Tod Lauer
@todlauer.bsky.social
Extragalactic observer (black holes, galaxies, galaxy clusters, stellar pops) that also dabbles in planetary astronomy. Really, basically a pixel pusher.
I just love this surrealistic illustration of the cosmic optical background that Guy Bilout did a few years ago for a NYT article. Light comes from the dark Universe.
October 27, 2025 at 5:09 AM
I just love this surrealistic illustration of the cosmic optical background that Guy Bilout did a few years ago for a NYT article. Light comes from the dark Universe.
Tucson on River road.
October 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Tucson on River road.
This is an incredibly brilliant idea. We need to set up a UN body in charge of all work and resources for the study of interstellar objects. After all, planetary science is too important to trust to the planetary scientists. But who would direct it?
arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405
arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405
October 6, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This is an incredibly brilliant idea. We need to set up a UN body in charge of all work and resources for the study of interstellar objects. After all, planetary science is too important to trust to the planetary scientists. But who would direct it?
arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405
arxiv.org/pdf/2510.01405
I just love posting this image now and then. I know it was taken at the dedication of one of the Bush's libraries, and that no one ever figured out what they were reacting to.
September 20, 2025 at 1:16 AM
I just love posting this image now and then. I know it was taken at the dedication of one of the Bush's libraries, and that no one ever figured out what they were reacting to.
Do you know of this ancient "The Far Side" cartoon?
August 20, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Do you know of this ancient "The Far Side" cartoon?
Speaking of comets - here's a snapshot of Halley I took on March 21, 1986 south of Kona, Hawaii. About a 30s exposure with a 35mm camera on a tripod, using an f/1.4 70mm lens and ASA 3600 film. The famed Sagittarius teapot is in the center. Center of the MW in the dark area above Baade's window.
August 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Speaking of comets - here's a snapshot of Halley I took on March 21, 1986 south of Kona, Hawaii. About a 30s exposure with a 35mm camera on a tripod, using an f/1.4 70mm lens and ASA 3600 film. The famed Sagittarius teapot is in the center. Center of the MW in the dark area above Baade's window.
that would be great, but you and your collaborators will need to look the part.
August 16, 2025 at 5:05 AM
that would be great, but you and your collaborators will need to look the part.
Love this group picture of the "Original 7" + "Next 9" astronauts. 4 would walk on the moon. 3 more would orbit it. 2 went there twice. With the passing of Jame Lovell, they are now all gone.
August 8, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Love this group picture of the "Original 7" + "Next 9" astronauts. 4 would walk on the moon. 3 more would orbit it. 2 went there twice. With the passing of Jame Lovell, they are now all gone.
Avi Loeb has gotten US Rep Luna to write NASA admin Duffy with a demand to repurpose Juno to rendezvous with 3I/Atlas. This is so far out of line I don't know where to start.
August 2, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Avi Loeb has gotten US Rep Luna to write NASA admin Duffy with a demand to repurpose Juno to rendezvous with 3I/Atlas. This is so far out of line I don't know where to start.
Team of four that night. L-R Alex Parker, Tod Lauer, Carly Howett, Simon Porter. All but Alex are here today at APL.
July 14, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Team of four that night. L-R Alex Parker, Tod Lauer, Carly Howett, Simon Porter. All but Alex are here today at APL.
Work I did in 2016 to recover the "pluto-light" illuminated hemisphere of Charon. Using New Horizons' LORRI camera, we had to look close to the Sun, which filled the camera with strong and highly-structured scattered light. PCA on an ensemble of images allowed it to be modeled and subtracted.
July 3, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Work I did in 2016 to recover the "pluto-light" illuminated hemisphere of Charon. Using New Horizons' LORRI camera, we had to look close to the Sun, which filled the camera with strong and highly-structured scattered light. PCA on an ensemble of images allowed it to be modeled and subtracted.
Or lost in time forever...
June 30, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Or lost in time forever...
Same deal for Wolf 359.
June 30, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Same deal for Wolf 359.
