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Chad Bender

@chadfbender.bsky.social
321 followers 278 following 291 posts

Astronomer at University of Arizona's Steward Observatory. Instrument builder: LFAST, NEID, HPF. Building giant telescopes! Hobbyist woodworker. Decent vinyl collection.

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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
@lynncarter.bsky.social after cleaning out some boxes that have been sitting in a closet since we moved here (10 years ago): "most of what is left are photographic plates". Geeze we're old. (Anyone want some unexposed plates?)
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I suggest SEBO. Yes, they look like something you will see in a hotel. There is a good reason why. (And more expensive than Dyson).
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The date was removed on Monday ( or over the weekend - our preaward team pointed it out Monday)
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I'm very interested to see how this works. Even in a big department, the defacto situation is a significant burden. We aim for more like 4-5 reads and that is a terrible multiplier. Out GAC is bigger than your entire dept.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I've only done it in classes with <20 students, where exams are still hand written free response. It usually goes something like: Tell me about something that you learned in this class that wasn't on the exam, but which you think is important." Often they write a page - unnecessary but fun.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I frequently ask that question on final exams. It's never worth many points, but always interesting to read.
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Lynn Carter @lynncarter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Finally a very detailed article describing the destruction and chaos at NASA Goddard. www.npr.org/2026/09/15/n...
npr.org
NASA rushed engineers out of their labs. They say it risks future space missions
NASA employees say they've lost vital equipment and staff needed to make sophisticated spacecraft amid the agency's abrupt relocations over the past several months.
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American Astronomical Society (AAS) @aas.org · 31/08/2026
🔭 Our new policy blog post shows that the number of astronomical sciences research awards made by NSF has decreased by 57% since last year, corresponding to a 51% reduction in funding. (1/2)
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
It's almost as if those weather balloon launches that were cut might have been important... 😞
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Lynn Carter @lynncarter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Wow big storm on campus. Trees uprooted everywhere. Branches down.
À big tree branch down in frony of a brick building.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I am not a software engineer. Just a desperate astronomer. But today I attempted to compile QT4 from source to salvage some old code. It did not go well.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Lightning induced power outage
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
No kidding.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The best use I have found for AI is getting it to tell me how to turn off AI integrated features in various applications that got added during updates. I'm looking at you, MS Outlook. Google AI vs Microsoft AI...
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Archive is getting some free proofreading this week?
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Looks like a flat line. Did they calculate chi-sqr on a flat line?
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Josef Aschbacher @josefaschbacher.esa.int · 25/07/2026
Based on current information, the Cebreros station appears to have remained unharmed. My deepest thanks go to the Spanish emergency services whose efforts helped protect the site as wildfires approached. Left: 24 July 19:57, Right: 25 July 07:54
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
It's 9:30 PM and my swimming pool is the same temp as the air: 90 F. That's a strange experience.
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Seriously folks, if you haven't commented yet, DO IT!! Even a short comment will help!
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
This cat house has been sitting in our living room for 3 years, and neither cat has ever expressed any interest. The thing has collected dust. Until tonight, where they are now fighting over who gets to sit inside.
A cardboard house with a black cat inside and a grey cat trying, but failing, to force his way inside
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Doesn't Caltech have a sailing club that rents boats to its members? Seems like you have to join it now.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Someone took the time to format it for your reading convenience. You can even print it out and know exactly how it will render. Very courteous of them.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
To science. Pilot of Industry. Conquer of disease. Multiplier of the harvest. Explorer of the universe. Revealer of natures laws. Eternal guide to truth. Important messages from the past that are extremely relevant today.
Ceiling vault in the National Academy of Sciences building, with the above message around the perimeter.
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Peter Murphy @peterwmurphy1.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
"Something just brushed past my leg!" — Luke Skywalker, #StarWars Image credit: tempestkc on Threads #LincolnMemorialReflectingPool #USA
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
I am invisible. You cannot see me. Just wait for the secret attack! #caturday
Two cats playing.  One has buried his head in tissue paper, but the rest of his body is clearly visible.  The head is all that matters, right?
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
DI water should nicely dissolve the paint...
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Just watched the color restoration of 'A Trip to the Moon's (on Max). It's worth the time for the animated faculty meeting at the beginning. The rest is bonus footage! I was unaware it was acceptable for the Chair to throw paper balls at the faculty.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Fantastic news. Congratulations!
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Monsoon is here, and brought with it fire to Ventana Canyon area. Lots of rain though, so hopefully will contain itself
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
We have volunteer parsley. It's all over the yard. No one can eat that much parsley. Lesson: Don't let your parsley go to seed.
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“E.C. Horror” Myers @ecmyers.com · 13/06/2026
Admiral Ackbar shouts "IT'S A TARP!"
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Fines are what this needs. Fines per minute of delay, to both the defendant and the construction company. There should be real pain for defying court orders like this.
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Queen Sansa @queensansastark.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Wow, Trump finally got a crowd to show up at the Kennedy Center.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
How do we think the letters are attached?
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
I literally step away from the live stream for 6 hours and nothing appears to have happened. Is this a subtle way to funnel money to a construction firm?
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
At least one person in there knows what's important.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Bee update: The bees are gone. Where did they go? No idea. The hive is gone too. Did someone steal my bees? Did some animal eat them? Did they ascend? Unclear. But I guess I don't need a beekeeper anymore...
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Well, this is going to be interesting. Our first real beehive in the decade we've lived here. Anyone in Tucson have a beekeeper they recommend for removal? (Also, don't plan on visiting us for a few days - it's right over the driveway).
A small beehive in a Palo verde tree, swarming with bees
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Ok, @nytimes.com , I'm pretty sure my paper this morning was not supposed to include 3 arts sections and 3 book reviews. Maybe you could stop raising rates so frequently if you stopped this nonsense (which is not uncommon).
A photo of three copies of the same newspaper section that came out of this morning's Sunday Times
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
You have gloves in the lab. Sounds like you need some for the house.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
That's one way to get out of ever having to cook anything for anyone ever again. Definitely a no-go at the community potluck.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
This agave sent up a spike that's 25 ft tall, and top heavy. Not looking forward to what happens when it falls over...
An agave spike with a giant head of flowers and is leaning over to the side.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
It can't be worse than dealing with astronomers randomly naming planets whatever they want and giving multiple sets of parameters in a single paper (yes, guilty).
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Household NAS. Setting up a small one was less expensive than I would have guessed, and now there is a big, reasonably smart drive hanging on our network. Good for music & photo streaming too.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
It's not. It's terrible. You should run for office and change it!
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
You have skills that definitely will be selected for preservation. Good luck red goo and shapeless tunics.
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
What is a planet anyway?
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Oh shoot, @elizabethtasker.bsky.social beat me to this answer
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
This proposal will examine how some planets are not the same as others. (Granted, that's a fair hit on word count)
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Chad Bender @chadfbender.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Disappointing. Very disappointing. Not even the sourest I've had today, let alone "on the planet".
A small package of candy labeled "The sourest gummies on the planet".
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