Skylar Grayson
@skylargrayson.bsky.social
Astrophysics PhD Candidate ✨ studies black holes and galaxy evolution 🌌Science Communicator (find me other places at “Space According to Skylar”)
I find this fundamental misunderstanding of science so fascinating. Eventually I’ll have figured out my thoughts enough to articulate why, but for now just gonna drop it here for your reactions 😅
November 12, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I find this fundamental misunderstanding of science so fascinating. Eventually I’ll have figured out my thoughts enough to articulate why, but for now just gonna drop it here for your reactions 😅
Have you heard our standard model of cosmology might be wrong? A new paper puts forth some interesting evidence, let’s discuss! 🧪🔭
November 8, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Have you heard our standard model of cosmology might be wrong? A new paper puts forth some interesting evidence, let’s discuss! 🧪🔭
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. So where’s the evidence? 🔭🧪
November 4, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. So where’s the evidence? 🔭🧪
So I’m out here, explaining why there really is no evidence that the moon landing was faked (4/4)
November 1, 2025 at 8:59 PM
So I’m out here, explaining why there really is no evidence that the moon landing was faked (4/4)
Let’s talk about why the University of Tokyo just dug a giant cave out of bedrock…🧪🔭
October 21, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Let’s talk about why the University of Tokyo just dug a giant cave out of bedrock…🧪🔭
What’s the deal with this comet/alien spaceship really? 🧪🔭
October 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
What’s the deal with this comet/alien spaceship really? 🧪🔭
Woooohooooo! I’m very proud of this work and excited to see it published ☺️
October 3, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Woooohooooo! I’m very proud of this work and excited to see it published ☺️
But we want to understand, because we think the magnetic field is key to driving this weird thing in M87: a jet of plasma barreling through the galaxy at almost the speed of light. We see jets like this in other galaxies, and think they play a big role in how they evolve. (5/n)
📸: NASA, STSci, AURA
📸: NASA, STSci, AURA
September 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
But we want to understand, because we think the magnetic field is key to driving this weird thing in M87: a jet of plasma barreling through the galaxy at almost the speed of light. We see jets like this in other galaxies, and think they play a big role in how they evolve. (5/n)
📸: NASA, STSci, AURA
📸: NASA, STSci, AURA
Here you can see the polarization fields observed in 2017, 2018, and 2021. Notice anything? They changed! They actually fully flipped! Which is…not expected. This points to just how complex and dynamic the accretion disk is, and how little we understand. (4/n)
📸: EHT Collab.
📸: EHT Collab.
September 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Here you can see the polarization fields observed in 2017, 2018, and 2021. Notice anything? They changed! They actually fully flipped! Which is…not expected. This points to just how complex and dynamic the accretion disk is, and how little we understand. (4/n)
📸: EHT Collab.
📸: EHT Collab.
This image shows those polarization patterns overlaid with the lines, and really what this is telling us about is the magnetic field structure in the disk. But we’ve actually looked at this black hole more than once, and what we found…(3/n)
📸: EHT Collab.
📸: EHT Collab.
September 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
This image shows those polarization patterns overlaid with the lines, and really what this is telling us about is the magnetic field structure in the disk. But we’ve actually looked at this black hole more than once, and what we found…(3/n)
📸: EHT Collab.
📸: EHT Collab.
Cool space news: one of the biggest black holes in the universe is doing something WEIRD!
You probably remember this picture, the first ever image of a black hole, in the galaxy M87. What you’re really seeing here is the disk of gas around the black hole. (1/n)
📸: EHT Collab.🧪🔭
You probably remember this picture, the first ever image of a black hole, in the galaxy M87. What you’re really seeing here is the disk of gas around the black hole. (1/n)
📸: EHT Collab.🧪🔭
September 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Cool space news: one of the biggest black holes in the universe is doing something WEIRD!
You probably remember this picture, the first ever image of a black hole, in the galaxy M87. What you’re really seeing here is the disk of gas around the black hole. (1/n)
📸: EHT Collab.🧪🔭
You probably remember this picture, the first ever image of a black hole, in the galaxy M87. What you’re really seeing here is the disk of gas around the black hole. (1/n)
📸: EHT Collab.🧪🔭
Exciting new black hole results today! 🔭🧪
September 16, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Exciting new black hole results today! 🔭🧪
I present to you: the Astronomer’s Periodic Table. Hydrogen, Helium, and….everything else is a metal.
But why? Well, mostly because there’s not much out there besides the first two elements. In the early universe, nothing could form except H, He, and a tiny bit of Li and Be. (1/n)
But why? Well, mostly because there’s not much out there besides the first two elements. In the early universe, nothing could form except H, He, and a tiny bit of Li and Be. (1/n)
September 16, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I present to you: the Astronomer’s Periodic Table. Hydrogen, Helium, and….everything else is a metal.
