@geophotographer.org
Geoscientist/canine caretaker. UAF alum. Based in Alaska Seismology/Volcanology/Meteorology/Astronomy/Space Weather, & Science Communication Sometimes successful at photography See my starter packs for more science!
2/2
Maja Lujan Niemeyer and a team including Penn State scientists used Line Intensity Mapping to identify these hidden structures. By sifting through half a petabyte of data, they showed how intergalactic gas influenced the formation of early stars.
1/2
Astronomers have created the largest 3D map of hydrogen light from the early universe. Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, the team mapped a "sea of light" from faint galaxies existing 9 to 11 billion years ago
🔭🌌✨🧪
#HETDEX
#Cosmology
Paper
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
2/2
The discovery by a team led by Saul Rappaport used data from the TESS mission to identify this tight orbital dance. These systems are extremely rare. Scientists estimate that the stars are so close they could eventually merge, potentially resulting in a massive supernova.
1/2
Astronomers have discovered the most compact "3+1" quadruple star system ever recorded. This rare configuration, found in the TIC 290061484 system, features 3 stars orbiting each other every 1.8 days, with a 4th star circling the inner 3 every 52 days
🔭⭐✨🧪
Paper
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This is a great video on speciation after the Chicxulub impact, well worth watching.
Video here:
www.linkedin.com/posts/geolog...
Credit
@geosociety.bsky.social
youtube.com/@geogirl
Paper:
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/...
🧪⚒️🦴🧬
2/2
The study led by Dale Kocevski found X-ray signatures in 3% of the dots. These cases clearly indicate black hole activity. However, most remain silent in X-rays, leaving the debate open. They could be shrouded black holes or star clusters unlike anything in the modern universe.
1/2
New data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory found high-energy signals coming from a small fraction of the "little red dots" first seen by JWST. This discovery confirms that at least some of these objects are powered by hidden supermassive black holes
🔭✨🧪🌌🛰️
#Cosmology
#JWST
#Astrophysics
#LRDs
The image features a map of Florida outlined in bright red lines against a deep blue background resembling ocean water. A meteor with a glowing orange tail is depicted moving towards the left side of the image. The word "FLORIDA" is prominently displayed at the bottom in bold white letters, while the phrase "METEOR SIGHTING" appears above it in bold orange letters. The map shows detailed county boundaries within Florida.
If anyone has pictures or video of this fireball meteor, feel free to add them here in the comments!
NASA statement w/allsky cameras
fireballs.ndc.nasa.gov/skyfalls/eve...
NASA Facebook
www.facebook.com/share/p/1AQt...
Thumbnail credit NASA space alerts on Facebook
🧪☄️📷🔭
#meteor
#nasa
#florida
Fighting fires at these temperatures is a nightmare. Huge respect to the crews that fought this.
🚒❄️
#Fairbanks
#Alaska
This is pretty cool. More JWST!
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has revealed the most detailed map of dark matter ever produced. This new data exposes the "invisible scaffolding" of the universe, showing how it intertwines with visible galaxies. 🔭🌌🕸️ 🧪
#DarkMatter
#JWST
#Cosmology
#Astrophysics
Substack quote form the article stating that: You and I are dynamical patterns of matter characterized by input of energy and mass, and the creation of entropy in the outside world. We are not our atoms, since those change on various time scales; we are really dynamical patterns written in atoms that persist, at least for a while.”
🧪“Living Matter” a new #Biophysics book by Alex J. Levine. Sadly, Prof. Levine passed away before the book was ready.
This quote of his, beautifully captures the way a physicist views living systems. It is particularly poignant in how it captures the transience of human life. For us all.
#science
5/5
This cycle could suggest early complex life evolved in a shifting environment rather than a stable one. The evidence links these oxygen fluctuations to the diversification of eukaryotes, hinting that environmental instability helped drive biological innovation.
4/5
The data shows a temporary oxygen spike that matches a known time of rapid evolution for complex life. However, this oxygen rich window did not last. Levels dropped back down as the planet entered the freezing conditions of the Cryogenian.
Paper:
pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/...
3/5
Researchers used thallium isotopes as a chemical tracker for ancient oxygen. This element records the burial of manganese on the seafloor. Since manganese requires oxygen to be buried this way, thallium provides a reliable history of past ocean conditions.
