William Thompson
@wrtastro.bsky.social
Herzberg Instrument Science Fellow at the National Research Council in Victoria, Canada. Imaging exoplanets and writing #JuliaLang tools.
Pinned
Time for the promised thread on ε Eridani b!
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
SPIDERS is out of the clean room and almost ready to ship — it’s really happening! #instrumentation #exoplanets
October 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
SPIDERS is out of the clean room and almost ready to ship — it’s really happening! #instrumentation #exoplanets
Paper accepted to AJ! 🥳
Updated preprint coming to an arxiv server near you.
Updated preprint coming to an arxiv server near you.
Time for the promised thread on ε Eridani b!
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
September 29, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Paper accepted to AJ! 🥳
Updated preprint coming to an arxiv server near you.
Updated preprint coming to an arxiv server near you.
First day as a Plaskett Fellow 😎
Last day as a Herzberg fellow 🥲
September 2, 2025 at 1:28 PM
First day as a Plaskett Fellow 😎
Last day as a Herzberg fellow 🥲
August 29, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Last day as a Herzberg fellow 🥲
To make it work, I had to pass “--overcommit”
Story of my life…
Story of my life…
#exoplanets As we speak, Octofitter is running on nearly 20,000 cores 😅 maybe a record for most exoplanet orbit fits run in parallel?
August 16, 2025 at 12:48 AM
To make it work, I had to pass “--overcommit”
Story of my life…
Story of my life…
#exoplanets As we speak, Octofitter is running on nearly 20,000 cores 😅 maybe a record for most exoplanet orbit fits run in parallel?
August 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
#exoplanets As we speak, Octofitter is running on nearly 20,000 cores 😅 maybe a record for most exoplanet orbit fits run in parallel?
Octofitter v7, now released! This release overhauls the modelling syntax and add some powerful new capabilities for advanced users. [1/4]
(Octofitter is a package for Bayesian modelling of exoplanet orbits)
(Octofitter is a package for Bayesian modelling of exoplanet orbits)
July 14, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Octofitter v7, now released! This release overhauls the modelling syntax and add some powerful new capabilities for advanced users. [1/4]
(Octofitter is a package for Bayesian modelling of exoplanet orbits)
(Octofitter is a package for Bayesian modelling of exoplanet orbits)
Reposted by William Thompson
The brightest star in Scorpius, Antares, is nearing the end of its 15 million year life. It's so large that the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars would be inside the star. 🔭🧪
Pilate et al. published brightness maps of the star, showing gigantic convective cells.
arxiv.org/abs/2507.08614
Pilate et al. published brightness maps of the star, showing gigantic convective cells.
arxiv.org/abs/2507.08614
July 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The brightest star in Scorpius, Antares, is nearing the end of its 15 million year life. It's so large that the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars would be inside the star. 🔭🧪
Pilate et al. published brightness maps of the star, showing gigantic convective cells.
arxiv.org/abs/2507.08614
Pilate et al. published brightness maps of the star, showing gigantic convective cells.
arxiv.org/abs/2507.08614
Direct imagers, what is your expectation for how speckles behave at high spectral resolution? Do they vary smoothly with wavelength?
We have an R11,000 cube at 10^-7 contrast to share soon, but I’m curious to hear people’s expectations first #instrumentation #exoplanets.
We have an R11,000 cube at 10^-7 contrast to share soon, but I’m curious to hear people’s expectations first #instrumentation #exoplanets.
July 12, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Direct imagers, what is your expectation for how speckles behave at high spectral resolution? Do they vary smoothly with wavelength?
We have an R11,000 cube at 10^-7 contrast to share soon, but I’m curious to hear people’s expectations first #instrumentation #exoplanets.
We have an R11,000 cube at 10^-7 contrast to share soon, but I’m curious to hear people’s expectations first #instrumentation #exoplanets.
Position of Epsilon Eridani b in-front/behind the star, and phase angle over time for those interested. Updated pre-print should be ready soon!
