Bill Farrand
@whfarrand.bsky.social
Planetary geologist, rock climber and friend to dogs!
Reposted by Bill Farrand
Please write to your congressional reps about the NCAR budget cuts
December 18, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Please write to your congressional reps about the NCAR budget cuts
Reposted by Bill Farrand
National Review’s @jimgeraghty: “The president of the United States is a hateful raging lunatic with all the empathy of Jeffrey Dahmer.”
www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-...
www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-...
Trump’s Appalling Reiner Reaction Is a Sign of Something Deeply Wrong | National Review
Yes, we must talk about what President Trump posted on Truth Social about the brutal murders of the Reiners.
www.nationalreview.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:22 PM
National Review’s @jimgeraghty: “The president of the United States is a hateful raging lunatic with all the empathy of Jeffrey Dahmer.”
www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-...
www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-...
Reposted by Bill Farrand
There are two small moons in orbit around Mars today, but both may be remnants of a much larger moon that had enough of a gravitational pull to drive tides in the Red Planet's lost lakes and seas
Mars may once have had a much larger moon
There are two small moons in orbit around Mars today, but both may be remnants of a much larger moon that had enough of a gravitational pull to drive tides in the Red Planet's lost lakes and seas
www.newscientist.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:11 PM
There are two small moons in orbit around Mars today, but both may be remnants of a much larger moon that had enough of a gravitational pull to drive tides in the Red Planet's lost lakes and seas
Reposted by Bill Farrand
This is an incredible image of comet 3I/ATLAS, taken by Satoru Murata ICQ Comet Observations group on 16 November 2025 from western New Mexico.
Structure within the major dust tail from the comet is clearly visible, together with two smaller jets trailing the nucleus and maybe even an anti-tail.
Structure within the major dust tail from the comet is clearly visible, together with two smaller jets trailing the nucleus and maybe even an anti-tail.
November 24, 2025 at 11:50 PM
This is an incredible image of comet 3I/ATLAS, taken by Satoru Murata ICQ Comet Observations group on 16 November 2025 from western New Mexico.
Structure within the major dust tail from the comet is clearly visible, together with two smaller jets trailing the nucleus and maybe even an anti-tail.
Structure within the major dust tail from the comet is clearly visible, together with two smaller jets trailing the nucleus and maybe even an anti-tail.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
HiRISE Image of Exocomet 3I/ATLAS!
On 2 October 2025, MRO turned away from Mars to image 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system!
https://www.uahirise.org/releases/3i-atlas/
On 2 October 2025, MRO turned away from Mars to image 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system!
https://www.uahirise.org/releases/3i-atlas/
November 19, 2025 at 9:01 PM
HiRISE Image of Exocomet 3I/ATLAS!
On 2 October 2025, MRO turned away from Mars to image 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system!
https://www.uahirise.org/releases/3i-atlas/
On 2 October 2025, MRO turned away from Mars to image 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system!
https://www.uahirise.org/releases/3i-atlas/
@sluggodoug.bsky.social my dog Max and I were just listening to you! Here’s Max out at a climbing crag.
November 3, 2025 at 3:32 PM
@sluggodoug.bsky.social my dog Max and I were just listening to you! Here’s Max out at a climbing crag.
@mkraju.bsky.social Daylight Savings Time is unnatural! Thank goodness for Sen. Tom Cotton. If we are to have a single time, it should be standard time!!!
November 2, 2025 at 1:57 PM
@mkraju.bsky.social Daylight Savings Time is unnatural! Thank goodness for Sen. Tom Cotton. If we are to have a single time, it should be standard time!!!
@timmiller.bsky.social I loved the Francis Fukayama interview! Also really loved the outro Vangelis music (I assume from Blade Runner (also one of my all time favorites)).
October 29, 2025 at 5:03 PM
@timmiller.bsky.social I loved the Francis Fukayama interview! Also really loved the outro Vangelis music (I assume from Blade Runner (also one of my all time favorites)).
