Alexis Quintana
@alexis-space.bsky.social
Astronomy postdoc fellow in LIRA (@liraastro.bsky.social), Paris Observatory (@obs-paris-psl.bsky.social) in 🇨🇵.
Works on OB stars, stellar associations & clusters and Galactic structure & dynamics.
From 🇧🇪, previously in 🇬🇧 and 🇪🇦.
he/him
Works on OB stars, stellar associations & clusters and Galactic structure & dynamics.
From 🇧🇪, previously in 🇬🇧 and 🇪🇦.
he/him
Pinned
A new census of OB associations with Gaia!
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
Today I've presented my work for a seminar at the Astrophysics Laboratory of Bordeaux (LAB in French). Insightful exchanges and scientific discussions, I enjoyed my visit there 😁
#astronomy
#astronomy
January 20, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Today I've presented my work for a seminar at the Astrophysics Laboratory of Bordeaux (LAB in French). Insightful exchanges and scientific discussions, I enjoyed my visit there 😁
#astronomy
#astronomy
So rare to see my home town on BlueSky 😄
January 15, 2026 at 8:51 AM
So rare to see my home town on BlueSky 😄
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
What is this? Maybe a painting?
No!
It's about NGC 2736, or Pencil Nebula, a small part of the Vela Supernova Remnant. 🔭
It's thought to be formed from part of its shock wave, plowing through interstellar space at over 500,000 km per hour!
Image by Greg Turgeon & Utkarsh Mishra
🧪 #science 1/3
No!
It's about NGC 2736, or Pencil Nebula, a small part of the Vela Supernova Remnant. 🔭
It's thought to be formed from part of its shock wave, plowing through interstellar space at over 500,000 km per hour!
Image by Greg Turgeon & Utkarsh Mishra
🧪 #science 1/3
January 11, 2026 at 6:05 PM
What is this? Maybe a painting?
No!
It's about NGC 2736, or Pencil Nebula, a small part of the Vela Supernova Remnant. 🔭
It's thought to be formed from part of its shock wave, plowing through interstellar space at over 500,000 km per hour!
Image by Greg Turgeon & Utkarsh Mishra
🧪 #science 1/3
No!
It's about NGC 2736, or Pencil Nebula, a small part of the Vela Supernova Remnant. 🔭
It's thought to be formed from part of its shock wave, plowing through interstellar space at over 500,000 km per hour!
Image by Greg Turgeon & Utkarsh Mishra
🧪 #science 1/3
😎
don't know what we'd do without clustering algorithms
January 11, 2026 at 9:31 AM
😎
That's a very interesting thing to do! I must admit that, as an academic, one of my favourite parts of my job is to be able to travel in lots of exciting places 😁
January 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM
That's a very interesting thing to do! I must admit that, as an academic, one of my favourite parts of my job is to be able to travel in lots of exciting places 😁
It's obviously harder to commute uphill to the Paris Observatory with the snow, but the stunning view makes it worth it! 🔭 ❄️
January 6, 2026 at 11:59 AM
It's obviously harder to commute uphill to the Paris Observatory with the snow, but the stunning view makes it worth it! 🔭 ❄️
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Meilleurs vœux 2026 du LIRA ✨
2025 a marqué notre première année d’existence, riche en avancées scientifiques et instrumentales, grâce à l’engagement de nos équipes et partenaires. Merci à toutes et tous. 2026 s’annonce pleine de découvertes et d’innovations !
2025 a marqué notre première année d’existence, riche en avancées scientifiques et instrumentales, grâce à l’engagement de nos équipes et partenaires. Merci à toutes et tous. 2026 s’annonce pleine de découvertes et d’innovations !
January 5, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Meilleurs vœux 2026 du LIRA ✨
2025 a marqué notre première année d’existence, riche en avancées scientifiques et instrumentales, grâce à l’engagement de nos équipes et partenaires. Merci à toutes et tous. 2026 s’annonce pleine de découvertes et d’innovations !
2025 a marqué notre première année d’existence, riche en avancées scientifiques et instrumentales, grâce à l’engagement de nos équipes et partenaires. Merci à toutes et tous. 2026 s’annonce pleine de découvertes et d’innovations !
