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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I am excited to announce that 4 new papers concerning the astrometric measurements of WDS catalog pairs have been published at the Journal of Double Star Observations. doublestarsjournal.org/index.php/jd... Congratulations to my students achieving their first published papers!

Measurements of the separation (ρ) and position angle (θ) of WDS 19246+4447.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Fantastic weekend at Great Basin National Park . I provided tours of the telescope and ops area. 12 groups, 180 visitors, and a lecture on Saturday for 22 visitors. Ran ops each night and collected exoplanet data. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Northern California collection, gathered over the summer. #moss

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

We had a fantastic year at Great Basin Observatory. 2025 Stats Binary Stars Research Papers: 22 Exoplanet Studies: 42 Asteroid Studies: 58 Checkout the 2025 student research papers at: science.greatbasinobservatory.org/pre-print-su...

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Last week I was out at the observatory upgrading our imaging system. We installed an ASI 6200mm and modified the filter wheel. We now have BVR and GRIZ filters so I took this shot of the Cocoon nebula with the Sloan filters for fun! #astronomy 🔭 We'll get back to exoplanet work soon...

Cocoon nebula shot with GRI sloan filters. Just upgraded the GBO scope with a asi 6200 camera. Test shot.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Just back from a 5 night speckle observation run at Mt. Wilson. We used the Hale 60" telescope for our data collection, but did get a chance to visit the 100" Hooker telescope. If you're interested in attending our next speckle run, please let me know. I will be leading the event. #astronomy 🔭

100" Hooker telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatories

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

I am pleased to report that one of my Binary Star Class students had her paper published last week. In all 11 students submitted their work from the class to JDSO. Astrometric Observations of WDS 12084+1403 Using the Great Basin Observatory #astronomy 🔭 doublestarsjournal.org/index.php/jd...

doublestarsjournal.org

Astrometric Observations of WDS 12084+1403 Using the Great Basin Observatory | Journal of Double Star Observations

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Sunrise at Great Basin Observatory June 28 2025. At my happy place at 7000 feet. Here comes the sun! #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Just started data gathering on T CrB and later tonight a special project from 1-4AM on MG1-1995959. We're back in the light at GBO. science.greatbasinobservatory.org #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

The world is, the world is Love and life are deep Maybe as his eyes are wide...

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Pinwheel Galaxy Askar V - ASI 533 MMC - 300 one minute images processed with APP. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

M13 Globular Cluster Tis the season... Sloan G - 30 seconds - Edge HD 9.25 - ASI 533mm #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Wrapped up AIJ processing and data submission last night for HAT P 68b. The GBO team bags another exoplanet transit. Data submitted to AAVSO see observer codes HJEB / GJEI for details. Ad Astra! #astronomy 🔭

Astro Image J graph of HAT P 68b planetary transit of its star.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Snowed this morning at Great Basin Observatory. Glad I canceled last nights observations. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Had a good night on T CrB. Still kinda quiet averaging 9.3 magnitude in SR over 2 hour series last night. Shot taken at Great Basin Observatory. Data submitted to AAVSO see observer code HJEB for details. Ad Astra! #astronomy 🔭

CCD Image of T CrB Nova Star Var, Check, and Comp stars circled...

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

HAT P - 68b detection, a light curve image showing reference star measurements and the target star curve dipping as a planet moves in front of it. What pleases me most is that this was taken last night at GBO as the moon rose and transited. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Hot off the press. Binary star pair AG 312. Position Angle 295.21 degrees, separation of 45.25 arc seconds tonight. First measured in 1903 at 293/48.6" Hmm... Are they dancing or is it common proper motion? I guess we wait a few hundred more years to find out... #astronomy 🔭

The binary star pair AG 312. 05028+5203 AG 312 (HD 233054) This is an image of a measurement taken in Astro Image J on January 17th, 2025 by Jerry Hilburn at Great Basin Observatory.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Back to work at GBO tonight. Targeting 8 Binary stars, 1 Exoplanet, and picking up T Crb at 2:30am till dawn. All Sloan, All Night. This is my happy place.... #astronomy 🔭 #CDK-700

Control Screen at GBO on Friday evening Jan 17th 2025...

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Fair winds and following seas, may forever you feel, upon your cheek, the salty breeze. Your spirit lives on in many a heart, your words captured, and never to depart. A fellow submariner, brother of the phin, a good man who cared for all of us. Ad Astra Jimmy!

Carter was initially stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, where he served on the USS Pomfret and the USS K-1. In 1948, he was assigned to the USS Alabama, where he worked as an electronics officer. Carter was responsible for maintaining the ship's sonar and radar systems, which played a critical role in the ship's defense.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 25/12/2024

Wishing my fellow astronomers clear skies tonight. Ad Astra! #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

Checkout this fascinating paper on Wolf Rayett binaries. This is a "must read" by Ryan M.T. White, and Peter Tuthill. Two of the Bluesky humans that makes this place so damn cool! Saving this one for coffee in the morning. #astronomy 🔭 The reference section of this paper is amazing!

