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Sera Markoff

@profsera.bsky.social
6.6K followers 2K following 524 posts

Plumian Prof in Astro @U Cambridge & Prof Astro-/Particle Physics @U Amsterdam. All things black hole, member: Event Horizon Telescope, Africa Millimeter Telescope, CTAO. Space, sci-fi, cats, music, valve amps, other unabashed geekery. www.seramarkoff.com

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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
It's been a hard week, losing a good friend and 🔭 colleague. If you knew Ralph and want to read my loooong tribute I've posted it publicly on my (hardly used) Facebook page. www.astronomie.nl/nieuws/en/in...
astronomie.nl
In memoriam Ralph Wijers, astrophysicist (1964–2026)
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Cat has turned into a triffid ahead of #caturday
Photo of a super floofy orange cat on a light green sofa, caught cleaning herself so her tail is wrapped up around her in a way that she looks completely round.
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Robert Heinze @rheinze.myatproto.social · 02/06/2026
lolsob
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ESO @eso.org · 02/06/2026
Using our VLT and the Gemini North telescope, astronomers have measured the strength of #exoplanets ’ magnetic fields for the first time. These fields turned out to be comparable to those found in our Solar System. More: www.eso.org/public/news/eso2606 🔭 🧪 #exoplanets
An illustration of a planet orbiting a star. The star is a huge yellow sphere with a hot “bubbling” surface. The planet is a gas giant, completely covered with clouds that are smeared due to the planet’s fast winds. The planet is surrounded by a magnetic shield of sorts, depicted with blue lines curving away from the star
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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
So, Director of National Intelligence is apparently a part-time job with no previous experience required. Got it.
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lauren @lauren.rotatingsandwiches.com · 28/01/2026
every time i see a white guy in their fifties radicalized by the twitter algorithm into racism and extremism i think about how it's a total failure of the youtube algorithm to instead radicalize him into home brewing, elaborate A/V setups, or DIY solar
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Nathan Newman @nathansnewman.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Fox continues to run these segments that seem like free ads for the candidates they are attacking Every one of these policies are broadly popular with voters
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Rachel Lense is Professionally Curious @rachellense.bsky.social · 14/06/2024
I made this Pride flag using only NASA images and our team thought it would be cool to share on social (I work on the NASA heliophysics communications team), but it's getting all sorts of hate on the bird app and Fbook. Thought y'all might be more appreciative of it here. ☺️🏳️‍🌈💖
A pride flag with every color band represented by a NASA image. White is Earth clouds, pink is aurora, blue is the Sun in a specific wavelength, brown is Jupiter clouds, black is the Hubble deep field, red is the top of sprites, orange is a Mars crater, yellow is the surface of Io, green is a lake with algae, blue is Neptune, and purple is the Crab Nebula in a specific wavelength.
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
I hope this isn't behind a paywall, but here's a great article from @astroroyalscot.bsky.social questioning the logic behind cutting one of the UK's most successful research fields. 🔭🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
A change in UK policy jeopardizes the future of UK astrophysics - Nature Astronomy
The latest budget proposal announced by the largest UK science funding agency threatens to severely affect UK astrophysics research. My colleagues and I are fighting back.
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
thank you to everyone who sent this to me
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
A steamy #caterday in Amsterdam
Closeup of a orange floofy cat on a pale green sofa, belly up and twisting to face the camera, one paw extended forward
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Saying the obvious but 30C/86F in Amsterdam in May is not normal…
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Amanda Tamsin @amandatamsin.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I feel strongly about this, plus it's personal (Brexit has affected my family profoundly). This petition seems to be doing well, but could do with more shares and signatures if you're eligible (British Citizen or UK Resident) and feel strongly about this too. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Apply to Rejoin the EU as soon as possible to increase growth in the UK
We believe Brexit's not working. The OBR judges that the UK economy is smaller and trade is weaker because of Brexit, and it will just get worse. 10 years after the Brexit vote, let's apply to rejoin ...
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Starbucks is abruptly scrapping its AI inventory tool for repeatedly miscounting and mislabeling items, just months after rolling it out at stores nationwide. It's the latest warning that the widely-hyped "AI revolution" could be a bubble that's going to burst.
youtube.com
Brace Yourself for the AI Bubble
Are we watching an AI revolution, or a slow-motion economic disaster?
