iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Jackie Barrientes @barrientes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Additionally: The NASA blog did not add real alt text for this image. It was just "Test image from Roman's Wide Field Instrument." But @stsci.edu added actual alt text so EVERYONE can know what this first image from Roman looks like!

043

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 15/09/2026

#NASARoman activated the Wide Field Instrument—a 300-megapixel infrared camera that will allow it to explore wide swaths of the cosmos quickly. This test image captures the very first photons of starlight to reach the instrument—taken as an initial performance assessment: go.nasa.gov/4rg4qEc

$At the top, a grid of 21 panels shows a series of blue images with tiny neon green and yellow circles. A larger image highlights a section of the grid with circular patterns, and an inset presents a detailed star-like diffraction pattern. The colors consist of blue, green, and yellow.$

8327109

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 15/09/2026

“As a result of exquisite planning by our orbital dynamics team, brilliant execution by the operations team, and a precise launch from SpaceX, Roman has fuel for at least 22 years of potential science operations,” said Jamie Dunn, center director at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. #NASARoman 🔭

science.nasa.gov

Fuel Savings Double Potential Lifetime for NASA's Roman Mission - NASA Science

The results are in: NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's very accurate first mid-course correction, along with other fuel savings, are expected to more

216449

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

It also leads to better presentations for all audience members when speakers take the time to go over what’s on the axes, describe the data well, and the conclusion without assuming audience has the same level of familiarity with the plot/image as you the speaker. Good alt-text helps in this regard.

130

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Not a dumb question at all. You’d be surprised how almost every presenter shortcuts to being able to see when describing what a plot or image is showing. It’s a skill that must be learned, try closing your eyes at the next colloquium and ask if you got the same info out.

130

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Bummer, I’ll contact the service we use and ask for them to add it as an alias.

170

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Perkins School for the Blind has a mailing list with a lot of BVI educators who share STEM resources.

010

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 17/06/2026

We've been "Roman" around this week's American Astronomical Society meeting in Pasadena, California. 😂 In case you missed the big news, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch on August 30, 2026! #AAS248 #NASARoman

04012

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Dr. Susan E. Mullally @mustaric.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Stop by the STScI MAST booth and try out some new tools being rolled out to access and explore astronomical data #aas248 @mast-news.bsky.social

0145

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Black In Astro @blackinastro.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Our annual astro art competition is now open! Submit your art to win beautiful prizes from our generous sponsors! We can’t wait to see your art submissions🎨🖌️ The deadline for this competition is June 18th, best of luck! The submission form can be found on our website linked in our bio! #BSW2026

A flyer for #BlackSpaceWeek2026 Astro Art Competition with prize images and details on submitting original space-themed art by June 18, 2026, 5pm ET. AI-generated art not eligible.

02113

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Brett Morris @brettmorr.is · 18/05/2026

Graduating with a bachelors or masters in astronomy (or related field)? Want to keep your eyes on the skies without a PhD? Opening for YOU at @stsci.edu: Science Support Analyst on Hubble 🔭 recruiting2.ultipro.com/SPA1004AURA/...

recruiting2.ultipro.com

0239

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Julianne Dalcanton @dalcantonjd.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Please spread the word! In addition to becoming an important part of the MESA project, the person in this role would have opportunities to collaborate on scientific software across CCA, which has a vibrant, interactive community of scientists and code developers.

11420

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Hey #WomenInSTEM, please check out the qualifications and skills and DON'T WRITE YOURSELF OFF if you think you would be a good match. Throw your hat in the ring!