Reposted by Bill Farrand
“the president got mad at a television commercial so now your maple syrup is more expensive” is no way to run a country
October 26, 2025 at 2:10 AM
“the president got mad at a television commercial so now your maple syrup is more expensive” is no way to run a country
@ragingmoderates.bsky.social no on bare mid-riff on Prof G; yes on bare mid-riff for Jessica!
October 9, 2025 at 10:10 PM
@ragingmoderates.bsky.social no on bare mid-riff on Prof G; yes on bare mid-riff for Jessica!
Reposted by Bill Farrand
While Mars today only has a wispy remnant of an atmosphere, it may once have had one hundreds of times thicker with a pressure three times that on Earth
Mars once had an atmosphere that was thicker than Earth's today
While Mars today only has a wispy remnant of an atmosphere, it may once have had one hundreds of times thicker with a pressure three times that on Earth
www.newscientist.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:03 PM
While Mars today only has a wispy remnant of an atmosphere, it may once have had one hundreds of times thicker with a pressure three times that on Earth
Reposted by Bill Farrand
An exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The planet, TRAPPIST-1e, is billions of years older than Earth, so complex life could have evolved there.
Exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have right conditions for life
The TRAPPIST-1e planet lies in its star’s Goldilocks zone, where water remains liquid – and an analysis suggests it might have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth’s
www.newscientist.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:21 AM
An exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The planet, TRAPPIST-1e, is billions of years older than Earth, so complex life could have evolved there.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
They’re going to kill hundreds of thousands of children.
JUST IN: Vaccine advisers to the CDC have voted to recommended against using the combined measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox vaccine for children under 4. https://cnn.it/3K73pNn
September 18, 2025 at 10:48 PM
They’re going to kill hundreds of thousands of children.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
HiPOD: Large Dunes in Argyre Planitia
This observation show us a large, sharp-looking dune. A science goal is to take a look for possible activity or new gullies. Many dune gullies at this latitude are very active.
uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science
This observation show us a large, sharp-looking dune. A science goal is to take a look for possible activity or new gullies. Many dune gullies at this latitude are very active.
uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science
September 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
HiPOD: Large Dunes in Argyre Planitia
This observation show us a large, sharp-looking dune. A science goal is to take a look for possible activity or new gullies. Many dune gullies at this latitude are very active.
uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science
This observation show us a large, sharp-looking dune. A science goal is to take a look for possible activity or new gullies. Many dune gullies at this latitude are very active.
uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_07...
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science
Reposted by Bill Farrand
An exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The planet, TRAPPIST-1e, is billions of years older than Earth, so complex life could have evolved there.
Exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have right conditions for life
The TRAPPIST-1e planet lies in its star’s Goldilocks zone, where water remains liquid – and an analysis suggests it might have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth’s
www.newscientist.com
September 10, 2025 at 7:18 PM
An exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The planet, TRAPPIST-1e, is billions of years older than Earth, so complex life could have evolved there.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
Possible chemical signature of life found on Mars?
These claims are hugely exciting--and, as always, complex and somewhat ambiguous. The NASA press conference is still going, but the news coverage is already coming out: 🧪🔭
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
These claims are hugely exciting--and, as always, complex and somewhat ambiguous. The NASA press conference is still going, but the news coverage is already coming out: 🧪🔭
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
September 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Possible chemical signature of life found on Mars?
These claims are hugely exciting--and, as always, complex and somewhat ambiguous. The NASA press conference is still going, but the news coverage is already coming out: 🧪🔭
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
These claims are hugely exciting--and, as always, complex and somewhat ambiguous. The NASA press conference is still going, but the news coverage is already coming out: 🧪🔭
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Bill Farrand
An important part of this story (which I am not expecting the NASA live stream to mention) is that the sample return mission that could potentially answer the question of life on Mars is being threatened by budget cuts from the Trump administration www.newscientist.com/article/2495...
NASA hasn't found life on Mars yet – but signs are promising
A rock found last year on the surface of Mars offered tantalising evidence that life once existed on the Red Planet. Now scientists have found yet more evidence that could point to the existence of an...
www.newscientist.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:16 PM
An important part of this story (which I am not expecting the NASA live stream to mention) is that the sample return mission that could potentially answer the question of life on Mars is being threatened by budget cuts from the Trump administration www.newscientist.com/article/2495...
