Jonathan O'Callaghan
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astrojonny.bsky.social
Jonathan O'Callaghan
@astrojonny.bsky.social
Freelance space journalist. British Science Journalist of the Year 2024. Words in The New York Times, Scientific American, New Scientist, BBC, WIRED, + more.

Bangkok, Thailand
[email protected]
@astro_jonny on Twitter
https://www.jonathanocallaghan.com/
Pinned
A few pics from Bangkok. Bit surreal that we live here now.
I’m taking freelancing to strange new places
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Quite surreal being in 30C heat in Bangkok but also seeing Christmas trees popping up everywhere
November 25, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Everyone writes down their best ideas while falling asleep right
November 25, 2025 at 6:30 AM
That is an ex-comet
Fantastic work by Ariel Graykowski and our @setiinstitute.bsky.social citizen scientists.
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is breaking apart — and some of you caught it live. After passing 0.3 AU from the Sun, it erupted, and three days later a third appeared.

K1 is now officially in pieces.
November 25, 2025 at 6:09 AM
I'm very excited the emails from the anti-LIGO guy have started again
November 25, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Wouldn't it be a ginormous waste to send a rover all the way to Mars to collect rock samples for study back on Earth and then to just...abandon them? By @astrojonny.bsky.social 🧪
NASA Found Something on Mars. Now We Might Just Leave It There
NASA spent years and billions of dollars collecting Martian samples to bring home. Now they might be stranded
www.scientificamerican.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
We've collected rocks on Mars that might contain evidence of life. But now they might be stuck there.

My latest feature for @sciam.bsky.social delves into the beleaguered Mars Sample Return mission, and the quest to bring samples home. Can we pull it off?

www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
NASA Found Something on Mars. Now We Might Just Leave It There
NASA spent years and billions of dollars collecting Martian samples to bring home. Now they might be stranded
www.scientificamerican.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
NASA spent years and billions of dollars collecting Martian samples to bring home. Now they might be stranded
NASA Found Something on Mars. Now We Might Just Leave It There
NASA spent years and billions of dollars collecting Martian samples to bring home. Now they might be stranded
www.scientificamerican.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:51 PM
We've collected rocks on Mars that might contain evidence of life. But now they might be stuck there.

My latest feature for @sciam.bsky.social delves into the beleaguered Mars Sample Return mission, and the quest to bring samples home. Can we pull it off?

www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
NASA Found Something on Mars. Now We Might Just Leave It There
NASA spent years and billions of dollars collecting Martian samples to bring home. Now they might be stranded
www.scientificamerican.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
Is space-based solar power a pipe dream, or an actual possibility?

With ideas ranging from supercharging satellites to city-size space collectors, I delved into the topic for the BBC in my latest story out today.

Enjoy!

www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Space power: The dream of beaming solar energy from orbit
Harvesting solar energy in orbit and beaming it down to Earth is a decades-old idea. Now, a raft of companies say they could make it a reality.
www.bbc.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory will do more than hunt for life in the 2040s.

This summer scientists put forward 100 ideas for the ‘scope including planetary defense, studying Venus, and even observing individual stars in distant galaxies.

Me in Nature Astronomy

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
NASA’s bold new telescope will do more than just hunt for life - Nature Astronomy
The Habitable Worlds Observatory will look for inhabited worlds beyond our Solar System in the 2040s and scientists are dreaming of what else it might do.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:11 AM
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory will do more than hunt for life in the 2040s.

This summer scientists put forward 100 ideas for the ‘scope including planetary defense, studying Venus, and even observing individual stars in distant galaxies.

Me in Nature Astronomy

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
NASA’s bold new telescope will do more than just hunt for life - Nature Astronomy
The Habitable Worlds Observatory will look for inhabited worlds beyond our Solar System in the 2040s and scientists are dreaming of what else it might do.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:11 AM
I've got a really cool story on NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory coming out this afternoon/tonight/tomorrow morning (choose time zone as necessary) in Nature Astronomy.