38454

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Brett Morris @brettmorr.is · 05/03/2026

Join @stsci.edu as a software engineer, working on interactive data analysis and visualization tools for astronomers. 🔭 #astrocode Apps due March 18, 2026. recruiting2.ultipro.com/SPA1004AURA/...

recruiting2.ultipro.com

063

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 20/02/2026

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is searching for a Chief Engineer to deliver on the our goals and strategies to ensure that technical solutions are to be implemented to meet the current and future needs of all STScI missions and project: bit.ly/4c0SuRd

1198

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 19/02/2026

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is searching for a Senior Cloud Database Developer to help manage the backend data pipelines, database system and ensure reliable data access for our advanced astronomical public data archive: bit.ly/46Oj6kR

0164

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Brett Morris @brettmorr.is · 27/01/2026

New job opportunity at @stsci.edu: Senior Astronomical Data Scientist for data analysis tools, working closely with my team and me. This role is very similar to mine. If you have questions, I'm happy to answer them. 🧪🔭

recruiting2.ultipro.com

02417

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Not yet but I will. Feel free to cross-post either way!

010

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 21/01/2026

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is searching for an Archive Analyst, with a focus on user‑facing documentation and tutorials, to help advance our state‑of‑the‑art astronomical data archive. Python experience required: bit.ly/3YQDM7y

02824

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

This position would support fully remote work, but you must reside or relocate to MD or a surrounding state (general STScI thing), and be able to come on site if requested.

120

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

I’m hiring! Looking for someone with excellent communication skills, knows Python, and wants a career enabling science by creating user-facing content for astronomers. This is a full-time, long-term position that does NOT require a PhD! recruiting2.ultipro.com/SPA1004AURA/... 🔭 Apply by Feb 21st!

67752

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Ethan Vishniac 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇺🇸 @ethan-vishniac.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

🔭We normally hold these Sunday mornings before the start of AAS meetings, but we are willing to hold them in cooperation with local organizers if we have 25 to 30 people signed up to participate. We did this at IU this Fall and brought in four editors to run the meeting and lead discussion.

051

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 12/01/2026

OPPORTUNITY: The Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, is searching for a Principal Astronomical Data Scientist to help advance our data analysis tools for our NASA flagship missions primarily in areas of data visualization: bit.ly/4jEvObm

0244

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Check out this thread and jump into the RRN 🎺early🎺 folks! Roman data is large enough you’ll need to bring your code TO the data, which is a paradigm shift for a lot of us!

030

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Crucially, this is not a conclusion unique to MAST or even within astronomy. We hope that the results of our analysis and this paper can be used to show how ANY well-funded professional archive with a mission "to make their data accessible to ALL" is a big return on investment. (3/3)

011

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

There's a lot of interesting conclusions, but the one I like most is this: well-funded professional archives increase science return multiplicatively. They support BOTH new discoveries using archival data shepherded through the decades AND use of brand new observations. (2/3)

152

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Really proud to advertise our accepted peer-reviewed paper analyzing the impact of MAST through analysis of 37,000 papers published in 40 journals over the last 50 years. It's a capstone to decades of work by dozens of MAST staff. Check out the preprint: arxiv.org/abs/2512.18101 (1/3) 🔭

Screenshot showing the title, authors, and abstract. Title is "The Impact of the MAST Data Archive". The abstract is "The Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) hosts science-ready data products from over twenty NASA missions, plus community-contributed data collections, and other select surveys. The data support forefront research in the ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared wavelength bands. We have constructed bibliographies for each mission from publications in nearly 40 professional journals, and have identified more than 37,000 refereed articles where investigators made a science usage of data hosted in MAST. The publication rate over the last 50 years shows that most MAST missions have had very high productivity during their in-service lifetimes, and have remained so for years or decades afterward. Annual citations to these publications, a measure of impact on research, are robust for most missions, with citations that grow over more than a decade. Most of the citations come from about 10% of articles within each mission.
We examined the bibliographies of the active missions HST and JWST in greater detail. For HST the rate of archival publications exceeded those authored by the original observing teams within a decade of launch, and is now more than 3 times higher. Early indications hint that JWST archival articles could dominate the publication rate even sooner. The production of articles resulting from any given observing program can extend for decades. Programs with small and very large allocations of observing time tend to be particularly productive per unit of observing time. For HST in general, a first publication appears within 1.5 yr for 50% of observing programs, and within 3.8 yr for 80% of programs. We discuss various external factors that affect publication metrics, their strengths and limitations for measuring scientific impact, and the challenges of making meaningful comparisons of publication metrics across missions."