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ARAA @araa.at · 23/05/2026
ARAA will be marching Wednesday in protest. So many countries have destroyed higher education, we must fight against Austria going the same way. Come join us! 👊🏻 #UnisRetten
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Martin Bourne 🏳️‍🌈 @astromartin.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Bill: “Dude, what if we pointed this giant dish at the cosmos?” Ted: “…most excellent.” and that is how the International Centre for Rad Astronomy Research was invented. 🤙📡 #astro
Building sign reading “International Centre for Rad Astronomy Research”. The “io” of “Radio” is missing
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Thanks for totally derailing my brain @alexandermilas.bsky.social, for pointing me to the most terrifying project by this year's UK entry to Eurovision, where he made a Furby organ, I kid you not!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLB...
youtube.com
THE FURBY ORGAN, A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MADE FROM FURBIES
YouTube video by LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER
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Prof Jim Wild @jim-wild.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
IOP President Paul Howarth and I have today written to Science Minister Lord Vallance calling for a full impact assessment of proposed STFC cuts to particle physics, astronomy and nuclear (PPAN) research.
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Last week Thursday was my inaugural lecture here at @cambridgeastro.bsky.social (it's been a whirlwind with family in town so only posting about it now). The talk is about #blackholes 🧪🔭, pitched for non-experts, and you can follow it on Youtube (QR code on poster, or youtu.be/60hx7MXzxC4)!
Poster advertising the talk entitled "Staring into the heart of darkness: from theory to the direct imaging of black holes", with a photograph of me, a woman standing rather cheesily next to a telescope inside an observatory dome with wooden panelling. The yellow blocky script with my name is reminiscent of the Watchman comic :)
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
When you spend days making fancy new slides for a talk, only to have to cut them because the talk's already way too long....
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852dude @852dude.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
"You hear theyre using chickens as camera gimbals now?" "What?" "Chickens. Strap a camera onto their head. No shake. Chicken camera gimbals"
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Melina Thévenot🏳️‍⚧️ @melina-iras07572.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Newest release of #Jupiter aurora from program 17408. Observation date 2025-10-17, but released a few days ago. www.planetarylightshow.com/jupiter/prop... Credit: Planetary Light Show
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
It always throws me when I look at my French Vélib account and the page auto-translate to English helpfully also 'translates' my name:
Screen shot of account name showing "Will be Markoff" instead of Sera Markoff
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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
👇👇
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Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Amateur astronomers with telescopes equipped with video cameras are requested to look for impact flashes on the Moon tonight, to coordinate with #ArtemisII observations. Details here: www.geodes.umd.edu/impactflash
geodes.umd.edu
Impact Flash! - GEODES: Geophysical Exploration of the Dynamics and Evolution of the Solar System
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Kamala Harris @kamalaharris.com · 07/04/2026
The President of the United States is threatening to commit war crimes and wipe out a "whole civilization" — all because he started a disastrous war of his own making and had no plan and no strategy for how to end it. This is abhorrent, and the American people do not support this.
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Event Horizon Telescope @ehtelescope.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Unexpected EHT intern alert! This bird had gotten lost in the fog and appeared at the IRAM 30-m control room door- more than 1,500 meters above its usual habitat. After a brief "internship," it was safely released back into nature the next morning. #M87MOVIE
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Senator Bernie Sanders @sanders.senate.gov · 07/04/2026
It is very easy to become accustomed to Trump’s ravings, and laugh them off. That’s a dangerous thing to do. When Trump states: “A whole civilization will die tonight,” he is threatening to commit genocide. We can’t allow that to happen. Congress must end this war NOW.
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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 07/04/2026
President Trump is threatening war crimes of horrific proportions against civilians. It’s deranged. This madness must stop.
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Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Sickeningly evil. Donald Trump must be impeached.  When will it be enough for my Republican colleagues to grow spines and remove him from office?
Trump truth social post: A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!
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Senator Amy Klobuchar @klobuchar.senate.gov · 07/04/2026
The President is openly threatening massive escalation in Iran saying “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Congress needs to vote to put a stop to this. It is a constitutional duty to vote on war powers and both sides should demand this.
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Pete Buttigieg @petebuttigieg.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Regardless of whether it’s all talk, when the leader of our country expresses plainly genocidal intent, everyone has to do something. For citizens of all political stripes, it means rejecting this madness. For Congress, it means taking action to rein him in. Now.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 06/04/2026
During this incredible, unifying moment of inspiring international cooperation and spectacular technological achievement, I would really appreciate it if the US president would stop threatening to murder an entire country with bombs.
