Chara
@astrochara.bsky.social
Astronomy student, planetary science and exoplanet enthusiast, amateur artist.
Reposted by Chara
This bit has been bothering me for years. It's oval-shaped and it doesn't match any imaging artifacts on the NAC that I've seen before. It's almost as if it's a bow shock in the E ring. Any ideas?
November 17, 2025 at 7:54 PM
This bit has been bothering me for years. It's oval-shaped and it doesn't match any imaging artifacts on the NAC that I've seen before. It's almost as if it's a bow shock in the E ring. Any ideas?
Reposted by Chara
Nope nope nope 🚫
Abstracts submitted to LPSC 2026 are required to comply with White House (non-legally binding) executive orders forbidding mention of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
November 17, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Nope nope nope 🚫
Reposted by Chara
I know it’s hard. But you can’t possibly go to an academic conference that imposes restrictions on freedom of speech like this.
Abstracts submitted to LPSC 2026 are required to comply with White House (non-legally binding) executive orders forbidding mention of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I know it’s hard. But you can’t possibly go to an academic conference that imposes restrictions on freedom of speech like this.
Reposted by Chara
Abstracts submitted to LPSC 2026 are required to comply with White House (non-legally binding) executive orders forbidding mention of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
November 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Abstracts submitted to LPSC 2026 are required to comply with White House (non-legally binding) executive orders forbidding mention of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it.
But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.
Reposted by Chara
IRIDESCENT CLOUD ON MARS
Iridescent clouds over Gale Crater (enhanced color) - From Simeon Schmauß (stim3on.bsky.social) - https://flic.kr/p/2qJvryP
November 15, 2025 at 9:05 PM
IRIDESCENT CLOUD ON MARS
Reposted by Chara
Reposted by Chara
Correction! I got the wrong comet here. The image shows Comet K1 ATLAS, not interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS. More about the real comet at the link.
Thank you to the gentle folks who corrected me so nicely.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_...
Thank you to the gentle folks who corrected me so nicely.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_...
C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 14, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Correction! I got the wrong comet here. The image shows Comet K1 ATLAS, not interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS. More about the real comet at the link.
Thank you to the gentle folks who corrected me so nicely.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_...
Thank you to the gentle folks who corrected me so nicely.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2025_...
Reposted by Chara
November 11, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Reposted by Chara
This is supposed to be a mix of real news and satire, but I can’t figure out which is which.
I do know 3I/ATLAS continued doing only comety things for a 114th consecutive day.
oddnews.com/article/this...
I do know 3I/ATLAS continued doing only comety things for a 114th consecutive day.
oddnews.com/article/this...
“This Comet Thing Is Aliens,” Says Resident Harvard Fraud Avi Loeb
Like he does every week, without evidence.
oddnews.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:34 AM
This is supposed to be a mix of real news and satire, but I can’t figure out which is which.
I do know 3I/ATLAS continued doing only comety things for a 114th consecutive day.
oddnews.com/article/this...
I do know 3I/ATLAS continued doing only comety things for a 114th consecutive day.
oddnews.com/article/this...
Reposted by Chara
"The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb"
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb
How media hype and misunderstanding fuel pseudoscientific fascination Introduction The word “cult” is used here in the sense given by...
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:09 AM
"The fallacies behind the cult of Loeb"
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
New entry in my blog. Other articles have covered the scientific aspects; this one reflects on the social phenomenon. I argue it’s driven by a series of fallacies
tinieblasyestrellas.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by Chara
Avi Loeb's calculations about 3I/ATLAS are 100% wrong because he has never understood that dust in the tail(s) responds to solar radiation pressure. Solar wind shapes the ion tail. But the radiation pressure is about 1000 times larger than the solar wind ram pressure, for particles that feel it.
November 13, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Avi Loeb's calculations about 3I/ATLAS are 100% wrong because he has never understood that dust in the tail(s) responds to solar radiation pressure. Solar wind shapes the ion tail. But the radiation pressure is about 1000 times larger than the solar wind ram pressure, for particles that feel it.
Reposted by Chara
Sharing some of the high-quality Breath of Fire III artwork by Tatsuya Yoshikawa that came from GamePro magazine press CDs preserved by @gamehistoryorg.bsky.social!
It's cool to see the Japanese key art separated between the background and Ryu/Nina/Rei/Garr group!
It's cool to see the Japanese key art separated between the background and Ryu/Nina/Rei/Garr group!
November 13, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Sharing some of the high-quality Breath of Fire III artwork by Tatsuya Yoshikawa that came from GamePro magazine press CDs preserved by @gamehistoryorg.bsky.social!
It's cool to see the Japanese key art separated between the background and Ryu/Nina/Rei/Garr group!
It's cool to see the Japanese key art separated between the background and Ryu/Nina/Rei/Garr group!
