Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 2d

Great story this!

Sarah Scoles @sarahscoles.bsky.social · 25d

Ever wonder what happened to that $100 million interstellar spaceship program? Me too. www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

A $100-Million Mission to Another Star Just Disappeared

An abandoned plan to visit another star highlights the perils of billionaire-funded science

www.scientificamerican.com

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 2d

It's now Habitable Worlds Observatory!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitab...

Habitable Worlds Observatory - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 2d

The perfect event for me in Bangkok doesn't exi-

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 2d

Are you heading to the Thai Space Expo in Bangkok next week? Get in touch!

I'm a space journalist that will be covering the event, particularly the growing space industry in Southeast Asia, and I'm on the lookout for any interesting companies/stories.

#TSX2025

jdaoca[at]gmail[dot]com

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 5d

I think this is the most New Scientist thing I have ever written

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 5d

Also my second story to feature a Thai astronomer

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 5d

And another story by me today!

Eos @eos.org · 5d

Churning cylinders of liquid metal 🤘🏽 are helping scientists uncover the secrets of planet formation. eos.org/articles/pla...

Planets Might Form When Dust “Wobbles” in Just the Right Way - Eos

A liquid metal experiment has shown how magnetic rotational instability might allow dust to pool together in disks around young stars to form new worlds.

eos.org

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 5d

This is such a fun study.

Einstein's theory of general relativity, and the curvature of spacetime, might save some planets from doom around white dwarfs!

Story by me in @newscientist.com

www.newscientist.com/article/2498...

General relativity might save some planets from death

Some habitable worlds orbiting dead stars could be kept alive for aeons thanks to a quirk of Einstein’s theory of gravity

www.newscientist.com

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 5d

Image of that growing concrete meme guy interview

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 8d

😮 Perserverance might have seen interstellar comet 3I/Atlas from Mars

Simeon Schmauß @stim3on.bsky.social · 9d

I think Perseverance may have spotted interstellar comet 3I/Atlas last night from Mars!

After stacking 20 images from Mastcam-Z, I found a faint smudge of light in the constellation Corona Borealis close to the location where the comet was expected. 🔭

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Simeon Schmauß

image of the night sky showing a starfield with several dark and bright stars that are quite elongated due to the long exposure time.

the stars of the constellation corona borealis are annotated in green. a faint smudge, perhaps comet 3I/Atlas is marked with a red circle.

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 9d

Cool map from ESA here showing its path through the Solar System

www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...

Map of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passing through the solar system

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 9d

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is flying past Mars today. Might get some cool views!

skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

Mars Orbiters Will Have Front-row Seats to Interstellar Comet

Spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet will aim a suite of instruments at Comet 3I/ATLAS to capture details about this enigmatic object.

skyandtelescope.org

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Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 10d

One mega constellation is already crowding orbit. Now more are coming.

SpaceX's Starlink will soon be joined by thousands of satellites from the US and China – and space is about to get busy. What's going to happen?

Story by me in Aerospace America

aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/hea...

Heavy traffic ahead

aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 10d

One mega constellation is already crowding orbit. Now more are coming.

SpaceX's Starlink will soon be joined by thousands of satellites from the US and China – and space is about to get busy. What's going to happen?

Story by me in Aerospace America

aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/hea...

Heavy traffic ahead

aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org

3 10 27

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 10d

My take on the US government shutdown

Darth Vader is she safe meme worrying about Mars Sample Return

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 12d

Very Libertines-y

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 12d

Wow that song feels like a blast from the past!

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Reposted by Jonathan O'Callaghan

New Scientist @newscientist.com · 14d

Some things we see in space appear to outpace light. Now we are learning to harness these bizarre optical illusions to understand the mysteries of neutron stars, gamma ray bursts and more

How faster-than-light explosions could reveal the universe’s secrets

Some things we see in space appear to outpace light. Now we are learning to harness these bizarre optical illusions to understand the mysteries of neutron stars, gamma ray bursts and more

www.newscientist.com

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

No

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

hey Guardian hit me up next time

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

Very werid article this which only quotes one (very knowledgeable!) source but lacks any like... actual first-hand information or substance on most of the points it raises?

4/10, see me after Mega Constellation class

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Don’t look up: how Trump’s deregulation drive could obscure the stars and threaten our access to space

Astronomers are warning that the proliferation of satellite constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink, are making their work harder than it’s ever been

www.theguardian.com

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

Thanks Jacklin!

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

“Humans began domesticating cattle 10,000 years ago. Milk became a key food in pastoral cultures, later spread worldwide with refrigeration, pasteurisation, and industrial dairying. Lactose tolerance evolved in some groups, boosting nutrition. JWST has spotted the earliest galaxy in the universe.”

Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

I’m doing a drop intro like this in my next short news hit

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Jonathan O'Callaghan @astrojonny.bsky.social · 16d

What course is this?

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