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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I'm heading back to Leiden tomorrow but before that I took a nostalgic walk around Toronto.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I've been having a great month with my father in Oshawa reading thirteenth century history and learned a tremendous amount. I have all the bits I need for a novel. And ended up with a strong dislike for Salimbene di Adam. What a pompous gossip he was. I plowed through his chronicle for a few gems.

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Chara @astrochara.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Today's arXiv day went almost 6 hours past UTC midnight. I predicted it's going to be a monster. I was right. - Possible mechanism for variable He escape from LHS 1140 b - 2-ary eclipse+phase curve for TOI-2431 b - NEID Earth Twin Survey part 6 - TOI-125 trans. spec - TOI-210 b discovery

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A new Gaia subset with many accurate parameters crossmatched with 14 other surveys. There doesn't appear to be a top down map but very pretty HR and Kiel diagrams. arxiv.org/abs/2609.28652

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Despite the rumors, the new Meta VR glasses are not just for watching movies. They support the complete Quest gaming library (especially if you have or buy the optional controllers). We are living in the most exciting new tech era since I bought my first microcomputer in the 1970s. Saving my euros.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

In this famous clip, Humphrey Appleby explains why the UK really wants to be in the EU (and implicitly why Brexit was a disaster for British foreign policy). youtu.be/ZVYqB0uTKlE?...

youtu.be

Why the UK is in the EU

YouTube video by André Cunha

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Reading a fascinating translation of a medieval document, SVMMA CONTRA HERETICOS, believed to be written by the Dominican inquisitor Peter of Verona. Peter imagines himself in a life or death debate with a Patarene opponent and there's a section where the Patarene criticizes the Inquisition itself.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I often feel sad when I see Star Trek maps like this with so little detail, non-existent objects and imaginary names. And of course missing well known clusters like the Hyades. Now that we have incredibly detailed real maps of the local galaxy I wish Star Trek would show more interest in them.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I find this whole discussion weird because there is no EU associate membership and I am not sure there ever will be. What would it even mean? www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.com

Mark Carney calls for ‘deep cooperation’ between Canada and EU in Strasbourg address

Polling shows overwhelming majority of Canadians support closer ties with Europe, says prime minister

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Britt Lundgren @brittlundgren.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I'm so completely out of practice at receiving good news.. but I think this is.. good?!?

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I find it funny that a silly costume used in an episode of I Love Lucy was later recycled as a Star Trek monster by adding a horn.

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The Orion @gettheorion.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Hail To The Queen. 🖖🏻💚

illustration of actress Lucille Ball dressed in a Captain's uniform from Star Trek The Original Series. The background is a colorful nebula. The blue of the nebula is reflected in her eyes. At the top left is the number 60 representing Star Trek's 60th anniversary.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Sky in Oshawa, Ontario tonight.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I am staying with my family in Oshawa and amongst the prosaic suburban landscape I see occasional references to more exotic literature in street names: Camelot, Beatrice and Eulalie. I can't decide whether the names are a coincidence or from a bored city planner with a sense of humour.

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Sixty years ago today, the starship Enterprise launched and with it, a vision of the future where humanity had moved beyond its divisions. I was there at the beginning, and I can tell you...

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

As a Canadian, I celebrated the 60th anniversary two days ago, but for my favorite sci-fi franchise, I don't mind celebrating twice!

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Knut Morå @knut.dundasmora.no · 08/09/2026

It turns out that by some curious accident I'm the only one in the office that owns map projection trading cards!?

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

There have long been theories that rafts like this transported rodents and monkeys between Africa and South America. Great to hear that they are still being formed. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.com

Peekaboo island: the floating forest confounding nature watchers in western Canada

A 150-metre-long island appeared from nowhere on Williston Lake, British Columbia; vanished, then reappeared 20 miles away

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

New paper out on red clump stars. Interesting to see the prominent stellar streams caused by the small and large Magellanic Clouds at the lower right. arxiv.org/abs/2608.28522

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I love original sources and today I came across a motherlode - translations of sermons by Innocent III, perhaps the most famous medieval pope. In one he warned a gathering of clerics that "to whom more is entrusted, from whom more is demanded". It sounds familiar somehow. I wonder why.

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Britt Lundgren @brittlundgren.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The Roman Space Telescope was canceled five times in presidents' budget requests - twice during the Obama era and three times in the first Trump administration. Each time, Congress elected to save the mission.

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Eamonn Kerins @eamonnkerins.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

It's not a great feeling to see 15 years of work (and many more years of work by Goddard engineers) sitting on top of a great big bomb. But it feels utterly amazing to see it break free from the bonds of Earth and head off to its permanent home. #RomanLaunch 🚀🔭🧪 (picture credit: Kate Kerins)

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Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The Roman Space Telescope is complementary to ESA's Euclid mission, which was launched in 2023. Euclid has twice as many pixels in its camera and will cover a broader area of sky, but Roman's bigger mirror will let it see fainter galaxies.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The Roman space telescope is on its way to Lagrange Point 2 (joining the Webb space telescope). Looking forward to its first light images.

