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Alexis Quintana

@alexis-space.bsky.social
224 followers 136 following 182 posts

Astronomy postdoc fellow in LIRA ‪(@liraastro.bsky.social)‬, Paris Observatory (@obs-paris-psl.bsky.social)‬ in 🇨🇵. Works on OB stars, stellar associations & clusters and Galactic structure & dynamics. From 🇧🇪, previously in 🇬🇧 and 🇪🇦. he/him

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Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Emily Hunt @emily.space · 19h
Have you looked at the night sky recently? It is ABSURD how many satellites there are, and it will get >1000× worse in our lifetimes. A few billionaires and state actors will ruin the night sky for the next few *centuries*. This ought to be a much, much bigger story than it is
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Nereide @drnereide.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
In 2021, an international team produced a census of everything we know within 10 pc (about 33 light-years) from the Sun. 540 objects in 339 systems: stars, brown dwarfs, white dwarfs and exoplanets. Animation: galaxymap. org 🔭🧪⚛️ #cosmology #galactic
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Last time a Belgian won the Physics Nobel Prize was François Englert nearly 15 years ago, if I'm not mistaken??
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Steven Lowette @stevenlowette.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
This is incredible, amazing!!! 👏🤩🎉 Francis is a fan-tas-tic physicist, and an amazing person! And Belgian 😉
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
arxiv.org/abs/2610.00481
arxiv.org
The star formation history of Orion is structured and episodic
The propagation of star formation throughout a molecular cloud complex can tell us much about its physical drivers and the importance of environmental versus intrinsic processes. We reconstruct the st...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
And the follow-up paper, where the authors exploit these groups to study the bursty star formation history of the Orion massive star-forming region, has appeared on arxiv today! 🔭 #stellarastro
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I'm also beginning with this! My approach is to make sure to show that I know the student well, so that the praises are earned. I try to emphasize what the student has learnt through my supervision, but also to insist why they would fit this specific position given their general experience!
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Ha, this wasn't just a personal impression! These last months, every time I finish reviewing a paper, I get requested another, and keep saying yes despite an already busy schedule 😅
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Peut-être que c'est car je reviens d'une conférence sur la thématique de la formation stellaire, mais je trouve que cette carte ressemble un peu à la carte de poussière/extinction interstellaire de Edenhofer et al. (2024) 😄
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
From my experience, oversharing is fine as long as you do it with trustworthy people 😁
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This week I am attending and presenting at Star Formation Fields, a conference organised by @univie.ac.at at Rethymno in Crete! 🔭 A great opportunity to discuss the latest developments on star formation, the interstellar medium and young stellar populations! #stellarastro #galacticastro
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Congratulations! In my case, I try to submit two first-author papers per year because at the postdoc stage, we are judged a lot for our publication output, and this is the moment in our career we have the most time for research... Still this requires a lot of work 😅
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Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Two surprisingly different estimates of the distance between the Sun and the galactic centre. (I use 8.2 kpc myself.) arxiv.org/abs/2609.10258
arxiv.org
The solar Galactocentric distance and local kinematic parameters from Gaia DR3 using Bottlinger's equations
The solar Galactocentric distance, $R_0$, together with the local kinematic parameters of the Milky Way, provides fundamental constraints on the Galactic structure and rotation. Their accurate determi...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Fingers crossed!! And yes, I have many criticismd of social media, but the growing awareness of around (notably) autism has helped me to recognise myself. There's still a lot of stereotypes surrounding it leading to under-diagnosis, but hopefully we are moving towards positive change!
