Dr. Amber Straughn (she/her)
@astraughnomer.bsky.social
Black Lives Matter. NASA Astrophysicist for #JWST. From Arkansas. Hiking, yoga, Great Dane mom, pilot, Pearl Jam superfan. #FirstGen Personal account - my views
It's been yet another heavy, scary, infuriating week in this country. It's easy to feel angry, scared, hopeless (those feelings are ok). But. But. The universe is incredible, and we are learning amazing things. Dive into this deep field; let it be a positive start to your weekend ✨
November 21, 2025 at 9:39 PM
It's been yet another heavy, scary, infuriating week in this country. It's easy to feel angry, scared, hopeless (those feelings are ok). But. But. The universe is incredible, and we are learning amazing things. Dive into this deep field; let it be a positive start to your weekend ✨
A fun memory…3 years ago I got to host a Guest DJ segment on @pearljam.com radio! 🤩 As much media stuff as I’ve done for nasa, I was still REALLY nervous for this. It was soooo much fun though 😀
November 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
A fun memory…3 years ago I got to host a Guest DJ segment on @pearljam.com radio! 🤩 As much media stuff as I’ve done for nasa, I was still REALLY nervous for this. It was soooo much fun though 😀
Have you noticed less beauty in your feeds the last 6+ weeks? Fewer gasps of awe? Fewer prompts to consider a universal perspective; to ask big questions? While much of US spending is on decreasing bad things, NASA is a perfect example of increasing the good ✨ Here's a new JWST image!
November 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Have you noticed less beauty in your feeds the last 6+ weeks? Fewer gasps of awe? Fewer prompts to consider a universal perspective; to ask big questions? While much of US spending is on decreasing bad things, NASA is a perfect example of increasing the good ✨ Here's a new JWST image!
WE ARE BACK!! And the Roman telescope is looking *GREAT* as we continue to prep it for launch here at @nasagoddard 🚀✨ Roman is designed to unravel the mysteries of the dark universe - dark matter & dark energy - as well as finding tens of thousands of new planets outside our solar system.
November 14, 2025 at 7:24 PM
WE ARE BACK!! And the Roman telescope is looking *GREAT* as we continue to prep it for launch here at @nasagoddard 🚀✨ Roman is designed to unravel the mysteries of the dark universe - dark matter & dark energy - as well as finding tens of thousands of new planets outside our solar system.
Another 10+ mile day (w/ my 25lb pack - training for a backpacking trip in a few months)! Did one yesterday too. Gorgeous weather, beautiful trees. Although didn’t find the cat and no idea who Bob is 😝 #getoutside #hiking #furloughlife
October 28, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Another 10+ mile day (w/ my 25lb pack - training for a backpacking trip in a few months)! Did one yesterday too. Gorgeous weather, beautiful trees. Although didn’t find the cat and no idea who Bob is 😝 #getoutside #hiking #furloughlife
Friday furlough flying…maybe it’ll become a thing since there’s no end in sight to this shutdown 🙄 Trying to make the best of it despite not getting a paycheck and missing my #nasa peeps #avgeek #giventofly #cessnaflyer
October 17, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Friday furlough flying…maybe it’ll become a thing since there’s no end in sight to this shutdown 🙄 Trying to make the best of it despite not getting a paycheck and missing my #nasa peeps #avgeek #giventofly #cessnaflyer
Vaccines save lives. Trust scientific consensus.
October 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Vaccines save lives. Trust scientific consensus.
Been outside a lot the last few days!! Two back-to-back hefty hikes w/ our packs in prep for a big backpacking trip coming up in a few months 😀
October 11, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Been outside a lot the last few days!! Two back-to-back hefty hikes w/ our packs in prep for a big backpacking trip coming up in a few months 😀
First few days of furlough last week were spent visiting my 6 month old niece in Providence 🥰 Don’t worry - teaching her astrophysics wasn’t part of my official nasa duties
October 9, 2025 at 8:20 PM
First few days of furlough last week were spent visiting my 6 month old niece in Providence 🥰 Don’t worry - teaching her astrophysics wasn’t part of my official nasa duties
people leaving nasa today like
September 30, 2025 at 10:38 PM
people leaving nasa today like
This #jwst story is full of weirdness: 1) auroras were found on a rogue planet (a planet w/o a star) 2) BILLIONS - TRILLIONS of rogue planets could exist in our Milky Way 🤯 3) this planet is 20 light-years away & ~12.7x the mass of Jupiter (pic is illustration) www.universetoday.com/articles/jam...
September 29, 2025 at 6:40 PM
This #jwst story is full of weirdness: 1) auroras were found on a rogue planet (a planet w/o a star) 2) BILLIONS - TRILLIONS of rogue planets could exist in our Milky Way 🤯 3) this planet is 20 light-years away & ~12.7x the mass of Jupiter (pic is illustration) www.universetoday.com/articles/jam...