1165

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 05/01/2026

Stop by our booth at the American Astronomical Society meeting this week in Phoenix, Arizona! Our experts are ready to answer your questions about the Hubble, Webb, and Roman space telescopes, as well as our incredible data archive. #AAS247

Two individuals engage in discussion at an astronomy conference booth with banners reading "Roman Research", "Nexus", and "MAST". One person is seated, gesturing as they are speaking, while the other stands listening attentively.

A person sitting at a promotional booth for the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope, surrounded by informational banners and brochures.

1269

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Black In Astro @blackinastro.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

There’s still space available to sign up for our FREE dinner at the 247th AAS! Deadline to apply has been extended until Dec 29, we hope to see you there ☺️

088

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Roman for Scientists @nancyromansci.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

🚀The Roman Cycle 1 Call for Proposals is OPEN! Unlock new discoveries with the Wide Field Instrument—your science starts here! Apply for funding to analyze Roman data, perform theory/lab research, and propose new observations. 🔭☄️ 📅 Deadline: Mar 17, 2026 (5 PM PDT) 📝 bit.ly/4q3jbbL

02015

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Heading to the @agu.org annual meeting, interested in using sound to help interpret your complex data, AND make your research more inclusive? Data sonification can help! But don't take my word for it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_eU... Attend the Geo SonNet Town Hall on Dec. 15th to network!

THis poster advertises the Geo SonNet Town Hall on December 15th 2025, from 18:00-19:00 in Room 243-244 Convention Center. Who should attend? Data scientists curious about sonification, researchers seeking more intuitive sound mapping options for complex datasets, existing projects looking for new collaborative partners. There are two QR codes, one to join the listserve, another for the Geo SonNet.

032

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

Very cool data sonification of Roman science! But I really wish these had a short audio narration in front to provide context. Helps anyone watching this better understand the sounds, and if you are BVI this is just a bunch of weird noises!

130

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 18/11/2025

What do you get if you sign up for Inbox Astronomy? Spectacular images and astronomical discoveries! Sign up to get news from the universe right in your inbox: bit.ly/3KSp8IY 🔭 🧪

Promotional image for Inbox Astronomy featuring the James Webb Space Telescope against a starry background, highlighting the latest news, images, and discoveries about the universe.

0194

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

John Debes @johndebes.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Hey #astrosci community! After working on this project for 3 years, there's a new Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive that's just been newly made available at @stsci.edu: archive.stsci.edu/missions-and... follow me to learn more! (1/n)

1348

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

We added some nice features to our JWST Search interface. HST rolling out in next couple months, along with more goodies.

0122

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 27/08/2025

Technicians recently tested two major deployments for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: the Deployable Aperture Cover (DAC) and the Solar Array Sun Shield (SASS): go.nasa.gov/41X95PN #NASARoman 🔭 🧪

28315

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

When I decided to pursue astronomy as a career, inspired by Star Wars, there were no known real planets orbiting stars like the Sun. Now we can take baby photos and SEE them. Incredible, and building off of decades of work by others who came before to get us collectively to this place.

080

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

Four years' worth of Ca HK activity measurements with more planned on the way. Great dataset for anyone exploring stellar activity now at MAST!

070

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

@commondescentpod.bsky.social Motivation for a Silver Screen episode on Star Wars? Best Star Wars planets for optimal fossilization? What kind of dinosaur was Boba Fett riding in the Christmas Special? Were krayt dragons actually dragons? Dragon*con topic perhaps!? www.wired.com/story/an-anc...