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Johanna Teske @johannateske.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
“Training the next generation of astronomers is critical to the future of our field. And building excitement about the practice of science by undertaking projects like this is a great way to ensure that curious-minded young learners can see themselves in astrophysics,” Ji concluded. 🫶🏻
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Anti-war demonstrations occurred all across Israel this evening. US media decided you really didn't need to know about them.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 04/04/2026
I highly recommend putting this NASA #Artemis II mission livestream on and just leaving it playing as you go about your weekend. Live views of the spacecraft, occasional visualizations of the current config, views of the control room, space-ground radio audio. www.youtube.com/live/m3kR2KK...
youtube.com
NASA's Artemis II Live Mission Coverage (Official Broadcast)
YouTube video by NASA
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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
NASA just dropped this image of Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch looking back at us. The first woman to ever see our planet in its entirety. I’m not crying you’re crying 🥹🔭🧪 📸: NASA
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Paul Byrne @theplanetaryguy.com · 04/04/2026
Some of the imagery coming down from the Artemis II crew is breathtaking...
A crescent Earth against the black of space.
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Daniel Pomarède @pomarede.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Mastcam mosaic captured two days ago by Curiosity, on her way up the slopes of Aeolis Mons 🔍 viewer.gigamacro.com/view/rXLf44E... Credits images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk #Mars 🧪🔭
A rust toned mosaic capturing a number of Martian rocks, captured April 2, 2026 (Sol 4854)
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alexandra @maniacalstar.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
FYI, this gallery has all the photos NASA is sharing from Artemis II in one place, with descriptions.
nasa.gov
Journey to the Moon - NASA
Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026, and will reach the lunar sphere of influence—when the Moon's gravity exerts more force on the Orion spacecraft than the Ear...
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Separation of church and…oh nevermind
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 03/04/2026
More context on this #Artemis II image: * This is the night side, lit by moonlight. You can see city lights in Spain & Portugal, & a sliver of day at lower right * The Sun is entirely behind Earth, which makes it a kind of solar eclipse, but w/ Earth doing the eclipsing instead of the Moon: ☀️🌍🚀🌕
A full disc image of Earth, as seen from the Orion Crew Module. The planet is a pale blue, swirling with white clouds and glowing slightly lighter blue in place from reflected light. At lower left, a large brown landmass is Africa, with Spain and Portugal with twinkling lights where the planet curves. At top right, auroras glow in a thin green glow, just barely separated from the planet's surface. Earth is set against the black of space (pic: NASA/R.Wiseman)
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European Space Agency @esa.int · 03/04/2026
✅ #Artemis II update: end of Flight Day 2, Orion is moving at 5632 km/h, 183 936 km from Earth and 244 298 km from the Moon. Taken by a camera on one of the European Service Module's solar arrays, the Moon at 250 735 km distance (pic: NASA). Graphic from nasa.gov/missions/art...
Taken by a camera on one of the European Service Module's solar arrays, white spacecraft, part of ESM  and Adapter Module, with the Moon at 250 735 km distance (pic: NASA)
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
This is such an incredible photo of our planet, and drives home the need for us to protect this unique (so far) world (from ourselves)
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
This should be an ad for almost any other OS
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
I love the April Fools posts on arXiv. Here's one on my favourite #blackhole! 🔭 arxiv.org/abs/2603.29963
arxiv.org
A Therapy Session with Sgr A*
The nature of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) has been the subject of intense study and debate for over half a century. Herein, we present the first successful interview with an astrophysical object, explorin...
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Billy Bragg’s music was a big part of my teen years so seeing him live at the @togetheralliance.bsky.social march against the right, where he shouted out the bravery of my hometown Minneapolis, was incredibly meaningful ❤️💪
Photo of a stage with crowds and Billy Bragg performing, also projected on a larger screen.
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Black hole scientists against racism at the @togetheralliance.bsky.social March!
Photo of a group of smiling people in front of a large crowd at a big march against the right in London
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Hope to see some other 🧪🔭 folk tomorrow in London!! I didn’t see an ‘academic bloc’ so we’re just winging it!
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Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
No one told me my room in Oxford came with roommates! I’ve named them Bob and Marge.
Photo of a substantial spider on the wall with slippers for scale.  Photo of another substantial spider hunkered down along the baseboard of a wall.
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