Sign in

Lisa Will

@dustchick.bsky.social
1K followers 1.2K following 1K posts

Astrophysicist, educator, geek. She/her. Professor, Physics/Astronomy, San Diego City College. Resident Astronomer, Fleet Science Center.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Lisa Will
Sarah E Moran @offallingstars.bsky.social · 29m
Still server issues. Now Laura Watkins (head of science policy at STScI) is saying new deadline tomorrow, Oct. 1st at 5pm EDT for all proposers.
0910
Reposted by Lisa Will
AAS Press Office @press.aas.org · 29/09/2026
European Space Agency: Successful Earth Flyby Improves Juice’s Course to Jupiter www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
esa.int
Successful Earth flyby improves Juice’s course to Jupiter
The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) skimmed the very outer edge of Earth’s atmosphere on 28 September, using the gravity of our home planet to alter its route to Jupiter usi...
043
Reposted by Lisa Will
Stuart Atkinson @stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
You might want to sit down for these... 5,014 days after it landed, the Curiosity rover sent back these absolutely stunning images of Mars. The rover's incredible team deserves some credit from NASA's bosses for their achievement. Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/Additional processing S Atkinson
512031
Reposted by Lisa Will
CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 19/09/2026
Did you see this really neat image from my thread yesterday? It was taken by AS Fruchter at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and is an H-alpha image (hydrogen gas emitting as the 21cm photon). Here is an updated, annotated version from me. We don't see the pulsar here, only the WD.
grainy image of the PSR J0437-4715 system creating a bow shock as it plows through the Galaxy. A red line is drawn between the pulsar and front of bow shock and annotated as being approx. 47 times the Sun-Neptune distance. The pulsar dot itself is annotated, noting that the pulsar and the white dwarf are only 1 million km apart. A nearby galaxy, RX J0437.4-4711 is also annotated.
36517
Reposted by Lisa Will
Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 18/09/2026
Scientists call this region the Extreme Outer Galaxy due to its location at the edge of our Milky Way. It contains two massive molecular clouds from which clusters of stars are actively forming, as captured in this #NASAWebb image: bit.ly/4fRIdZ4
A star-forming region. At center right is a compact star cluster composed of luminous red, blue, and white points of light. Faint jets with clumpy, diffuse material extend in various directions from the bright cluster. Above and to the right is a smaller cluster of stars. Translucent red wisps of material stretch across the scene. Background galaxies are scattered across this swath of space, appearing as small blue-white and orange-white dots or fuzzy, thin disks.
06118
Reposted by Lisa Will
AAS Press Office @press.aas.org · 16/09/2026
NASA: Newfound "Baby" Planet Smashes Record for Youngest Known World science.nasa.gov/universe/new...
science.nasa.gov
Newfound ‘Baby’ Planet Smashes Record for Youngest Known World - NASA Science
Astronomers have confirmed a world that’s less than a million years old as the youngest known planet, using data from NASA-funded archives. Called Elias 2-24
0105
Reposted by Lisa Will
Riding With Robots @ridingrobots.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
From NASA The Moon’s got a big new crater! 🕳️ Spotted by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the McGetchin crater formed when a rock as big as a six-story building crashed into the Moon. It’s 141 feet deep and wider than the length of two football fields. 🪨💥🌕 go.nasa.gov/3TzHqUf
Two images of a lunar landscape seen from above. The first image includes a circled dot, which is a new crater. The second image shows the same view before the new crater appeared. A rugged, circular crater on the Moon seen from above. Rays of fresh, bright material ejected by the impact radiate out from the crater at the center of the frame.
2204
Reposted by Lisa Will
Kevin M. Gill @kevinmgill.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
New postcard from Curiosity using Navcams taken on Sols 5000 & 5003 science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
science.nasa.gov
Curiosity Postcard Celebrates Rover’s 5,000th Day on Mars - NASA Science
While parked at a sand ridge nicknamed “Chocolatal,” NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas at two times
313743
Reposted by Lisa Will
Physgal ⚛️ @physgal.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"...NSF was the largest federal funder of the physical sciences in higher education for all but one fiscal year since 2003." This is a huge blow to university-based physics & astronomy research. 🧪 ⚛️ 🎢
physicstoday.aip.org
The shrinking NSF support for the physical sciences
The agency has awarded fewer grants in the physical sciences this year than most years in its history.
