Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · 14d

Excited to be part of this community! What an amazing time we are in to explore our world!

Earth Species Project (ESP) @earthspecies.bsky.social · 14d

We're thrilled to welcome @drthomasz.bsky.social to our Board!

From leading NASA science missions that reveal new worlds and seeking for signs of life across the cosmos, Thomas is now helping us unlock a different frontier: understanding non-human intelligence right here on our own planet.

Thomas Zurbuchen joins the board of Earth Species Project

4

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Aug 1

In 5 days it is already 5 years that award winning scientist & @NASAEarth director from 2006-2019 passed away. I have been thinking of him a lot, with gratitude for being able to work closely with him and for all I learned from him. I still think it him often

youtu.be/UDJrk1RsosQ?...

Tribute to NASA Earth Trailblazer

YouTube video by ScienceAtNASA

youtu.be

5

Reposted by Thomas H Zurbuchen

ETH Zurich @ethz.ch · Jul 8

ETH Zurich receives CHF 100M from the Jörg G. Bucherer-Foundation to launch ETH Swiss GeoLab – a global Earth observation centre based in Lucerne. Led by Thomas Zurbuchen & Verena Griess, it will use satellite & sensor data to address global & local challenges.

Read more:

The Jörg G. Bucherer-Foundation donates 100 million Swiss francs to ETH Zurich for Earth observation centre

ETH Zurich will receive 10 million Swiss francs a year from the Jörg G. Bucherer-Foundation for the next ten years. The university will use the funds to establish a competence centre for Earth observa...

ethz.ch

1 8 23

Reposted by Thomas H Zurbuchen

Stephanie Schnydrig @steffischnydrig.bsky.social · May 30

Wir haben in Lausanne am 50-Jahre-Jubiläum @drthomasz.bsky.social und @josefaschbacher.esa.int zum Interview getroffen: Über geopolitische Risse im All, europäische Chancen und worum uns sogar die USA beneiden.

Warum es ein europäisches SpaceX braucht: Thomas Zurbuchen und Josef Aschbacher zum All

Was die ESA vom ehemaligen NASA-Chef lernen kann.

www.tagblatt.ch

1 4

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · May 30

Another day as a bi-continental human 🌎🌍🇺🇸🇨🇭

Seeing your friend take off towards the alps #ByeNads, and boarding another @unitedairlinesual.bsky.social flight…

@nadiadrake.bsky.social ✈️

1 3

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Mar 21

Highlight of the week for me was visiting Jamie Dunn at NASA Goddard, the manager of Roman Space Telescope.

Jamie and team have done an incredible job building this discovery machine - while keeping it on schedule towards launch and within cost. Super proud of them! 🔭

1 2 19

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Jan 31

Def my 2nd fav dog in the 🌎…

1 1

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Jan 31

Listening to the ongoing NASA Telecon… reminds me of my dog during a time of her life which was not her fav … www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/sph...

2 2 13

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Jan 10

Friends and explorers worldwide, join me in my support for the many explorers and scientists at @nasajpl who lost their homes and/or whose lives were affected by these terrible fires.

Remember: Support is not just measured in words, it is $s…

caltech.imodules.com/controls/ema...

Satellite imagery captured by MAXAR showing the extent of the Eaton Fire in North Pasadena and Altadena.

caltech.imodules.com

3 15

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Jan 7

Blue sky - white snow Utah style…

Yes - @deervalley.bsky.social is where I like to be most during this time of the year!

16

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Jan 1

The Swiss🇨🇭love fireworks even more than the Americans 🇺🇸. My doggie Luna - not so much… So, I spent the entire 2-3 hours of max noise 🎆💥 in the quietest room in our place - and loved it. #LuvMyDog

Happy 45^2 to all!

13

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 30

#RIPPresidentCarter, traveling among the stars ✨

7 22

Reposted by Thomas H Zurbuchen

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · Dec 27

NASA just confirmed the Parker Solar Probe survived its closest ever passage of the Sun!

Beacon tone was received last night 🟢

We'll start getting data from the historic flyby on 1 January.

1 12 71

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 25

“No Man Is A Failure Who Has Friends.” "Each Man's Life Touches So Many Other Lives"

#ItsAWonderfulLife #StephansQuintet
#JWST

1 4 34

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 24

3 1 12

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 23

“This holiday season is not immune to @NASA barging in: On December 24, the agency’s Parker Solar Probe will make its closest approach to the ☀️.”

#tohellandback #NASAHatesHolidays

Thanks to Nadia Drake for helping me improve my writing this year!

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | A journey to hell in the name of science

NASA’s Parker Space Probe will spend Christmas Eve inside the sun’s corona.

www.washingtonpost.com

3 10 39

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 23

Merry Christmas from Switzerland - with Glühwein, Christmas 🎄🎄, and big and small decorations all around town.

6

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 3

Enjoying some days in Park City, Utah. Whether ⛷️ or 🏃‍♂️, the outdoors make me feel more centered and more connected to nature!

11

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Dec 1

Yesterday, touching down in the city that never sleeps… #JFK

6

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Nov 29

As part of Bern’s century old "Zibelemärit" (transl. "market of onions" tradition, an
"Oberzibelegring" (OZG) is appointed. They are a patron of sorts for this day, selected yearly.

This year, I was announced as OZG and given the stylish/scary onion necklace.
#bernese #zibelemärit #bärn

5

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Nov 23

Finished a snowy and beautiful run and only wished more ppl (especially those w headphones) practiced a cardinal rule of skiing slopes:

Under all circumstances, only use 50% of the slope so others can pass! ⛷️⛷️👎💥

1 7

Reposted by Thomas H Zurbuchen

Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich @eth-eaps.bsky.social · Nov 22

By the way: the application for the specialised Master's degree programme in Space Systems at ETH Zurich with start in Autumn Semester 2025 is now open and ends on 30 November 2024. This application window is for students with a Bachelor's degree from outside Switzerland.

3 3

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Nov 21

Final project presentation of the 1st year ever of the 🇨🇭Space Masters Program. Students walked away with two impressions. 1. they recognize that developing space systems is very much in their reach; 2. they are acutely aware of the hard challenges related to such systems!

#InnovateTillLate

1 2 16

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Nov 20

Cool 🧵 about 📡👽

Nadia Drake @nadiadrake.bsky.social · Nov 20

Last weekend, Earth’s most famous technosignature — known as the Arecibo message — celebrated its 50th birthday.

In a story for SciAm, I had the chance to explore the transmission's significance, both then and now.

I couldn't have done it on my own, so here's a bit of how it came to be...🧵

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Nov 15

“Searching for life beyond Earth is, in some sense, an exercise in optimism.”

Read this beautiful article by @nadiadrake.bsky.social about an interstellar 50th anniversary, which also concerns her family. (Lots of @thebeatles, too … can you find it?)

www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

1 4

Thomas H Zurbuchen @drthomasz.bsky.social · Nov 20

And you…

1