But why? Well, mostly because there’s not much out there besides the first two elements. In the early universe, nothing could form except H, He, and a tiny bit of Li and Be. (1/n)
But why? Well, mostly because there’s not much out there besides the first two elements. In the early universe, nothing could form except H, He, and a tiny bit of Li and Be. (1/n)
Why is he sleeping like this? 😂
September 15, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Why is he sleeping like this? 😂
Should we be excited about the recent results from Mars? Absolutely! But we also need to understand exactly what they do, and do not, mean. 🧪🔭
September 14, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Should we be excited about the recent results from Mars? Absolutely! But we also need to understand exactly what they do, and do not, mean. 🧪🔭
One particular rock was collected last July in an ancient dried riverbed. This rock has an interesting pattern of minerals that creates an effect like leopard spots. Over the last year, this sample has been analyzed to figure out what the deal is with these spots. (2/n)
📸: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS
📸: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS
September 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
One particular rock was collected last July in an ancient dried riverbed. This rock has an interesting pattern of minerals that creates an effect like leopard spots. Over the last year, this sample has been analyzed to figure out what the deal is with these spots. (2/n)
📸: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS
📸: NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS
This statement is so icky. From slyly trying to credit Trump for Perseverance (which was a project first announced in 2012) to talking about “American boots” on Mars…I don’t like the vibes at all. Also touting “Gold Standard Science” while supporting all the anti-science shit of this admin…🤮
September 10, 2025 at 7:17 PM
This statement is so icky. From slyly trying to credit Trump for Perseverance (which was a project first announced in 2012) to talking about “American boots” on Mars…I don’t like the vibes at all. Also touting “Gold Standard Science” while supporting all the anti-science shit of this admin…🤮
Studying small planets 40 light years away is hard! But we’re learning more and more, which is exciting 🔭🧪
September 8, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Studying small planets 40 light years away is hard! But we’re learning more and more, which is exciting 🔭🧪
I know this is not a groundbreaking never-before-heard take about AI 😂 but I do get asked about my feelings on it, so here’s my best attempt to unpack them!
September 6, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I know this is not a groundbreaking never-before-heard take about AI 😂 but I do get asked about my feelings on it, so here’s my best attempt to unpack them!
We just got another incredible image from JWST 🤩
This is a look into the Lobster Nebula, a star-forming region 5500 light years away. In the center you can see a newly formed star cluster, containing some of the biggest stars we’ve seen (74 times the mass of the sun!)
1/n🔭🧪
📸: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
This is a look into the Lobster Nebula, a star-forming region 5500 light years away. In the center you can see a newly formed star cluster, containing some of the biggest stars we’ve seen (74 times the mass of the sun!)
1/n🔭🧪
📸: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
September 4, 2025 at 3:48 PM
We just got another incredible image from JWST 🤩
This is a look into the Lobster Nebula, a star-forming region 5500 light years away. In the center you can see a newly formed star cluster, containing some of the biggest stars we’ve seen (74 times the mass of the sun!)
1/n🔭🧪
📸: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
This is a look into the Lobster Nebula, a star-forming region 5500 light years away. In the center you can see a newly formed star cluster, containing some of the biggest stars we’ve seen (74 times the mass of the sun!)
1/n🔭🧪
📸: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Hold onto your butts because a new JWST image just dropped!
September 4, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Hold onto your butts because a new JWST image just dropped!
And THEN we got this one of the Butterfly Star. Again we get the butterfly structure, but this time it’s at the BEGINNING of the stars life!
(3/n)
📸: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Villenave et al.
(3/n)
📸: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Villenave et al.
August 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
And THEN we got this one of the Butterfly Star. Again we get the butterfly structure, but this time it’s at the BEGINNING of the stars life!
(3/n)
📸: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Villenave et al.
(3/n)
📸: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, M. Villenave et al.
Oh my goodness it’s a double butterfly week! 🧪🔭
First we got this look of the Butterfly Nebula, a planetary nebula formed at the end of a star’s life. The outer layers are expelled and illuminated by the remnant core, creating something resembling butterfly wings! (1/n)
First we got this look of the Butterfly Nebula, a planetary nebula formed at the end of a star’s life. The outer layers are expelled and illuminated by the remnant core, creating something resembling butterfly wings! (1/n)
August 30, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Oh my goodness it’s a double butterfly week! 🧪🔭
First we got this look of the Butterfly Nebula, a planetary nebula formed at the end of a star’s life. The outer layers are expelled and illuminated by the remnant core, creating something resembling butterfly wings! (1/n)
First we got this look of the Butterfly Nebula, a planetary nebula formed at the end of a star’s life. The outer layers are expelled and illuminated by the remnant core, creating something resembling butterfly wings! (1/n)
The weird trick that makes distant galaxies look bigger than closer ones…🧪🔭
August 30, 2025 at 12:09 AM
The weird trick that makes distant galaxies look bigger than closer ones…🧪🔭
Hold on to your butts because a new JWST image just dropped! 🔭🧪
August 28, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Hold on to your butts because a new JWST image just dropped! 🔭🧪