05127
Reposted by Lisa Will
Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 15/09/2026
#NASARoman activated the Wide Field Instrument—a 300-megapixel infrared camera that will allow it to explore wide swaths of the cosmos quickly. This test image captures the very first photons of starlight to reach the instrument—taken as an initial performance assessment: go.nasa.gov/4rg4qEc
At the top, a grid of 21 panels shows a series of blue images with tiny neon green and yellow circles. A larger image highlights a section of the grid with circular patterns, and an inset presents a detailed star-like diffraction pattern. The colors consist of blue, green, and yellow.
8327107
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Just to update this. The kidnapped driver was indeed a student. A member of our Haitian population, which ICE is targeting in its most recent terrorist activities.
100
Reposted by Lisa Will
Riding With Robots @ridingrobots.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Nice photo but pretty easy to scroll past until you realize it was taken on Mars.
2350121
Reposted by Lisa Will
Riding With Robots @ridingrobots.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
One of the many things about Pluto that is more interesting to me than whether it's called a planet or not.
1284
Reposted by Lisa Will
Dr. Acafanmom @acafanmom.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Let's try this again, since I forgot I don't actually give my name on this account and not everyone knows me by my acafanmom username: I'm Lori (Hitchcock) Morimoto, I do media fan studies and dabble in Japanese popular culture. If you use any of my academic work on your syllabi, can you ping me?
03522
Reposted by Lisa Will
Landru79 @landru79.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
#NASA's #Mars rover #Curiosity 2026-09-10 Sol 5010: Mast Camera #Mastcam mars.nasa.gov/raw_images/1... NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/j. Roger
1186
Reposted by Lisa Will
ESO @eso.org · 09/09/2026
The heart of the scorpion 🦂 Join the trip to the iconic red supergiant star Antares, shining with a strong red tint at the centre of the constellation of Scorpius. Yet observations revealed something unexpected in its atmosphere. Discover more: www.eso.org/public/news/eso1726 🔭
2328
Reposted by Lisa Will
Benjamin Pope @benjaminpope.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
It's been really exciting to work with @jayke.io, @gradientrider.bsky.social and the rest of this amazing team using JWST's AMI mode to find a fifth candidate planet in the classic HR 8799 system!
Figure from the paper, illustrating the orbits of all 4 previously known planets in HR 8799 and the putative fifth planet, closest to the star in orange.
14710
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Celebrating #StarTrek60 by watching my favorite episode. Yes, "Subspace Rhapsody," my beloved, I need you after this exhausting day. (When it becomes obvious the episode is a love song to Uhura, I always sob.) #StarTrek
050
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Unmarked ICE vehicles stopped a car at my college, San Diego City College. Passenger (a student) fled to the safety of our buildings. The driver (possibly a student?) was kidnapped by ICE. Here is a statement from our chancellor. youtube.com/shorts/L1JSm... #AbolishICE
youtube.com
090826 Chancellor ICE Response CITY Vertical
YouTube video by San Diego Community College District
231
Reposted by Lisa Will
Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 08/09/2026
To shed light on an early stage of planet building in our solar system, Hubble and #NASAWebb examined Trans-Neptunian Objects—mysterious, frozen planetary building blocks that never formed into planets. This is the deepest such survey to date: news.stsci.edu/4zX3fgY 🔭
An illustration of a roughly spherical, rocky object against a black background speckled with distant, white stars. The rocky object is the color of red clay and is pockmarked with craters and other geological scars. At the bottom left corner of the illustration in gray lettering is the label “Artist’s Concept.
05412
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I want almost everything in this collaboration. OMG.
030
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Gmail. Google drive. All of these things are down for me right now and have been for hours. Google searches moving slow, too. Seeing some other sporadic reports of this. (Yes, I plan on finding other options, but in some cases, I don't have the ability to do so.) Anyone else having problems?
