Leila Belkora PhD, astrophysics
@leilabelkora.bsky.social
Science writer. Roots in US (NE/CO), Morocco, Switzerland. She/her. Current project: poet Robert Frost as amateur astronomer, to come from Clemson @cupress.bsky.social
Agent Henry Thayer at Brandt & Hochman.
Agent Henry Thayer at Brandt & Hochman.
Took the rainbow picture before going into grocery store. This is what greeted me upon exiting. Very heavy downpour (not snow as it may look).
November 21, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Took the rainbow picture before going into grocery store. This is what greeted me upon exiting. Very heavy downpour (not snow as it may look).
California rainbow just now. Happy Friday!
November 21, 2025 at 10:41 PM
California rainbow just now. Happy Friday!
Rain.
Risk of landslides and flooding in the burn scar areas—hoping for the best for those places.
Risk of landslides and flooding in the burn scar areas—hoping for the best for those places.
November 15, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Rain.
Risk of landslides and flooding in the burn scar areas—hoping for the best for those places.
Risk of landslides and flooding in the burn scar areas—hoping for the best for those places.
I now see why this plant, Dracaena fragrans “Warneckii,” has “fragrans” in its name. On this humid rainy night it is releasing a very sweet odor. It’s a lot like jasmine to me.
November 15, 2025 at 3:21 AM
I now see why this plant, Dracaena fragrans “Warneckii,” has “fragrans” in its name. On this humid rainy night it is releasing a very sweet odor. It’s a lot like jasmine to me.
In the annals of my neglected garden… I have a gangly, Dr. Seuss-ish plant, inherited from the previous homeowner decades ago. It lives in a pot by the front door. It seems to do nothing at all, and then suddenly at years-long intervals, it blooms. This foggy morning was the day.
November 11, 2025 at 3:40 PM
In the annals of my neglected garden… I have a gangly, Dr. Seuss-ish plant, inherited from the previous homeowner decades ago. It lives in a pot by the front door. It seems to do nothing at all, and then suddenly at years-long intervals, it blooms. This foggy morning was the day.
Sharing easy cheap meal recipes.
Fry up some sliced onion and spices (details in photo), add a can of diced tomatoes. Cook a bit, add 2 cans drained chickpeas. Cook a bit more, mash down some but not all chickpeas, and add a little lemon juice. Serve with rice.
Fry up some sliced onion and spices (details in photo), add a can of diced tomatoes. Cook a bit, add 2 cans drained chickpeas. Cook a bit more, mash down some but not all chickpeas, and add a little lemon juice. Serve with rice.
November 4, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Sharing easy cheap meal recipes.
Fry up some sliced onion and spices (details in photo), add a can of diced tomatoes. Cook a bit, add 2 cans drained chickpeas. Cook a bit more, mash down some but not all chickpeas, and add a little lemon juice. Serve with rice.
Fry up some sliced onion and spices (details in photo), add a can of diced tomatoes. Cook a bit, add 2 cans drained chickpeas. Cook a bit more, mash down some but not all chickpeas, and add a little lemon juice. Serve with rice.
Today’s incidental finding: a Scientific American cover, June 1925, illustrating an article called “Vacation #Geology.”
I love that the woman is standing breezily on a high ledge, in shoes with a 1-inch heel, enjoying some binocular views, while a man is struggling up with a rock hammer.
I love that the woman is standing breezily on a high ledge, in shoes with a 1-inch heel, enjoying some binocular views, while a man is struggling up with a rock hammer.
October 28, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Today’s incidental finding: a Scientific American cover, June 1925, illustrating an article called “Vacation #Geology.”
I love that the woman is standing breezily on a high ledge, in shoes with a 1-inch heel, enjoying some binocular views, while a man is struggling up with a rock hammer.
I love that the woman is standing breezily on a high ledge, in shoes with a 1-inch heel, enjoying some binocular views, while a man is struggling up with a rock hammer.
Nice crepuscular rays this evening.
October 22, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Nice crepuscular rays this evening.
For my friends on here…
This is one of the same roses I’ve shown before that look orange-pink in bright sunlight. In the twilight they look more pink.
This is one of the same roses I’ve shown before that look orange-pink in bright sunlight. In the twilight they look more pink.
October 21, 2025 at 1:30 AM
For my friends on here…
This is one of the same roses I’ve shown before that look orange-pink in bright sunlight. In the twilight they look more pink.
This is one of the same roses I’ve shown before that look orange-pink in bright sunlight. In the twilight they look more pink.
I won’t say the book is done. I did just finish the last chapter though! Still have to go back and fix some minor things.
Finally had a good look at what’s going on in the garden.
Finally had a good look at what’s going on in the garden.
