Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
@ahrensscience.bsky.social
Planetary scientist, lunar exploration and sustainability policy. Lunar architecture nerd! UMD-CRESST-II Asst. Research Scientist at NASA GSFC. Science Outreach! Ten Outstanding Young Americans 2018. WVU alum. Views are my own.
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Titan 2018 Mosaic - Far Hemisphere - From Ian Regan - https://flic.kr/p/LsphbS
November 16, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Titan 2018 Mosaic - Far Hemisphere - From Ian Regan - https://flic.kr/p/LsphbS
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
#arXiv "Niñas Atómicas" (Atomic Girls): An initiative that generates opportunities for young girls in STEM arxiv.org/abs/2511.05754 an initiative that seeks to encourage high school girls to develop critical thinking and transferable skills widely used in scientific work.
November 15, 2025 at 6:49 PM
#arXiv "Niñas Atómicas" (Atomic Girls): An initiative that generates opportunities for young girls in STEM arxiv.org/abs/2511.05754 an initiative that seeks to encourage high school girls to develop critical thinking and transferable skills widely used in scientific work.
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Space Debris Struck a Chinese Spacecraft – How the Incident Could Be a Wake-up Call for International Collaboration news.gatech.edu/news/2025/11...
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft got hit by a piece of space debris floating through orbit, causing Chinese officials to delay the spacecraft’s return
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft got hit by a piece of space debris floating through orbit, causing Chinese officials to delay the spacecraft’s return
Space Debris Struck a Chinese Spacecraft – How the Incident Could Be a Wake-up Call for International Collaboration
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft took a hit from a piece of space debris floating through orbit, causing Chinese officials to delay the spacecraft’s return from its Tiangong space station in early Novem...
news.gatech.edu
November 15, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Space Debris Struck a Chinese Spacecraft – How the Incident Could Be a Wake-up Call for International Collaboration news.gatech.edu/news/2025/11...
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft got hit by a piece of space debris floating through orbit, causing Chinese officials to delay the spacecraft’s return
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft got hit by a piece of space debris floating through orbit, causing Chinese officials to delay the spacecraft’s return
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
From @jeffbradynews.bsky.social
A public TV and radio station in Western Alaska serves dozens of villages damaged by Typhoon Halong. But with federal funding eliminated, KYUK makes severe cuts to its staff and news department.
A public TV and radio station in Western Alaska serves dozens of villages damaged by Typhoon Halong. But with federal funding eliminated, KYUK makes severe cuts to its staff and news department.
Alaska station that covered devastating storm cuts jobs
A public TV and radio station in Western Alaska serves dozens of villages damaged by Typhoon Halong. But with federal funding eliminated, KYUK makes severe cuts to its staff and news department.
n.pr
November 15, 2025 at 6:16 PM
From @jeffbradynews.bsky.social
A public TV and radio station in Western Alaska serves dozens of villages damaged by Typhoon Halong. But with federal funding eliminated, KYUK makes severe cuts to its staff and news department.
A public TV and radio station in Western Alaska serves dozens of villages damaged by Typhoon Halong. But with federal funding eliminated, KYUK makes severe cuts to its staff and news department.
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
King's 1982 novel was set in the year 2025, in a world with widespread poverty, mass surveillance, and giant corporations. The newest film version loses some of its critique. n.pr/4qZ8ND2
It's 2025, and the future has finally caught up with Stephen King's 'Running Man'
King's 1982 novel was set in the year 2025, in a world with widespread poverty, mass surveillance, and giant corporations. The newest film version loses some of its critique.
n.pr
November 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
King's 1982 novel was set in the year 2025, in a world with widespread poverty, mass surveillance, and giant corporations. The newest film version loses some of its critique. n.pr/4qZ8ND2
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Low resolution + pareidolia is such fun.
Now to interpret my global-scale seismic tomography with 200km x 200 km resolution....
Now to interpret my global-scale seismic tomography with 200km x 200 km resolution....
November 15, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Low resolution + pareidolia is such fun.
Now to interpret my global-scale seismic tomography with 200km x 200 km resolution....
Now to interpret my global-scale seismic tomography with 200km x 200 km resolution....
