iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Noting a pivotal anniversary: it was 25 years ago today that the first Keck-Keck fringes were achieved on the summit of Mauna Kea. This event followed the first test siderostat fringes for the facility on Feb 22nd, and itself was followed by first VLTI sid-sid fringes on March 16th.

A cake celebrating first fringes with the two Keck telescopes as one optical telescope array

1130

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Pics from our first day of #WorldCon! @dougvanbelle.bsky.social and I did some panel pinch-hitting with "Finding Exoplanets and Extreme Solar Systems", and then two interviews for our "Life in a Universe Full of Exoplanets" podcast with Larry Niven and Rebecca Demarest

182

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

I mean, it's highly likely, particularly the "almost no humans act like this" part

180

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Caught interstellar comet C/2025-N1 (ATLAS) with the 20" Titan Monitor at Lowell Observatory a couple of nights ago

0222

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

No cheating. Post the last photo of your pet.

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

There are elements of this timeline that are at least amusing

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Goose (short for Giuseppe Piazzi, discoverer of the first four asteroids) is tired and dirty after the dog park this AM

110

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

I'm sorry, but "we're endorsing a paper tiger in four years like A Chinese New Year balloon animal" doesn't quite hit like you think it does And it certainly doesn't hit like a billion kg of #2024YR4 going 17km/s

000

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Kraus starts off with the unholy duopoly of multiplicity : Offner+ 2022 and Raghavan+ 2010 #KTS2

010

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

The closet was fine. You even get robes for lounging around in the dark in the stuffy air!

110

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Here's a standard floor layout with room numbers, if you like to request being away from the elevators or ice makers

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

And now here is the show stopper: the air quality in the rooms is *terrible*. No ventilation - and none possible! In my room at least, the windows appear to be painted shut, and the various settings on the thermostat appeared to be for cosmetic purposes only. Remember to get out for fresh air.

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

How do we know this is the conference hotel for Know Thy Star? Because there's NO COFFEE!

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

A small fridge is included with the rooms. Mine appears to work.

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

There is wired internet in the rooms. So if you bring a cable and ... psych! It's not connected to anything. Blarrrgh.

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Wifi: Not gonna win any awards, but it does work. But wait ...!

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

The shower: truly a highlight of the room. It's like standing underneath Victoria Falls during monsoon season. It delivers enough output to float the Titanic, and then send it to a watery grave.

100

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

The bathroom layout is a little odd - I like the openness, and not sure what the doubles are like, but if they're like this and you're sharing, I hope you know that person well!

110

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Intermission during Dave Charbonneau's talk at #AAS245

140

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

I think she's trying to either get in the way of my packing and keep me here, or stowaway in my suitcase

030

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Since it's the solstice, a reminder that (a) "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie, and (b) it's SO much of a Christmas movie, it's a remake of "It's a Wonderful Life"

A comparison of 'Die Hard' and 'Its a Wonderful Life'

041

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

the JPL Big Board is awesome - I remember when I started there in 1996 and it was filled, movie theater marquee-style, with all of the active JPL missions

130

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

NASA's new Mars rover, "Vengeance", has a mean streak a mile wide

030

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Had such a lovely time introducing Diana Gabaldon for a talk at the opening of Lowell Observatory's new Astronomy Discovery Center last weekend

010

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

After many Ath meals and post-its on whiteboards, another Caltech KISS study team in the books. Expect a report out on "Astronomical Optical Interferometry from the Lunar Surface" sooner rather than later! kiss.caltech.edu/workshops/lu...

031

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Harriet coaching the three leads of the "Astronomical Optical Interferometry from the Lunar Surface“ KISS workshop kiss.caltech.edu/workshops/lu...

030

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Altair is such a goofball - or goofoblatespheriod

030

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Hey astro students! Applying for grad school or your next REU and requesting letters? Sharing a Google Sheet can be SUPER helpful for us letter writers - hyperlinks a definite bonus :)

Spreadsheet image, tracking submission letters

031

Dr. Gerard van Belle @fringedoctor.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Taking in the roof-top observing deck at the new Astronomy Discovery Center at Lowell Obs

020