331
Reposted by Lisa Will
jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 07/09/2026
under remarked on aspect of trump is his deep hatred of natural beauty and the natural world.
16858921180
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I live about one mile from the beach in San Diego. The ocean temps have been about 6-7F higher than average. It is 87F and stifling. 😡
140
Reposted by Lisa Will
Kevin M. Gill @kevinmgill.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The workspace in front of the Mars Curiosity Rover following its Sol 5004 drive this week. The drive target was that little gray/blue rock in the center. flic.kr/p/2szd9j2
Rocks and sand. A small(ish) cobble is in the lower center.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill
15010
Reposted by Lisa Will
Stuart Atkinson @stuartatkinson.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The Perseverance rover team are paying a lot of attention to this rock.Just look at the stunning detail visible in this close-up image, taken just a few hours ago on Mars... Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/S Atkinson
3296
Reposted by Lisa Will
Riding With Robots @ridingrobots.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Semi-random, unpublished shot of an unnamed fresh crater on the far side of the Moon, courtesy of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Zoom in scroll around to find the car-sized boulders.
A gray lunar landscape seen from above, featuring the bright rays of material ejected from a small, rugged crater.
2479
Reposted by Lisa Will
Sarah Hörst @planetdr.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Nice Dragonfly update including the recently approved name of the dune field where we will land We’re going to Ahmakiq undae. go.nasa.gov/4zTQdAA
go.nasa.gov
NASA’s Dragonfly Gets Wired Up While Titan Landing Area Is Named - NASA Science
Peeking into the clean room at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, it might be one of the first things you notice about
314135
Reposted by Lisa Will
Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 02/09/2026
Meet Saturn’s decagon, seen in recent images from Hubble. The new 10-sided atmospheric wave at the planet’s southern pole resembles the famous hexagon at the Saturn’s northern pole, but is also distinct: news.stsci.edu/4g9Gm1U
Side-by-side comparison of two views of the gas giant Saturn, labeled “August 29, 2025” at the top left corner. At left is a straight-on view of Saturn, a globe with pale yellow horizontal bands at the equator and orange and pink at the mid-latitudes. Some bands towards the north and south pole have a light blue hue. There are prominent horizontal rings circling at the equator. At right, labeled “Saturn’s south pole,” the south-polar view of Saturn shows concentric bands in its atmosphere, mostly tan and orange, surrounding a dark central region that has a 10-sided outline. A small, dashed circle at the very center of the pole with an “X” inside denotes missing data.
318053
Reposted by Lisa Will
Sonya Neal @neal-lab.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Come be my colleague!! 🎉 We’re hiring an Assistant Professor in Developmental Biology at UCSD! If you’re doing exciting work in development or regeneration, come join us!! Please spread the word and apply! apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04591
apol-recruit.ucsd.edu
Assistant Professor of Developmental Biology
University of California, San Diego is hiring. Apply now!
3150129
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
And to think I was about to start using Apple Maps because I don't want to use Google Maps anymore. Glad I have a paper atlas in my car still. Seriously.
130
Reposted by Lisa Will
Dr. Adeene Denton @spacewhalerider.com · 01/09/2026
New way to form the Moon just dropped, featuring new modelling by yours truly: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
swri.org
SwRI-led modeling identifies new scenarios for Moon formation | Southwest Research Institute
Geologically realistic modeling changes how a giant collision forms the Earth-Moon system
88726
Reposted by Lisa Will
Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Have physicists finally directly detected dark matter?!? The best bet is “no”, but it’s an intriguing signal that will rightly trigger a lot of follow-up scrutiny and analysis in multiple experiments.
95911
Reposted by Lisa Will
Kevin M. Gill @kevinmgill.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Large dust devil near the Mars Perseverance Rover on Sol 1966 (yestersol). NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill
216735
Reposted by Lisa Will
Dr Space Junk (Alice Gorman) @drspacejunk.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Nancy Grace Roman was paid 60% of her male colleague's wages. 'the Nobel prize-winning physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar ... told her: “We don’t discriminate against women. We can just get them for less.”' #WomenInSTEM 🧪 🔭
theconversation.com
Nasa’s new telescope is named after astronomer Nancy Grace Roman – but who was she?
