iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A newspaper notice for the "Devil's Comet" in late 1883 (12P/Pons-Brooks), rediscovered from 1812, highlights that even from relatively sleepy Port Tobacco, Maryland, relatively advanced details such as proper star names, magnitudes, and hours of right ascension. #astronomy #history #comet 🔭✨☄️

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Mourning Cassandra Wilson, who died at 70. I was introduced to her incredible vocals through the "Blood on the Fields" album. She will be missed. 💙🎤🎶 #jazz #RIP

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

(2/2): ... which turns around one spot, watching Orion, and alone does not dip in the Ocean-stream. For Calypso, the heavenly goddess, bade him to cross the sea with the Bear upon his left ; so seventeen days he sailed across the sea. (Emily Wilson uses “plough” vs "Wagon") #astronomy #odyssey

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

(1/2): My favorite part of the poem Odyssey: Joyfully to the breeze royal Odysseus spread his sail , and with his rudder skillfully he steered from where he sat. No sleep fell on his eyelids as he gazed upon the Pleiads, on Boötes which sets late, and on the Bear which men call Wagon too, #astronomy

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

On this Juneteenth, check out the June issue of Sky & Telescope for my article, 'Freedom's Beacon,' on the astronomy of the Underground Railroad. There are misconceptions about how this network operated, and the night sky played a pivotal role in freedom's movement. #Juneteenth #astronomy #history

nxtbook.com

Sky & Telescope - June 2026

Experience our interactive, profoundly engaging digital publication!

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

#OTD in 1863, Harriet Tubman, aboard the USS John Adams, presided over the successful #Combahee River Raid, liberating 756 enslaved people. The Moon played a role as well; read about it in my article Freedom's Beacon in the June issue of Sky & Telescope. #history #freedom #skystorians #astronomy

July 4, 1863 Harper's Weekly lithograph of enslaved people rushing to boat on Combahee River following the successful rescue mission involving Harriet Tubman.

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Reposted by Joe Barry

Andrew Fraknoi @fraknoi.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

With Spielberg’s film Disclosure Day coming, there'll be lots of UFO questions. I put together a new guide to resources on what skeptics know about UFO claims & cases, including Roswell & recent military photos, at: bit.ly/ufoskeptic #astroed #UFO #UAP #skeptics #astronomy #scienceeducation #UFOs

Anything can be a UFO if you're bad enough at identifying stuff in the sky. New skeptical guide at http://bit.ly/ufoskeptic by astronomer Andrew Fraknoi.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

I've created a list of Ford's Theatre attendees on the night Lincoln was assassinated: joebarryauthor.com/fords-theatre. It's been awesome hearing from descendants, including John Finnegan of the 98th NY Volunteer Infantry. Would you mess with him? Not me. #history #skystorians #civilwar 💙📚✍🏻

Private John Finnegan, 98th New York Volunteer Infantry. Witnessed Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theatre.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Thanks Govert; I enjoyed your recent article on "Compound Eyes" in the current issue!

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I'm writing a book about the guy who chased Booth: Joseph B. Stewart, who was the "Forrest Gump" of the American 19th century. Spoiler alert: he spun a tale and the outside chase wasn't as close as illustrations depicted.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Elated to have my article on the #astronomy of the Underground Railroad appear in the June issue of @skyandtelescope.bsky.social! There are some misconceptions on how the network operated, and astronomy played a key role in freedom's movement. Look for it next month. #history #skystorians #freedom

Freedom's Beacon article by Joe Barry in June 2026 issue of Sky & Telescope Magazine.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

It was clouded out from Tampa, so I "watched" it on SkySafari animation! : )

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

#OTD Lincoln's assassin was finally captured and killed after 12 days on the run. If you're into this part of American history, check out my list of Ford's Theatre eyewitnesses here: joebarryauthor.com/fords-theatre Contributions welcome! #history #skystorians

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Was Regulus occultation visible from your location?

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

An awesome time with @assassinationtours.bsky.social this weekend! If you're interested in this key moment in our history, book now for the fall tours!