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
L'Observatoire de Paris - PSL vous souhaite une lumineuse année ! @psl-univ.bsky.social
January 5, 2026 at 3:40 PM
L'Observatoire de Paris - PSL vous souhaite une lumineuse année ! @psl-univ.bsky.social
There's not a lot of good news lately, so astronauts orbiting the Moon for the first time in half a century can only bring a smile on my face! 😀🔭
Canadians! As early as next month, one of our astronauts will be flying to the Moon.
Tomorrow night, I'm starting a weekly live stream to teach you all about the mission, Artemis II. Two topics (15 mins each) and 15 mins of Q&A.
Starts at 8:00 PM ET. See you there! www.youtube.com/watch?v=eneu...
Tomorrow night, I'm starting a weekly live stream to teach you all about the mission, Artemis II. Two topics (15 mins each) and 15 mins of Q&A.
Starts at 8:00 PM ET. See you there! www.youtube.com/watch?v=eneu...
Canada's Countdown to Artemis II: Jan 5, 2026
YouTube video by Plateau Astro
www.youtube.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:59 AM
There's not a lot of good news lately, so astronauts orbiting the Moon for the first time in half a century can only bring a smile on my face! 😀🔭
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Our Solar System is orbiting the center of our Galaxy at about 220 km/s so in 2025 we collectively traveled something like 7 billion kilometers across the Milky Way. Once in a while, when you have a moment, it’s worthwhile to take a look around, see where you are, and appreciate how far you’ve come.
January 1, 2026 at 5:27 AM
Our Solar System is orbiting the center of our Galaxy at about 220 km/s so in 2025 we collectively traveled something like 7 billion kilometers across the Milky Way. Once in a while, when you have a moment, it’s worthwhile to take a look around, see where you are, and appreciate how far you’ve come.
A slowly-expanding superbubble across the Perseus spiral arm! 🔭 #galactic
In this study led by Bingqiu Chen, published in Nature, massive OB stars were used to analyse the expansion of the Giant Oval Cavity. This feature, akin to the Phantom Bubble, has a survival timescale of 250 million years!
In this study led by Bingqiu Chen, published in Nature, massive OB stars were used to analyse the expansion of the Giant Oval Cavity. This feature, akin to the Phantom Bubble, has a survival timescale of 250 million years!
December 29, 2025 at 12:02 PM
A slowly-expanding superbubble across the Perseus spiral arm! 🔭 #galactic
In this study led by Bingqiu Chen, published in Nature, massive OB stars were used to analyse the expansion of the Giant Oval Cavity. This feature, akin to the Phantom Bubble, has a survival timescale of 250 million years!
In this study led by Bingqiu Chen, published in Nature, massive OB stars were used to analyse the expansion of the Giant Oval Cavity. This feature, akin to the Phantom Bubble, has a survival timescale of 250 million years!
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
"Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show.
The secret lies in an inner glow.
It's lighting a fire inside the heart.
[...]
It's glorious dream in the soul of man."
~ W. A. Peterson in 'The Art of Living'
#MerryChristmas everybody✨🎄🎅
➡️ eso.org/public/image...
🔭 🧪 #Universe
The secret lies in an inner glow.
It's lighting a fire inside the heart.
[...]
It's glorious dream in the soul of man."
~ W. A. Peterson in 'The Art of Living'
#MerryChristmas everybody✨🎄🎅
➡️ eso.org/public/image...
🔭 🧪 #Universe
December 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
"Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show.
The secret lies in an inner glow.
It's lighting a fire inside the heart.
[...]
It's glorious dream in the soul of man."
~ W. A. Peterson in 'The Art of Living'
#MerryChristmas everybody✨🎄🎅
➡️ eso.org/public/image...
🔭 🧪 #Universe
The secret lies in an inner glow.
It's lighting a fire inside the heart.
[...]
It's glorious dream in the soul of man."
~ W. A. Peterson in 'The Art of Living'
#MerryChristmas everybody✨🎄🎅
➡️ eso.org/public/image...