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I could only encourage you to try a diagnosis! I have obtained mine recently after several years of struggle (including in England and in France) and I believe this will be truly helpful. For instance, I can relate to the sensitivity to noise, I sleep much better in complete silence and darkness 😅
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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Interesting new map of the major star formation regions in the solar neighborhood. From: arxiv.org/abs/2608.21028
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
These groups span an age range from 1.5 to 25 Myr, and coupled with recent dust maps, unveil the most detailed picture ever produced of the star formation history of the Orion complex! The paper has been submitted to A&A and has appeared in arxiv today. arxiv.org/abs/2608.16989
arxiv.org
A comprehensive cluster census of Orion. An application of the Significance Mode Analysis (SigMA) algorithm
Precise astrometric surveys and modern clustering algorithms are working in step to transform our view of star-forming regions. By revealing a much richer substructure than previously accessible, they...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The Orion complex revisited with its more complete census produced! 🔭 In this study led by Alena Rottensteiner, the precise SigMA clustering algorithm was applied to identified 47 stellar group within the Orion massive star-forming region, shared between ~12,000 members! (1/2) #stellarastro
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Nereide @drnereide.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
1/9 In 2019, a Warsaw research team presented the first 3D map of the Milky Way in the journal Science. The map is based on direct distances to thousands of Cepheids. A pioneering achievement, still widely cited. 🔭🧪⚛️ #galactic #astronomy #universe
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Congratulations 🎊 😀
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Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Emily Hunt @emily.space · 07/08/2026
One of the best things I've read in a while on exactly why academia is broken, summarised into just one word: empathy.
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
live in: 🇫🇷 born in: 🇧🇪 parents: 🇧🇪🇧🇪 grandparents: 🇧🇪🇧🇪🇪🇸🇪🇸 great grandparents: 🇧🇪🇧🇪🇧🇪🇧🇪🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸 been to: 🇧🇪🇫🇷🇪🇸🇬🇧🇮🇪🇮🇹🇳🇱🇩🇪🇨🇭🇦🇹🇲🇦🇹🇷🇹🇳🇵🇱🇲🇨🇱🇺
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ESO @eso.org · 06/08/2026
The ghost of a giant star! 👻 These are the remains of a star that exploded 11 000 years ago — the Vela supernova remnant. Yet these filaments were not the only thing the explosion left behind. What else emerged from this cosmic event? 🔭 1/2
Filaments of pink, purple, and reddish gas stretching across a backdrop of stars. Bright blue-white stars are scattered throughout the scene.
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ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 06/08/2026
Today Webb opens a Treasure Chest filled with sparkling stars in this new view from the Carina Nebula. Read more 👉 www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2… 🔭 #milkyway
A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the centre, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. 
ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Reiter
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I love this 😀
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ESO @eso.org · 03/08/2026
Total solar eclipse loading ☀️🌕🌍 On 12 August, the Moon will slip between the Earth and the Sun, turning day into night for up to a minute and a half along the path of totality. Get the gist with ESO fellow Mar Carretero Castrillo 🎬👇 🔭 #EuropeanSolarEclipse #TotalSolarEclipse 1/4
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ESO @eso.org · 28/07/2026
The conclusion of a century-long quest 😲 Our VLT obtained firm evidence that Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the Orion constellation and one of the most famous stars in the night sky, is not alone! 🔭 🧪 1/4
A collage of various astronomical images. The background image shows a wide view of a starry night sky, with blue lines connecting the stars of the Orion constellation. An inset image zooms into the star Betelgeuse, showing its orange surface. A second inset shows a bright companion next to the star. Image by ESO/M. Montargès et al. Background: N. Rissinger (skysurvey.org).
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
And a study from the Paris Observatory, no less! 😁
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
We love our massive stars 😎
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Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Melina Thévenot🏳️‍⚧️ @melina-iras07572.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Part of the Carina Nebula full resolution: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ca...
Orange and brown clouds, as well as a blue-white mist. The clouds are brighter on the right side.
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This would correspond to ~1500 runaway B-type stars within 1 kpc of the Sun! The paper has been recently published in MNRAS, and has appeared today on arxiv: arxiv.org/abs/2607.14633
arxiv.org
Runaway OB stars within 1 kpc of the Sun
Runaway stars are high-velocity stars ejected from their birth environments that can provide insights into the kinematic history of the stellar cluster they were ejected from. We derived runaway star ...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
The largest catalogue of runaway B-type stars ever released within 1 kpc! 🔭 In this study led by Juan Martínez García, from an all-sky sample of ~25,000 O- and B-type stars within 1 kpc, we found ~7% and ~17% of B-type and O-type stars being runaways, respectively. #stellarastro #galactic
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Je ne suis pas sûr comment ça se déroule ailleurs, mais souvent pour la recherche en astrophysique, on envoie nos articles sur arxiv dès la soumission de l'article à une revue scientifique. Enfin, quand l'article est relu et validé par le journal, on remplace avec la version corrigée et acceptée.
