to arXiv: arxiv.org/abs/2505.11616
This was a fun paper to write. Thanks for putting it up on bsky @astroryan.bsky.social
Four more colliding wind nebulae have been observed with JWST, and just yesterday put on the arxiv! arxiv.org/abs/2505.11616
Yes, those rungs of dust are real and not an imaging artefact!
1/ 🔭
Yes, those rungs of dust are real and not an imaging artefact!
1/ 🔭
May 21, 2025 at 1:50 AM
This was a fun paper to write. Thanks for putting it up on bsky @astroryan.bsky.social
Perhaps one of the more irritating parts of being a faculty member is having to request new software for a computing course. The uni seems to always want these for the upcoming academic year by May, which doesn't allow for much dynamic teaching.
March 20, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Perhaps one of the more irritating parts of being a faculty member is having to request new software for a computing course. The uni seems to always want these for the upcoming academic year by May, which doesn't allow for much dynamic teaching.
Why do the kids never think 1/(2million) radians is small enough to use a small angle approximation? At that point it isn’t even an approximation 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
March 9, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Why do the kids never think 1/(2million) radians is small enough to use a small angle approximation? At that point it isn’t even an approximation 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
been a bit since I posted a good thing of the day, because I've been busy and ignoring social media is not a bad thing... so this week my highlight was attending the Flagstaff Astronomy Symposium at Lowell at seeing my students (past and present) give great talks
March 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM
been a bit since I posted a good thing of the day, because I've been busy and ignoring social media is not a bad thing... so this week my highlight was attending the Flagstaff Astronomy Symposium at Lowell at seeing my students (past and present) give great talks
Reposted by Noel Richardson
This list is so long and taking up so much real estate in his speech it’s almost like they want to distract from their massive cuts to Medicaid
March 5, 2025 at 2:47 AM
This list is so long and taking up so much real estate in his speech it’s almost like they want to distract from their massive cuts to Medicaid
Reposted by Noel Richardson
It's absolutely wild to praise Elon Musk and DOGE who broke the law and didn't have the required security clearance to access the personal information of millions of Americans through at least 15 federal agencies – including the Treasury Department and the IRS.
March 5, 2025 at 2:45 AM
It's absolutely wild to praise Elon Musk and DOGE who broke the law and didn't have the required security clearance to access the personal information of millions of Americans through at least 15 federal agencies – including the Treasury Department and the IRS.
Apparently I won an award. However, I think winning Textbook Affordability means I don’t get any cash prizes because I didn’t make the bookstore money.
March 4, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Apparently I won an award. However, I think winning Textbook Affordability means I don’t get any cash prizes because I didn’t make the bookstore money.
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Good afternoon. Elon Musk is... still a nazi.
March 3, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Good afternoon. Elon Musk is... still a nazi.
Reposted by Noel Richardson
Every scientist, long before they were a scientist, was a little kid who stood in front of a fish tank or stared up at the stars or turned over a rock to look at the bugs underneath and said “wow”. On the best days, working in science still feels like that.
February 19, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Every scientist, long before they were a scientist, was a little kid who stood in front of a fish tank or stared up at the stars or turned over a rock to look at the bugs underneath and said “wow”. On the best days, working in science still feels like that.
there's a fantastic topical meeting in Mexico I want to go to in the fall. The getting there and back from where I live is honestly terrifying right now (driving) with *all this* going on... I have ten days to figure out if I am *mentally* able to go.
Any thoughts from astro friends here?
Any thoughts from astro friends here?
February 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
there's a fantastic topical meeting in Mexico I want to go to in the fall. The getting there and back from where I live is honestly terrifying right now (driving) with *all this* going on... I have ten days to figure out if I am *mentally* able to go.
Any thoughts from astro friends here?
Any thoughts from astro friends here?