Andrew Fraknoi
fraknoi.bsky.social
Andrew Fraknoi
@fraknoi.bsky.social
880 followers 150 following 140 posts
Semi-retired astronomer, college professor, lead author of a free, open-source textbook (OpenStax Astronomy), and science fiction writer with 8 stories published so far. See fraknoi.com
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Teaching a fun, illustrated Zoom course on atomic science for poets (meaning everyone.) Tuesdays Oct & Nov through the SF State OLLI program. For details & how to register: bit.ly/atomscourse
#science #physics #atomic #scienceeducation #astroedu #onlinecourses #Zoomcourses #sciencefiction #quantum
This wonderful cartoon was sent out today in an email from The New Yorker magazine. All teachers will especially appreciate this.
#cartoons #teaching #astroedu #education #teachers #politicalcartoons #humor
My latest astronomical #sciencefiction story (my 11th) was recently published. It's a new twist on doomsday & advanced #extraterrestrials - "In Conversation with the Downloaded Me." It's at: bit.ly/downloadedme
A list of all my published stories: bit.ly/sfbyfraknoi
#astroedu #hardsf #space #scifi
The 136-year old Astronomical Society of the Pacific is holding an exciting one-day nontechnical symposium on the future of #astronomy Aug. 21. Great speakers, time for breakout groups. See: bit.ly/ASP2025SYMP (Early bird pricing ends 7/31)
#astroedu #space #telescopes #amateurastronomy #science
ASP2025 Virtual Symposium: Eyes on the Cosmos - Embracing the Future
Join us August 21, 2025 to explore the evolving relationship between humanity and the universe.
bit.ly
Reposted by Andrew Fraknoi
🚀 Register now for #ASP2025 #Virtual #Symposium: Eyes on the Cosmos -- Embracing the Future (Aug 21)!

Save with early bird registration by July 31.

Explore 4 themes: Questioning, Investigating, Adapting & Connecting.

Explore discoveries, strategies & shared sky stories. 🔭🧪

🔗: bit.ly/ASP2025SYMP
ASP2025 Virtual Symposium: Eyes on the Cosmos - Embracing the Future
Join us August 21, 2025 to explore the evolving relationship between humanity and the universe.
bit.ly
I agree, it does seem to be saying something like that!
This uncanny image shows LDN43, the cosmic bat nebula -- a region of dark dust & dense gas, where new stars are forming. The nebula is 1400 lightyears away and about 12 lightyears across. #astronomy #astroedu #astrophotos #space #spacephotos #spaceimages #astrophotography #nebula #spacepictures
Beautiful image from Gemini Observatory: the dome of their telescope on Maunkea peak, Hawaii. In this time exposure, see the stars circle the north pole of the sky as our planet rotates. Laser beams that probe atmospheric distortion add interest. #astronomy #astroedu #astrophotos #spacephotos #sky
Friday will be the #summersolstice -- the longest day and shortest night for the Northern Hemisphere. For the full story of how an ancient cosmic accident is responsible for our seasons, see: www.fraknoi.com/seasons/frid...
#astronomy #astroedu #space #science #seasons #sky #solstice
Amazing star-forming region, the Tarantula #Nebula, 160,000 lightyears away & 600 lightyears wide. Another great composite image produced by noted amateur astronomer #RobGendler. Massive, luminous baby stars help it to glow.
#astronomy #astroedu #space #spacephotos #astroimaging #sciencephotos
This coming weekend the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society #AAS starts. If the administration's budget is passed by Congress, the science of #astronomy will be decimated in the U.S.
#astroedu #sciencefunding #UFOs #extraterrestrials #cartoons #sciencecartoons #astronomycartoons
My latest #sciencefiction story "The Lurker" is just out in "The Worlds Within" online magazine: theworldswithin.net/the-lurker/ Just as we send probes to other planets, might advanced aliens not send AI probes to our system? Please check it out.
#astronomy #astroedu #SETI #scifi #extraterrestrials
My latest (short) science-fiction story "Eclipsed" was published today. It's about how rare total eclipses might be, not just in the solar system, but the universe. See: bit.ly/eclipsedsfst...
#astronomy #astroedu #scifi #sciencefiction #hardsf #hardsciencefiction #eclipses #eclipsechasing
For those who enjoy #StarTrek and fine art, this is a T-shirt you can buy. (I am not involved with the company, just amused.)

#astronomy #astroedu #sciencefiction #art #scifi #VanGogh #sciencehumor #astroart #scienceandart
We see the Veil Nebula, a small part of a vast ancient remnant of an exploded star, still glowing with colorful emissions from hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms.
#astronomy #astroedu #astrophotography #space #spaceimages #spacephotos #astroimages #NASA #sciencephotos
She was born in England, but seeing no chance to get a PhD there, moved to the U.S., where she stayed.
Today is the birthday (in 1900) of Cecilia Payne, the astronomer who wrote what some historians call the most important PhD thesis in astronomy -- showing that stars were made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
#astronomy #astroedu #astronomyhistory #historyofscience #womenastronomers #womeninscience
I meant to type @debrafischer.bsky.social in the message, not #debrafischer (Still getting used to how BlueSky works.
#Astro4Earth and #debrafischer just posted a 1-min public video: huge cuts in proposed US budget for #NSF and #NASA & about the beauty and value of astronomy, at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZsQ... Please share if you resonate with it.
#astronomy #astroedu #space #science #sciencebudget #budgetcuts
Support U.S. Science!
YouTube video by Astronomers for Planet Earth
www.youtube.com
Beautiful image by Robert Fesen & collaborators showing a Wolf-Rayet star (WR8) -- a massive star violently letting go its outer layer (blue) against a background of glowing gas.
#astronomy #astroedu #astrophotography #space #spacephotography #astroimages #sciencephotos #spacephotos #astrophotos
Complex, beautiful image, assembled by Rob Gendler, from several visible-light & Infrared telescopes, shows the Ring Nebula, with its many shells of material emitted by a dying star.
#astronomy #astroedu #space #spacephotos #astroimaging #stars #sciencephotos #astrophotography #spaceimages
YES. Why didn't I think of that?
Beautiful new #HubbleTelescope image of the "death-shroud nebula" with catalog designation #NGC2899. The central star is giving off its outer layers in dying. What does the cavity in the gas look like to you?
#astronomy #astroedu #space #spacephotos #astroimaging #astronomyphotos #sciencephotos
Sign in a bookstore window, appropriate for the day after Earth Day. (Now that I am a published science-fiction writer, I pay special attention to such signs.)
#climatechange #science #sciencehumor #apocalypse #globalwarming #sciencefiction #bookstores
Tonight and tomorrow night are peak times to see the #Lyrids #meteorshower -- a time when more shooting stars are visible if you go to a dark, open site and are patient. The chart shows you the main showers of 2025 and rates them.
#astronomy #astroedu #sky #amateurastronomy #darksky #space #meteors