The US astronomer battled discrimination in a male dominated field.
9613280
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Looking forward to the science the Nancy Grace Roman telescope will do! 🔭 science.nasa.gov/mission/roma...
science.nasa.gov
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope - NASA Science
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and astrophysics.
010
Reposted by Lisa Will
Dane will return at NYCC H-05 @monkeyminion.com · 29/08/2026
DO NOT APPLY TO OR ATTEND THIS SHOW. I don't care if it's in your backyard. You can bet that every convention runner is watching this and the bad ones are salivating at this idea of $150 application fees, plus jacked up booth rates. If it works for this show, they WILL try it at theirs.
7802678
Reposted by Lisa Will
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 29/08/2026
New footage exclusively obtained by The New York Times showed the aftermath of the moment a giant glacier broke away from the top of a ridge in the Himalayas, setting off a torrent of mud, snow, floodwaters and debris to the valley communities below. nyti.ms/4x0ckTw
20528248
Reposted by Lisa Will
Greg van Eekhout @gregvaneekhout.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Hey, here's Amelia.
small scruffy terrier mix on top of a sofa cushion
2362
Reposted by Lisa Will
Fansplaining @fansplaining.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
On July 8th, we published a piece on AI in Heated Rivalry fic fandom. On July 30th, the New York Times ran a piece on the same subject. We weren't surprised—because we knew a Times reporter had read our coverage. A tale of two fandom articles, part of a longstanding dynamic in the media industry:
fansplaining.com
Lessons From a Heated Media Rivalry
How we learned that the New York Times has a Fansplaining account.
5504173
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Can’t complain, all things considered.
Partially eclipsed moon above trees
070
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Can see a thin silver crescent through the clouds. 🔭
030
Reposted by Lisa Will
Riding With Robots @ridingrobots.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
From NASA: It happened again! Here's Phobos passing in front of the Sun as seen by the Perseverance rover from the surface of Mars on Aug. 12. science.nasa.gov/photojournal...
22974328
Reposted by Lisa Will
ESO @eso.org · 24/08/2026
A bubbling Betelgeuse ⭐️ 🫧 This ALMA image is one of the most detailed views yet of the surface of the iconic star Betelgeuse. The surface is uneven & lumpy, with peaks and troughs originating from giant bubbles of hot gas rising from deep within the star to its surface. 🔭 🧪 1/2
A star’s almost circular shape in various shades of orange, centred against a black background. The edge of the shape has smoothed bumps and extensions, and is a darker orange compared to most of the shape’s interior which is orange to light orange.
318855
Lisa Will @dustchick.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
The fall semester starts Monday. Am I ready? No. Did I spend the afternoon with @gregvaneekhout.bsky.social at a screening of the THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 25th anniversary release? Yes. Do I have my priorities straight? Absofuckinglutely. That movie is glorious on a large screen and good sound.
050
Reposted by Lisa Will
Greg van Eekhout @gregvaneekhout.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Just saw The Fast and the Furious 25th anniversary re-release in a big room on a big screen with good sound. Damn, I love that movie:
1143
Reposted by Lisa Will
ESO @eso.org · 19/08/2026
One for the record books 🏅 ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer has discovered the fastest known star in our galaxy. Named S301, it orbits Sagittarius A* — the supermassive #BlackHole at the centre of the #MilkyWay — reaching speeds of 25 000 kilometres per second. 🔭 🧪 1/3
Four observations from 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025 showing star S301 moving along its orbit around Sagittarius A*. A small circle below the images shows the size of Neptune’s orbit for scale. Image by ESO/GRAVITY collaboration.
311946
Reposted by Lisa Will
Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Well, shit. Sounds like Swift only has a few more months before it re-enters and is destroyed.
912826
Reposted by Lisa Will
Greg van Eekhout @gregvaneekhout.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Parents, do your teens know what it means to zone out?
311
Reposted by Lisa Will
Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 18/08/2026
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU SLAM A ROCKET INTO THE MOON New images just dropped from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing the crater formed by a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage when it hit the Moon on 5 August 2026. The new crater is 18 m across and 3 m deep.
1620162