James Tuttle Keane
@jtuttlekeane.bsky.social
planetary scientist 🪐 science illustrator 🎨 trekkie 🖖 dog dad 🐶 Pasadena 🌹 views are my own 🏳️🌈 he/him
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Everything that actually made America great is being destroyed
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.
Lowell Observatory slashes research funding in the midst of financial struggle
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.
buff.ly
November 11, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Everything that actually made America great is being destroyed
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
This is particularly sad as Lowell has long been a centre for Solar System planetary astronomy, a rare field internationally 🔭
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.
Lowell Observatory slashes research funding in the midst of financial struggle
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.
buff.ly
November 11, 2025 at 6:53 AM
This is particularly sad as Lowell has long been a centre for Solar System planetary astronomy, a rare field internationally 🔭
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Also, queer representation is down right now, in a culture that’s increasingly hostile to us. So we need more stories beyond the pattern of “assimilated queer couple, likely where one dies”. We deserve a wider range of queer lives on screen.
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Also, queer representation is down right now, in a culture that’s increasingly hostile to us. So we need more stories beyond the pattern of “assimilated queer couple, likely where one dies”. We deserve a wider range of queer lives on screen.
LEGO trying to bankrupt me.
NEW — LEGO finally unveils their long-rumored 3600pc, $400 STAR TREK: TNG Enterprise-D brick set and limited-availability shuttlepod kit, coming in late November
#StarTrek #Lego
blog.trekcore.com/2025/11/lego...
#StarTrek #Lego
blog.trekcore.com/2025/11/lego...
LEGO Unveils New 3600-Piece STAR TREK: TNG Enterprise-D Brick Set
LEGO finally unveils their long-rumored 3600pc, $400 STAR TREK: TNG Enterprise-D brick set and limited-availability Shuttlepod kit, coming in late November
blog.trekcore.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM
LEGO trying to bankrupt me.
Hey planetary scientists! I don’t know about y’all, but ADS makes my life so much easier.
Hey, astronomers. Can you imagine astronomy research without ADS?!?!? No? So, have you filled out the ADS survey yet?
Help archives help you!
(Help archives keep funding!)
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Help archives help you!
(Help archives keep funding!)
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Astrophysics Data System (ADS) User Feedback Survey
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) digital library. Your insights will help us improve the platform and better serve the scientific community. All ...
docs.google.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Hey planetary scientists! I don’t know about y’all, but ADS makes my life so much easier.
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
it’s giving Jupiter south polar vortex tbh
October 28, 2025 at 9:30 PM
it’s giving Jupiter south polar vortex tbh
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Saturn as seen from Titan's polar regions. During winter season in south hemisphere a big, high altitude cloud hangs above south pole.
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy
October 20, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Saturn as seen from Titan's polar regions. During winter season in south hemisphere a big, high altitude cloud hangs above south pole.
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Astronomers have discovered rings forming around a Centaur. For real: Chiron (a comet-asteroid hybrid orbiting beyond Saturn) has set of rings that seem to be changing by the year.
Regardless of what's happening on Earth, space continues to be amazing. 🧪🔭
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
Regardless of what's happening on Earth, space continues to be amazing. 🧪🔭
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
October 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Astronomers have discovered rings forming around a Centaur. For real: Chiron (a comet-asteroid hybrid orbiting beyond Saturn) has set of rings that seem to be changing by the year.
Regardless of what's happening on Earth, space continues to be amazing. 🧪🔭
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
Regardless of what's happening on Earth, space continues to be amazing. 🧪🔭
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
My old painting of a brown dwarf.
This view represents a moon of a brown dwarf being lit up by the sun-like star, which is second component of this star-brown dwarf system.
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy #Exoplanets
This view represents a moon of a brown dwarf being lit up by the sun-like star, which is second component of this star-brown dwarf system.
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy #Exoplanets
October 21, 2025 at 1:30 PM
My old painting of a brown dwarf.
This view represents a moon of a brown dwarf being lit up by the sun-like star, which is second component of this star-brown dwarf system.
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy #Exoplanets
This view represents a moon of a brown dwarf being lit up by the sun-like star, which is second component of this star-brown dwarf system.
#Sciart #space #illustration #astronomy #Exoplanets
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Looks like the comic con is over, which is a bummer because I was hoping I could get the Riddler to come to my Mimas talk this morning 😔
It turns out the Geological Society of America conference today shares the convention center with the local comic con, which is delightful. Saw Edward Elric outside the geoarcheology session
October 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Looks like the comic con is over, which is a bummer because I was hoping I could get the Riddler to come to my Mimas talk this morning 😔
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off 11% of its staff today, including many people working on an active Mars rover mission. “There’s no whitewashing the ‘doomsday-eve’ feeling that's looming over all our heads,” wrote one JPL’er. eos.org/research-and...
JPL Workforce Decimated - Eos
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., laid off 550 people, a roughly 11% reduction of its workforce.
eos.org
October 14, 2025 at 4:54 PM
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off 11% of its staff today, including many people working on an active Mars rover mission. “There’s no whitewashing the ‘doomsday-eve’ feeling that's looming over all our heads,” wrote one JPL’er. eos.org/research-and...
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
The search for life's building blocks on Enceladus just got more complicated. Experiments show that radiation can also produce organics from ingredients found on the icy moon. 🔭 🧪 eos.org/articles/spa...
