First day of classes and teaching a brand new - for me - course: Life in the Universe to some ~70 students! Let's have some fun.
András Gáspár
@andrasgaspar.bsky.social
Associate Astronomer at the University of Arizona. JWST/MIRI Instrument Team. Debris disk aficionado. Classic car enthusiast. Opinions my own. He/him
Trying to sell an old motorcycle on FB Marketplace and I've gotten like four different offers already to trade it for a gun/rifle, usually phrased as "trade for 2A?". Today someone offered an AR15. Truly disturbing how easy it is to get a lethal weapon in the U.S.
View from our rooftop! Tucson sunsets are unbeatable.
I've been at Steward Observatory for 20 years and I have never looked through or used our 21" telescope on campus. Preparing to teach students this semester, I tried it out yesterday. Students will take Saturn images like this with it. Not great seeing, but hey, it's Saturn with its rings.
Ok, the final product does look cool on the outside. I do wish the educational part were better.
It seems to have the current generation of instruments included (even NICMOS!), so aberrations are corrected within each instrument. Didn't check primary and how spherical it is. @bmacastro.bsky.social
Will be doing a lab with students where they measure the solar intensity with mini solar panels. Needed a resistance board for each kit and they are quite expensive. I designed and 3D printed a simple board and pulled in resistances. Remarkably, you can get within 5% of the actual Solar value.
Saw the Odyssey in 70mm analog film (not IMAX). The visuals are amazing as is the storytelling. There is nothing that compares to the smooth non pixelated image of film. Since we know the story, it wasn't suspenseful, but still enjoyable.
Oyer: "2 days after Blanche was confirmed as deputy AG, he fired me from my position as DOJ's career pardon attorney. I declined to rubber stamp a favor for a friend of the president, and it cost me my job. Mr Blanche's office had asked me to restore the gun rights of a convicted domestic abuser..."
Why does Argentina only play to win in the last 20 minutes of the games?
Will Argentína/Messi play with 12 players this game also? We shall see.
Working from home has its traps. They are so damn motivating.
Amazing how quick they can act when it suits them. I remember Adelita Grijalva not being sworn in for weeks.
The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 2mo agoDarline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), was sworn in to serve the final six months of her brother’s term, filling the vacancy created by Graham’s unexpected death on Saturday.
Lindsey Graham has a real chance to speak with Mitch McConnell for 20 minutes!
This Telemundo commentator sounds like he is describing a horror movie.
I've been an England soccer fan since the days of Gascoigne and Schols, but damn the Norwegians are playing really well.
It's official. Damn. I guess I'll be buying a Lego set for myself. www.lego.com/en-us/produc...
Hubble Space Telescope 11382 | LEGO® Icons | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop US
Build the Hubble Space Telescope
lego.com
Back to verbal exams! It's the ONLY way. I had a college professor who administered a verbal exam to 300+ students in a large GenEd course. It can be done.
Jacob T. Levy@jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 2mo agoApparently the new Hungarian constitution would limit parliament terms to a total of 12 years and Supreme Court positions at 70 yr age.
Confirmed this news with my parents. Apparently this was on all afternoon. At 19:56 they started broadcasting the Hungarian movie "The Witness" (look it up). News not coming back until August. Some 60 people sacked from the news division. Fantastic!!! www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Hungarian public media outlets halt broadcasting in post-Orbán shake-up
Péter Magyar hails ‘end of propaganda broadcasts’ as Kossuth radio and M1 TV channels suspend transmission
theguardian.com