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Solstice is happening, shortest day of the year is upon us. As an astronomer I am sad that I will be losing the night, bit by bit as we move into summer. I did take advantage of the dark last night and gathered data on HD5501, AH Leonis and AD Leonis. #astronomy 🔭

AD Leonis (Gliese 388) is a red dwarf star. It is located relatively near the Sun, at a distance of 16.2 light-years (5.0 parsecs), in the constellation Leo. AD Leonis is a main sequence star with a spectral classification of M3.5V. It is a flare star that undergoes random increases in luminosity.

Image taken at Great Basin Observatory 12-21-2024 at 1:20 AM PST

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

HD 5501 is an eclipsing binary in Leo. The data in the chart shows the change in magnitude over two nights. This binary has a period of 7.53 days with a primary eclipse of 0.45 magnitude. Data collected at Great Basin Observatory. #astronomy 🔭

HD 5501 (= BD+59 154 = BSD 8-397) is a 9th magnitude star in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It has recently been discovered to be an eclipsing binary with a period of 7.53 days with a primary eclipse of 0.45 magnitude and a secondary of 0.3 magnitude. The system is constantly varying suggesting an ellipsoidal variable with the stars in or near contact, perhaps with one or both Roche lobes filled.

https://www.astro-richweb.net/astro/star_HD_5501.htm#HD_5501

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

I love astronomy because it leads you to so many other areas of science. DAWN visited Ceres years ago, and its data is still being studied. Here is a fascinating study about organics on its surface. Now I have to learn what Aliphatic Organics are all about!! #astronomy 🔭

astrobiology.com

Recent Replenishment Of Aliphatic Organics On Ceres From A Large Subsurface Reservoir - Astrobiology

Ceres hosts notable aliphatic-organic concentrations, ranging from approximately 5 to >30 weight % in specific surface areas.

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Reposted by Epsori

Daniel Pomarède @pomarede.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

A map of the structure surrounding the Local Void In this map our Milky Way galaxy lies at the origin of the red-green-blue orientation arrows, each 200 million lightyears in length. ☑️ this is Fig.1 of ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019ApJ.... 🧪 ☑️ more insights by APOD: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap19080... 🔭

a cosmographic map featuring the cosmological large scale structure in our local cosmic neighborhood. The density field is displayed as semi-transparent isosurfaces, colored grey for the the lower isocontour value, and colored in nuances of red for five higher levels. The resulting structure is filamentary, with high-density knots at the filaments' crossing, an architecture typical of the Cosmic Web. Three colored arrows materialize the cardinal axes of the Supergalactic Coordiante System, centered at our location. Several important actors of our local cosmography are named: Milky Way, Virgo, Arrowhead, Great Attractor, Perseus-Pisces, Coma, Arch, Hercules. The name of the astronomer leading the study is inprinted in the lower right corner of the figure, reading R. Brent Tully. All these elements are drawn against a white background.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Nautical Twilight at Great Basin Observatory. First night in several weeks with everything working and clear skies. Tonight we focus on two flare stars, MG-1995959 and later this evening AE Leonis until morning. #astronomy 🔭 Ad Astra!

All Sky 360 Nautical Twilight Image at Great Basin Observatory. First night in several weeks with everything working and clear skies. Tonight we focus on two flare stars, MG-1995959 and later this evening AE Leonis until morning.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

First light with the Whoopshel Spectrometer at GBO. This is the spectrum of the star Vega. We will use this tool to detect the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres. Imagine detecting chemical signatures of life in a faraway planet! #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

A big part of running an observatory is filling time between partner requests with observations of interest for later analysis. So time to analyze rise and set times for mag 10+ flare stars. V1005 Orionis - I'm Looking at you! #astronomy 🔭 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V1005_O...

V1005 Orionis is a young flare star in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It has the identifier GJ 182 in the Gliese–Jahreiß catalogue; V1005 Ori is its variable star designation. This star is too faint to be visible to the naked eye, having a mean apparent visual magnitude of 10.1. It is located at a distance of 79.6 light years from the Sun and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 19.2 km/s. The star is a possible member of the IC 2391 supercluster.

