iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 4h

Just a girl and her PhD dissertation ✨

Woman holding a black book and looking down at the cover

Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 4h

In a very full circle moment, the day I found my grandpa’s Apollo memorabilia is the day my PhD dissertation came in the mail. I’m the first in my family to become a doctor, so holding this book with my (and his) name on it is kind of surreal

A black book laying on a counter. The spine reads “galaxies, black holes, and students: exploring feedback from the circumgalactic medium to online courses”. At the top of the spine is the name Grayson

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 5h

He was an engineer that worked on the team that designed the nuclear generator that powered the scientific experiments brought to the moon on Apollo 12 (the small black box to the right of the astronaut in this image from the magazine)

Image from a magazine spread showing an astronaut on the surface of the moon with a lander behind him and miscellaneous equipment on the lunar surface around him

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 5h

My grandfather, like thousands of others, worked on the Apollo missions. I just found some of the things he kept from that time and it’s pretty amazing to think about the small way he contributed to these historic events #space #moonlandings

Two life magazines from 1969 with covers focused on the Apollo missions

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

As calibration continues, those donuts will be shrunk down into the sharp points we know stars are! The goal is for the first science images to come in early 2027, and I can't wait 👀 3/3

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

That means cooling down the instruments, checking the element wheel and the coronagraph, and focusing the telescope. In this first image, we see stars that have taken a donut appearance because the telescope is out of focus. 2/3

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Here it is folks: the very first photons detected by NASA's newest space telescope!!! The Nancy Grace Roman telescope launched a couple weeks ago, and now that it's out in space en route to it's home at L2, the commissioning process has begun. 1/3 📸: NASA GSFC, T. Desjardins (STScI)

Three panels against a black background. In the top panel, 18 blue-purple squares are laid out in an array that slightly curves downward, representing the detectors from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Small green/teal specks are visible in the squares. The lower left panel zooms in on a square, where the specks are seen to take the shape of rings. The lower right zooms in on a ring, showing a more complex structure with light and dark patches radiating from the center.

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Omg such a great point I was focused on the void in the middle I didn’t vent notice it was the wrong shape yikes

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Here’s a real image from the Cassini spacecraft! 📸: NASA GSFC/JPL-Caltech/SSI 2/2

A black and white image of a hexagonal shaped storm. The hexagon is slightly dark than the surrounding area, and small swirls are visible over the entire image including within the hexagon

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

If you’re following this account might I gently suggest you don’t…lots of fake images and images without credit. This one is absolutely not a real image from NASA-while there is a hexagonal storm on Saturn’s pole it does not look like this! 1/2

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

If you’re wanting my take on this whole Navier Stokes AI solution thing you’re gonna be waiting for a long time. I’m not touching this one 😅

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Guys my new office has TWO windows. My grad student office was interior and very dark so I am stoked about this

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Today is the first day of my postdoc! A new chapter is officially beginning 👀

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Time for a new introduction: Hi! I’m Dr. Skylar Grayson, an astrophysicist and science communicator ✨ I study how black holes impact the universe by comparing hydrodynamic simulations with observations of diffuse gas. On here I talk about space news, physics, astronomy, and life as a scientist! 🧪🔭

Photo of me, sitting on a blue chair in my marroon PhD regalia. Photo is taken from above, I have my feet up on a table, and a carpet with images of craters is visible

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Driving to visit family in San Diego this weekend and randomly caught a Starlink launch at sunset!

Horizon viewed just after sunset. Dark line of mountains with an orange-light blue gradient in the sky above. A white curve shows the path of a rocket headed up and left, broadening at the end

Windmills silhouetted against a gradient sky, with a white curvy line created by a rocket launch in the background

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Canada! Got a postdoc at the University of Waterloo

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Haha sadly not, as much as I like it here! And thank you! Officially being a doctor is pretty sweet

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Although I am still trying to make a video or two each week on IG/tiktok/yt shorts so if you’re not following me there it’s a good place to hear from me more right now!

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Turns out I am not capable of simultaneously wrapping up a PhD, prepping for an international move, planning a wedding, AND posting regularly on here so the ball has been dropped a bit this summer 😅 I will be back to being active soon, just gotta get through this bonkers phase of life first

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

This is the best World Cup ever I’m losing my mind #worldcup

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

So in the month of May I had my bachelorette party, defended my PhD thesis, graduated, went to the UK for two weeks for a family wedding, and watched my team win the premier league. I’ll get back to science soon, I’m just…processing 😅

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS BABYYYY!!! And I’m actually in London for it this is the best month ever 🤯❤️🤍❤️

Me standing on a staircase, holding an arsenal scarf that reads champions in front of the Emirates stadium

Me at the celebration after Arsenal won the league last night. I’m facing the camera in a crowd that’s facing away, looking over a giant mass of people filling the streets

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Today I officially graduated with a PhD in astrophysics 🤯 Feeling very proud and very grateful

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Shoutout Deanna Dent and ASU News for the pics!

