Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026There are many reasons to like the Galaxy. This gem is one of them… 010
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I guess the answer to the question below is “no”? Seems like there should be. In private conversations I’ve found that there are a lot of different ethical frameworks people are applying. 220
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Are there any astronomy departments out there that have written up a document on the ethical uses of AI in research, writing, teaching, and mentoring? 152
Reposted by Bob BenjaminAmerican Astronomical Society (AAS) @aas.org · 14/09/2026The American Astronomical Society today announced that Dr. Emily Levesque (University of Washington) has been confirmed as the next Editor in Chief of the AAS journals. 🔭https://aas.org/press/emily-levesque-named-editor-chief-aas-journals @publishing.aas.org 291571228
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I’d feel a lot better about the White House ballroom they are building where the East Wing used to be if we could all just agree right now to call it the Harriet Tubman Memorial Ballroom. 110
Reposted by Bob BenjaminSarah Kendrew @sarahkendrew.bsky.social · 30/08/2026A stunning launch for @nancyromansci.bsky.social today, so grateful to have witnessed it. Congrats to the entire team at @stsci.edu and beyond. 1625
Reposted by Bob BenjaminAlyssa Goodman @alyssagoodman.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Why be excited about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launching this Sunday, 8/26?? This new app from @CosmicDataStories at @Harvard explains! (Hints: LOTS of Sky at once, broad wavelength coverage.) Interactive app: projects.cosmicds.cf... Video demo of app: youtube.com/shorts/-... 034
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 25/08/2026As a boy growing up in East Tennessee in the late 70’s and early 80s, Dolly was part of the warp and weave of my childhood. Seeing her always made me proud of where I was from. RIP, Dolly. 020
Reposted by Bob BenjaminMike Brown @plutokiller.com · 24/08/2026My thoughts on the 20th anniversary of the correction of Pluto’s classification (edited by the fabulous @leebillings.bsky.social )scientificamerican.comMike Brown is very sorry, but Pluto still isn’t a planetOn the 20th anniversary of Pluto’s infamous demotion, Mike “Pluto Killer” Brown explains why any reversal of that decision would be driven more by nostalgia than science 129515
Reposted by Bob BenjaminSpace Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 24/08/2026In the coming days, teams will transport the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope—encapsulated in Falcon Heavy’s fairing—to SpaceX’s hangar at pad 39A, where technicians will attach it to the rocket before sending it out to the launch pad. #NASARoman 🔭 🧪 science.nasa.govTeams Complete Flight Readiness Review for NASA's Roman TelescopeMission managers from NASA, the agency's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and SpaceX conducted a Flight Readiness Review Friday, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 16524
Reposted by Bob BenjaminScientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 19/08/2026A high-risk mission to save NASA’s Swift Observatory has ended in failure after its rescue spacecraft spun out of control in Earth orbit. Swift will likely burn up in the atmosphere later this year, leaving a glaring gap in astronomers’ cosmic studies.scientificamerican.comNASA’s rescue mission for the falling Swift space telescope has failedThe space agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which studied cataclysmic cosmic explosions, is expected to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year 27022
Reposted by Bob BenjaminGalaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Later this year I hope to launch a Kickstarter to fund the Atlas of the Milky Way. I've created a signup page here: kevinjardine.dev/signup but so far only about 40 people have signed up. I'd like that to be closer to a thousand. I've now added a profile: kevinjardine.dev/profile Please promote.kevinjardine.devAtlas of the Milky Way Kickstarter profileExplore the Milky Way with Kevin Jardine's detailed cartography. 164
Reposted by Bob BenjaminMAST - Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes @mast-news.bsky.social · 30/07/2026New HLSP: Terry Hubble Observations of Roman (THOR) early-release catalog of point sources in the Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey footprint. Multi-passband photometry and astrometry (ACS+WFC3, F606W+F814W) cross-matched to HST-WFC3IR and Gaia DR3 where available. archive.stsci.edu/hlsp/thor 052
Reposted by Bob BenjaminBritt Lundgren @brittlundgren.bsky.social · 20/07/2026A few months ago I gave a public talk about satellites at a local brewery & afterwards one of the attendees asked me if I'd like to collaborate on an OpEd to spread the word about the growing problem of space junk. Long story short, today it's on the front page of the digital WaPo: wapo.st/4yqgbLnwapo.stOpinion | Look at Earth’s orbit. This mess is dangerous.Space debris is a safety risk, both on the Earth’s surface and in orbit. 15630171
