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Prof Anna Watts

@profannawatts.bsky.social
10K followers 521 following 924 posts

Professor of Astrophysics @ Univ. of Amsterdam. Neutron stars, pulsars, dense matter, X-ray astronomy. Mom, Migrant. "Particles in stars blah blah". Does science with NICER on the International Space Station and schemes for EVEN BIGGER SPACE TELESCOPES.

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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
New office signs have appeared. We are all triangle. In room number triangle.
A metal plate with 3 dots on it, replacing the ones that had our office number on.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Do not mess with the door.
Poster on the door of a library reading room  that says Allow the door to open *fully* before moving towards it
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
And a little bit of applied physics history - the #ballycastle Marconi memorial! It's a rock pile in a carpark (why? 🤷‍♀️) but we do not let this detract from the technical achievement....
Black granite plaque inscribed "Marconi memorial.  Unveiled by John McAfee, Chairman of Ballycastle Urban District Council on 6th July 1973. To recall the historic occasion in 1898 when Marchese Marconi and his assistant George Kemp established wireless communication with Raithlin to report to Lloyds station at Torr Head on ships passing along the north coast of the island."The entire monument. The plaque is at the base of a large rock stack. Weirdly located on a car park.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Couldn't really skip this one, could I?! Astronomically excellent baked goods 🤩 #ballycastle
Shop front sign of the Ursa Minor bakery
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Own the space.
A black, grey and white kitty stretched to the max on a pale grey rug. All that he surveys is his.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Nothing better than a new notebook. Thoroughly in love with my new customized wipeable Moyu 😍
A Moyu wipeable notebook with a fetching leaf pattern cover.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Oh dear.
Two D10s, both zero...
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Gonna embrace this look for upcoming staff meetings. Courtesy of Guns N Roses, who were most outstanding at the Ziggo Dome tonight....
Graphic from the screen.  A kind of blue skull Borg Queen?
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
With the man in Bad Honnef at Galactic Frontiers 2026!
On the stairs next to a lovely pic of Einstein in a hat at Physikcentrum Bad Honnef.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
For now I'm just going to enjoy this.
Group C table with Scotland on top
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
And here receiving the PhDiploma Tube of Destiny from the Plumian Professor of Astrophysics (not bad, right?) Prof. Sera Markoff, Official Secretary to the Committee. [Photo credit: Dr Steven Rieder]
The newly minted Doctor in the Agnietenkapel receiving his bright red Diploma-containing tube from Prof. Sera Markoff.  Committee look on admiringly.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Huge congratulations to the newly-minted Dr Bas Dorsman! [Photo credit: Dr Steven Rieder]
Dr Dorsman, proud supervisors, and PhD committee in full academic robes, outside the beautiful arched gate of the Agnietenkapel of the University of Amsterdam.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Found on top of a tall bookshelf - after being missing for years - as we pack up for our institute renovation. 😍
A pink caterpillar in a fetching yellow hat.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Not interested, Mama. #caturday
A stretched out kitty with paw over face.  Max relax.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Omg Grian's Hermitcraft telescope what in the name of bejeezus is going on. [My kids have this on and I am howling at the screen]
A minecraft telescope.  Allegedly.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Being a very bad Dutch person by spending Kings Day in London... thanks to UCL Astrophysics for hosting me!
The front quad of University College London.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Spring glow. #CopperBeech 🌳☀️🍃
Looking up through the leaves of a copper beech tree glowing in the sun.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Look what was waiting for me when I got home @chanda.blacksky.app ! New books new books new books!!
Me clutching a shiny new copy of Chanda Prescod-Weinstein's new book,  The Edge of Space Time.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Hubs has however moved my ladder. So maybe I now live on the shed roof.
Picture of a step ladder in a back yard. It is clearly now substantially offset from where I am sitting on the shed roof.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Spring green roof maintenance is done! Lots of weeds to haul out this time (mostly grass and some weird spreading thing with a pondweed vibe). Maybe because I'm a bit late with it?
A beautiful green sedum shed roof with my shabby pink gardening gloves in the foreground.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Words to live by, courtesy of @apsphysics.bsky.social badge tags.
Badge tags saying " Unit leader" and "No whining"
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
So thrilled just to have shared a Zoom screen with her back in the day.
Zoom call with me AND CHRISTINA KOCH WHO IS AMAZING
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
A huge treat to get a tour of Dutch supercomputer Snellius as part of our X-PSI team hack week! A chance to salute the hard-working nodes in person. Thank you @itcooperativesurf.bsky.social !
A group of astronomers peering at a rack of compute nodes.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
X-PSI spring hack week is underway! The most important part of the hack board? Identifying the chocolate egg flavours in the hack snack tin.
Egg colours 
Purple: chocolate goop
Blue: nuts? Indeterminate 
Teal/green : crunchy white stuff ( vanilla)
Pink: strawberry 
Dark orange: white choc and caramel
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Wise words from the hoardings on the building site of the new Graz Centre for Physics
Sigh saying E = m c squared
Energy = milk times coffee squared
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Hanging out with the Big Physics Cheeses in Graz....
Plaque saying " Ihrem mitgleide in den jahren 1869-1873 und 1876-1890 Ludwig Boltzmann die philosophische fakultät der universität Graz"
