Alexander Thomas
@spacealexspace.bsky.social
Yale Astro '18. Graduate Student at Notre Dame. Buckeye by birth. Exoplanets by Trade.
Fueled by caffeine, anxiety, baseball, golf and racing
Fueled by caffeine, anxiety, baseball, golf and racing
A doctor took my blood pressure earlier this week and immediately asked "Soooo how stressed are ya?" and this is a video I sent in my research group slack about my code if you are wondering how postdoc apps are going
November 14, 2025 at 11:48 PM
A doctor took my blood pressure earlier this week and immediately asked "Soooo how stressed are ya?" and this is a video I sent in my research group slack about my code if you are wondering how postdoc apps are going
If I dont get a postdoc, my backup plan is to stand outside of Mike Brown's house with a "FIRE ZAC TAYLOR AND HIRE ME" sign
November 2, 2025 at 9:52 PM
If I dont get a postdoc, my backup plan is to stand outside of Mike Brown's house with a "FIRE ZAC TAYLOR AND HIRE ME" sign
If Yoshi comes in and gets the win, he needs WS MVP no matter what
Pleasepleaseplease can we get to the 18th so Yamamoto comes in??? 🙏🙏🙏
October 28, 2025 at 6:19 AM
If Yoshi comes in and gets the win, he needs WS MVP no matter what
The World Series started at 8:00.
My code started running at 9:15.
My code took 3 hours and 40 minutes.
My code finished first
My code started running at 9:15.
My code took 3 hours and 40 minutes.
My code finished first
October 28, 2025 at 5:51 AM
The World Series started at 8:00.
My code started running at 9:15.
My code took 3 hours and 40 minutes.
My code finished first
My code started running at 9:15.
My code took 3 hours and 40 minutes.
My code finished first
Golf has this amazing ability to give you hope then absolutely best you down.
Par or hole 1? Cool! Youre getting 8 shots in a bunker on hole 5
Par or hole 1? Cool! Youre getting 8 shots in a bunker on hole 5
October 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Golf has this amazing ability to give you hope then absolutely best you down.
Par or hole 1? Cool! Youre getting 8 shots in a bunker on hole 5
Par or hole 1? Cool! Youre getting 8 shots in a bunker on hole 5
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
Yes, this is the Millennium Force on an exoplanet. I used it as a test subject for a custom varnish mixture—equal parts satin & gloss. Love how the sheen turned out, so I’ll be using this mix on Leviathan’s Wake today.
October 21, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Yes, this is the Millennium Force on an exoplanet. I used it as a test subject for a custom varnish mixture—equal parts satin & gloss. Love how the sheen turned out, so I’ll be using this mix on Leviathan’s Wake today.
Is it wrong of me to say that Reflect Orbital is one of the whackiest things Ive heard in a while?
The Reflect Orbital space mirror project is really picked apart by @startswithabang.bsky.social in this Big Think article. The numbers required make the project infeasible and there are big risks including eye damage and the Kessler Syndrome.
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
The true cost of "solar power at night" with Reflect Orbital
Solar power has the disadvantage that there's no Sun at night. Satellite startup Reflect Orbital wants to change that, but at what cost?
bigthink.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Is it wrong of me to say that Reflect Orbital is one of the whackiest things Ive heard in a while?
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
Some tidbits about the most recent 1,000 exoplanets:
- Nearly half (~490) were discovered with NASA's TESS mission
- As a result, their host stars are nearly *10 times brighter on average* than previous stars!
- We have found a lot more cool giant planets (Jupiter analogs), with RV and imaging
- Nearly half (~490) were discovered with NASA's TESS mission
- As a result, their host stars are nearly *10 times brighter on average* than previous stars!
- We have found a lot more cool giant planets (Jupiter analogs), with RV and imaging
Sometimes 2025 just feels like a lot, and you need an excuse to celebrate your fabulous team (and the whole exoplanet community!) reaching a new milestone…
Happy 6,000 Confirmed Exoplanets Day, everybody!!!!
(You may recognize the narrator of the video at the link! 🫣)
www.nasa.gov/universe/exo...
Happy 6,000 Confirmed Exoplanets Day, everybody!!!!
(You may recognize the narrator of the video at the link! 🫣)
www.nasa.gov/universe/exo...
September 17, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Some tidbits about the most recent 1,000 exoplanets:
- Nearly half (~490) were discovered with NASA's TESS mission
- As a result, their host stars are nearly *10 times brighter on average* than previous stars!
- We have found a lot more cool giant planets (Jupiter analogs), with RV and imaging
- Nearly half (~490) were discovered with NASA's TESS mission
- As a result, their host stars are nearly *10 times brighter on average* than previous stars!
- We have found a lot more cool giant planets (Jupiter analogs), with RV and imaging
I hope this isn't vague-posting but like...man every day I become more and more convinced that i need to become a professor. Not because I want to but because people have to fight back/push back against some of these people dude.
Im not saying that people aren't. Im just saying we need more.
Im not saying that people aren't. Im just saying we need more.
September 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I hope this isn't vague-posting but like...man every day I become more and more convinced that i need to become a professor. Not because I want to but because people have to fight back/push back against some of these people dude.
