Liam Plybon 🧪🔭
@liam-plybon.bsky.social
Science teacher, astronomer, engineer, telescope maker. Secretary and acting president of the Astronomical Society of East Texas. I post space pics! Oh, and now I am a Solar System Ambassador and ACEAP Ambassador.
Went to CAST so I could see the 4 foot tardigrades
November 13, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Went to CAST so I could see the 4 foot tardigrades
Off to another ASET meeting. Each month the club grows!
November 1, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Off to another ASET meeting. Each month the club grows!
Enjoy this picture I took of a Long Tailed Skipper on an azalea. Urbanus proteus are cool butterflies because they look so much like moths that they used to be in an entirely separate superfamily from other butterflies (Hesperioidea), but through genetic studies are categorized alongside them.
October 30, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Enjoy this picture I took of a Long Tailed Skipper on an azalea. Urbanus proteus are cool butterflies because they look so much like moths that they used to be in an entirely separate superfamily from other butterflies (Hesperioidea), but through genetic studies are categorized alongside them.
The average in my AP PHYSICS class is hanging around a 45, it's not looking good.
October 17, 2025 at 9:05 PM
The average in my AP PHYSICS class is hanging around a 45, it's not looking good.
C/2025 A6 looked great this morning through a 6 inch tabletop dob. From the suburbs it was not naked eye visible, but in an 8 second photo with a 50 mm lens, it shows up clearly.
You can still see it in the mornings for the next few days, around UMa
You can still see it in the mornings for the next few days, around UMa
October 14, 2025 at 1:29 PM
C/2025 A6 looked great this morning through a 6 inch tabletop dob. From the suburbs it was not naked eye visible, but in an 8 second photo with a 50 mm lens, it shows up clearly.
You can still see it in the mornings for the next few days, around UMa
You can still see it in the mornings for the next few days, around UMa
Had a day off to get something done. Accidentally spent the day summarizing how the big bang is a real theory to my family, who don't believe in the big bang.
Poof, now its 5 pm and I have 30 tabs to close again.
Poof, now its 5 pm and I have 30 tabs to close again.
October 13, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Had a day off to get something done. Accidentally spent the day summarizing how the big bang is a real theory to my family, who don't believe in the big bang.
Poof, now its 5 pm and I have 30 tabs to close again.
Poof, now its 5 pm and I have 30 tabs to close again.
My school IT group has decided that we can't use open source software since it is a security risk. Wtf? I'm sorry but even the supposed 'closed source' code in every other application still depends on languages and packages that are inherently open source.
Any ideas on how I can convince them?
Any ideas on how I can convince them?
October 10, 2025 at 4:13 AM
My school IT group has decided that we can't use open source software since it is a security risk. Wtf? I'm sorry but even the supposed 'closed source' code in every other application still depends on languages and packages that are inherently open source.
Any ideas on how I can convince them?
Any ideas on how I can convince them?
Slapped together a new Atwood machine this afternoon with a pair of 2x4 and some nails. I think it will work fine for the senior labs this year. But next year I'm definitly going to need to improve it.
October 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Slapped together a new Atwood machine this afternoon with a pair of 2x4 and some nails. I think it will work fine for the senior labs this year. But next year I'm definitly going to need to improve it.
Fun things about teaching physics:
I get to use power tools sometimes. This week I'm slapping together a few Atwood machines for the AP class. Maybe I'll publish the plans or something.
I get to use power tools sometimes. This week I'm slapping together a few Atwood machines for the AP class. Maybe I'll publish the plans or something.
October 9, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Fun things about teaching physics:
I get to use power tools sometimes. This week I'm slapping together a few Atwood machines for the AP class. Maybe I'll publish the plans or something.
I get to use power tools sometimes. This week I'm slapping together a few Atwood machines for the AP class. Maybe I'll publish the plans or something.
Replaced my 10 year old ram sticks today, and now I have a whopping 16 GB of ram.
My PC rises from the dead.
My PC rises from the dead.
October 6, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Replaced my 10 year old ram sticks today, and now I have a whopping 16 GB of ram.
My PC rises from the dead.
My PC rises from the dead.
I need this mug so bad, especially if it is in the squiggly handwritten font
October 3, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I need this mug so bad, especially if it is in the squiggly handwritten font
We had 600 PEOPLE at the star party in shreveport last night. Crazy stuff!
I operated the 14" SCT, and the line went beyond where I could see.
I operated the 14" SCT, and the line went beyond where I could see.
September 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
We had 600 PEOPLE at the star party in shreveport last night. Crazy stuff!
I operated the 14" SCT, and the line went beyond where I could see.
I operated the 14" SCT, and the line went beyond where I could see.
My clone army has arrived, they are beautiful
September 27, 2025 at 5:59 AM
My clone army has arrived, they are beautiful
Did a 70 person star party with the 10 year old 6" telescope I got in high school. People love seeing saturn!
September 20, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Did a 70 person star party with the 10 year old 6" telescope I got in high school. People love seeing saturn!
I found a class set of cloud chambers in the prep room, probably left over from the 80s. Each one had a bit of uranium ore inside.
I dabbed a little HEET into the felt band and set one on dry ice. Little particle streaks!
I dabbed a little HEET into the felt band and set one on dry ice. Little particle streaks!
September 19, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I found a class set of cloud chambers in the prep room, probably left over from the 80s. Each one had a bit of uranium ore inside.
I dabbed a little HEET into the felt band and set one on dry ice. Little particle streaks!
I dabbed a little HEET into the felt band and set one on dry ice. Little particle streaks!
Got my flu shot. It was weird being the only one in the clinic for it.
September 19, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Got my flu shot. It was weird being the only one in the clinic for it.
Got three new skywatcher dobs for my astronomy class, now I need to open them up
September 19, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Got three new skywatcher dobs for my astronomy class, now I need to open them up
Saw a cool lenticular cloud today! At least, I think it was. Not a cloud expert.
September 15, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Saw a cool lenticular cloud today! At least, I think it was. Not a cloud expert.
Bluesky nerds, what were your absolute favorite physics 1 labs? I'm thinking of diversifying my physics labs a bit this year.
September 14, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Bluesky nerds, what were your absolute favorite physics 1 labs? I'm thinking of diversifying my physics labs a bit this year.
Ran titration with my high school students today. Only 99.5 percent error!
Yaaayyyyyy
Yaaayyyyyy
September 11, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Ran titration with my high school students today. Only 99.5 percent error!
Yaaayyyyyy
Yaaayyyyyy
September 2, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Finally got my first hand samples of Goethite today. Found them on the side of the road in Lone Star, TX. Its crazy I've been living here in east texas for so long without getting any.
September 2, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Finally got my first hand samples of Goethite today. Found them on the side of the road in Lone Star, TX. Its crazy I've been living here in east texas for so long without getting any.