Reposted by Bob BenjaminDr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 30/06/2026Low-Earth orbit has gotten so crowded that new NASA mission proposals need to include (and pay for, out of a limited cost cap!) three collision avoidance maneuvers, and are told to expect 1-5 potential collisions that need to be avoided. 410844
Reposted by Bob BenjaminNSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @rubinobservatory.org · 30/06/2026The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here… On June 29, 2026, NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory officially began the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)! 🔭🧪☄️🌌 🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/action-... 3294137
Reposted by Bob BenjaminThe Onion @theonion.com · 24/06/2026Beer Delivery Driver Points Trembling Shotgun As Crowd Of Scottish Soccer Fans Close In theonion.com/beer-delivery-driver-p… 401869270
Reposted by Bob BenjaminBenne W. Holwerda @benneholwerda.bsky.social · 24/06/2026The Rubin Galaxies Meeting moved to zoom this afternoon and tomorrow. It was the responsible thing to do. Lesson learned: have Europe meetings in spring or fall. Avoid summer. 061
Reposted by Bob BenjaminDenis Erkal @derkal.bsky.social · 10/06/2026The Arrakihs mission has been adopted as ESA's next F-class mission, with an expected launch in 2030! It will look at the low surface brightness outskirts of 80 Milky Way-like galaxies. www.esa.int/Science_Expl...esa.intESA adopts galactic archaeology mission ArrakihsThe European Space Agency’s (ESA) Science Programme Committee has adopted the Arrakihs mission. Planned for launch by the end of 2030, Arrakihs will capture the faint light from nearby galaxy haloes. ... 14814
Reposted by Bob BenjaminJuliette Becker @jcbecker.bsky.social · 05/06/2026New first-author paper from Adam Distler, now accepted to ApJ, evaluates whether the inner edges of peas-in-a-pod (PIAP) multiplanet systems are affected by secular resonance crossings driven by the rotational evolution of the host star.... 1103
Reposted by Bob BenjaminBryan Gaensler @scibry.bsky.social · 03/06/2026This breakthrough result is the culmination of many years of work; I'm honored to have played a small role in it. Congratulations and thank you to Alec Thomson on his leadership!smh.com.auScientists map universe’s invisible force to show sky as you’ve never seen itAustralian researchers have created the biggest and most detailed image of a colossal cosmic mystery. 0142
Reposted by Bob BenjaminBritt Lundgren @brittlundgren.bsky.social · 31/05/2026I strongly encourage US-based astronomers to attend the virtual Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee meeting tomorrow (Mon June 1st), where the heads of NASA, NSF, and DOE astronomy/astrophysics divisions will be presenting updates & taking questions 🔭 www.nsf.gov/events/astro...nsf.govAstronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee meeting (June 2026) 14718
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Took an overnight train from Chicago to Boston last week, and from NYC to Chicago this week, but wasn’t called upon to solve a murder either time. I suppose that’s good? 030
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 23/05/2026As stockholders in the Green Bay Packers, my husband and I wholeheartedly agree! 000
Reposted by Bob BenjaminMatthias Steinmetz @galacticrave.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Sh2-176 is a very faint and relatively little-imaged evolved planetary nebula in Cassiopeia. Unlike compact, high-excitation planetary nebulae, Sh2-176 is highly evolved: the expelled shell has expanded and diluted over time bit.ly/4lB3t68 🔭#Astrophotographie🔭📷 0134
Reposted by Bob BenjaminBritt Lundgren @brittlundgren.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Turning NSF into a venture capital fund was the inevitable consequence of removing scientists from the leadership at NSF & OSTP. This move reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of both how science progresses and the post-war model for US prosperity. www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-ann...nsf.govNSF announces $1.5B NSF X-Labs initiative to pursue generational breakthrough science effortsToday, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced $1.5 billion over the next decade toward the NSF X-Labs initiative to tackle pressing scientific challenges through novel and innovative... 0133
Reposted by Bob BenjaminThe Onion @theonion.com · 12/05/2026Gas Station Price Sign Using Scientific Notation 4468061680
Reposted by Bob BenjaminLinn Boldt-Christmas @nplinnspace.bsky.social · 07/05/2026🔭 A cautionary tale for undergrads (and above!) using AI for #astro plots: our BSc student wanted to make a "quick" HR diagram showcasing M-dwarfs & thought some chatbot could make one and... well... ...extra credits are now offered to students who can correctly find all errors on cursedHR.png 🫠 🧪 4827580
Reposted by Bob BenjaminMario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 18/04/2026This ESO infrared view reveals the stellar nursery known as NGC 6357, or the Lobster Nebula. 032