Flare activity was first reported for this star by N. I. Shakhovskaya in 1974. B. W. Bopp found anomalously strong lithium lines in the spectrum of GJ 182, a rarity for stars of this class and a possible indicator of a very young star. Together with F. Espenak, in 1977 Bopp demonstrated the star showed periodic variations similar to BY Draconis. In 1984, Byrne and associates found a preliminary rotation period of 4.55 days and showed the star had a normal flare rate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V1005_Orionis

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Asteroid - 2001 BD 57 is a member of the Main Belt belt which is located between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. At the time I captured it in August its magnitude was 17.5 and was fully illuminated Captured at Great Basin Observatory with a CDK 700. Processed in Astroimage J. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Asteroid 1998 QS52 - 1998 QS52 is a member of the Apollo group which are Earth-crossing asteroids. At the time I captured it in October its magnitude was 18.5 Captured at Great Basin Observatory with a CDK 700. Processed in Astroimage J. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Silent stone glides close, Earth's shadow brushes its path— Cosmic dance unfolds. Finally a clear night, albeit a bright one. Seeing is poor, so it's a great night to hunt rocks. First up to the plate tonight is 2024 UY3 Orbit View: ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_l... #astronomy 🔭

Great Basin Observatory goes live to hunt asteroids...

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Reposted by Epsori

Jennifer Johnson @jajohnson.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Updated periodic table with origin of elements in the Solar System (for boron and lithium at least)

periodic table of the elements color-coded by origin in the solar system. Learning more at this conference about how much of orange should be turned green

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Fall nears its end in my area when the last rose of the season fully blooms in my garden. 🌱

The last yellow rose blooms in my 🌱. Fall officially ends at my house.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Found this online and I wish I knew enough mathematics to understand all of these equations. Of course I don't, so I have decided to dedicate 2025 to researching this list. I may never grok them all, but at least I will learn about the people who created them. Wish me luck! #science #math

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

At the center of this image lies WDS 01052+6105 STI, a suspected double star pair that will be measured by a student in class tomorrow. First measured in 1901 PA=152 and SEP = 11.2 it was last observed in 2015. There are more than 20 double star pairs in this image. #astronomy 🔭 #astrometry

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Reposted by Epsori

Dr. William O. Balmer @balmer.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

expect the expected! new paper from our team on the arxiv today: our observations of the directly imaged planet AF Lep b with optical interferometry. we revise the planet's orbit and composition; both indicate unbothered formation within a disk via core accretion. arxiv.org/abs/2411.05917

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

On October 10th the northern lights reached my latitude just north of Sacramento. I have a small backyard observatory where I run an all sky camera. This video shows a reddish high atmospheric glow, and then strong fire like aurora activity over the open roof facing North. #astronomy #aurora 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 11/11/2024

The Flame Nebula. Part of the Orion nebula, the dark clouds are baryonic material blocking gas reflected light of Alnitak. This is a proto-planetary region 1000 ly distant. In my next life I will visit the flame and explore its worlds. GRI Sloan filters - 2600mm - F10 Ad Astra! #astronomy 🔭

Part of the Orion nebula, the dark clouds are baryonic material blocking the reflected light of Alnitak. This is a proto planetary region 1000 ly distant.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 10/11/2024

M77 15 minutes in RGB from a CDK700 and STX-16803. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 10/11/2024

If you make sure you're connected The writing's on the wall But if your mind's neglected Stumble you might fall -Stereo MC @bot.astronomy.blue signup

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

This was taken last night from 2460623.75846 to 2460623.85116 Processed with ASTAP. 60 - 120 second images, 2x2 binned, V filter, 4565mm Fl, F6.5 Are these fluctuations typical? #LMXB #EVLAC #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

Are you interested in working with a great team? Would you like to learn how to process light curves, perform differential photometry, measure the orbits of binary stars, track asteroids, or gather spectral data with a Whoppshel? Volunteers needed for deep space work. Let's connect. #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 25/09/2023

Osiris Rex sample return has landed. The black pebbles and dirt collected on Bennu, are older than Earth, and are undisturbed remnants of the solar system's early days of planet formation. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSIRIS-...

The sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range.

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 15/09/2023

WOW. JWST just keeps raising the bar! This high resolution, near-infrared look at Herbig-Haro 211 reveals exquisite detail of the outflow of a young star, an infantile analogue of our sun. (Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, Tom Ray (Dublin)) webb.nasa.gov #astronomy 🔭

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s high resolution, near-infrared look at Herbig-Haro 211 reveals exquisite detail of the outflow of a young star, an infantile analogue of our sun. (Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, Tom Ray (Dublin))

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

IC 5146 - Cocoon Nebula - Shot last night capturing 2 hours of photons in LRGB using a 600mm Askar V. Located in Cygnus 4000ly away, and is 15ly wide. This is a star forming region with some stars 14 times the size of our sun. Ad Astra! #astronomy 🔭

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 11/09/2023

I woke at 4am, drove to an open area, and tried to shoot this comet last week. Sadly, it was a no go. But others did achieve this goal! A breathtaking image of the increasingly popular comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura). By © Gerald Rhemann

A breathtaking image of the increasingly popular comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura). By © Gerald Rhemann

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Epsori @epsori.bsky.social · 11/09/2023

NGC 6914 - Shot last night so not enough data just yet, might be a bit over processed but it shows promise with a few more hours of data gathering. Next 4 nights are clear here, so going to go deep on this one. #astronomy 🔭

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