Josh Peek
@jegpeek.bsky.social
Astronomer. Former PI: Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes, Head: Data Science for STScI.
She also said, of the Harvard astronomical plate archive, “there are more fish in that sea than have been drawn from it”
This is how I see our data — a vast ocean teeming with discoveries yet to be caught.
This is how I see our data — a vast ocean teeming with discoveries yet to be caught.
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin ✨ figured out what stars are made of ✨ when she was just 25. 🔭🧪
Her PhD thesis basically established the Harvard astro department — at a time when Harvard didn't officially allow woman students.
I wrote this little profile to mark the 100th anniversary of her thesis:
Her PhD thesis basically established the Harvard astro department — at a time when Harvard didn't officially allow woman students.
I wrote this little profile to mark the 100th anniversary of her thesis:
September 25, 2025 at 12:58 AM
She also said, of the Harvard astronomical plate archive, “there are more fish in that sea than have been drawn from it”
This is how I see our data — a vast ocean teeming with discoveries yet to be caught.
This is how I see our data — a vast ocean teeming with discoveries yet to be caught.
Look folks, I get that AI has lots of possible negatives, and I think it is important that we honestly discuss them. But man, if I see another AI-centered article about datacenter power use that shows the dramatic growth in power use from 2021-2023 I am gonna lose it. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/b...
Big Tech’s A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills for Everyone
www.nytimes.com
August 15, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Look folks, I get that AI has lots of possible negatives, and I think it is important that we honestly discuss them. But man, if I see another AI-centered article about datacenter power use that shows the dramatic growth in power use from 2021-2023 I am gonna lose it. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/b...
Petition to measure RA and Dec in decimal hours. Hare-core observers get their precious hours, the rest of us can use the decimal system and have symmetrical coordinates as god intended.
Petition to renumber the Messier catalogue so the neat ones like lenticulars come first and messier ones like HII regions get higher numbers 🔭
Petition to move all interstellar objects to a pleasingly less crowded region of sky
thanks, an observational astronomer
thanks, an observational astronomer
July 6, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Petition to measure RA and Dec in decimal hours. Hare-core observers get their precious hours, the rest of us can use the decimal system and have symmetrical coordinates as god intended.
Reposted by Josh Peek
It’s bleak out there, but it’s heartening to know millions of people from all walks of life took the time to ruin one specific persons birthday, America’s hater spirit remains strong
June 14, 2025 at 9:00 PM
It’s bleak out there, but it’s heartening to know millions of people from all walks of life took the time to ruin one specific persons birthday, America’s hater spirit remains strong
This work by my collaborator Blakesley (with support from yours truly) is based on data made much more easily available by MAST! This paper would not have happened if we (esp.
adrian lucy) hadn’t made this data so easy to use! Go @mast-news.bsky.social !!
adrian lucy) hadn’t made this data so easy to use! Go @mast-news.bsky.social !!
Talk about a double whammy! Baby and big science result in the space of 10 hours - great work, Blakesley Burkhart www.nj.com/news/2025/05... 🔭
N.J. astrophysicist announces astonishing interstellar discovery — 10 hours after giving birth
The cloud of hydrogen is shaped like a crescent and “literally glowing in the dark" like fluorescent stickers on a child's bedroom ceiling.
www.nj.com
May 2, 2025 at 2:48 PM
This work by my collaborator Blakesley (with support from yours truly) is based on data made much more easily available by MAST! This paper would not have happened if we (esp.
adrian lucy) hadn’t made this data so easy to use! Go @mast-news.bsky.social !!
adrian lucy) hadn’t made this data so easy to use! Go @mast-news.bsky.social !!
Reposted by Josh Peek
As a person who has professionally done my own research on a number of things, let me say: I do not want to have to do my own research on most things. I am happy for experts to do research in their fields and publish their finds, and for service providers to read and summarize it for me.
April 30, 2025 at 7:21 PM
As a person who has professionally done my own research on a number of things, let me say: I do not want to have to do my own research on most things. I am happy for experts to do research in their fields and publish their finds, and for service providers to read and summarize it for me.
Reposted by Josh Peek
🚨 A 50% cut to NASA science is on the table for 2026.
This would kill missions, halt discoveries, and threaten thousands of jobs.
The American Astronomical Society makes it super easy to tell Congress: fund NASA science.
Speak up here: aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
This would kill missions, halt discoveries, and threaten thousands of jobs.
The American Astronomical Society makes it super easy to tell Congress: fund NASA science.
Speak up here: aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
NASA SMD Dear Colleague Action Alert | American Astronomical Society
aas.org
April 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
🚨 A 50% cut to NASA science is on the table for 2026.
This would kill missions, halt discoveries, and threaten thousands of jobs.
The American Astronomical Society makes it super easy to tell Congress: fund NASA science.
Speak up here: aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
This would kill missions, halt discoveries, and threaten thousands of jobs.
The American Astronomical Society makes it super easy to tell Congress: fund NASA science.
Speak up here: aas.org/urge-nasa-su...
Reposted by Josh Peek
“The Hubble Image Similarity Project” by RL White & @jegpeek.bsky.social - what a cool idea! arxiv.org/pdf/2504.17688. See also the WIRED article by @sarahscoles.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/this-c...
arxiv.org
April 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
“The Hubble Image Similarity Project” by RL White & @jegpeek.bsky.social - what a cool idea! arxiv.org/pdf/2504.17688. See also the WIRED article by @sarahscoles.bsky.social: www.wired.com/story/this-c...