Reposted by Bob BenjaminLaura Lopez @ohdearz.bsky.social · 18/04/2026This report came out today by minority staff of the House science committee on how three NASA missions were aborted due to NASA illegally following the FY26 president's budget request instead of congressionally approved budget. Very important reading. 🔭🧪 democrats-science.house.gov/staff-report... 121351593
Reposted by Bob BenjaminBrett Morris @brettmorr.is · 17/04/2026My team and others at @stsci.edu are working to make this work for you. 🔭 #astrocodestsci.eduRoman Space Telescope Science Platform Will Open New Frontiers in Space Science 0125
Reposted by Bob BenjaminNereide @drnereide.bsky.social · 17/04/2026🧵1/5 For 170 years we thought there was a large inclined ring of young stars around the Sun.🔭 A new study using Gaia data shows instead that it doesn’t exist: Gould’s Belt is just a temporary alignment of a few star clusters.🧪⚛️ No ring, just a 3D asterism. arxiv.org/abs/2604.13225 #galactic 25618
Reposted by Bob BenjaminMario Livio @mariolivio.bsky.social · 13/04/2026A fantastic Webb image of the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334), a massive, local star-forming region. The nebula is about 3,000 light-years away. 072
Reposted by Bob BenjaminJohn F Wu @jwuphysics.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Great googly moogly, 12:1 oversubscription! roman.ipac.caltech.edu/page/cycle-1roman.ipac.caltech.edu Cycle 1 Proposal Submission Statistics 082
Reposted by Bob BenjaminAstrobites @astrobites.bsky.social · 06/04/2026There is a tradition in Astronomy to post silly science papers to the arXiv on Aprils Fools day. We’ve collected them all for 2026 and provided some “peer review”. astrobites.org/2026/04/06/april-fools-2026/astrobites.orgThe April Fools Paper Review Process – 2026There is a tradition in Astronomy to post silly science papers to the arXiv on Aprils Fools day. We’ve collected them all for 2026 and provided some “peer review”. 3337
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 06/04/2026I looked up from my work to see this image on TV. Took a few seconds to parse what I was seeing. 010
Reposted by Bob BenjaminYuval Harpaz 𝚿👨🎓 📊🌌🔭 @yuvharpaz.bsky.social · 30/03/2026A new #JWST image was just published Credits to Prof. A. Ginsburg and his team NASA, ESA, CSA 🔭 news.ufl.edu/2026/03/jwst...news.ufl.eduResearchers use James Webb Telescope to reveal hidden details of W51 star formationStars in the W51 region are very young and massive, and using the telescope gave the team the ability to view the early stages of star formation. 13612
Reposted by Bob BenjaminMike Kuhn @mikeakuhn.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Looking for a postdoc in radio astronomy? We have an opportunity at @herts.ac.uk. Please share with anybody interested. Extreme Radio Flares from Young Stellar Objects (closing date: 2026-04-16) Apply here: ce0997li.webitrent.com/ce0997li_web... 🔭 #RadioAstronomy #highenergyastro #stellarastroce0997li.webitrent.comPowered by MHR 01715
Reposted by Bob BenjaminJulianne Dalcanton @dalcantonjd.bsky.social · 09/03/2026Because “looking at images, not catalogs” is a dying pastime, the paper includes a tutorial on -how- to interpret images of galaxies. Qualitative information alone can get you a surprisingly long way towards a reasonable model, if you’re thinking through the links between morphology and physics. 67717
Reposted by Bob BenjaminTod Lauer @todlauer.bsky.social · 09/03/2026This will be an instant classic. I'm wondering what paper I can throw together as an excuse to cite it. Although the Arp Atlas was published in the ApJ Supplement in the 60s, you really had to get the book atlas itself, comprising bound photographic prints. 1/n iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...iopscience.iop.orgThe Hubble Arp Galaxy SurveyThe Hubble Arp Galaxy Survey, Dalcanton, Julianne J., Durbin, Meredith J., Williams, Benjamin F. 2214
Reposted by Bob BenjaminRAS Journals @rasjournals.bsky.social · 27/02/2026Published in #MNRAS: "On the origin of kinematic structure in the young association Serpens OB", Kuhn et al. This is Fig. 1: please visit academic.oup.com/mnras/articl... to read the paper. @royalastrosoc.bsky.social @academic.oup.com 072
Reposted by Bob BenjaminDr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 20/02/2026This is devastating for Carl’s family, and for his IPAC friends and colleagues. We are all shocked and saddened. His contributions to exoplanets and infrared science and the astronomy community will not be forgotten. 💔 714536
Reposted by Bob BenjaminAndrea Botteon @andreabotteon.bsky.social · 19/02/2026LoTSS-DR3, by Shimwell+ (w/ many) We have released the largest collection of data from a radio survey: 13M+ sources detected over 19k deg^2 (88% of the Northern sky). This took ~13k h of @LOFAR observations, ~18 PT of data, and 10+ years of work. Data are public from today arxiv.org/abs/2602.15949 053
Bob Benjamin @bobbenjamin.bsky.social · 17/02/2026How did I not know that Monobob was a winter Olympic event? (Also, bring back skijoring!) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skijori....en.wikipedia.orgSkijoring at the 1928 Winter Olympics - Wikipedia 020
