Hannah Wakeford
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stellarplanet.bsky.social
Hannah Wakeford
@stellarplanet.bsky.social
Exoplanet scientist. Science communicator. Author. Podcaster. Miniature painter. Wife. Cat mum.
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
In this video I explain how @stellarplanet.bsky.social and @climatebook.bsky.social research into these classes of planets inspired and informed some of the music.

The concert premiere of "Exoplanets" is at 7.30pm on Saturday 29th November at the Royal Festival Hall in London - tickets here:
Sheku Kanneh-Mason Plays Bloch | Southbank Centre
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
Holst's planets suite may have its famous "Jupiter" and "Neptune", but my new "Exoplanets" for @lporchestra.bsky.social has HOT Jupiters and SUB Neptunes 🪐🪐🪐 (Saturday 29th at 7.30pm!)

youtu.be/kXi3TbD4_VA?...
Robert Laidlow on Exoplanets
YouTube video by London Philharmonic Orchestra
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 11:19 AM
CDT in Aerosol Science is welcoming applications for fully-funded PhD studentships as part of our 8th cohort to start in autumn 2026: www.aerosol-cdt.ac.uk/2026-projects/
Aerosol science is crucial to so many things, check out the linked project catalogue for studentships!
#PhD #academicjobs
2026 projects | Aerosol Science CDT
www.aerosol-cdt.ac.uk
November 25, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Had a fabulous week at Ringberg for the “Signal in the Noise“ workshop hosted by two brilliant ECRs in the #exoplanet field @eahrer.bsky.social & @lili-alderson.bsky.social. Loads of ideas on how to get the most out of #jwst data & many new collaborations formed across an eager cohort of scientists
November 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
We have snow in Ringberg! ❄️🏰❄️ the sky has fallen, wonderful rainout of the atmosphere followed by a clearing and lowered opacity.
November 17, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Beautiful lessons in opacity from normal versus slant geometries from the plane as I left Abu Dhabi, some beautiful cloud formations over the Iranian mountains, and beautiful sunset over Romania
November 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Had a great time @nyuad-oaa.bsky.social and an interesting time adventuring in the Abu Dhabi 🐪. Now time to head to Germany for the “signal in the noise” conference led by @lili-alderson.bsky.social and @eahrer.bsky.social held at Ringberg Castle 🏰
November 16, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
Londoners! Drink excellent wine and chat with me about space, next week: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cosmology-...
Cosmology and Wine: An evening with Chris Lintott
Super excited to welcome you for an evening of wine, cheese & cosmological conversation with one of the UK’s most celebrated cosmologists
www.eventbrite.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
Given news of recent days and the way the entire landscape of broadcasting and production is going in the UK right now, we are even more excited to tell about what we've been up to. All will be revealed Dec 18 one night one of Nine Lessons. cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons
November 11, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Got my foundation tutorial group this morning (we’re onto Mechanic and angular momentum) then down to the coach station to head to T4 for a flight to Abu Dhabi to give a talk @nyuad-oaa.bsky.social and chat about #exoplanet science for a few days!
Exhausted thinking about it but excited as well 😎🤓
November 11, 2025 at 7:04 AM
What the US government is doing to Goddard Space Flight Center is devastating. GSFC is the largest science center at NASAs disposal. It is home of Hubble operations, I was lucky enough to see JWST, Osiris-Rex &Roman built there. This destruction will gut US &global space science for decades to come
Goddard spacecraft engineer: "I think it just kind of speaks to the atmosphere of the agency and the nation, where people are like, 'Well, laws don't matter for the people at the top anymore.'"
NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown — and may be breaking the law in the process, critics say
"There is just a general acknowledgement that a lot of what is happening is illegal…"
www.space.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Very sad that I will not be able to perform for nine lessons this year in Cardiff. @cosmicshambles.com do this for the love of sharing science, art, & stories & make no money personally. If you like things like that buy tickets to support local events and help maintain the joy of spreading stories.
Sad to say - we have had to cancel 9 Lessons in Cardiff - Cardiff just wasn’t very interested and we still had very low sales at the beginning of the week - we never make money on the shows , but we can’t afford to lose £1000s - sorry to those of you who were looking forward to it
We always try to get Nine Lessons shows beyond London - it is never profitable but we hope it makes it accessible for others - This year is CARDIFF - but no one seems to want to come - so we will pull it next week if we see that it is going to lose us too much money