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Having a lot of fun addressing the evergreen question "What is going on here??!" with the Polarimetric Insights into Extreme Magnetism @issibern.ch team....
An intrepid group of astrophysicists standing and sitting in front of the space mural at the International Space Science Institute in Bern. We are solving all of the puzzles.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
The new University of Amsterdam central library is really very pretty. I do like a good library 🤓
Central atrium of the new library.  Looks like a white tree trunk with reading platforms stretching up to a branched glass roof.  Brick buildings surround it.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
Scenes this morning at Bormio bus station as snow chains refuse to dislodge from our bus. Cheers erupt when, after 15 minutes, 4 guys finally manage to chisel it loose.
4 drivers wrestle with a large snow chain that is determined that it now lives on the rear wheel of a snazzy blue bus.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
The perils of hydrodynamics in Bormio......
A danger sign at the side of the river,  showing water pouring down the mountain. Warnings in Italian, English, French and German read "Danger - possibility of sudden flood waves also because of manoeuvres on hydraulic plants"
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Kom op @degemeenteutrecht.bsky.social ! Utrechters kunnen alles! Inclusief het redden van deze arme katten.... #CatsOfUtrecht
Page from Facebook asking Gemeente Utrecht to let the owners have access to their house to save their two cats, why have been separated from them since the explosion last week.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Anti-Dutching at 3000m in Bormio (physics was discussed, I promise! )
Me in a black hat and coat,  wearing sunglasses, with a snow covered mountain in the background.A panorama of the mountain view -blue skies, sun,  and snow covered slopes, at Bormio 3000.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Not a bad view.....#bormio
Blue sky over snow capped mountains.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
"Winter assignment" set by one of the schools for the snow days.
A beautiful snow kitty, sitting up! Real kitty is hiding indoors in the warm to preserve his tender toe beans.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Happy new year my lovely people!
Fireworks over my chimney.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
And on the day that we lose (partially, eventually fully) yet another stellar female Full Professor, the latest @lnvh.nl Monitor reminds us that our faculty continues to prop up the bottom of the table of all of the science and technical faculties in the Netherlands.
Percentages of female staff at various levels for science faculties at the Dutch universities.  UvA manages around 15% female full professors, all other universities are at 20% or above. Percentages of female staff at various levels for technical faculties at the Dutch universities.  All manage a higher percentage of female full professors than the UvA science faculty.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
I guess I am no longer working on that corner of the puzzle 🙄
My cat's butt, parked on the corner of a green jigsaw puzzle mat. There are pieces in pots that I would like to place on the mat.  His majesty disagrees.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Admiring the LOFAR 2.0 Upgrade aliens at ASTRON today!
Purple and red alien plushies who will be added to the pot when their corresponding LOFAR stations get upgraded!Green alien plushies who will be added to the pot when their corresponding LOFAR stations get upgraded!
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Great to catch up with Gordon Baym at Leiden physics this afternoon!
Gordon Baym standing by the screen in front of an audience of physicists, while his host introduces him.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Glorious sunny day in Norway at @unistavanger.bsky.social ! Heading in to talk perturbative QCD with Aleksi Kurkela (as you do...)
Me on the road with trees in the background and a glorious sunbeam!
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
Autumnal kitty. #caturday
A black and white cat sits on a brick patio under the red leaves of an acer. He is unimpressed by the rain.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
The life of the working woman through the ages part N. "It's bad enough having to work in the apothecary all day, but Jan could have at least built the damn counter straight."
Wooden panel showing a medieval apothecary.  Two nuns stand behind the counter, which had epic tilt.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
From the latest @aob.nl Onderwijsblad 🤨
A page from the latest Dutch education union AOB magazine, comparing percentages of higher education students  choosing STEM subjects in various countries. The Netherlands scores very low (21%) compared to e.g. Germany at 34%.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.
Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Autumn spider friend! Who has picked the best spot in the garden to snag whiteflies. 🕷
A lovely spider in the centre of a spectacular web in our garden.
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Kid the Youngest is testing different brownie formulations. #science #nom
A baking tray split into quarters by tinfoil walls, each filled with a different chocolate brownie mix. SCIENCE!
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
A very good read for those working in Dutch higher education!
Book cover for "Maar dat begrijp jij toch niet - over het onderschatte belang van het MBO" by Karim Amghar
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
HOW IS IT ALREADY THE AFTERNOON?
Anakin and Padme 4 panel meme.

Anakin:  "Today I will first science"
Padme:  "Before moving swiftly on to essential teaching prep"
Anakin:  **stares**
Padme:  "Swiftly = today, yes?"
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
"We draaien de onderwijsbezuinigingen van dit kabinet terug en investeren fors in onderzoek, wetenschap en innovatie."
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Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
If only the empty inbox meant that the day was done rather than everything being moved to project folders and task lists. Dude, this is when the work starts....
The nice hot air balloon picture that appears when you have emptied your Outlook inbox, which states "Finished for the day! Enjoy your empty inbox."
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