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Dr. Fred J. Calef III

@mapperwocky.bsky.social

Science Systems Engineer @NASA/JPL-Caltech. PhD in Geology. 30+ years Geospatial experience. PI for the FOSS4G Multi-Mission Geographic Information System (MMGIS https://github.com/NASA-AMMOS/MMGIS). Not a NASA account. Never met a rock I wouldn’t lick.

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James Tuttle Keane@jtuttlekeane.bsky.social · 17h ago

Ralph Lorenz—Huygens showed that Titan can be wet, even at low latitudes. As Dragonfly flies across Titan, the odds it’ll land in mud are low (<1%), and if so, the stickiness will be again to sticky wheat dough (and Dragonfly could still takeoff). #AOGS2026

A photograph of a sketch in my notebook summarizing Ralph Lorenz’s talk at AOGS2026. The pen and pencil sketch shows two spacecraft on the surface of Titan: Huygens and Dragonfly (loosely to scale). The two grey spacecraft sit on a rock littered orange surface with a yellow hazy sky behind them. Next to Hogan’s, I have a zoom in the regular showing how the acoustic sensor suggested that the soil was damp, with liquid sweating out of it. On the right, I show a little insect of some reel, analog dunes, which very rarely can have intradune lakes form in particular particularly rainy seasons. Situations such as this are predicted to be very rare for Titan, but the Dragonfly mission is planned to handle it.
James Tuttle Keane@jtuttlekeane.bsky.social · 16h ago

Shuang Yang—Chang’e 7 will land near the Moon’s south pole Shackleton crater later this year and deploy (via tether) a seismometer that is planned to survive for 8 years. This might be the first node of a long-lived *international* geophysical network! #AOGS2026

A photograph of my notebook showing a sketch of Shuang Yang (Chinese Academy of Science) talk at AOGS. It shows a low, oblique shot of the Chang’e 7 lander, landed on the Moon, as it lowers its seismometers (SP + VBB) to the surface of the Moon from the bottom of the lander. The seismometer will survive up to 8 years through use of an RHU.
James Tuttle Keane@jtuttlekeane.bsky.social · 28m ago

Christos Ntinos—Developing a new “super resolution” Cassini VIMS map of Enceladus. The map can provide insight about physical properties (grain size, crystallinity, etc.) which are useful for both science and future exploration—like the ESA L4 mission concept. #AOGS2026

A photograph of my notebook showing a sketch of Christos Ntinos’s talk at AOGS 2026. The sketch shows a render of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, with the Cassini spacecraft, flying by an imaging the surface with its hyper spectral VIMS instrument. The beam coming from Cassini is shown as a rainbow scanning the surface. On the left-hand side of insults, I’ve shown a false color version of the analysis which shows some interesting patterns associated with the tiger stripes. Beneath the render of Enceladus is a artist concept for the future ESA L4 mission that might one-day land on the surface. Here, I show it with the southern hemisphere of Saturn, peeking over the horizon, and interrupting Tiger stripe with jets coming out of it over to the right. 
L.A. TACO@lataco.bsky.social · 20m ago

Sometimes they have lacy, crispy skirts, and sometimes they are chewy, broth-filled bombs of delicious joy. Either way, you’ll find the best dumplings in Los Angeles among the neighborhoods that make up the SGV. The full guide: lataco.com/best-dumplin... By Wendy Zeng and Jim Thurman

A plate of Zhong dumplings topped with chili, sesame seeds, and green onion. Headline reads “The 14 Dumplings You Have To Try In L.A.’s San Gabriel Valley”
Katie Phang@katiephang.bsky.social · 19m ago

JUST IN: Convicted Felon Donald Trump is scrambling on an emergency basis to try to convince a federal judge to block production to the BBC of financial documents for more than 400 of his business entities

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory@vrubinobs.bsky.social · 2h ago