🔭 🧪 #Universe
Question for people who have organised astronomy conferences in the past: have you commissioned artists to realize the main conference poster? I believe there is a huge potential to combine art and science, particularly as astronomy has a strong visual appeal.
#astronomy
#astronomy
December 23, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Question for people who have organised astronomy conferences in the past: have you commissioned artists to realize the main conference poster? I believe there is a huge potential to combine art and science, particularly as astronomy has a strong visual appeal.
#astronomy
#astronomy
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
The Gaia DR4 page has been updated!
www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dr4
This is a one year advance notification of what is expected to be astronomy's biggest Christmas gift ever in 2026!
www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dr4
This is a one year advance notification of what is expected to be astronomy's biggest Christmas gift ever in 2026!
Gaia DR4 content - Gaia - Cosmos
3 future 0
www.cosmos.esa.int
December 19, 2025 at 12:18 PM
The Gaia DR4 page has been updated!
www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dr4
This is a one year advance notification of what is expected to be astronomy's biggest Christmas gift ever in 2026!
www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dr4
This is a one year advance notification of what is expected to be astronomy's biggest Christmas gift ever in 2026!
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
🆕 This NASA/ESA/CSA #Webb Space Telescope image shows the Westerlund 2 star cluster. 🧪🔭
🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/12/Webb_Dwarf_stars_in_a_glittering_sky
@science.esa.int @stsci.edu
🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/12/Webb_Dwarf_stars_in_a_glittering_sky
@science.esa.int @stsci.edu
December 19, 2025 at 9:15 AM
🆕 This NASA/ESA/CSA #Webb Space Telescope image shows the Westerlund 2 star cluster. 🧪🔭
🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/12/Webb_Dwarf_stars_in_a_glittering_sky
@science.esa.int @stsci.edu
🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/12/Webb_Dwarf_stars_in_a_glittering_sky
@science.esa.int @stsci.edu
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
December 16, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
🚀 Sommes-nous seuls dans l’Univers ?
Dans son nouveau livre, Quentin Kral (LIRA) nous entraîne au cœur des méthodes qui permettent de traquer la vie ailleurs : mondes océans, exoplanètes, signaux mystérieux…
👉 observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/comment-fait...
Dans son nouveau livre, Quentin Kral (LIRA) nous entraîne au cœur des méthodes qui permettent de traquer la vie ailleurs : mondes océans, exoplanètes, signaux mystérieux…
👉 observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/comment-fait...
Comment fait-on ? Quelles découvertes nous attendent ? – Observatoire de Paris - PSL - Centre de recherche en astronomie et astrophysique
Depuis des millénaires, l'humanité rêve de compagnons cosmiques : et si la vie n'était pas une exception terrestre, mais une règle de l'Univers ? Ce livre retrace et parcourt l'histoire de plusieurs…
observatoiredeparis.psl.eu
December 12, 2025 at 9:54 AM
🚀 Sommes-nous seuls dans l’Univers ?
Dans son nouveau livre, Quentin Kral (LIRA) nous entraîne au cœur des méthodes qui permettent de traquer la vie ailleurs : mondes océans, exoplanètes, signaux mystérieux…
👉 observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/comment-fait...
Dans son nouveau livre, Quentin Kral (LIRA) nous entraîne au cœur des méthodes qui permettent de traquer la vie ailleurs : mondes océans, exoplanètes, signaux mystérieux…
👉 observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/comment-fait...
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Mind-blowing new paper just out! 🧪
A research team used #Gaia to create the most detailed 3D census to date of OB associations within ~1000 ly from the Sun.
Result? 🔭
57 groups of massive stars — twice as many as we knew before — that were born together and are now slowly drifting apart.
1/4
A research team used #Gaia to create the most detailed 3D census to date of OB associations within ~1000 ly from the Sun.
Result? 🔭
57 groups of massive stars — twice as many as we knew before — that were born together and are now slowly drifting apart.
1/4
A new census of OB associations with Gaia!
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
December 9, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Mind-blowing new paper just out! 🧪
A research team used #Gaia to create the most detailed 3D census to date of OB associations within ~1000 ly from the Sun.