90% of these images are of the ISM. There I said it!
Happy birthday to the Hubble Space Telescope, launched from the Kennedy Space Center #OTD in 1990. Here's to a remarkable 35 years of imaging the Cosmos. 🧪 🔭 ⚛️
Leave your favorite Hubble images in the replies!
Leave your favorite Hubble images in the replies!
April 24, 2025 at 4:46 PM
90% of these images are of the ISM. There I said it!
Already built and on budget and on time!
Astronomers will keep pointing out to folks that the Roman telescope is *already built* and is being prepped for launch *next year* and I know we live in a stupid timeline but cancelling Roman at this point would be SO STUPID.
Took a little walk over to the giant #nasa Goddard cleanroom yesterday where the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is looking great 😎 It’s assembled and going through testing before its scheduled launch late next year! It will study dark energy, dark matter (ahem @pearljam.com), exoplanets & more!
April 22, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Already built and on budget and on time!
Reposted by Josh Peek
David Brooks is ready to take it to the streets and Senator Van Hollen has demonstrated admirable resolve and compassion for a constituent in danger, let's make this the flapping of butterfly wings that causes a tornado
April 18, 2025 at 1:41 AM
David Brooks is ready to take it to the streets and Senator Van Hollen has demonstrated admirable resolve and compassion for a constituent in danger, let's make this the flapping of butterfly wings that causes a tornado
ok exactly how massive was the binary that caused this gravitational wave signal
April 7, 2025 at 5:12 PM
ok exactly how massive was the binary that caused this gravitational wave signal
Awesome to see UV telescope genius Aaron Tohuvavohu among this brilliant crowd!
The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program recently named 24 new fellows to its 2025 class. The program enables outstanding postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research in any area of NASA astrophysics: bit.ly/4c2ZJpI 🔭 🧵
March 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Awesome to see UV telescope genius Aaron Tohuvavohu among this brilliant crowd!
r/askastronomy is a lot of this today: www.reddit.com/r/askastrono...
From the askastronomy community on Reddit: Thanks to this sub, tonight I learned something new about something I had never seen before!
Explore this post and more from the askastronomy community
www.reddit.com
March 24, 2025 at 9:03 PM
r/askastronomy is a lot of this today: www.reddit.com/r/askastrono...
We are gonna make true 3D images of the cold neutral medium at milliparsec scales for the first time using light echoes from Cas A!
The #JWST Cycle 4 General Observer Program selections have been made. Find out what JWST will study in its fourth year of science, which begins July 1, 2025: ow.ly/k2T250VfMlR
March 11, 2025 at 6:59 PM
We are gonna make true 3D images of the cold neutral medium at milliparsec scales for the first time using light echoes from Cas A!
Reposted by Josh Peek
I’m having a challenge characterizing some of the noise in my jwst images. (1/f)
February 23, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I’m having a challenge characterizing some of the noise in my jwst images. (1/f)
Reposted by Josh Peek
I think most people are intuitively aware of this but something like the official White House account posting an “ASMR” video of shackled immigrants is not just cruel for its own sake, it’s intentional envelope-pushing to ramp up to desensitization over inhumane detention, camps, and deaths
February 19, 2025 at 1:34 PM
I think most people are intuitively aware of this but something like the official White House account posting an “ASMR” video of shackled immigrants is not just cruel for its own sake, it’s intentional envelope-pushing to ramp up to desensitization over inhumane detention, camps, and deaths
Reposted by Josh Peek
I have confirmed this is true. NASA's probationary employees were not terminated today. No reason was given.
February 18, 2025 at 11:49 PM
I have confirmed this is true. NASA's probationary employees were not terminated today. No reason was given.
Reposted by Josh Peek
February 3, 2025 at 3:08 PM
You know what? We shouldn’t announce people’s pedigrees when they give colloquia. #showerthoughts
January 17, 2025 at 2:42 PM
You know what? We shouldn’t announce people’s pedigrees when they give colloquia. #showerthoughts
This has been such a great project to work on. It's just astonishing.
NEWS: The space between the stars is filled with gas and dust—sometimes thick, sometimes thin, and often invisible unless illuminated. A cosmic spotlight in the form of a supernova flash has lit up interstellar material in the constellation of Cassiopeia. (1/7) 🧵 🔭
January 16, 2025 at 10:54 PM
This has been such a great project to work on. It's just astonishing.
Reposted by Josh Peek
If you are at #AAS245, be sure to stop by the STScI booth and the MAST table there! Check out our mission tables (HST, JWST, Roman), see our accessible tactile displays and sonification options, talk to MAST staff on to see how to use our modern search tools to enable your research!
January 13, 2025 at 6:28 PM
If you are at #AAS245, be sure to stop by the STScI booth and the MAST table there! Check out our mission tables (HST, JWST, Roman), see our accessible tactile displays and sonification options, talk to MAST staff on to see how to use our modern search tools to enable your research!
Sick as hell.
Presenting the Sparse Feature Network (SFNet), a modern CNN that incorporates concepts from sparse dictionary learning and mech interp, and its applications to galaxy astrophysics.
A thread 🧵
🔭🧪⚛️ 1/N
A thread 🧵
🔭🧪⚛️ 1/N
January 3, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Sick as hell.