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Jasmine 🌌🔭 @astrojaz.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

way more people should be excited about roman… hubble-level sharpness but 100x the field of view, billions of galaxies, thousands of exoplanets, dark matter + dark energy!!!! this telescope could usher in a whole new era of astronomy and it launches TOMORROW???

A poster of the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope.

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Jen Willis ✨☄️🌒🎃 @jenwillis.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I've just seen this stunning photo of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope being prepared for launch, and I swear it looks just like an angel. flic.kr/p/2sx7SVx

KSC-20260821-PH-SER01_0002
Teams inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida encapsulate the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope within the payload fairing on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, ahead of mating to a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Encapsulation shields the spacecraft during rollout, ascent, and the early phases of flight. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy is targeted for no earlier than Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. Photo credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde (Rocz)

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

How will the Netherlands solve the problem of the VVD? The once fairly moderate party now aligns only with far right policies and is threatening to destroy any attempt to achieve a political consensus. nltimes.nl/2026/08/27/d...

nltimes.nl

D66, CDA want a deal with Pro to pass budget; VVD rejects left path

The Dutch minority Cabinet is split over how to lock in parliamentary support for the coming budget. D66 and CDA want a political deal that gives the left-wing opposition party Pro a larger role. The ...

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Interesting new map of the major star formation regions in the solar neighborhood. From: arxiv.org/abs/2608.21028

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Taking a break from astronomy for the next month and going to my other favorite topic - 13th century history. Currently reading Henry C. Lea's "A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages" - one of those great historical mountain peaks that I've wanted to climb for many years.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I've often been bemused by the concept of a "general audience". What is that exactly? In any case that is surely not the group I am trying to reach. But if you think you are trying to reach such an audience, then perhaps this course might be a good option for you.

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Catherine Ryan Hyde @catherineryanhyde.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

This is the globular cluster M15 in the constellation Pegasus. I was only able to get a little over an hour before the fog came in. I would definitely work on this more if I could get another clear night, but it remains to be seen whether I will. #Astronomy #Astrophotography

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Manuel Huss @manuelhuss.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

'A bridge across the Soul' - A new attempt at the Soul Nebula (IC 1848), featuring the central bridge area, as the whole thing doesn’t fit on my sensor. Total exposure time of 30 hours over 5 nights. Gear: TS CF-Apo 130/910mm, ASI2600mm Pro camera & halpha/OIII/SII nb filters. #astrophotography

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Michael Merrifield @astromikemerri.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

A nice night to go after one of the lesser-known beautiful objects in the sky, Sh2-112, which also has interesting astrophysical story to tell. The name is because this is object 112 in Stewart Sharpless’ (2nd) 1959 catalogue of extended Galactic objects that emit H-alpha. 1/6 🔭🧪

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Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Thor's Helmet - NGC 2359 - From Rolf Wahl Olsen - flic.kr/p/dMQknj

This delicate emission nebula is located in the constellation of Canis Major at a distance of about 15,000 light years. The nebula is illuminated by a central star in its last stage of life. This is a massive so called Wolf-Rayet star which is shedding its outer layers of gas at an extremely high rate due to intense radiation pressure. Wolf-Rayet stars are thought to represent a brief stage of evolution near the end of life for giant super massive stars - the last unstable phase before the star explodes as a brilliant supernova.

In the case of Thor's Helmet a large expanding bubble has formed around the bright central star. Interaction with giant molecular clouds in the area have contributed to the overall intricate shape of the nebula and large bow shock structures radiate out from the bubble in several directions. The nebula is some 30 light years in diameter and the strong blue-green colour is due to OIII emission near the star.

This entire spectacle lies embedded in a dense star field consisting of thousands of coloured jewels each casting their own contrasting light onto this dramatic interstellar scenery.

Image details:
Date: 8th, 14th, 19th December 2012 and 5th, 6th, 9th January 2013
Exposure: LRGB: 530:44:33:33m, total 10hrs 40mins @ -28C
Telescope: 10" Serrurier Truss Newtonian f/5
Camera: QSI 683wsg with Lodestar guider
Filters: Astrodon LRGB E-Series Gen 2
Taken from my observatory in Auckland, New Zealand

Click here to view a closer crop of the ne...

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Had an unusual tour today of Fort Rhijnauwen near Utrecht. Built in the 19th century, this huge fortress was abandoned decades ago and is now maintained as a habitat for about 500 bats. We followed the guide through long pitch dark corridors and he identified sleepy bats with his flashlight.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Please share your favorite space map images. I'd love to be inspired. #astronomy #cartography

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ESO @eso.org · 13/08/2026

A cosmic rose with many names 🌹 Officially known as Messier 17, this nebula has many nicknames: the Omega Nebula, the Swan Nebula, the Checkmark Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, and the Lobster Nebula. But what causes its red and pink shades? 🤔 🔭 1/2

A nebula glowing in shades of pink against a packed star field. Wisps of gas form cloud-like structures that stretch across the image. Dark lanes of dust carve through the glowing nebula.

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Galaxy Map @galaxymap.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Later 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.dev

Atlas of the Milky Way Kickstarter profile

Explore the Milky Way with Kevin Jardine's detailed cartography.

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