October 19, 2025 at 10:09 PM
I won’t say the book is done. I did just finish the last chapter though! Still have to go back and fix some minor things.
Finally had a good look at what’s going on in the garden.
Finally had a good look at what’s going on in the garden.
“Muon” is a word, Spelling Bee!
October 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM
“Muon” is a word, Spelling Bee!
I’m still too busy writing to help take care of the garden, but here are our neglected geranium, neglected rose bush, neglected lemon tree, and neglected, yet strangely blooming early, azalea.
October 10, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I’m still too busy writing to help take care of the garden, but here are our neglected geranium, neglected rose bush, neglected lemon tree, and neglected, yet strangely blooming early, azalea.
I enjoyed this, for personal history reasons: the concept of Al-Andalus in various societies and cultures.
October 10, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I enjoyed this, for personal history reasons: the concept of Al-Andalus in various societies and cultures.
Good morning, high moon.
October 10, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Good morning, high moon.
If you’re in the market for a book on the history of astronomy, praised by Cornell prof Martha Haynes as “A terrific blend of the science and the history,” good news! 🧪🔭
I have a 20% discount code for you, valid now through Jan 2026: 25SMA4.
I have a 20% discount code for you, valid now through Jan 2026: 25SMA4.
October 7, 2025 at 3:34 PM
If you’re in the market for a book on the history of astronomy, praised by Cornell prof Martha Haynes as “A terrific blend of the science and the history,” good news! 🧪🔭
I have a 20% discount code for you, valid now through Jan 2026: 25SMA4.
I have a 20% discount code for you, valid now through Jan 2026: 25SMA4.
A bit of book-related research at the UC Irvine libraries.
October 5, 2025 at 11:32 PM
A bit of book-related research at the UC Irvine libraries.
Robert Frost, conservative by the standards of his day, with wry remarks on what that meant to him. Speaking in 1941 at the Library of Congress.
October 3, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Robert Frost, conservative by the standards of his day, with wry remarks on what that meant to him. Speaking in 1941 at the Library of Congress.
Another day writing/revising. The garden is somewhat neglected but roses are blooming anyway.
October 1, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Another day writing/revising. The garden is somewhat neglected but roses are blooming anyway.
Ah, thank you! I got the other end of the cloud too actually.
September 29, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Ah, thank you! I got the other end of the cloud too actually.
Weird but attractive cloud just now.
September 29, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Weird but attractive cloud just now.
At least a third of my book (in progress) is just me having fun explaining the humor in Frost’s astronomical poems, but this one is different.
The tone goes from contentious to sad.
Note, the “far star” is a galaxy. 🧪🔭
The tone goes from contentious to sad.
Note, the “far star” is a galaxy. 🧪🔭
September 26, 2025 at 3:49 PM
At least a third of my book (in progress) is just me having fun explaining the humor in Frost’s astronomical poems, but this one is different.
The tone goes from contentious to sad.
Note, the “far star” is a galaxy. 🧪🔭
The tone goes from contentious to sad.
Note, the “far star” is a galaxy. 🧪🔭
Dewdrops on spiderweb this morning.
September 24, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Dewdrops on spiderweb this morning.
Weekend, I hardly knew ye.(Was writing the whole time.)
Good night!
Good night!
September 22, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Weekend, I hardly knew ye.(Was writing the whole time.)
Good night!
Good night!
I finished another chapter. 90% done now. Racing to try to meet my original deadline. No time for a desperately-needed haircut, or a celebratory coffee, or anything. Wish me luck.
Cartoon from a 1970s book by Robert Mankoff.
Cartoon from a 1970s book by Robert Mankoff.
September 19, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I finished another chapter. 90% done now. Racing to try to meet my original deadline. No time for a desperately-needed haircut, or a celebratory coffee, or anything. Wish me luck.
Cartoon from a 1970s book by Robert Mankoff.
Cartoon from a 1970s book by Robert Mankoff.
Happy #cloudappreciationday
It’s always mountain appreciation day too, for me—here’s Saddleback in Orange County, CA.
It’s such a nice day that after my ballet class I drove to a good lookout to take it in.
It’s always mountain appreciation day too, for me—here’s Saddleback in Orange County, CA.
It’s such a nice day that after my ballet class I drove to a good lookout to take it in.
September 12, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Happy #cloudappreciationday
It’s always mountain appreciation day too, for me—here’s Saddleback in Orange County, CA.
It’s such a nice day that after my ballet class I drove to a good lookout to take it in.
It’s always mountain appreciation day too, for me—here’s Saddleback in Orange County, CA.
It’s such a nice day that after my ballet class I drove to a good lookout to take it in.