www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...
November 6, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
On a bus back to Oxford after a great time talking at Wantage Literary Festival. Anyone want to #askanastronomer anything? 🔭
November 1, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
Are you a grad student interested in writing for Astrobites, or do you know one? We're recruiting! Apply by November 26 :)

astrobites.org/2025/10/31/a...
Apply to Write for Astrobites 2025!
Love astronomy, astrophysics, and science communication? Come join the Astrobites team! Applications due November 26th.
astrobites.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Super excited to be joining the @cosmicshambles.com crew again for their Nine Lessons show. This year, by popular demand, in Cardiff!
Get your tickets now 🎫 for December 9th
www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...
October 29, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
People have asked us for ages to bring Nine Lessons to Cardiff so we're slated to be there on Dec 9th this year! That is, if all of you who begged us to bring the show there buy tickets coz it's not looking great right now... @robinince.bsky.social @garwboy.bsky.social www.glee.co.uk/performer/ni...
Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People - The Glee Club
The iconic Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People season extravaganza is headed to Cardiff for the first time
www.glee.co.uk
October 21, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
For #JWST Cycle 5, proposals should be submitted even if observations appear non-schedulable in APT due to guide star availability in bright crowded fields. Get the details: ow.ly/qlTG50X8LK8
October 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
It is that time of year when these damn pandas plague us all!
#JWSTC5 #exoplanets
a panda bear is hanging from a tree branch .
Alt: a panda bear is hanging from a tree branch then falling out of sight as it breaks
media.tenor.com
October 7, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
London! Next Friday! The Universe WILL end in the company of @astrokatie.com, Steve Pretty, many musicians and myself. Do please come join us wegottickets.com/event/676292
The End of the Universe
After a magnificent* 13.8 billion years** astronomer Chris Lintott (Sky at Night) and Steve Pretty (Hackney Colliery Band) lead a funeral and wake for the universe, as it sadly heads into heat death. ...
wegottickets.com
October 5, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
As a theoretical cosmologist, I'm frequently asked "what is the benefit of the work you're doing for people's lives?" Nothing I work on makes money or cures disease.

There are a few different answers one can give, at various levels of "convincing" / "actually relevant to why the work is done."

1/🧵
October 3, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
Thirty years ago Monday, astronomers announced the first planet around a Sunlike star. Since then they have cataloged more than 6,000 alien worlds.

I asked a bunch of astronomers what their favorite exoplanet is, and wrote about it for @nature.com. What's yours?

🧪 #astronomy
These alien planets are astronomers’ favourites: here’s why
Space scientists look back on 30 years of exoplanet discoveries — from rows of massive ‘super-Earths‘ to worlds with perfectly synchronized orbits.
www.nature.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
UT Austin Astro is hiring! It's an open call, but definitely interested in getting another exoplanet person! Feel free to reach out with any questions about the department or living in Austin! aas.org/jobregister/...
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Position in Astronomy | American Astronomical Society
The Department of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level to begin in August 2026. We welcome applicati...
aas.org
October 1, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
Today feels like a good time to announce ten new special guests for this year's Nine Lessons shows including @particleclara.bsky.social, @mariaviolaris.bsky.social, @mrsamsee.bsky.social, @stellarplanet.bsky.social, @akshatrathi.bsky.social, John Hegly and more! Tix cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons
September 29, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Reposted by Hannah Wakeford
This year we've been really swinging for the fences.

Our latest video is our biggest one yet, nearly an hour long and involving half a dozen experts.

Asking "Should lying about climate change be illegal?" and, if so, how do we make it so?

youtu.be/FKtCuwfUCJg
Should lying about climate change be illegal?
YouTube video by Simon Clark
youtu.be
September 24, 2025 at 4:14 PM
A proud part of the ~12% even though schools not that long ago tried to force it out of me. Data always requires careful and measured interpretation.
I think about this plot all the time, and especially with respect to things like autism. If you’d lived in 1940 and had access to this data, would it feel like an “epidemic” of left-handedness?
September 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM