Dr. Jillian Scudder
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jillianscudder.com
Dr. Jillian Scudder
@jillianscudder.com
Astrophysicist, author (40 Ways to Know A Star, Milky Way Smells of Rum & Raspberries), artist, sewist, science communicator. English/Français/子供の日本語。Associate Professor. hEDS ♿️. She/her. 🏳️‍🌈. Opinions all mine.

https://www.jillianscudder.com/books
Pinned
Hello folks in spite of The Everything™️, my next book is out in one week!! 7 days!

If you would like to have a small heavily illustrated book tell you about the stars illuminating our understanding of the cosmos, this is your book!

To preorder (US): bookshop.org/p/books/fort...

🧪🔭📚 #booksky
Very much enjoying the way this blue/red false color image of our Sun in extreme UV came out 🔭
From NASA

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on Feb. 4, peaking at 7:13 a.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the event, which was classified as X4.2: go.nasa.gov/4keOT49
February 4, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Oh man. I read this in French. It is an experience.
February 4, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Oh you know the weather forecast is bad when the pharmacy texts you a reminder to come get your meds “to avoid disruptions in your medication schedule”. 🌨️
January 24, 2026 at 12:06 AM
The giant 8ft not-plants in the Devonian period of Earth are apparently not fungus either! A fun thread. 🧪
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Someone once stopped by my table at a book fair and very sadly said they wished they could buy my book but they were out of cash. The way they *lit up* when I told them they could check if their local library had it (and they could request it, if not).

Libraries are great.
Someone said to me, "I'm sorry but I got your book from a library." Nobody should ever apologise for that. You read my book! That's brilliant! I grew up hanging out in libraries and the idea of a world without them fills me with dread. Without libraries, authors, like readers, will only suffer.
January 20, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Went outside in a severe cold weather advisory to check for the aurora and did not see the aurora but did see Orion looking stunning to the south 📷: iPhone w/quick edits for contrast. 🔭
January 20, 2026 at 4:26 AM
Congrats!!
January 19, 2026 at 11:37 PM
To check your own aurora observing odds:

Spaceweather.com has the details on aurora forecasting, and cleardarksky.com will show you cloud cover for every hour! 🔭🧪
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
Spaceweather.com
January 19, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Squinting at cleardarksky for the cloud cover forecast says mayyyyyybe around midnight we’ll have clear skies here to check for aurora.

However there is also this situation. (Celsius). If I turn off all my lights can I watch from inside?
January 19, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Reposted by Dr. Jillian Scudder
If you’ve got clear skies tonight keep an eye on the sky north and up once it’s dark. Looks like we might have a very aurora evening.
January 19, 2026 at 10:15 PM
I’m going to go ahead and declare that moving house might be the most hEDS-unfriendly activity.

Lift everything you own to put it in boxes? ✅
Lift it all again on the other end? ✅
Too much cleaning? ✅
Sense of urgency? ✅
An alternative exists but is a luxury service and costs 💰💰💰? ✅
January 18, 2026 at 11:06 PM
I’m so sorry. Take care of yourself as much as you can ♥️
January 15, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Thank you!
January 14, 2026 at 10:29 PM
That can be true! Sometimes I come into it with a really good structure and it all snaps together well. But sometimes I am figuring it out as I write (what I expect from my technical papers) and in that case it really is more like the gesso on the canvas.
January 14, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Wrote a bad introduction to my next science paper today. It’ll get fixed! But some text is better than none text even if only 2% survives into the final draft. 🧪🔭
January 14, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Can’t underestimate the power of a well placed footnote joke!
January 14, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Congratulations!
January 14, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Six skeins complete. 55in. 🧶
January 14, 2026 at 12:54 AM
Genuinely love to see folks enjoying my books!!
I just finished reading this. It’s great! I especially liked the information on galaxies, because I had been struggling with that. Highly recommended!
January 11, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Reposted by Dr. Jillian Scudder
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE UNIVERSE
PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER

www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health, encouraging users to connect their medical records
But it’s ‘not intended for diagnosis or treatment.’
www.theverge.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:55 PM
My poor Teacup cat is now at rest. In the end, it seemed she had some kind of cancer, and she was in pain. I am devastated, but it was the only path that remained.

Since I adopted her, she went from scared of *everything* to sleeping deeply on my lap. What an honor to have the tiny cat trust.
January 7, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Inbox down below 70. Four letters of recommendation submitted, six computers updated to a newer OS, two public talks scheduled for later this year, and one conference abstract written & submitted.

Going home to see if I can convince Teacup cat to eat lunch.
January 5, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Starting the year off medically strong with a NINE vial blood draw before breakfast.

(Yes. I did make bloodletting jokes to the phlebotomist)
January 5, 2026 at 3:46 PM
The good news today is that The Belly made a reappearance.
January 4, 2026 at 12:04 AM
I am packing my home up in preparation for a move, and often I hit this moment of “why do I have so much STUFF”, but this time I am handling all my things with more fondness. I think I’ve managed to surround myself with things that spark joy.
January 2, 2026 at 10:56 PM