Stunning new #jwst images reveal new insights into what's going on in the most massive and active star-forming region in our Milky Way galaxy. Read the article for more, and a fun slider that shows 2 different versions of this image ➡️ science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
September 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Stunning new #jwst images reveal new insights into what's going on in the most massive and active star-forming region in our Milky Way galaxy. Read the article for more, and a fun slider that shows 2 different versions of this image ➡️ science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
Trying a new thing! 😀 Just got back from my first backpacking trip! An easy/short 1-nighter. It was fun to test my gear and be sung to sleep by crickets and cicadas #getoutside
September 21, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Trying a new thing! 😀 Just got back from my first backpacking trip! An easy/short 1-nighter. It was fun to test my gear and be sung to sleep by crickets and cicadas #getoutside
The universe is wild, y'all! "NASA’s Hubble Sees White Dwarf Eating Piece of Pluto-Like Object" In several billion years, when our Sun collapses into a white dwarf, it might munch on actual Pluto, too! More here: science.nasa.gov/missions/hub...
September 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
The universe is wild, y'all! "NASA’s Hubble Sees White Dwarf Eating Piece of Pluto-Like Object" In several billion years, when our Sun collapses into a white dwarf, it might munch on actual Pluto, too! More here: science.nasa.gov/missions/hub...
The beauty of the universe still takes my breath away ✨ Star birth, star death - it's all here in today's stunning #apod Read more: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25091... 📸: J. De Winter, C. Humbert, C. Robert & V. Sabet
September 17, 2025 at 5:23 PM
The beauty of the universe still takes my breath away ✨ Star birth, star death - it's all here in today's stunning #apod Read more: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25091... 📸: J. De Winter, C. Humbert, C. Robert & V. Sabet
In spite of it all, life is beautiful.
Happy Friday, friends. Here's a stunning image of Jupiter, taken from the #nasa Juno spacecraft, one of the missions slated for cancellation in the 2026 budget request. Quote/lyric from @idlesband.bsky.social (🔥 last night in Bmore) Info from: nasa.gov/juno)
Happy Friday, friends. Here's a stunning image of Jupiter, taken from the #nasa Juno spacecraft, one of the missions slated for cancellation in the 2026 budget request. Quote/lyric from @idlesband.bsky.social (🔥 last night in Bmore) Info from: nasa.gov/juno)
September 12, 2025 at 3:30 PM
In spite of it all, life is beautiful.
Happy Friday, friends. Here's a stunning image of Jupiter, taken from the #nasa Juno spacecraft, one of the missions slated for cancellation in the 2026 budget request. Quote/lyric from @idlesband.bsky.social (🔥 last night in Bmore) Info from: nasa.gov/juno)
Happy Friday, friends. Here's a stunning image of Jupiter, taken from the #nasa Juno spacecraft, one of the missions slated for cancellation in the 2026 budget request. Quote/lyric from @idlesband.bsky.social (🔥 last night in Bmore) Info from: nasa.gov/juno)
Stunning! A gigantic jet of gas from a newly forming huge star. The size of this jet is about *8 light-years* - that's TWICE the distance b/n the Sun and the next closest star 🤯 #jwst Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
September 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Stunning! A gigantic jet of gas from a newly forming huge star. The size of this jet is about *8 light-years* - that's TWICE the distance b/n the Sun and the next closest star 🤯 #jwst Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
5500 light years from us, new stars are being born ✨ This stunning new #jwst image showcases 2 of the brightest & most massive stars known - weighing in at over 60x the mass of our Sun! Data like this are helping us understand how stars are born. Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
September 5, 2025 at 2:50 PM
5500 light years from us, new stars are being born ✨ This stunning new #jwst image showcases 2 of the brightest & most massive stars known - weighing in at over 60x the mass of our Sun! Data like this are helping us understand how stars are born. Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
August 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Happy birthday to two of the very best 💜🖤 @pearljam.com #pearljam
August 28, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Happy birthday to two of the very best 💜🖤 @pearljam.com #pearljam
Got some MUCH NEEDED trail time today
August 23, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Got some MUCH NEEDED trail time today
Seven years ago today - Matt's first @pearljam.com show with me 😀 Wrigley shows are always 🔥 #pearljam
August 19, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Seven years ago today - Matt's first @pearljam.com show with me 😀 Wrigley shows are always 🔥 #pearljam
This is a Hubble image of a "grand design spiral" (formally NGC 1309) ~100 million light years away & about 30,000 light years across (~1/3 the size of our Milky Way). It's also had 2 recent supernovae ✨ Read more via apod: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25081... #nasa #space
August 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
This is a Hubble image of a "grand design spiral" (formally NGC 1309) ~100 million light years away & about 30,000 light years across (~1/3 the size of our Milky Way). It's also had 2 recent supernovae ✨ Read more via apod: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25081... #nasa #space
WHOA! Possible evidence of a "direct collapse" black hole in the Infinity Galaxy ♾️ This unusually-shaped galaxy likely formed via the collision of 2 disk galaxies, but what's REALLY weird is the gigantic black hole is smack in the middle! #jwst Read more: science.nasa.gov/blogs/webb/2...
July 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM
WHOA! Possible evidence of a "direct collapse" black hole in the Infinity Galaxy ♾️ This unusually-shaped galaxy likely formed via the collision of 2 disk galaxies, but what's REALLY weird is the gigantic black hole is smack in the middle! #jwst Read more: science.nasa.gov/blogs/webb/2...