Reposted by Chara
AGU is calling on Congress to finish full-year appropriations for science agencies—and we need your voice.
📢 Read more from our president, Brandon Jones, who reminds us that together, we can keep science standing strong: buff.ly/prxry8C
#ScienceIsEssential #AGUAdvocacy #SupportScience
📢 Read more from our president, Brandon Jones, who reminds us that together, we can keep science standing strong: buff.ly/prxry8C
#ScienceIsEssential #AGUAdvocacy #SupportScience
Don’t Just Reopen Government. Recommit to Science.
The United States has just come through the longest government shutdown in its history—a period of deep uncertainty that exacerbated hardships for the nation. Some scientists still reported for duty…
fromtheprow.agu.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:45 PM
AGU is calling on Congress to finish full-year appropriations for science agencies—and we need your voice.
📢 Read more from our president, Brandon Jones, who reminds us that together, we can keep science standing strong: buff.ly/prxry8C
#ScienceIsEssential #AGUAdvocacy #SupportScience
📢 Read more from our president, Brandon Jones, who reminds us that together, we can keep science standing strong: buff.ly/prxry8C
#ScienceIsEssential #AGUAdvocacy #SupportScience
Reposted by Chara
On 13 Nov 2026 #NASA's Voyager 1 will be one light day (25.9b km/16b mi) from Earth. No other nation has done this - yet Voyager carries greetings from all humanity. We're not only spacefaring - we're now starfaring. How about a #LightDay - some #interstellar #softpower for NASA?
November 12, 2025 at 7:31 PM
On 13 Nov 2026 #NASA's Voyager 1 will be one light day (25.9b km/16b mi) from Earth. No other nation has done this - yet Voyager carries greetings from all humanity. We're not only spacefaring - we're now starfaring. How about a #LightDay - some #interstellar #softpower for NASA?
Reposted by Chara
My daughter has been googling me also, but is yet to find my teacher ratings. I have one negative rating on ratemyprofessor and I am actually quite proud of it. It says "Great class to take if you are interested in astronomy". Don't take an astro class if you are not interested in astro.
my younger child has evidently been googling me and wants me to relive one of my lowest moments in my academic career
![Screenshot of a student review online with comment “Some student really does not like you.
Most Agreed Review
[COCI C1102] Contemporary Civilization
Nov 16, 2005
Although he's a nice guy, Tony is a boring and useless teacher. You won't learn much of anything from him and he will kill any interest in philosophy because he is so boring. He also has no idea how t...
Workload
3 papers each semester, lots of reading and 2 presentations per semester, a midterm and final each semester](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2sfy6irvmfmnwxe4ouhrrn7a/bafkreihk3rdc3gyy2hdajan3qrsm65wjve3wibbb6fhhu46z75zjdt6ohe@jpeg)
November 12, 2025 at 11:34 PM
My daughter has been googling me also, but is yet to find my teacher ratings. I have one negative rating on ratemyprofessor and I am actually quite proud of it. It says "Great class to take if you are interested in astronomy". Don't take an astro class if you are not interested in astro.
Reposted by Chara
This is so cool. Siblings of the Pleiades strewn over the entire sky. Within some of the oldest written languages in the world, from Sumerian to Eblaite to Akkadadian and Hebrew, the name for Pleiades has etymological links to the word "family," and now that family is much bigger.
Check out NYT coverage of the latest results from Young Worlds Lab graduate student Andy Boyle. 🧪🔭✨⭐️
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/s...
The ‘Lost Sisters’ of the Pleiades Fill the Entire Night Sky
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:16 PM
This is so cool. Siblings of the Pleiades strewn over the entire sky. Within some of the oldest written languages in the world, from Sumerian to Eblaite to Akkadadian and Hebrew, the name for Pleiades has etymological links to the word "family," and now that family is much bigger.
Yesterday, two preprint about #Quaoar dropped on arXiv. One is about its second moon discovered by stellar occultation. The other constrains the orbit of the known moon Weywot. But I was drawn to its findings on Quaoar. (More in alt text)
#art #astronomy #space #SolarSystem #planet #dwarfplanet
#art #astronomy #space #SolarSystem #planet #dwarfplanet
November 12, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Yesterday, two preprint about #Quaoar dropped on arXiv. One is about its second moon discovered by stellar occultation. The other constrains the orbit of the known moon Weywot. But I was drawn to its findings on Quaoar. (More in alt text)
#art #astronomy #space #SolarSystem #planet #dwarfplanet
#art #astronomy #space #SolarSystem #planet #dwarfplanet
Reposted by Chara
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS “Anomalies” Explained
Avi Loeb continues to claim that 3I/ATLAS has many anomalous behaviors that lead to the conclusion that it “might” be an alien spacecraft. He carefully hedges the probability that it is a spacecraft ...
sites.psu.edu
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I've summarized the truth about Loeb's 10 "anomalies" about 3I/ATLAS in one post.