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Don’t mind me just obsessing over my grad photos 🤩 getting a PhD in astrophysics has never felt so glamorous ✨

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Oh my gosh thank you all so much for the love and support on this post 🥹🥰

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Little update to my bio…today I defended my PhD in astrophysics and I’m officially Dr. Skylar!!!!

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Y’all I want to talk about all the new Artemis images that just dropped but I am defending my PhD tomorrow so that’s gonna have to wait 😅

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

5 years of work and a 240 page astrophysics PhD dissertation explained in two minutes 😳: 🧪🔭

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Reposted by Dr. Skylar Grayson

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @rubinobservatory.org · 27/04/2026

Not all galaxies wander space alone...and sometimes they're too close for comfort 😬 Galaxies can interact, collide, and merge. By studying snapshots of these interactions, scientists can gain insight into how galaxies evolve over billions of years⏳

A complex entanglement of three interacting galaxies, bright cores lined up left to right and connectied by spiderweb-like tendrils. The background is black, sprinkled with countless galaxies and stars of varying colors and sizes.

Two interacting galaxies, one larger and blue and the other smaller and more yellow. The background is sprinkled with stars and galaxies of varying colors and sizes.

Two interacting galaxies at center, bright cores lined up upper left to lower right and connected by spiderweb-like tendrils. The background is black, sprinkled with countless galaxies and stars of varying colors and sizes.

Two interacting galaxies at center, with cores and extended tendrils of stars in a thin horizontal line. The background is black, sprinkled with countless galaxies and stars of varying colors and sizes.

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

If you’re wondering what the big concerns are for astronomy from the White House budget request and what you can do about it, check out this article!!!

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

AHHHHH I just sent my PhD dissertation draft to my committee!! My defense is in exactly two weeks, it’s really happening!!!!!

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Currently planning for my PhD defense, graduation, sister’s wedding, international move, new job, and my own wedding. All amazing things but I am incredibly overwhelmed 🫠 send help

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

A week since splashdown and I’m thinking a lot about the motivations and legacy of Artemis II…🧪🔭

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Seeing this was the 273719th time I cried happy tears this mission 🥹

A screenshot from the NASA livestream showing the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft. Three red and white parachutes are visible crumpling up at various distances from the small metal craft, all against the deep blue of the ocean

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Guys I’m so emotional that they splashed down safely and successfully 😭 welcome home you amazing brave humans!!! 🔭🧪

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Peekaboo Obsessed with how cute our planet is in this picture, taken by the Artemis II astronauts as it sets behind the moon 📸: NASA 🔭🧪

Earth peeks above the lunar horizon, which takes up the bottom half of the image. The dark grey moon is covered in craters, and earth is a cloudy white with bits of blue peeking through

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Happy splashdown day!!!! The Artemis II astronauts are coming home and as always you can watch it happen live on NASA’s YouTube

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Alrighty so NASA (and me and a lot of other people) had a little goof. But I think it’s a great opportunity to remind people that sometimes mistakes can actually be pretty cool and lead to a lot of new perspectives and understanding! 🧪🔭

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Holy sh*t. A solar eclipse, seen for the first time by human eyes during a lunar flyby. The Earthlight illuminating the crescent of the moon and part of the spacecraft, the stars and planets in the background…I’m in tears 🤯 📸: NASA 🔭🧪

Image from the Artemis II mission taken from a camera on the solar array. The Orion spacecraft is visible in silhouette on the left, with the top part slightly illuminated. On the right, a solar eclipse, with the moon blocking out sunlight. The moon is surrounded by a faint haze, and a slim crescent is lit up on the upper left of the side facing the camera, illuminated by Earthlight

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

If our representatives have even the slightest bit of courage and integrity they will impeach this dangerous imbecile immediately.

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Don’t mistake my excitement about Artemis as apathy towards what’s happening here on Earth. The behavior of the president is terrifying and despicable, literally threatening war crimes and crimes against humanity on social media.

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Both are beautiful and incredible but from very different missions at very different distances. Today’s a great day for misinformation and fake images/attributions, stay safe out there folks (3/3)

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

That is incredibly far from both the earth and the moon, allowing for this particular sense of scale. By contrast, the Artemis II astronauts were at most ~250,000 miles from earth/4,000 miles from the moon. That gives you this sort of perspective! (2/3) 📸: NASA

Earth set: the illuminated crescent of earth is visible above the illuminated crescent of the moon. Swirling clouds are visible over blue ocean on Earth. The moon in the foreground is a grey brown and pockmarked with craters

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I’m seeing this picture going around today being dropped in with the other amazing Artemis II shots, but this is not an Artemis photo!!!! This was taken by the DSCOVR satellite in 2015, from a distance of a million miles from Earth. 🧪🔭 (1/3) 📸: NASA, NOAA

A high resolution image of earth fully illuminated. In the lower left region, the far side of the moon is lit up as it transits the earth, appearing about 1/4 the size of the planet

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I guess zoom is a better word than crop, long lenses and all that but yeah their whole field of view was much larger!

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Dr. Skylar Grayson @skylargrayson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Let’s talk about the iconic new images from Artemis II…and why they look a bit different from Apollo 8’s Earthrise!

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