Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)
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extragalactic.bsky.social
Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)
@extragalactic.bsky.social
Postdoctoral fellow at Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian | Space Art | Galaxy evolution | Mental health | Australian, disabled cat parent.

Instagram: @Fashionableastronomy
Christian’s research focused on the Perseus galaxy cluster. They confirmed two giant structures: a radio "mini-halo" around the central galaxy, and a much larger "giant radio halo" over a million ly! These halos likely come from turbulence caused by past cosmic mergers, which re-energize particles.
June 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Studying space at such low frequencies is incredibly challenging because the Earth's ionosphere distorts the incoming radio waves. Christian helped develop a new calibration technique that enables higher sensitivity and resolution imaging at these wavelengths.
June 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Today, my colleague Christian at Leiden University successfully defended his PhD thesis, "Galaxy Clusters in the Decameter Sky"! In it, he mapped the sky at a relatively unexplored range of radio frequencies—10–30 MHz—using the LOFAR telescope. I had the honour of designing Christian’s thesis cover!
June 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
The pillars of creation were first made famous when imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 (and again in 2014) in visible light - which I have previously painted. The near-infrared view from JWST helps us peer through more of the dust - revealing many more stars that are forming within.
February 27, 2025 at 2:16 AM
The pillars of creation were first made famous when imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 (and again in 2014) in visible light - which I have previously painted. The near-infrared view from JWST helps us peer through more of the dust - revealing many more stars that are forming within.
February 27, 2025 at 2:16 AM
My mini painting of the Pillars of Creation was inspired by the JWST NIRCam image. This region of active star formation lies ~6,500 lyr away. Glowing red lines near the edges of some pillars reveal where stars are ejecting material as they form. 🔭🧪 🎨
February 27, 2025 at 2:16 AM
My mini painting of the Pillars of Creation was inspired by the JWST NIRCam image. This region of active star formation lies ~6,500 lyr away. Glowing red lines near the edges of some pillars reveal where stars are ejecting material as they form. 🔭🧪 🎨
February 27, 2025 at 2:16 AM
I'm excited to take part in Dragonfly Mental Health's Global Migration on October 10th, celebrating World Mental Health Day and raising awareness about #MentalHealth in #academia. I'll be delivering a Basics of Burnout Seminar at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, USA
October 9, 2024 at 10:47 PM
For Day 2 of #SpacetoberChallenge #Spacetober prompt Moon, I'm posting an acrylic painting I did a few years ago for my friend @aurorakess.bsky.social

#SapcetoberChallenge_04 #SciArt
October 2, 2024 at 2:32 PM
Mixed media Witch Head Nebula. The Witch Head Nebula, also known as IC 2118, is a reflection nebula located about 900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus.
🐡🔭
#Sciart #spaceart #witch

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September 29, 2024 at 4:44 PM
I really enjoy watching videos of acrylic pours and it was very fun to incorporate the technique for these paintings
1. Impressions of a gas giant
2. Impressions of an exo-moon
3. Impressions of Mercury
4. Impressions of Mars.

#SciArt 🔭🐡
#spaceart #planet #acrylicpouring
August 23, 2024 at 3:55 PM
Multiwavelength view of NGC 2207 and IC 2163
#spaceart 🔭 #sciart
The larger and more massive galaxy in this image is NGC 2207, while the smaller one is IC 2163.
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August 14, 2024 at 11:54 AM
This is my digital art of NGC 1360, the robin's egg nebula, inspired by the Astronomy Picture of the Day Aug 5, 2023: apod.nasa.gov/apod/a...
🔭
#procreate #digitalart #spaceart
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July 11, 2024 at 3:25 PM
Yesterday my dear friend and colleague Marta Frias Castillo defended her thesis on measuring cold molecular gas across cosmic time. I had the pleasure of designing her thesis cover. Congratulations Dr Frias Castillo 🎉
June 21, 2024 at 3:12 PM
Was it just me or was most of that image blank? Trying again! 🔭🧪🎨
April 16, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Digital Art: The Penguin Galaxy, aka Arp 142.
🎨🔭 🐧

I first encountered the Penguin Galaxy through the Galaxy Zoo Project, one of the most successful citizen science initiatives (imo).
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April 16, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Painting of a fictional star system. I used an image of our sun's solar flares for reference. I also played with impasto - making a 3d effect by layering the paint thickly on the canvas. What should I name this one? 🎨 #spaceart
April 9, 2024 at 7:00 AM
"Heart Nebula"
This 20x20cm acrylic painting captures the beauty of the Heart Nebula (center) and the Fishhead Nebula (bottom right). The Heart Nebula gets its name from its resemblance to a heart when observed in visible light. 🔭
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April 5, 2024 at 9:22 AM
New art: Southern Ring Nebula. Despite its name, the Southern Ring Nebula appears like a bubble or an hourglass due to its complex structure. A handful of stars are responsible for the formation of this breathtaking nebula. 🔭
April 3, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Now the photo:
April 1, 2024 at 9:41 AM
For Valentine's Day last week, I painted the Antennae Galaxies, also known as NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 - a pair of interacting galaxies located in the constellation Corvus. #spaceart 🔭
February 21, 2024 at 2:00 PM
The Ring Nebula, also known as M57, is a stunning planetary nebula located ~2,000 ly away in the constellation Lyra. 🔭 The distinctive colourful ring was formed by a dying star, once similar in size to our Sun, shedding its outer layers as it entered its final stages of life.
February 20, 2024 at 12:24 PM
New digital art: The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is a nebula of gas and dust visible from both hemispheres. At a distance of 360 ly it is one of the closest star forming regions. Rho Ophiuchi is the group of stars in the blue area. 🔭 #spaceart
February 11, 2024 at 8:45 AM
Excited to talk alongside Pía, a professional psychologist, with astronomers in Chile about mental health in academia on Monday!
January 19, 2024 at 7:24 PM
Together, the Cone Nebula and the Christmas Tree Cluster make up NGC 2264 - my inspiration behind this digital artwork I did over the past 3 days. #spaceart 🔭 🎄✨
December 27, 2023 at 12:58 PM