Erin M. May, PhD
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astronomay.bsky.social
Erin M. May, PhD
@astronomay.bsky.social
8.4K followers 740 following 390 posts
Staff Astronomer @ a place - Exoplanet Atmospheres with JWST. All data is good data.

Plus Knitting, Stickers, Baking, and other crafty things. Toddler mom.

Known as @_astronoMay on other sites

ErinMMay.com
SiderealStickers.Etsy.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
astronomay.bsky.social
Me and my shoulder cat waiting at the vet today.

(they think she's a couple weeks older than the original estimate, and currently she has double canines on both sides since the kitten ones haven't yet fallen out 🧛)
Penny, a tortie kitten, is perched on Erin's shoulder and looking to the side. She's a bit nervous because she's at the vet.
November 24, 2025 at 7:50 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Me trying to work today:
the view from erin's laptop camera shows Penny, a tortie kitten, sitting between erin and the laptop and looking downwards towards the bottom of the screen the view from erin's laptop camera shows Penny, a tortie kitten, sitting between erin and the laptop and looking towards the side of the screen
November 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Sorry for the lack of Penny. The toddler got us all sick.

Anyways, their friendship is blossoming ❤️
Erin's toddler is sitting on the couch covered in a grey blanket. She is looking to the side with her arm stretched out towards their kitten, Penny, a long haired tortie. Penny is sniffing the toddler's hand cautiously.
November 19, 2025 at 6:03 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Your daily dose of Penny-provided serotonin is here 💖
Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is lying on a dark brown floor. She's facing the camera with her front paws forward, and the back of her body is angled to the side. She looks mischievous Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is sitting up and looking at the camera. She is peaking from behind a chair leg. Her light colored eyebrows make her look concerned.
November 12, 2025 at 7:13 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
This is probably why the allergies are so bad 😂😂 But what am I going to do?? Move a napping kitten?? 😵‍💫
Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is laying on Erin's chest taking a nap. She's very close to Erin's face.
November 11, 2025 at 7:28 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Just a princess on her throne 👑🐈

(Side note, apparently you can be allergic to only *some* cats, but that's what allergy medicine is for, right? 🫠🙃)
Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is laying on an orange pillow. She is looking to the lower left of the frame and is sat up very straight with big eyes like she's about to pounce
November 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
No read, only pets.
Penny, a long hair tortie with a mostly black face and orange eyes, is lying on Erin in the bottom of the frame, paws outstretched and staring at her. Erin's hand is holding her book open in the top of the frame
November 11, 2025 at 2:03 AM
astronomay.bsky.social
OBSESSED.
Penny, a long hair tortie with a mostly black face and orange eyes, is tucked between blankets, the couch, and pillows.
November 10, 2025 at 2:21 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Hi, I'm obsessed. This is a Penny account now.
Penny, a long hair tortie with a mostly black face and orange eyes, is peaking over the side of a braided basket on the top of a cat tree. Only her eyes and fluffy ears are visible
November 9, 2025 at 7:41 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Pen is falling asleep on B's favorite chair and I'M FINE I PROMISE I'M NOT CRYING 😭😭❤️❤️
Pen, a medium hair tortie, is lying on a white chair and falling asleep. Erin's previous cat Button is lying on a white chair looking near the camera. She's a long hair calico with green eyes
November 9, 2025 at 3:00 AM
astronomay.bsky.social
Meet Penelope!

Pen or Penny for short, which one could argue is also a nickname for Penguin, so really, the toddler did name her after all.
A tortie kitten with a mostly black face and orange eyes is peaking around the side of a desk chair. A tortie kitten with a mostly black face, orange eyes, and a very light orange beard is lying on a desk chair. Her ears are alert
November 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Some things change, some things stay the same.

Beaumont Bell Tower @ Michigan State.

2025. 2019.
Erin on the left and her husband Alex on the right are looking down between them where they're swinging their 2 year old daughter. They're standing in front of a wooden door in a stone building, with green trees on the sides of the frame. Erin on the left and her husband on the right are looking at each other. Erin is in a white dress and her husband is in a suit. They're standing in front of a wooden door in a stone building, with green trees on the sides of the frame.
October 3, 2025 at 11:59 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
The toddler is dressing up as Lilo from Lilo and Stitch for Halloween.

She has started telling people at daycare that I am dressing up as Pleakley and her dad is dressing up as Jumba.