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Aurélien Genin @astroaure.eurosky.social · 09/07/2026
🧪 L'archive ouverte arxiv.org vient de dépasser les 3 millions d'articles scientifiques publiés 🤯 Et autant de nouveaux résultats apportés à l'édifice de la connaissance de l'Humanité car la force d'arXiv c'est que tous les articles sont libres d'accès, gratuitement 😍
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
We took the Gem OB2 nomenclature from the Fig. 9 from Khalatyan et al. (2024), where this overdensity of B-type stars was referred to as "Gem OB2", but even recent papers like Casado & Hendy (2024) refers to it as Gem OB1... where does this confusion stem from? I'll need to think about...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
I annotated as the Carina Nebula because it is located in the southern part of the Sagittarius-Carina arm, but other OB stars paper put the Carina Nebula further away (e.g. Zari et al. 2021). We only have the foreground population, but the annotation might be misleading. I'll contact my co-authors.
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Yes, although we noted in the paper than it is not as visible here as in the ALS III catalogue. The three major tracers here are the Cepheus region, as well as Aur OB1 and Gem OB2. Gem OB2 is very intriguing to me, because it really stands out but I don't think it has been given a lot of attention.
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
This is the result of a large collaboration (including @emily.space) and the first paper of a series aimed at analysing star formation in the Milky Way at the dusk of the Gaia DR3 era! The paper has been submitted to MNRAS and is available on arxiv. Comments are welcome! arxiv.org/abs/2607.07068
arxiv.org
Unveiling the Milky Way with a Gaia DR3 census of OB-type stars within 2 kpc. I. Tracing local Galactic structure, massive star-forming regions and core-collapse supernova progenitors
O- and B-type stars are young and hot, thereby serving as vital tracers of the star formation and spiral arm structure of the Milky Way. At the dusk of the \textit{Gaia} DR3 era, a high-confidence and...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
The local Milky Way unveiled by a new census of OB-type stars! 🔭 We have identified a population of ~100,000 O- and B-type stars within 2 kpc. We trace Galactic structure (including the Sagittarius-Carina arm) as well as OB associations and massive star-forming regions! #galactic #stellarastro
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The Star Formation Newsletter @starformationnews.org · 03/07/2026
Catch up on the latest news about star and planet formation in edition #402 of the SFN! 🔭☄️
starformationnews.org
Star Formation Newsletter #402 - The Star Formation Newsletter
Since 1992, The Star Formation Newsletter has been the premier destination for keeping up with news from the star formation community. This is issue 402, covering new research postings in June of 2026...
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I am now on my way to #EAS2026Lausanne! Aside from presenting my latest work during the Gaia session tomorrow, I will be chairing SS11 (Young Stellar Structures in the Milky Way) on Wednesday! I hope I'll meet many people there and have exciting discussions 😀 #astronomy
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Enjoy! As a train advocate, I have yet to try the night train option! The ones I've found have always been quite expensive (at least with a bed option - but what's the point of taking a night train without a bed??). So I'm positively surprised that you found a reasonably priced ticket!
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
*Me currently mapping the hottest stars in the local Milky Way* damn right that is.
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I know you're right, but I'm watching the latest season of For All Mankind at the moment so perhaps it gives me false hopes about human space exploration 😭
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Dire qu'à la base j'étais content de partir pour un postdoc de Alicante à un postdoc à Paris car je supposais que les étés parisiens étaient plus cléments... 😅
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Netherlands could finally do it! As a Belgian, I would love to claim it would be us, but I feel like we missed our chance in 2018 😅
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Well... these are old buildings without air conditioning so it's not easy. I would have worked from home next week if I didn't have some commitments in the office 😅
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Same in Paris... it's going to be 40°C next week... 🥲
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
This is also the case in Belgium! I thought it was common in most countries to have the Wednesday afternoon off?
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Alexis Quintana @alexis-space.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Every time I complain about trains in Europe, this kind of posts reminds me it could be much worse 😅🥲
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