Reposted by Bill Farrand
www.nature.com/articles/s41... great to see this paper out about potential biosignatures in one of Perseverance’s samples! and it’s making quite a splash! What an amazing discovery and I am lucky to have played a small part.
Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars - Nature
A geological, petrographic and geochemical survey of distinctive mudstone and conglomerate outcrops of the Bright Angel formation on Mars reveals textures, chemical and mineral characteristics, and or...
www.nature.com
September 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
www.nature.com/articles/s41... great to see this paper out about potential biosignatures in one of Perseverance’s samples! and it’s making quite a splash! What an amazing discovery and I am lucky to have played a small part.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
An exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The planet, TRAPPIST-1e, is billions of years older than Earth, so complex life could have evolved there.
Exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have right conditions for life
The TRAPPIST-1e planet lies in its star’s Goldilocks zone, where water remains liquid – and an analysis suggests it might have a nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth’s
www.newscientist.com
September 8, 2025 at 3:30 PM
An exoplanet 40 light years from Earth may have the right conditions for life. The planet, TRAPPIST-1e, is billions of years older than Earth, so complex life could have evolved there.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
This is devastating, and part of a larger move to entirely push science out of NASA's mission. It is horrific betrayal of so much work, not to mention the fact that it violates NASA's charter.
NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...
NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency
NASA’s charter clearly states the agency should study planet Earth, however.
arstechnica.com
August 15, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is devastating, and part of a larger move to entirely push science out of NASA's mission. It is horrific betrayal of so much work, not to mention the fact that it violates NASA's charter.
Reposted by Bill Farrand
Joe: Republicans could learn an important lesson from Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell’s legacy
Joe Scarborough: Republicans could learn an important lesson from Jim Lovell’s legacy
Lovell’s incredible life taught us that there’s value in an America that looks to the world with open arms, rather than clenched fists.
on.msnbc.com
August 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Joe: Republicans could learn an important lesson from Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell’s legacy
A good opinion piece from Scientific American about how support for NASA and the Artemis program advances the interests of the U.S.A.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/stro...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/stro...
Strong Support for NASA and Project Artemis Will Advance the U.S.
NASA needs clear support from the White House if we want to win the new space race
www.scientificamerican.com
August 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
A good opinion piece from Scientific American about how support for NASA and the Artemis program advances the interests of the U.S.A.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/stro...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/stro...
Reposted by Bill Farrand
This is how they managed statistics in the old USSR.
Trump wants to fire the federal government’s chief labor statistician — Erika McEntarfar — because he doesn’t like the reality of job weaknesses undermining economic growth.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Says He’ll Fire Labor Statistics Head After Weak Jobs Data
President Donald Trump said he was directing officials to fire Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hours after a report showed US job growth cooled sharply over the l...
www.bloomberg.com
August 1, 2025 at 7:29 PM
This is how they managed statistics in the old USSR.
This would be cool…Existing NASA Spacecraft Could Intercept the Weird Interstellar Object Cruising Into Our Star System - Futurism
July 30, 2025 at 6:36 PM
This would be cool…Existing NASA Spacecraft Could Intercept the Weird Interstellar Object Cruising Into Our Star System - Futurism
Reposted by Bill Farrand
At first glance this is very, very good news for NASA and other agencies. I think that many missions zeroed out by the White House decree are reversed here. Still a long way to go but this is an excellent sign. I'm sure many others will chime in on this.
Senate CJS bill is passed out of committee, with strong support for NASA and NSF (basically flat budgets) and strongly supportive language for many facilities.
www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/do...
www.appropriations.senate.gov
July 18, 2025 at 4:34 PM
At first glance this is very, very good news for NASA and other agencies. I think that many missions zeroed out by the White House decree are reversed here. Still a long way to go but this is an excellent sign. I'm sure many others will chime in on this.