Stay tuned! A fun piece looking at some of the different science the telescope will be capable of doing.
November 7, 2025 at 7:45 AM
A controversial new study suggests the expansion of the universe isn't accelerating – it's decelerating – and may even end in a Big Crunch.

Fair to say I didn't have a load of positive responses on this one...

Story by me in @newscientist.com

www.newscientist.com/article/2503...
Is the expansion of the universe slowing down?
It is widely accepted that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, but now researchers say our measurements of the mysterious force driving that may be wrong and that the universe began to ...
www.newscientist.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Millennial mayor. We’re so back.
November 5, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Space Bluesky, I'm looking for a dark energy expert who is currently awake that could comment on an upcoming paper for me.

If that's you, do let me know. jdaoca[at]gmail[dot]com

Thanks!
November 4, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Such a cool piece of reporting this from @squigglyvolcano.bsky.social, who travelled around the US to drive three lunar rovers that are vying for a NASA Moon contract.

www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
An inside look into NASA's next generation moon rovers
A retro-futuristic space truck. A nimble crustacean on wheels. A space-age dune buggy. One will win a multibillion-dollar prize to deploy on a future NASA Artemis mission. But first, we took a ride on...
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:04 AM
This super interesting study found that SpaceX's Starlink constellation reacted to the May 2024 solar storm like a giant wave as the atmosphere swelled.

It highlights some of the challenges constellations face from the sun.

Story by me in @newscientist.com

www.newscientist.com/article/2502...
SpaceX's Starlink and other satellites face growing threat from sun
There are now over 10,000 satellites in orbit, more than at any point in history, and this growing number is starting to reveal how solar storms could disrupt internet mega constellations like SpaceX'...
www.newscientist.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:43 AM
We're in a pretty amazing telescope era
eso.org ESO @eso.org · 22d
Open Sesame!

The ELT doors have moved for the first time. This was no small feat, as each door will weigh 650 tonnes once completed.

The ELT dome & its doors will guard the telescope from the harsh conditions of the Atacama Desert.

https://www.eso.org/public/videos/potw2544a/

🔭 🧪
📹 ESO/ACe
November 3, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy birthday, ISS. Now it’s time to die.

As the space station hits 25 years of continuous occupation with its end in sight, I take a look at what’s coming next.

Story by me in @sciam.bsky.social

www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...
After a Quarter-Century of Hosting Humans, the International Space Station Is Approaching Its End. What Comes Next?
Humans have been in space onboard the ISS continuously for 25 years. As the station nears its end, new commercial habitats are lining up to take its place
www.scientificamerican.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Eager to hear Kim Kardashian's thoughts on Artemis 2
October 31, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Is space-based solar power a pipe dream, or an actual possibility?

With ideas ranging from supercharging satellites to city-size space collectors, I delved into the topic for the BBC in my latest story out today.

Enjoy!

www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Space power: The dream of beaming solar energy from orbit
Harvesting solar energy in orbit and beaming it down to Earth is a decades-old idea. Now, a raft of companies say they could make it a reality.
www.bbc.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Also really curious to see how people react to humans flying around the Moon again early next year. I imagine most people aren't aware of the mission...

www.space.com/space-explor...
NASA stacks Artemis 2 moon mission's Orion capsule atop SLS rocket ahead of 2026 launch
The rocket stands whole.
www.space.com
October 27, 2025 at 4:45 AM
SpaceX has now launched 10,000 Starlink satellites.

Achieved in just over six years since the first launch in May 2019. Unfathomable.

mashable.com/article/spac...
SpaceX has launched more than 10,000 satellites into Earth's orbit
Elon Musk's SpaceX has now launched more than 10,000 satellites to date.
mashable.com
October 27, 2025 at 4:40 AM
Possibly greatest email reply ever
October 21, 2025 at 11:22 AM