2/5
Scientists call the era from 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago the "Boring Billion" because Earth changed very little. Tectonic activity was slow and evolution seemed to stall. This new study shows the finale of this era was actually dynamic rather than boring.
1/5
The "Boring Billion" era of Earth might have ended with a surprise twist. New thallium data reveals a distinct rise in ocean oxygen during the Tonian period, followed by a crash in the Cryogenian. 🧪⚒️⚛️
#EarthHistory
#Evolution
#Oxygenation
An X1.95 flare has just peaked from AR 4341 which is in the Earth-strike zone. A large CME was ejected with an Earth-directed component. A full halo is seen in coronagraphs... it is heading right for us.
Annotated seismogram of the Seahawks vs 49ers game, showing the shaking cause by fans during major plays including three touchdowns.
Seahawks running into halftime with a comfy lead of 26-6 against the 49ers!! We are hard at work here at the PNSN, providing live annotations on the fan-generated seismograms coming in from Lumen Field. Let's go Hawks!!
Watch the live feed and beat the delay at pnsn.org/experiment/2....
Remember the Dec 6, magnitude 7 Hubbard Glacier Earthquake? Here is some follow-up reporting that you may be interested in. From AK state seismologist Mike West: “...researchers all around the world [are] investigating this earthquake in different ways." https://bit.ly/4jBf3xu
I'll answer as best I can. Someone with more experience please correct me if I'm wrong.
Globular clusters are star groups within a galaxy. These objects are distant point sources with unusual, galaxy-like spectra.
Essentially they look like point sources but have features that look like galaxies
6/6
Researchers presented these findings at the 247th American Astronomical Society meeting. Future observations aim to determine if these "platypuses" were common residents of the early universe or rare oddities.
5/6
Yan suggests these may be the first "building-block galaxies" formed in isolation. Their existence implies that some cosmic structures assembled quietly before the era of chaotic mergers that created massive systems like the Milky Way.
4/6
The objects resemble "green pea" galaxies discovered in 2009 but are significantly smaller. Graduate student Bangzheng Sun notes that while the light signatures fit star-forming galaxies, their extreme physical compactness remains an anomaly.
Paper:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.12177
3/6
University of Missouri astronomer Haojing Yan coined the nickname due to this conflicting data. He noted, "I looked at these characteristics and thought, this is like looking at a platypus. You think that these things should not exist together, but there it is."
2/6
Dating back 12 to 12.6 billion years, these sources are visually indistinguishable from supermassive black holes. However, spectral analysis reveals narrow emission lines, indicating the gas is calm rather than swirling violently around an active galactic nucleus.
1/6
JWST identified nine "platypus" galaxies that defy standard cosmic categories. These objects from the infant universe appear as tiny points of light, yet they lack the signature physical traits of stars or quasars. 🔭🧪🛰️
#JWST
#DeepSpace
#Astrophysics
#Cosmos
www.earth.com/news/webb-di...
As will this soggy carbon sack
Our ability to discover and test, to prove and disprove, and also to throw our hands up and say we just don't know, and yet still be excited that we might find out...
It's one of the greatest skills we have. We need to protect and support it at all costs
🔭🧪🌊📡🛰️⚒️🌎
The image depicts a serene winter landscape at midday, midwinter. A tall, snow-covered evergreen tree stands prominently in the foreground, slightly to the right. Surrounding it are smaller trees and shrubs also blanketed with snow. The sky is a gentle gradient transitioning from a soft pastel yellow near the horizon to a pale blue higher up. A light mist or fog hangs low over the distant treetops, creating a tranquil and calm atmosphere. The ground is entirely covered in snow, adding to the overall stillness of the scene.
Everfreeze
-45.6⁰C, -50⁰F, Fairbanks, Alaska, January 2026
Photo credit Kenneth Becker
#photography
#winter
#coldsnap
#fairbanks
#alaska
#frozencamera
❄️📷
4/4
This success validates the technology for the upcoming 10-year survey. Tracking millions of faint objects creates a high-definition time-lapse of the solar system. This dynamic record will offer an incredible look at the evolution of our planetary neighborhood. So much to look forward to!
🧪🔭📷