020

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 19/08/2025

The more we look with #NASAWebb, the more we find! The latest discovery? A tiny new moon orbiting Uranus. It’s just six miles (9.6 kilometers) in diameter: science.nasa.gov/blogs/webb/2... 🔭 🧪

18936

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Brett Morris @brettmorr.is · 19/08/2025

Job for AWS experts – become Senior Cloud Software Developer at @stsci.edu, apply by Sept 19: recruiting2.ultipro.com/SPA1004AURA/...

recruiting2.ultipro.com

011

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 12/08/2025

Tim Rhue, education specialist at STScI, packs up new tactile panels based on the first #NASAWebb image of Uranus. These panels are being sent to museums, libraries, and other educational sites, so that they can share this tactile experience with their audiences. 🔭

An individual pulls tape from a dispenser at a desk with stacks of white boxes and astronomical images in the background.

A tactile panel of Uranus shows the blue planet and rings on a black background.

A tactile panel of Uranus shows the blue planet and rings on a black background. The image was taken from a side to show the three dimensional component. The panel is sitting on a wooden table.

0405

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Yes this, unlike other more common industries with much larger applicant pools, astrophysics (and things like software engineers applying their craft to a specialized field like this) is not something than can be restocked quickly en masse, and many who left won’t just come back from their new jobs.

030

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Ever wondered what the "MAST Sky" looks like, from our ~6 PB of data spanning 3 decades...check this out! spacetelescope.github.io/mast-blog/ma... Really fun project led by the very talented Julie Imig at MAST, showing mission coverage sky-projected! They make VERY good video backgrounds, btw. 🔭

MAST background in "standard" sky projection, in hues of blue. Lighter blue areas mark lots of observations, while darker areas are less. Numerous patterns are visible, like the continuous viewing zones as ovals in the lower-left and upper right, patterns from overlapping TESS FFIs, or the Kepler footprint shapes stamped along the ecliptic and in the original Kepler field in the upper-right.

A grid of 16 images, 4x4, showing the sky background only for specific missions to get a sense of where in the sky and how much of it each mission observed to at least some depth.

0409

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

NASA's new PUNCH mission is a constellation of 4 small satellites that collectively provide an unprecedented view of giant eruptions breaking free from the Sun. This first-release video compresses about 6 days of observations. 🧪🔭 science.nasa.gov/blogs/punch/...

1121843

Reposted by Dr. Scott W. Fleming

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 10/07/2025

Hooray for three years of paw-sitively amazing #NASAWebb science! To celebrate, the telescope examined a singular “toe bean” of the Cat’s Paw Nebula, a massive star-forming region. Webb reveals gas, dust, and massive young stars: webbtelescope.pub/4khJK9T 🔭 Reply with an image of your pet’s paws! 🐾

$A section of the Cat’s Paw Nebula, a local star-forming region composed of gas, dust, and young stars. Four roughly circular areas are toward the center of the frame: a small oval toward the top left, a large circle in the top center, and two ovals at bottom left and right. Each circular area has a luminous blue glow, with the top center and bottom left areas the brightest. Brown-orange filaments of dust, which vary in density, surround these four bluish patches and stretch toward the frame’s edges. Small zones, such as to the left and right of the top-center blue circular area, appear darker and seemingly vacant of stars. Toward the center are small, fiery red clumps scattered among the brown dust. Many small, yellow-white stars are spread across the scene, some with eight-pointed diffraction spikes that are characteristic of Webb. A few larger blue-white stars with diffraction spikes are scattered throughout, mostly toward the top left and bottom right.$

1928159

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

This is what we are doing after Roman. But only if NASA science funding is kept at the levels we need. It takes decades to plan and build these missions, and it’s only possible through steady public support AND stable federal funding throughout the years.

031

Dr. Scott W. Fleming @scottwfleming.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

The work our talented team does to ensure the public learns about discoveries made with NASA telescopes, and our place in the Universe, risks being lost without at least keeping NASA’s funding flat. The current budget plan removes almost all of it. If this matters to you, make sure your reps know.

063