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: NASA’s presumptive next leader, Jared Isaacman, wants to outsource more of the space agency’s interplanetary science. The newly launched ESCAPADE mission to Mars offers a sanity check for those plans.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
Can NASA Outsource Its Space Science? This Mars-Bound Mission May Show the Way
NASA’s presumptive next leader wants to outsource more of the space agency’s interplanetary science. The newly launched ESCAPADE mission to Mars offers a sanity check for those plans
www.scientificamerican.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: NASA’s presumptive next leader, Jared Isaacman, wants to outsource more of the space agency’s interplanetary science. The newly launched ESCAPADE mission to Mars offers a sanity check for those plans.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Astronomer here! Want to learn more about what caused the big northern lights display this week? Check out this free lecture on Earth’s magnetosphere from my class on the solar system! 🔭🧪🎢
youtu.be/zRfr1mPjml4
youtu.be/zRfr1mPjml4
Solar System Lecture- The Earth's Magnetosphere
YouTube video by Astronomer here!
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Astronomer here! Want to learn more about what caused the big northern lights display this week? Check out this free lecture on Earth’s magnetosphere from my class on the solar system! 🔭🧪🎢
youtu.be/zRfr1mPjml4
youtu.be/zRfr1mPjml4
Goal for #AcWriMo week 3:
*continue review comments on Paper 1 (nearly finished!!!)
*Discussion section Paper 2 (maybe???)
*continue review comments on Paper 1 (nearly finished!!!)
*Discussion section Paper 2 (maybe???)
Oooof. Got behind on that discussion section. These reviewer comments are taking up my brain waves 🧠
November 15, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Goal for #AcWriMo week 3:
*continue review comments on Paper 1 (nearly finished!!!)
*Discussion section Paper 2 (maybe???)
*continue review comments on Paper 1 (nearly finished!!!)
*Discussion section Paper 2 (maybe???)
Oooof. Got behind on that discussion section. These reviewer comments are taking up my brain waves 🧠
Goal for #AcWriMo week 1:
*organize reviewer comments on Paper 1
*fix a figure
*Introduction outline for Paper 2 (that is due in December)
*organize reviewer comments on Paper 1
*fix a figure
*Introduction outline for Paper 2 (that is due in December)
November 15, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Oooof. Got behind on that discussion section. These reviewer comments are taking up my brain waves 🧠
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
So to summarize, your image is packed with mistakes, uses an exploitative tech, fails to communicate a clear message, displays your ignorance, insults the people of that county, makes you look like environmental vandals and fails to describe your key demographic.
This is why you pay a designer. 7/7
This is why you pay a designer. 7/7
November 15, 2025 at 12:26 PM
So to summarize, your image is packed with mistakes, uses an exploitative tech, fails to communicate a clear message, displays your ignorance, insults the people of that county, makes you look like environmental vandals and fails to describe your key demographic.
This is why you pay a designer. 7/7
This is why you pay a designer. 7/7
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
reminder of cryptogyny, the hiding of women's contributions to science, technology, engineering, and medicine:
"although three men received the Nobel Prize for penicillin, women participated significantly in the team effort that brought the drug to medical usefulness."
www.jstor.org/stable/jj.55...
"although three men received the Nobel Prize for penicillin, women participated significantly in the team effort that brought the drug to medical usefulness."
www.jstor.org/stable/jj.55...
November 15, 2025 at 9:08 AM
reminder of cryptogyny, the hiding of women's contributions to science, technology, engineering, and medicine:
"although three men received the Nobel Prize for penicillin, women participated significantly in the team effort that brought the drug to medical usefulness."
www.jstor.org/stable/jj.55...
"although three men received the Nobel Prize for penicillin, women participated significantly in the team effort that brought the drug to medical usefulness."
www.jstor.org/stable/jj.55...
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
'#Autumn light' by contemporary painter Susan Entwistle #WomensArt
November 14, 2025 at 6:03 PM
'#Autumn light' by contemporary painter Susan Entwistle #WomensArt
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
For the record: this would pretty much ends American field work in the geosciences in China.
That includes:
-the world's largest plateau
-the world's best ice age land sedimentary archive
-number of major fault systems
That includes:
-the world's largest plateau
-the world's best ice age land sedimentary archive
-number of major fault systems
“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM
For the record: this would pretty much ends American field work in the geosciences in China.
That includes:
-the world's largest plateau
-the world's best ice age land sedimentary archive
-number of major fault systems
That includes:
-the world's largest plateau
-the world's best ice age land sedimentary archive
-number of major fault systems
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
In the times of AI, watching a creative process like this one elevates the value of the piece itself, it’s the result of intent and mastery, not shortcuts.
This is just beautiful.
This is just beautiful.
In the second last week for my carbon dust course offered by the Lyme Art Association Natural Science Illustration Program, students had their choice of surface and subject for their final project. I joined them and illustrated a walrus skull which is still in progress #SciArt, #CarbonDust #walrus
November 14, 2025 at 1:51 PM
In the times of AI, watching a creative process like this one elevates the value of the piece itself, it’s the result of intent and mastery, not shortcuts.