Chile Storm Recovery Update: 5 August 2026 Restoration efforts continue at NSF NOIRLab's Chilean facilities, which include NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory, following July’s historic winter storm. Our staff is safe, and the telescope is secured. 🧵

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James Tuttle Keane@jtuttlekeane.bsky.social · 18m ago

Stephanie Menten—there are some unusual pits and troughs on the satellites of the ice giants. Could thermal erosion—where (cryo)lava flows melt the substrate and leave a depression—be responsible? Modeling works for Triton; less so for Ariel, where tectonics may be required. #AOGS2026

A photograph of my notebook showing a sketch summary of Stephanie Menten’s talk at AOGS. Most of the sketch is summarizing how thermal erosion works with a series of cross sections. Top: a lava flow (in red) erupts on the surface and flows right. Middle: as the lava flows, the turbulent hot lava warms and melts the substrate. Bottom: as the melt cools, it can sink into the eroded depression left from the melting. The result is a pit or trough in the middle of the flow. Beneath this are some simple sketches of Uranus’s moon, Ariel, and Neptune’s moon, Triton. Both exhibit pits. Their modeling suggests this process may be effective on Triton, but less so on Ariel (where tectonics might need to help).
US National Gemini Office@usngo.bsky.social · 7h ago

The Gemini Program Platform (GPP) is Gemini’s next core observatory control system, the platform will replace its primary user interface applications: the Phase I Tool (PIT) and the Phase II Observing Tool (OT).

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Eric the Heliophysicist@eric-helio.bsky.social · 6h ago

My IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) mission has just released its first set of public data: imap.princeton.edu/news/imap-re... We launched on 24 Sep 2025 and were on station at the Sun-Earth L1 point on 1 Feb 2026. I'm Deputy PI and the lead for the HIT instrument.⚛️🧪

IMAP Releases First Set of Science Data

NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe released its first set of science data today, July 29, 2026. After its successful launch on September 24, 2025, and arrival at L1, IMAP’s prime missi...

imap.princeton.edu

HydrologyNL@hydrology.nl · 6h ago

Unprecedented drying of 43% of small French streams, as reported by the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB), indicates a critical ecological tipping point following the 2022 drought. Increased climate-driven drought frequency is causing permanent biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse in waterways.

Dr. Serge Zaka@sergezaka.bsky.social · 14h ago

Cette carte est gravissime. Mais elle n'a pas fait la une de l'actualité. Pour moi, l'été 2026 marque un tournant. Après celui de 2022, il devient difficile de ne plus parler de "rupture écologique" ou de "point de non retour" pour une partie des milieux aquatiques français. 1/18

Tim Holt-Wilson@timholtwilson.bsky.social · 6h ago

<41% increase in biodiversity across Broxted Estate & Solar Farm, demonstrating the potential for solar developments to support nature recovery alongside clean-energy generation.> <Sheep grazing ... is key to managing the wildlife habitats...> www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/news/new-rep...

New report of Suffolk solar farm showcases ecological best practice | Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Pioneering 12-year study carried out by Suffolk Wildlife Trust at Broxted Estate & Solar Farm Suffolk demonstrates how renewable energy generation and biodiversity restoration can be achieved together...

suffolkwildlifetrust.org

Ryan J Hollister@phaneritic.bsky.social · 8h ago

The utilities threatening stock buybacks that would increase their shareholder profits while reducing maintenance and upkeep is just craven, man. The corporate structure of the utilities should be vilified too.

Ryan J Hollister@phaneritic.bsky.social · 9h ago

Newsom has done a lot of shady stuff while in office, but working with utilities to limit liability for fires their equipment caused (usually due to poor maintenance or some other form of negligence) is just a major betrayal to the people he’s supposed to serve. www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Marc Elias@marcelias.bsky.social · 11h ago

Notice DOJ doesn't talk about its efforts to obtain state voter files anymore. They are 0-20 in those cases and today is the beginning of the quiet period -- states can no longer do systematic removals of names from the voter rolls. TLDR: We won!🥳