🔭 #exoplanets
🔭 #exoplanets
July 10, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Position of Epsilon Eridani b in-front/behind the star, and phase angle over time for those interested. Updated pre-print should be ready soon!
🔭 #exoplanets
🔭 #exoplanets
There’s something very special about the gulf islands 🏝️
July 6, 2025 at 8:24 PM
There’s something very special about the gulf islands 🏝️
Our JWST DDT was accepted 🥳
July 3, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Our JWST DDT was accepted 🥳
Reposted by William Thompson
Found some beautiful Neptune data digging through the Keck Observatory Archives! The pole isn't nearly as visible now as it was back in 2002.
July 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Found some beautiful Neptune data digging through the Keck Observatory Archives! The pole isn't nearly as visible now as it was back in 2002.
I was honoured today to give the Plaskett medal award talk to open this years Canadian Astronomical Society meeting in Halifax! Great to share our work on #exoplanets imaging and modelling 🔭
June 3, 2025 at 3:12 PM
I was honoured today to give the Plaskett medal award talk to open this years Canadian Astronomical Society meeting in Halifax! Great to share our work on #exoplanets imaging and modelling 🔭
Reposted by William Thompson
Astonishing new videos of the Sun show coronal "rain" in (pink-tinted) hydrogen-alpha light. Obtained with advanced adaptive optics research supported by NSF, the National Solar Observatory, and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Details and more videos in the link in the first comment below.
May 27, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Astonishing new videos of the Sun show coronal "rain" in (pink-tinted) hydrogen-alpha light. Obtained with advanced adaptive optics research supported by NSF, the National Solar Observatory, and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Details and more videos in the link in the first comment below.
Octofitter v6 just released! 🐙
* Overhauled Hipparcos / Gaia modelling
* Multi-planet epicycle approximation
* Include astrometric jitter, north angle, and plate-scale uncertainties
* Dynamical priors (prevent crossing)
* Celerite gaussian processes
Much more!
(fig. credit in reply) #exoplanets 🔭
* Overhauled Hipparcos / Gaia modelling
* Multi-planet epicycle approximation
* Include astrometric jitter, north angle, and plate-scale uncertainties
* Dynamical priors (prevent crossing)
* Celerite gaussian processes
Much more!
(fig. credit in reply) #exoplanets 🔭
May 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Octofitter v6 just released! 🐙
* Overhauled Hipparcos / Gaia modelling
* Multi-planet epicycle approximation
* Include astrometric jitter, north angle, and plate-scale uncertainties
* Dynamical priors (prevent crossing)
* Celerite gaussian processes
Much more!
(fig. credit in reply) #exoplanets 🔭
* Overhauled Hipparcos / Gaia modelling
* Multi-planet epicycle approximation
* Include astrometric jitter, north angle, and plate-scale uncertainties
* Dynamical priors (prevent crossing)
* Celerite gaussian processes
Much more!
(fig. credit in reply) #exoplanets 🔭
Reposted by William Thompson
Check out our short update on JWST mid-infrared observations of the closest Sun-like star, Alpha Centauri A!
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
May 17, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Check out our short update on JWST mid-infrared observations of the closest Sun-like star, Alpha Centauri A!
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
Reposted by William Thompson
Credit: Jason Wang/William Thompson/Christian Marois/Quinn Konopacky
Access the video and related data here:
jasonwang.space/orbits.html
Access the video and related data here:
jasonwang.space/orbits.html
May 7, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Credit: Jason Wang/William Thompson/Christian Marois/Quinn Konopacky
Access the video and related data here:
jasonwang.space/orbits.html
Access the video and related data here:
jasonwang.space/orbits.html
Recent images from our SPIDERS pathfinder instrument demonstrating the self-coherent camera--next generation tech for direct imaging of exoplanets!