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Absolutely fantastic time yesterday on the Lincoln Assassination Tours bus ride! Met a bunch of awesome people, authors, content creators, including the host, Dave Taylor, and Micheal Kauffman of American Brutus. Highly recommend anyone interested in this event attend! #history #skystorians #Lincoln

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Today is the anniversary of the Lincoln assassination. Contrary to popular belief, the audience didn't just sit down in response. In fact, prominent lawyer Joseph B. Stewart chased after Booth. Learn more about my book on him here: www.joebarryauthor.com #history #authors #booksky #skystorians 💙📚✍🏻

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Reposted by Joe Barry

Dave Taylor @linconspirators.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

I hear tell that Expedition Files on Discovery will be rehashing the “Booth” mummy story tonight. I don’t have cable so I won’t be watching. But for the sake of anyone who watches it and starts wondering if John Wilkes Booth might have escaped justice in 1865, the answer is a resounding no. He dead.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I enjoy your writing on S&T!

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

It's been a bad week for a lot of people, but also a bad week for Flat Earthers and Moon Landing Truthers. #science #astronomy #conspiracy

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

There is a view, correct in its own right, about the Earth being a pale blue dot, insignificant compared to the trillions of other planets and stars in the galaxy and beyond. But we are not insignificant. As astronaut Victor Glover notes, we are an oasis in a desert, among so many lifeless worlds.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

I find it hard to believe only 86% of Independents (who I belong to) want to release the files. Something is amiss in the polling.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

"Build a bridge; that's where the courage is." - Flea, 'Honora' #music #peace

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Fearing job losses to automation is nothing new. This cartoon is from the Nov. 30, 1963 Morning Pioneer (Mandan, North Dakota). #ai #jobs #automation

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

In 2011, I ate dinner in Nairobi with friends and a waitress asked if we wanted to sign up for local discounts. I said “sure.” Ever since, I have received occasional spam for “opportunities” in Kenya and Uganda. It’s the one piece of spam that makes me smile and think about a wonderful trip.

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Reposted by Joe Barry

Steve Desch @deschscoveries.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Sorry it took me so long to grade your August 20 assignment, Avi Loeb. Are you sure you're ready for a class on comets? You might need to learn about things like bow shocks and chemistry.

Avi Loeb posted these notes on comet 3I/ATLAS on August 20, but they are full of mistakes. I correct them and provide notes on how comets actually work.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

It just takes one agent to say yes. But, even after that, it could take a while for them to actively advocate for it. We shall see.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

If I had a big social media following, I'd be more inclined to do so. The process of building a large following is a bit nauseating at the moment. Who knows: maybe I'll get there.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

The agent suggested I pursue a university press. That's a solid option, but I've only recently begun my pursuit of a Big Five publisher.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Still waiting for a silly explanation from a certain Harvard astronomer on why ethanol from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is somehow explained by nefarious aliens. #psuedoscience #nonsense 👽🛸

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

That's a great field with the bright stars as well; I'll have to put that on my observing list!

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Ava Polzin @avapolzin.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Happy International Women's Day! Perfect time for me to (re)share our white paper on increasing the retention of women in professional astrophysics (really full of suggestions that broaden participation in academic science in general). arxiv.org/abs/2512.24465 🧪🔭☄️👩‍🔬

Cover of "Picture an Astronomer: Best Practices for Retaining Talent in Astrophysics", which features an illustration of a 19-year-old Vera Rubin looking through a telescope over a backdrop of a first light image of spiral galaxies from the Rubin Observatory.

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Have you ever looked up and dedicated a star to somebody? I wrote this piece in honor of my stepmother, Donna, who passed away on this day 18 years ago: joebarryauthor.com/s/A-Star-for... #astronomy #stars

Bright red giant star Betelgeuse, Alpha Orionis

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Did you see the lunar eclipse this morning? Eclipses happen every year somewhere on Earth, and are therefore not reported as rare. "Planetary alignments" are not rare either, so why are they reported as such? Read on ... #astronomy #astrology #science #planets

joebarryauthor.substack.com

“Rare” Planetary Alignments

Astronomical Clickbait?

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

My latest piece on the media phenomenon of the "planetary parade." How rare are they, really? A quick read. #astronomy #media #clickbait #planets

open.substack.com

“Rare” Planetary Alignments

Astronomical Clickbait?

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

I had the pleasure of seeing Dr. Diana Hannikainen, Editor in Chief of @skyandtelescope.bsky.social at the Winter Star Party. She gave an excellent talk of her journey as a scientist and editor, and I was happy to show her several objects through my telescope later that evening. #astronomy

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

The Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys last week was a great time. Every night was clear, the talks were interesting, and the people friendly! Highly recommended! ✨ 🔭 🌴 💙 #astronomy #telescope #astrophotography #floridakeys

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Great time first three days at Winter Star Party in Florida Keys! #astronomy #FloridaKeys #telescope

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Joe Barry @joebarry.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

One of my favorites as well!

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