Result? 🔭
57 groups of massive stars — twice as many as we knew before — that were born together and are now slowly drifting apart.
1/4
A research team used #Gaia to create the most detailed 3D census to date of OB associations within ~1000 ly from the Sun.
Result? 🔭
57 groups of massive stars — twice as many as we knew before — that were born together and are now slowly drifting apart.
1/4
A new census of OB associations with Gaia!
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
December 8, 2025 at 8:06 AM
A new census of OB associations with Gaia!
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
In this study, we took advantage of my OB stars map to find new OB associations within 1 kpc. The goal was to create a useful reference catalogue for this era, and to trace the star formation and structure of the local Milky Way.
#stellarastro #galactic
One of the clusters I studied 😀
November 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM
One of the clusters I studied 😀
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Highlight: The large-scale kinematics of young stars in the Milky Way disc: First results from SDSS-V
by Eleonora Zari, Jaime Villaseñor, Marina Kounkel, et al. 2025, A&A, 703, A303
www.aanda.org/2025-highlig...
by Eleonora Zari, Jaime Villaseñor, Marina Kounkel, et al. 2025, A&A, 703, A303
www.aanda.org/2025-highlig...
November 28, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Highlight: The large-scale kinematics of young stars in the Milky Way disc: First results from SDSS-V
by Eleonora Zari, Jaime Villaseñor, Marina Kounkel, et al. 2025, A&A, 703, A303
www.aanda.org/2025-highlig...
by Eleonora Zari, Jaime Villaseñor, Marina Kounkel, et al. 2025, A&A, 703, A303
www.aanda.org/2025-highlig...
Reposted by Alexis Quintana
Join us on a trip to the region between the Scorpius and Ophiuchus constellations, home to tens of rogue planets.
Rogue planets do not orbit a star but roam freely. Since they are not illuminated by nearby stars, they are hard to discover.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2120/ 🔭
Rogue planets do not orbit a star but roam freely. Since they are not illuminated by nearby stars, they are hard to discover.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2120/ 🔭
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Join us on a trip to the region between the Scorpius and Ophiuchus constellations, home to tens of rogue planets.
Rogue planets do not orbit a star but roam freely. Since they are not illuminated by nearby stars, they are hard to discover.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2120/ 🔭
Rogue planets do not orbit a star but roam freely. Since they are not illuminated by nearby stars, they are hard to discover.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2120/ 🔭
A new 3D map of interstellar dust with Gaia! 🌌
A new study, led by Marie Barbillon, exploited the spectroscopic parametriser from Gaia DR3 to build a high-resolution extinction map! It extends up to 4 kpc from the Sun, with a finer version focused on the Local Bubble area.
#astro #galactic
A new study, led by Marie Barbillon, exploited the spectroscopic parametriser from Gaia DR3 to build a high-resolution extinction map! It extends up to 4 kpc from the Sun, with a finer version focused on the Local Bubble area.
#astro #galactic
November 18, 2025 at 9:35 AM
😎
A section of Ara OB1, a stellar association, is visible in this image.
Stellar associations are large groupings of loosely bound stars that have not yet completely drifted away from their initial formation site.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1510/ 🔭
📷 ESO
#Flashback
Stellar associations are large groupings of loosely bound stars that have not yet completely drifted away from their initial formation site.
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1510/ 🔭
📷 ESO
#Flashback
November 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
😎
The Great Pleaides Complex! A new study, led by Andrew Boyle, identified the diffuse remnants of this cluster and trace them back to the same natal cloud! Truly impressive how much we can learn with Gaia an TESS data even on an open cluster as famous as the Pleaides.
#astro #stellarastro #galactic
#astro #stellarastro #galactic
November 15, 2025 at 3:07 PM
The Great Pleaides Complex! A new study, led by Andrew Boyle, identified the diffuse remnants of this cluster and trace them back to the same natal cloud! Truly impressive how much we can learn with Gaia an TESS data even on an open cluster as famous as the Pleaides.
#astro #stellarastro #galactic
#astro #stellarastro #galactic