We use a special coronagraph to interfere the starlight with itself, like a classic double slit experiment... [1/3]
🔭 #Instrumentation #exoplanets
We use a special coronagraph to interfere the starlight with itself, like a classic double slit experiment... [1/3]
🔭 #Instrumentation #exoplanets
April 29, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Recent images from our SPIDERS pathfinder instrument demonstrating the self-coherent camera--next generation tech for direct imaging of exoplanets!
We use a special coronagraph to interfere the starlight with itself, like a classic double slit experiment... [1/3]
🔭 #Instrumentation #exoplanets
We use a special coronagraph to interfere the starlight with itself, like a classic double slit experiment... [1/3]
🔭 #Instrumentation #exoplanets
Thank you @fherwig.bsky.social!
Great accomplishment @wrtastro.bsky.social !!! William not only did exceptional work in the field of planet imaging but also lead one of our most important projects in recent years in computational stellar astrophysics on internal gravity waves in massive stars ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024MNRA...
March 27, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Thank you @fherwig.bsky.social!
Reposted by William Thompson
Congratulations to Dr. William Thompson '23, of ARC and NRC-Herzberg, who was named as the recipient of the 2025 CASCA Plaskett Medal and the NRC Herzberg Plaskett Fellowship for Most Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in Astronomy or Astrophysics 🎉
#UVic #UVicScience #CASCA #ARC #NRCHerzberg #Astronomy
#UVic #UVicScience #CASCA #ARC #NRCHerzberg #Astronomy
March 26, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Congratulations to Dr. William Thompson '23, of ARC and NRC-Herzberg, who was named as the recipient of the 2025 CASCA Plaskett Medal and the NRC Herzberg Plaskett Fellowship for Most Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in Astronomy or Astrophysics 🎉
#UVic #UVicScience #CASCA #ARC #NRCHerzberg #Astronomy
#UVic #UVicScience #CASCA #ARC #NRCHerzberg #Astronomy
I learned today that am being awarded the J.S. Plaskett medal for most outstanding doctoral thesis in astronomy in Canada. Thank you @casca.ca.web.brid.gy, and my committee for the nomination! 🔭
March 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I learned today that am being awarded the J.S. Plaskett medal for most outstanding doctoral thesis in astronomy in Canada. Thank you @casca.ca.web.brid.gy, and my committee for the nomination! 🔭
Reposted by William Thompson
The James Webb Space Telescope imaged young, giant exoplanets and detected carbon dioxide! The findings suggest that the giant exoplanets in the HR 8799 system likely formed like Jupiter and Saturn. (1/5) 🔭 🧪 🧵
March 17, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The James Webb Space Telescope imaged young, giant exoplanets and detected carbon dioxide! The findings suggest that the giant exoplanets in the HR 8799 system likely formed like Jupiter and Saturn. (1/5) 🔭 🧪 🧵
This is fantastic news. Upping grad and postdoc awards (both stipend and amount), and finally allowing non-Canadian/PRs to apply.
🚨 HUGE news from Canada's tricouncils who are harmonizing their scholarship & fellowship programs, upping the total number (huzzah!), and critically, allowing foreigners to apply for doctoral and postdoc fellowships. Want to work with me? Get in touch! 🇨🇦🧪⚒️
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NewsDetail-D...
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NewsDetail-D...
NSERC - Latest News - Launch of the new Harmonized Tri-agency Scholarship and Fellowship programs
As announced in Budget 2024, the scholarship and fellowship programs administered by the three federal research funding agencies – the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) – have been streamlined into a new harmonized talent program called the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) that will open for applications in summer 2025.
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca
March 16, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is fantastic news. Upping grad and postdoc awards (both stipend and amount), and finally allowing non-Canadian/PRs to apply.
Time for the promised thread on ε Eridani b!
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
March 3, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Time for the promised thread on ε Eridani b!
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]
I should emphasize this manuscript is a submitted draft—comments from the community are very welcome.
Bottom line: ε Eri b is likely a 1.0 Jupiter-mass planet, only 3.2pc away, on a 3.55 AU near-circular orbit, ~aligned with its debris disk. 🔭🪐🧪 [1/7]