Im not saying that people aren't. Im just saying we need more.
Im not saying that people aren't. Im just saying we need more.
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
HE HAS A JERSEY 🧡🧡🧡
Bowling Green’s locker room cat, Pudge, is ready for the season to begin.
August 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM
HE HAS A JERSEY 🧡🧡🧡
Hooooooooly
The Padres-A's full trade:
Padres receive: closer Mason Miller, starter JP Sears.
Athletics receive: Shortstop Leodalis DeVries, RHP Braden Nett, RHP Henry Baez and RHP Eduarmiel Nunez.
So the A's get their No. 1, No. 3, No. 13, and No. 17 ranked prospects
Padres receive: closer Mason Miller, starter JP Sears.
Athletics receive: Shortstop Leodalis DeVries, RHP Braden Nett, RHP Henry Baez and RHP Eduarmiel Nunez.
So the A's get their No. 1, No. 3, No. 13, and No. 17 ranked prospects
July 31, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Hooooooooly
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
I've been talking with faculty at Ohio universities while at a meeting this week, and this legislation sounds extremely bad.
Here’s some info. You can scroll down to faculty evaluations. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/03/20/s...
Senate Bill 1 guts academic freedom and reshapes Ohio’s public universities • Ohio Capital Journal
The Ohio Republican higher education overhaul substitutes governmental edicts for academic freedom; eliminates all diversity and inclusion activities on campuses; restricts how faculty teach; and bans...
ohiocapitaljournal.com
July 31, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I've been talking with faculty at Ohio universities while at a meeting this week, and this legislation sounds extremely bad.
The MLB Trade Deadline is Christmas in July for me
July 31, 2025 at 3:39 PM
The MLB Trade Deadline is Christmas in July for me
Wild berry, cookie dough, cherry
July 27, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Wild berry, cookie dough, cherry
Five days in Pasadena with exoplanets and friends (both old and new)!!
July 27, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Five days in Pasadena with exoplanets and friends (both old and new)!!
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bubba Wallace becomes the first Black driver to win on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's oval, taking the Brickyard 400.
July 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bubba Wallace becomes the first Black driver to win on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's oval, taking the Brickyard 400.
BUBBA WALLACE WINS THE BRICKYARD LETS GOOOO
July 27, 2025 at 10:07 PM
BUBBA WALLACE WINS THE BRICKYARD LETS GOOOO
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
Astronomers get rare glimpse of earliest stages of planet formation around a baby star
go.nature.com/4kIKUvi
go.nature.com/4kIKUvi
Birth of a solar system caught ‘on camera’ for first time
Astronomers get rare glimpse of earliest stages of planet formation around a baby star.
go.nature.com
July 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Astronomers get rare glimpse of earliest stages of planet formation around a baby star
go.nature.com/4kIKUvi
go.nature.com/4kIKUvi
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.
July 8, 2025 at 3:31 PM
BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.
Honestly I think it would be hilarious if Astronomers got sponsorships.
And Im not talking about grants. Im talking about rolling up to a conference head to toe in Adidas while constantly holding a Red Bull.
"Hello and welcome to my talk on exoplanets brought to you by Adidas and Red Bull"
And Im not talking about grants. Im talking about rolling up to a conference head to toe in Adidas while constantly holding a Red Bull.
"Hello and welcome to my talk on exoplanets brought to you by Adidas and Red Bull"
July 8, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Honestly I think it would be hilarious if Astronomers got sponsorships.
And Im not talking about grants. Im talking about rolling up to a conference head to toe in Adidas while constantly holding a Red Bull.
"Hello and welcome to my talk on exoplanets brought to you by Adidas and Red Bull"
And Im not talking about grants. Im talking about rolling up to a conference head to toe in Adidas while constantly holding a Red Bull.
"Hello and welcome to my talk on exoplanets brought to you by Adidas and Red Bull"
Bowman Gray is the "Waffle House parking lot at 3 am" of racing
🚨 All hell just broke loose at BGSRacing at the finish for the Street Stocks! It’s 2:37 long but just watch it.
I lost it at the flying kick into the windshield. 🚨
I lost it at the flying kick into the windshield. 🚨
June 29, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Bowman Gray is the "Waffle House parking lot at 3 am" of racing
Reposted by Alexander Thomas
NEW: NSF will be kicked out of their building. Announcement will be made tomorrow by HUD Sec. and Governor of VA. HUD will take over the NSF building over the next two years.
NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."
NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."
June 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
NEW: NSF will be kicked out of their building. Announcement will be made tomorrow by HUD Sec. and Governor of VA. HUD will take over the NSF building over the next two years.
NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."
NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."
If i had a nickel for every time I went "Oh that could be a really cool system to get RVs for!" only to realize that its like 16th magnitude, I wouldnt have to worry about postdoc funding
June 24, 2025 at 7:03 PM
If i had a nickel for every time I went "Oh that could be a really cool system to get RVs for!" only to realize that its like 16th magnitude, I wouldnt have to worry about postdoc funding
Being a Bubba Wallace fan this year has been agony
June 22, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Being a Bubba Wallace fan this year has been agony
I know Im late, but Alaska was special
June 18, 2025 at 1:06 AM
I know Im late, but Alaska was special