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Thanks to @deschscoveries.bsky.social @michael-w-busch.bsky.social @cometary.org and @marshall-eubanks.bsky.social for contributing their expertise!
Reposted by Chara
Why are planetary scientists, astrobiologists and and SETI scientists so negative (pissed off, even) about Avi Loeb’s repeated claims that 3I/Atlas may be an invading alien spaceship?
🧵
🧪🔭🛸
(1/7)
🧵
🧪🔭🛸
(1/7)
November 10, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Why are planetary scientists, astrobiologists and and SETI scientists so negative (pissed off, even) about Avi Loeb’s repeated claims that 3I/Atlas may be an invading alien spaceship?
🧵
🧪🔭🛸
(1/7)
🧵
🧪🔭🛸
(1/7)
Reposted by Chara
Hey you. YES YOU. Super persnickety astronomer. You know who you are.
NASA Exoplanet Archive just updated our overview pages so the stars are closer to their actual colours, as per Harre & Heller (2021) and Cranmer (2021).
You're welcome. 😎
(You can thank @kevinkhu.bsky.social!)
NASA Exoplanet Archive just updated our overview pages so the stars are closer to their actual colours, as per Harre & Heller (2021) and Cranmer (2021).
You're welcome. 😎
(You can thank @kevinkhu.bsky.social!)
November 8, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Hey you. YES YOU. Super persnickety astronomer. You know who you are.
NASA Exoplanet Archive just updated our overview pages so the stars are closer to their actual colours, as per Harre & Heller (2021) and Cranmer (2021).
You're welcome. 😎
(You can thank @kevinkhu.bsky.social!)
NASA Exoplanet Archive just updated our overview pages so the stars are closer to their actual colours, as per Harre & Heller (2021) and Cranmer (2021).
You're welcome. 😎
(You can thank @kevinkhu.bsky.social!)
Reposted by Chara
Brown. Dwarfs. Are. Purple.
Fixing what really matters (to me) on the NASA #Exoplanet Archive since December 2024. 🤣 🔭
Fixing what really matters (to me) on the NASA #Exoplanet Archive since December 2024. 🤣 🔭
Hey you. YES YOU. Super persnickety astronomer. You know who you are.
NASA Exoplanet Archive just updated our overview pages so the stars are closer to their actual colours, as per Harre & Heller (2021) and Cranmer (2021).
You're welcome. 😎
(You can thank @kevinkhu.bsky.social!)
NASA Exoplanet Archive just updated our overview pages so the stars are closer to their actual colours, as per Harre & Heller (2021) and Cranmer (2021).
You're welcome. 😎
(You can thank @kevinkhu.bsky.social!)
November 8, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Brown. Dwarfs. Are. Purple.
Fixing what really matters (to me) on the NASA #Exoplanet Archive since December 2024. 🤣 🔭
Fixing what really matters (to me) on the NASA #Exoplanet Archive since December 2024. 🤣 🔭
Reposted by Chara
November 6, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Chara
neck deep in the scarlet devil mansion so of course i can only think about the bar none funniest touhou post ever writ
November 2, 2025 at 10:39 PM
neck deep in the scarlet devil mansion so of course i can only think about the bar none funniest touhou post ever writ
Reposted by Chara
“We are told that AI is inevitable, that we must adapt or be left behind. But universities are not tech companies. Our role is to foster critical thinking, not to follow industry trends uncritically.”
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 1, 2025 at 10:45 PM
“We are told that AI is inevitable, that we must adapt or be left behind. But universities are not tech companies. Our role is to foster critical thinking, not to follow industry trends uncritically.”
Reposted by Chara
Cassini NAC natural color view taken on 2011-04-25 19:34 UTC.
Distance to Rhea: 2.23 million km
Distance to Dione: 3.12 million km
Distance to Enceladus: 2.98 million km
Distance to Saturn: 2.75 million km
Phase angle: 67 deg
live.staticflickr.com/7257/7148482...
Distance to Rhea: 2.23 million km
Distance to Dione: 3.12 million km
Distance to Enceladus: 2.98 million km
Distance to Saturn: 2.75 million km
Phase angle: 67 deg
live.staticflickr.com/7257/7148482...
January 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Cassini NAC natural color view taken on 2011-04-25 19:34 UTC.
Distance to Rhea: 2.23 million km
Distance to Dione: 3.12 million km
Distance to Enceladus: 2.98 million km
Distance to Saturn: 2.75 million km
Phase angle: 67 deg
live.staticflickr.com/7257/7148482...
Distance to Rhea: 2.23 million km
Distance to Dione: 3.12 million km
Distance to Enceladus: 2.98 million km
Distance to Saturn: 2.75 million km
Phase angle: 67 deg
live.staticflickr.com/7257/7148482...