So anyways, I guess I need to make us Pleakley and Jumba costumes 🤦‍♀️
the aliens Jumba (left) and Pleakley (right) from Lilo and Stitch. Jumba is large, round, purple, and has four eyes. Pleakley is skinny, has three legs, one eye, and an antenna.
September 17, 2025 at 8:04 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
The toddler is obsessed with Lilo and Stitch (the original one)

She found a Halloween light up Stitch at Lowe's today and talked us into buying it.

She's currently trying to take Stitch for a walk, but Stitch is the same size as her 😂
Erin's toddler is walking away from the camera carrying a plastic light up Halloween Stitch that is almost the same size as her. The electric cord is dangling from it.
September 7, 2025 at 11:34 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
me trying to work after staying up late for the new Taylor Swift album announcement.

I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS, TAYLOR ❤️‍🔥
small kitten is sitting between blankets and pillows and looks tired and grumpy
August 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
*Sets an alarm for 12:10 am*
Screenshot of TaylorSwift.com with an orange glitter background and a countdown that ends at 12:12 AM on 8/12
August 12, 2025 at 1:55 AM
astronomay.bsky.social
Me explaining to my husband why there's (definitely for real this time) a new Taylor Swift album being announced on Wednesday ❤️‍🔥
Man standing in front of a wall filled with papers and red strings connecting everything to explain his conspiracy theory
August 12, 2025 at 12:11 AM
astronomay.bsky.social
ROSES 2025 is out 🧪🔭🪐

It's quite the small list 😬

nspires.nasaprs.com/external/sol...
a screenshot of the NSPIRES website listing all the ROSES 2025 program elements that are being solicited. There appear to be only 18 program elements.
July 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
From STScI Town Hall @ #AAS246

JWST Cycle 4 funding may be impacted and delayed by the PBR. 😜🔭🪐
Screenshot of powerpoint slide from STScI town hall at the AAS meeting. It reads: Upcoming Hubble and JWST grant cycles JWST Cycle 4 • Cycle 4 grant funding was allocated using a formula • Budgets have been submitted and are currently under review • Financial Review Committee meets to finalise recommendations in early July • Final funding levels may be impacted by the FY26 PBR & notifications may be delayed pending confirmation from NASA
June 11, 2025 at 1:27 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
The toddler hasn't learned that things cost money yet, because she ran up to the stuffed penguin display, grabbed one, and walked away.

Anyways, she has a new stuffed friend and carried it through the whole zoo. (We did pay for it and tried to explain money to her after the incident 😂)
Erin's toddler is standing facing away from the camera, looking through a rope fence at penguins. There is a small pool for them and the penguins are standing behind that on a rock being fed fresh fish by zookeepers. The toddler is hugging a penguin stuffer animal.
June 7, 2025 at 5:35 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Making more of these stickers. What else should I add?
Erin's open palm holding five stickers. They read Fund Vaccines, Fund Science, Fund Education, Fund Healthcare, and Fund Libraries in soft pastel colors
June 1, 2025 at 5:24 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
Budget news and employment prospects are bleak, but at least I have a toddler collecting rocks for me 🤷‍♀️
Erin's daughter is sitting on the floor near some grass and dirt facing away from the camera. Erin's hand is in the front of the frame holding several small rocks her daughter collected and gave her.
May 30, 2025 at 9:28 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
"ExoPAG 32 will be rescheduled to no earlier than mid July. NASA HQ has requested this additional time to allow for NASA’s next Administrator to be confirmed, and for more information to be in hand so that we can have a full, substantive discussion with the community." 🔭🪐🧪

(ExoPAG32 was next week)
Screenshot of an email stating that "ExoPAG 32 will be rescheduled to no earlier than mid July. NASA HQ has requested this additional time to allow for NASA’s next Administrator to be confirmed, and for more information to be in hand so that we can have a full, substantive discussion with the community."
May 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
My toddler's hair is long enough for a ponytail now 😭😭
Erin's toddler is sitting in a high chair eating breakfast. She's facing to the side of the frame, and her hair is in a ponytail sticking off the back of her head. Her face is obscured.
May 12, 2025 at 3:50 PM
astronomay.bsky.social
AAS week of action for Federal Funding, May 5th: Write to your Reps!!!
aas.org/posts/news/2...
aas.org/advocacy/get...
A hand holding five stickers. They have a white background and read "Fund Vaccines", "Fund Science", "Fund Education", "Fund Healthcare", "Fund Libraries". The font on "fund" is black in all stickers, and the color of the other text is different for each sticker so that together they make a pastel rainbow.
May 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM