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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Aug 15

Thank you Jonathan for your decades of work shaping such an amazing program! Very cool to think about/see how many people's lives you've influenced.

Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · Aug 15

32 years of the SAO Astronomy REU summer program
planet4589.org/jcm/pics/int...

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Jun 11

Wowowow! That was quick! These look incredible!

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Reposted by Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)

Jeyhan Kartaltepe @jeyhan.bsky.social · Jun 5

It's finally here! We've just released all of our COSMOS-Web images and catalogs, along with an interactive viewer where you can explore the data! Check it out at: cosmos2025.iap.fr

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Jun 5

You can find a list of Christian's publications here: orcid.org/0000-0002-88...

Congratulations, Dr. Groeneveld!

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Jun 5

Christian’s research focused on the Perseus galaxy cluster. They confirmed two giant structures: a radio "mini-halo" around the central galaxy, and a much larger "giant radio halo" over a million ly! These halos likely come from turbulence caused by past cosmic mergers, which re-energize particles.

Digital artwork depicting the Perseus galaxy cluster as a swirling, abstract formation. A bright white core is surrounded by turbulent, filament-like structures in shades of green, blue, and soft white, suggesting the presence of radio halos. The outer edges blend into a glowing green aura, evoking the sense of motion and energy from cosmic turbulence. The image symbolizes the invisible structures seen in low-frequency radio observations of galaxy clusters.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Jun 5

Studying space at such low frequencies is incredibly challenging because the Earth's ionosphere distorts the incoming radio waves. Christian helped develop a new calibration technique that enables higher sensitivity and resolution imaging at these wavelengths.

Back cover of a PhD thesis featuring a background of real LOFAR decameter-wavelength radio data in dark green tones, overlaid with four bright blue-white objects representing active galactic nuclei (AGN). These AGN appear as luminous, irregularly shaped sources with glowing cores and faint jets, distributed across the frame. The background is textured with starburst-like calibration artifacts centered on numerous faint point sources.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Jun 5

Today, my colleague Christian at Leiden University successfully defended his PhD thesis, "Galaxy Clusters in the Decameter Sky"! In it, he mapped the sky at a relatively unexplored range of radio frequencies—10–30 MHz—using the LOFAR telescope. I had the honour of designing Christian’s thesis cover!

Cover of a PhD thesis titled "Galaxy Clusters in the Decameter Sky" by Christian Groeneveld. The background features real decameter-wavelength radio data in glowing green tones, filled with faint point-like sources. At the center is an abstract, swirling digital illustration representing the Perseus galaxy cluster, with luminous filaments and a bright central core, evoking the turbulent energy of radio halos.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · May 28

These are great! I would put prints of a set up in my office.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · May 13

This is so great 😍😍

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Apr 26

My dms aren't working so I sent an email

Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Apr 26

(my dms aren't working so I sent an email)

Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Apr 26

Hi Bunny! What a fabulous idea - it would be an honour to collaborate. I'll DM you.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Apr 8

Aww thanks for the sweet words! I'm so happy you like my art. Yes, please repost with credit :-) 🙏

Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Mar 8

I was asked to give my social media accounts when applying for my work visa last fall.

Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Mar 6

I hope so too Susan. I think too often scientists try to remain applitical and (are told to) "stick to the science". I try to remember that science is (and has always been) political and we scientists are also (first and foremost) humans.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Feb 27

The pillars of creation were first made famous when imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 (and again in 2014) in visible light - which I have previously painted. The near-infrared view from JWST helps us peer through more of the dust - revealing many more stars that are forming within.

painting of the pillars of creation in visible light. The 3 pillars are dark brown and block the light.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Feb 27

The pillars of creation were first made famous when imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 (and again in 2014) in visible light - which I have previously painted. The near-infrared view from JWST helps us peer through more of the dust - revealing many more stars that are forming within.

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Feb 27

My mini painting of the Pillars of Creation was inspired by the JWST NIRCam image. This region of active star formation lies ~6,500 lyr away. Glowing red lines near the edges of some pillars reveal where stars are ejecting material as they form. 🔭🧪 🎨

painting of the "pillars of creation". The three pillars are brown, but also have red and yellow colours

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Feb 27

My mini painting of the Pillars of Creation was inspired by the JWST NIRCam image. This region of active star formation lies ~6,500 lyr away. Glowing red lines near the edges of some pillars reveal where stars are ejecting material as they form. 🔭🧪 🎨

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Reposted by Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)

The Neuroverse Initiative @neuroverse-tni.bsky.social · Jan 13

Hi bluesky 👋🏻

We're a brand new 501(c)3 non-profit that works at the intersection of neurodiversity 🧠 and space science 🚀

If you're neurodivergent and in space aligned fields/interests, then we are here to help you!! FOLLOW US here so you're the first to know when we roll out our programs!

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Reposted by Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)

Astronomers for Planet Earth @a4e.org · Dec 20

Dear all! Come celebrate A4E's 5th Anniversary!
Thursday, January 23, 2025, UTC 0800-1100 & UTC 1800-2100; Zoom + Spatial VR.
Will you discuss with us where A4E can be in another 5 years?

All info and registration at astronomersforplanet.earth/5th-annivers...

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Reposted by Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)

James Trayford @trayford.bsky.social · Dec 13

...and here's the sonified video of a prototype COLIBRE test simulation - conveying star formation and cosmic thermodynamics with sound! More info in the YT description... 🧪🔭⚡ ⚛️🎵🐡 #extragalactic #musicianfeed #philsci #art #stellarastro #cosmology #EduSky
youtu.be/4BPFHTVMmbQ?...

Galaxy Formation - A Sonification

YouTube video by Audio Universe

youtu.be

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Reposted by Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they)

James Trayford @trayford.bsky.social · Dec 13

Check out this article from STFC about our sonification of astronomical data, and beyond! including a new sonification at the end - perceive multi-scale information about galaxy formation in our cosmological simulations... 🧪🔭⚡🐡. medium.com/big-science-...

The sound of silence: how sound brings space to life

The vacuum of space is famously silent, but what if you were able to use sound to help you visualise the Universe? What would a black hole…

medium.com

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Dec 11

Nice opinion piece by @climatehuman.bsky.social bit.ly/3VzOTQO

Climate Science and Big Oil Need to Go Their Separate Ways | Opinion

The American Geophysical Union has a long history of taking fossil fuel money, and has not pledged to stop.

bit.ly

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Dr. Sarah Biddle Leslie (she/they) @extragalactic.bsky.social · Nov 18

I'm a #QueerinSTEM astronomer.
Having queer communities and safe spaces, especially in the workplace, is so important!

Which reminds me of the asto outlis, which can help you find queer astronomers and allies near you astro-outlist.github.io

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