Space Radiation Can Produce Some Organic Molecules Detected on Icy Moons - Eos
As missions prepare to visit ocean worlds like Enceladus and Europa, new findings show scientists must first learn to distinguish between radiation-made organics and those born in a subsurface sea.
eos.org
October 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The search for life's building blocks on Enceladus just got more complicated. Experiments show that radiation can also produce organics from ingredients found on the icy moon. 🔭 🧪 eos.org/articles/spa...
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
The application portal for the next wave of @carnegiescience.bsky.social postdoctoral fellows is open through November 3. I hope you’ll consider joining us 🚀
EPL Postdoctoral Fellowships
carnegiescience.edu
October 14, 2025 at 12:24 AM
The application portal for the next wave of @carnegiescience.bsky.social postdoctoral fellows is open through November 3. I hope you’ll consider joining us 🚀
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
A dark day is coming.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers reut.rs/4302N2L
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said on Monday it will cut nearly 550 jobs as part of a restructuring, not related to the current U.S. government shutdown.
reut.rs
October 14, 2025 at 12:37 AM
A dark day is coming.
Watching Starship test, and they just mentioned Starship will start lunar landings in 2028. Is that just a casual statement about (an unsurprising) Artemis III slip?
October 13, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Watching Starship test, and they just mentioned Starship will start lunar landings in 2028. Is that just a casual statement about (an unsurprising) Artemis III slip?
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
A message from JPL Director Dave Gallagher announces a JPL layoff of 500 people has been announced that is "not related to the current government shutdown". www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/jpl-wor...
JPL Workforce Update
A message from JPL Director Dave Gallagher
www.jpl.nasa.gov
October 13, 2025 at 6:41 PM
A message from JPL Director Dave Gallagher announces a JPL layoff of 500 people has been announced that is "not related to the current government shutdown". www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/jpl-wor...
New paper out! Let’s do a gravity science mission to Mars!
October 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
New paper out! Let’s do a gravity science mission to Mars!
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
The government may be shut down, but that won't stop our Save NASA Science Day of Action. Nearly 300 advocates are joining me here in D.C. on Monday to #SaveNASAScience
More: planetary.org/dayofaction
More: planetary.org/dayofaction
October 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
The government may be shut down, but that won't stop our Save NASA Science Day of Action. Nearly 300 advocates are joining me here in D.C. on Monday to #SaveNASAScience
More: planetary.org/dayofaction
More: planetary.org/dayofaction
US’s trajectory in space science leadership in a nutshell
"ESA plans to release imagery by next week. NASA will not be able to release any of its data, or even comment on it, until the U.S. federal government ends the shutdown."
Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is flying past Mars today. Might get some cool views!
skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...
skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...
October 4, 2025 at 1:22 AM
US’s trajectory in space science leadership in a nutshell
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
"ESA plans to release imagery by next week. NASA will not be able to release any of its data, or even comment on it, until the U.S. federal government ends the shutdown."
Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is flying past Mars today. Might get some cool views!
skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...
skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...
Mars Orbiters Will Have Front-row Seats to Interstellar Comet
Spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet will aim a suite of instruments at Comet 3I/ATLAS to capture details about this enigmatic object.
skyandtelescope.org
October 3, 2025 at 4:15 AM
"ESA plans to release imagery by next week. NASA will not be able to release any of its data, or even comment on it, until the U.S. federal government ends the shutdown."
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Looking up how to apply for funding to put a TV screen outside my office just so that I can have the Kilauea stream going at all times.
Absolutely stunning display as episode 34 of the Kilauea eruption came to life with dual lava fountains looking like wings of a Phoenix!
Live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqmp...
Live here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqmp...
October 1, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Looking up how to apply for funding to put a TV screen outside my office just so that I can have the Kilauea stream going at all times.
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
CNSA has released an image of Tianwen-2 in deep space using a robotic arm, giving us a proper look at the spacecraft and return capsule for delivering samples from near Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa. Tianwen-2 has been in space for 125 days, is 45 million km from Kamoʻoalewa.
October 1, 2025 at 1:54 AM
CNSA has released an image of Tianwen-2 in deep space using a robotic arm, giving us a proper look at the spacecraft and return capsule for delivering samples from near Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa. Tianwen-2 has been in space for 125 days, is 45 million km from Kamoʻoalewa.
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Pretty cool photo
CNSA has released an image of Tianwen-2 in deep space using a robotic arm, giving us a proper look at the spacecraft and return capsule for delivering samples from near Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa. Tianwen-2 has been in space for 125 days, is 45 million km from Kamoʻoalewa.
October 1, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Pretty cool photo
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
Against my better instincts, I have written some notes on how human probability judgements work and what you should expect from surveys that ask people to guess what proportion of the population is transgender. I hope never to speak of this matter again
Some notes on probability judgement – Notes from a data witch
For the love of fuck, literally nobody thinks that 20% of the population is transgender. Please stop sharing that ridiculous YouGov statistic
blog.djnavarro.net
September 21, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Against my better instincts, I have written some notes on how human probability judgements work and what you should expect from surveys that ask people to guess what proportion of the population is transgender. I hope never to speak of this matter again
Reposted by James Tuttle Keane
In the last 6 days, 9 asteroids passed inside the Moon’s orbit. Estimated sizes: ~1–38 m. All were discovered this month, a reminder that countless small, faint NEOs slip by unnoticed until they make a close pass.
September 21, 2025 at 6:35 AM
In the last 6 days, 9 asteroids passed inside the Moon’s orbit. Estimated sizes: ~1–38 m. All were discovered this month, a reminder that countless small, faint NEOs slip by unnoticed until they make a close pass.