If the gifs don't work, here's the Earth vs. New Horizons images for Proxima Centauri (simultaneous observations). These are set up for stereo viewing (cross-eyed top, parallel bottom). Proxima is closer than the background stars, so it floats in front of them.
June 30, 2025 at 3:55 AM
If the gifs don't work, here's the Earth vs. New Horizons images for Proxima Centauri (simultaneous observations). These are set up for stereo viewing (cross-eyed top, parallel bottom). Proxima is closer than the background stars, so it floats in front of them.
This is where we are. The interstellar navigation approach says that NH must be at the intersection of the two lines. (You can only see where the given star is in you're on its line.) The intersection falls right on the known trajectory from DSN tracking. The method works!
June 30, 2025 at 3:36 AM
This is where we are. The interstellar navigation approach says that NH must be at the intersection of the two lines. (You can only see where the given star is in you're on its line.) The intersection falls right on the known trajectory from DSN tracking. The method works!
These are the two stars used: Wolf 359 (L) & Proxima Centauri (R). These are simultaneous images from Earth and New Horizons on April 23, 2020. We did not use the Earth images for navigation, relying instead on the Gaia positions for both stars, which are referenced to the solar system barycenter.
June 30, 2025 at 3:33 AM
These are the two stars used: Wolf 359 (L) & Proxima Centauri (R). These are simultaneous images from Earth and New Horizons on April 23, 2020. We did not use the Earth images for navigation, relying instead on the Gaia positions for both stars, which are referenced to the solar system barycenter.
A wonderful benefit of attending the Tucson first look celebration for the Rubin Observatory was that the name tags included the newly minted Rubin quarters.
June 23, 2025 at 6:25 PM
A wonderful benefit of attending the Tucson first look celebration for the Rubin Observatory was that the name tags included the newly minted Rubin quarters.
One of the pleasures of fatherhood is when one of your daughters makes double-chocolate chocolate-chip cookies for father's day.
June 17, 2025 at 3:14 AM
One of the pleasures of fatherhood is when one of your daughters makes double-chocolate chocolate-chip cookies for father's day.
Looking at the pool this AM, there seems to be a pattern of highly localized convection. I could guess it was heating by the Sun, but then why just this patch? Note that you can see a breeze ruffling the surface, but with much lower amplitude. The pool pump was running.
May 7, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Looking at the pool this AM, there seems to be a pattern of highly localized convection. I could guess it was heating by the Sun, but then why just this patch? Note that you can see a breeze ruffling the surface, but with much lower amplitude. The pool pump was running.
High resolution Lucy image of Donaldjohanson. Image processing by yours truly: assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage...
April 21, 2025 at 6:31 PM
High resolution Lucy image of Donaldjohanson. Image processing by yours truly: assets.science.nasa.gov/dynamicimage...
Where is Lucy? At the moment, 2d 23h out from Donaldjohanson. See for yourself at www.whereislucy.space
April 17, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Where is Lucy? At the moment, 2d 23h out from Donaldjohanson. See for yourself at www.whereislucy.space
Watching the new NASA documentary on planetary protection, I was reminded that my very first appearance in the professional literature was an involvement as an undergrad in the discovery of 1976 UA = 2340 Hathor, an NEO and PHA.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOb2...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOb2...
April 17, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Watching the new NASA documentary on planetary protection, I was reminded that my very first appearance in the professional literature was an involvement as an undergrad in the discovery of 1976 UA = 2340 Hathor, an NEO and PHA.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOb2...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOb2...
Though not quite a famous an actor as Val Kilmer, this week also saw the passing of Sian Barbara Allen at 78 from Alzheimers. Mainly known as John-boy's interest in the Waltons, she also guested in a bazillion TV series in the 70s, including a favorite Columbo episode of mine.
April 5, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Though not quite a famous an actor as Val Kilmer, this week also saw the passing of Sian Barbara Allen at 78 from Alzheimers. Mainly known as John-boy's interest in the Waltons, she also guested in a bazillion TV series in the 70s, including a favorite Columbo episode of mine.