Noel Richardson
@astro-noel.bsky.social
Astronomer studying massive stars and binaries with an amazing group of students.
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.
And one surprising thing, around WR 48a, which is in a cluster of stars, we not only find the dust shells - we find dusty clumps or young stars that look like the Orion proplyds.
May 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
And one surprising thing, around WR 48a, which is in a cluster of stars, we not only find the dust shells - we find dusty clumps or young stars that look like the Orion proplyds.
Immediately, we were able see a large dust structure around each binary. We also managed to measure radial profiles in some directions allowing us to see how many shells we detect:
May 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Immediately, we were able see a large dust structure around each binary. We also managed to measure radial profiles in some directions allowing us to see how many shells we detect:
After we found the dust survived in this harsh environment, I led a team to ask the question: Is it long-lived for all of the harsh environments? So, we proposed for JWST observations in Cycle 2, and finally had observations taken last summer. Here are the four systems we observed
May 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
After we found the dust survived in this harsh environment, I led a team to ask the question: Is it long-lived for all of the harsh environments? So, we proposed for JWST observations in Cycle 2, and finally had observations taken last summer. Here are the four systems we observed
This paper was the result of a follow-up on the famous WR 140 image from JWST
May 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
This paper was the result of a follow-up on the famous WR 140 image from JWST
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
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.
I go a little crazy decorating our house outside for Christmas. It's a holiday that brings me joy when I think of growing up, and my daughter has the same joy... so maybe I bought a Christmas dinosaur at Target today, and maybe I wore an ugly sweater, and maybe the combo embarrassed my family.
November 30, 2024 at 3:17 AM
I go a little crazy decorating our house outside for Christmas. It's a holiday that brings me joy when I think of growing up, and my daughter has the same joy... so maybe I bought a Christmas dinosaur at Target today, and maybe I wore an ugly sweater, and maybe the combo embarrassed my family.
Kid had a late night at school, skies were clear, so I snuck in a quick spectrum of my favorite *northern* binary WR140 that goes through periastron tomorrow night.
November 22, 2024 at 4:29 AM
Kid had a late night at school, skies were clear, so I snuck in a quick spectrum of my favorite *northern* binary WR140 that goes through periastron tomorrow night.
As a person who loves the family’s hamster… that GIF is gold
November 17, 2024 at 6:52 AM
As a person who loves the family’s hamster… that GIF is gold
You gotta check out the comet!
October 14, 2024 at 2:12 AM
You gotta check out the comet!
Closest I ever will be to being in the cool kids club
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #531,052!
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #531,052!
September 20, 2024 at 2:29 AM
Closest I ever will be to being in the cool kids club
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #531,052!
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #531,052!
Five year anniversary at work- they gave me $100 Amazon gift card. Made my day a little better after trying to help a student through a very stressful time, because I bought myself Lego
August 17, 2024 at 3:07 AM
Five year anniversary at work- they gave me $100 Amazon gift card. Made my day a little better after trying to help a student through a very stressful time, because I bought myself Lego
it's nice that I can get a reasonable spectrum of a 9th mag Wolf-Rayet star with our 20-in scope and have reasonable emission lines in only 1.5 hours.
June 6, 2024 at 8:01 AM
it's nice that I can get a reasonable spectrum of a 9th mag Wolf-Rayet star with our 20-in scope and have reasonable emission lines in only 1.5 hours.
The SOFIA data put some constraints on the temperature of the dust that was produced. :)
May 24, 2024 at 4:59 PM
The SOFIA data put some constraints on the temperature of the dust that was produced. :)
Also collected a SOFIA spectrum. I got to fly on it before it was shut down with three students.
May 24, 2024 at 4:58 PM
Also collected a SOFIA spectrum. I got to fly on it before it was shut down with three students.
We used this to get a spectroscopic orbit. We used new and archival data from both Keck and Gemini.
May 24, 2024 at 4:56 PM
We used this to get a spectroscopic orbit. We used new and archival data from both Keck and Gemini.
We used infrared photometry to derive a better period for the system as it brightens near periastron due to dust emission. The period is 28 years, so it wasn't easy to have great phase coverage. The outbursts cover two separate events.
May 24, 2024 at 4:54 PM
We used infrared photometry to derive a better period for the system as it brightens near periastron due to dust emission. The period is 28 years, so it wasn't easy to have great phase coverage. The outbursts cover two separate events.
Made a check in and observing log on google forms for my observing team. Best part was we put a shortcut on the computers. As we said “check-in”, we decided on this for the icon. A check-in chicken
May 18, 2024 at 6:15 PM
Made a check in and observing log on google forms for my observing team. Best part was we put a shortcut on the computers. As we said “check-in”, we decided on this for the icon. A check-in chicken
It’s been a rough semester with more than average student issues, compounded with administrative . So the fact that a student took time to write a nice note and hand crochet a spherical cow… that is a highlight
April 25, 2024 at 6:27 PM
It’s been a rough semester with more than average student issues, compounded with administrative . So the fact that a student took time to write a nice note and hand crochet a spherical cow… that is a highlight
I'm not a professional astrophotographer, but here are some favs. Seriously still in awe. Got lucky at the HEAD meeting to have a few breaks in the clouds before and during totality. After the eclipse, no remorse with leaving for food - the clouds were too thick to see anything after totality.
April 10, 2024 at 4:30 AM
I'm not a professional astrophotographer, but here are some favs. Seriously still in awe. Got lucky at the HEAD meeting to have a few breaks in the clouds before and during totality. After the eclipse, no remorse with leaving for food - the clouds were too thick to see anything after totality.
Finally got first light with our 20 inch Planewave telescope tonight.
December 15, 2023 at 7:13 AM
Finally got first light with our 20 inch Planewave telescope tonight.
Our campus has a new stress-relief therapy puppy, who came to see my physics students today.
Class topic became “Fur”-ier transforms taught by a staff member with an honorary “dog”-torate.
Class topic became “Fur”-ier transforms taught by a staff member with an honorary “dog”-torate.
November 10, 2023 at 1:31 AM
Our campus has a new stress-relief therapy puppy, who came to see my physics students today.
Class topic became “Fur”-ier transforms taught by a staff member with an honorary “dog”-torate.
Class topic became “Fur”-ier transforms taught by a staff member with an honorary “dog”-torate.
This is the best graphic I stumbled across when prepping lecture for my computational course recently.
November 2, 2023 at 4:56 AM
This is the best graphic I stumbled across when prepping lecture for my computational course recently.
One of the high school aged scouts in my daughter’s Girl Scout troop painted me a picture of the eclipse based on her watching it and feeling inspired 😳😍🤩
October 28, 2023 at 6:37 AM
One of the high school aged scouts in my daughter’s Girl Scout troop painted me a picture of the eclipse based on her watching it and feeling inspired 😳😍🤩