This is just beautiful.
This is just beautiful.
Ah yes, the ultimate “more of a comment than a question” 😏
JD Vance: "Science as practiced in its best form is that if you disagree with it, then you ought to criticize it and you ought to argue against it."
November 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Ah yes, the ultimate “more of a comment than a question” 😏
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
On November 12, 1955, a terrible thunderstorm ravaged Hill Valley, California. At 10:04 pm, it will be exactly 70 years since time stood still. #BTTF
November 13, 2025 at 3:04 AM
On November 12, 1955, a terrible thunderstorm ravaged Hill Valley, California. At 10:04 pm, it will be exactly 70 years since time stood still. #BTTF
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
The U.S. has just emerged from the longest government shutdown in its history — a period of deep uncertainty that put science, safety, and resilience at risk. 🧵
November 13, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The U.S. has just emerged from the longest government shutdown in its history — a period of deep uncertainty that put science, safety, and resilience at risk. 🧵
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
We have upgraded our geomagnetic forecast today (12 November 2025) to the highest intensity level amid an ongoing solar storm.
Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.
Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
We have upgraded our geomagnetic forecast today (12 November 2025) to the highest intensity level amid an ongoing solar storm.
Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.
Current predictions suggest that the activity will result in potentially the largest solar storm to hit our planet in over two decades.
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Sky at Night always used to have an early repeat - and we're back, with our collaboration with the Curious Cases team on at 7pm tomorrow on BBC4. Please watch if you possibly can - support your local science program! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Four - The Sky at Night, Space Mysteries: The Sky at Night Meets Curious Cases
Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain join the team to answer viewers' burning queries about space.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Sky at Night always used to have an early repeat - and we're back, with our collaboration with the Curious Cases team on at 7pm tomorrow on BBC4. Please watch if you possibly can - support your local science program! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
With all the strong geomagnetic activity ongoing tonight, have you ever wondered how strong these events need to be to cause some damage? Has this happened in the past? I’d be silly not to use tonight’s hype to promote my new book, ‘Space Hazards’, which explores these questions!
November 12, 2025 at 6:34 AM
With all the strong geomagnetic activity ongoing tonight, have you ever wondered how strong these events need to be to cause some damage? Has this happened in the past? I’d be silly not to use tonight’s hype to promote my new book, ‘Space Hazards’, which explores these questions!
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
A #CosmicVision mission, #ESAPlato will use its 26 cameras to study terrestrial exoplanets in orbits up to the habitable zone of Sun-like stars.
Plato will revolutionise our understanding of how planets form, how planetary systems evolve & the potential habitability of these worlds.
1/ #CM25 🔭
Plato will revolutionise our understanding of how planets form, how planetary systems evolve & the potential habitability of these worlds.
1/ #CM25 🔭
November 12, 2025 at 1:03 PM
A #CosmicVision mission, #ESAPlato will use its 26 cameras to study terrestrial exoplanets in orbits up to the habitable zone of Sun-like stars.
Plato will revolutionise our understanding of how planets form, how planetary systems evolve & the potential habitability of these worlds.
1/ #CM25 🔭
Plato will revolutionise our understanding of how planets form, how planetary systems evolve & the potential habitability of these worlds.
1/ #CM25 🔭
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Japanese paper artist Chie Hitotsuyama creates sculptures of animals using a technique involving rolled strips of wet newspaper #womensart
November 12, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Japanese paper artist Chie Hitotsuyama creates sculptures of animals using a technique involving rolled strips of wet newspaper #womensart
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Nothing says first scene of a scenario like a churchyard tomb collapse
Somerset church tomb collapse exposes 1700s stone crypt
The church says it is currently unclear whether the collapse has damaged any surrounding graves.
www.bbc.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Nothing says first scene of a scenario like a churchyard tomb collapse
Reposted by Dr. Caitlin Ahrens
Remember, to help out scientists studying the Aurora by submitting your photos to Aurorasaurus!
Aurorasaurus.org
Photos don't have to be good! Even just knowing where and when the Aurora was seen is helpful!
Aurorasaurus.org
Photos don't have to be good! Even just knowing where and when the Aurora was seen is helpful!
November 12, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Remember, to help out scientists studying the Aurora by submitting your photos to Aurorasaurus!
Aurorasaurus.org
Photos don't have to be good! Even just knowing where and when the Aurora was seen is helpful!
Aurorasaurus.org
Photos don't have to be good! Even just knowing where and when the Aurora was seen is helpful!