Jason Wright
@astrowright.bsky.social
Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State.
Son, father, partner, scientist, teacher, student, human, Earthling.
Mostly posting astronomy. Mostly.
Son, father, partner, scientist, teacher, student, human, Earthling.
Mostly posting astronomy. Mostly.
Pinned
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice, Wright, Jason T
iopscience.iop.org
My textbook on SETI is published!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
I felt the same way about Bob Dylan getting the Nobel prize.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
Love him or hate him, electing Belichick into the Hall of Fame is the sort of decision that validates the award itself, not the awardee.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
A stunner from @dvnjr.bsky.social and me: Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. He didn't get elected this year. The 8-time champion failed to 40 out of the 50 votes required for induction.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
January 28, 2026 at 5:11 AM
I felt the same way about Bob Dylan getting the Nobel prize.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
He did not need it to validate his poetry, but him getting it validated the more obscure awardees as belonging among the highest rank of poets.
Love him or hate him, electing Belichick into the Hall of Fame is the sort of decision that validates the award itself, not the awardee.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
A stunner from @dvnjr.bsky.social and me: Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. He didn't get elected this year. The 8-time champion failed to 40 out of the 50 votes required for induction.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
Sources: Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Bill Belichick, the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach, will not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, sources told ESPN.
www.espn.com
January 28, 2026 at 5:07 AM
Love him or hate him, electing Belichick into the Hall of Fame is the sort of decision that validates the award itself, not the awardee.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
He doesn’t need the Hall to go down as one of the greatest. The other inductees deserve to have their name next to his.
Reposted by Jason Wright
💯 it starts at the college level in Seattle. As Huskies- we root for WSU if they play a rival to our state. WSU is like the Pats- they will cheer for one team and if you don’t they will tell you how you aren’t a real fan of your team.
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
January 27, 2026 at 6:09 PM
💯 it starts at the college level in Seattle. As Huskies- we root for WSU if they play a rival to our state. WSU is like the Pats- they will cheer for one team and if you don’t they will tell you how you aren’t a real fan of your team.
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
We’re ready for Superbowl 😘
Absolutely absurd. The way these minor violations got blown up by the league is so silly.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
A stunner from @dvnjr.bsky.social and me: Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. He didn't get elected this year. The 8-time champion failed to 40 out of the 50 votes required for induction.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/...
Sources: Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Bill Belichick, the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach, will not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, sources told ESPN.
www.espn.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:53 AM
Absolutely absurd. The way these minor violations got blown up by the league is so silly.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
Low ball pressure is the equivalent of jaywalking.
Videotaping a person gesticulating in front of tens of thousands of people live and on national television is…wrong, sure, but hardly worthy of this.
Reposted by Jason Wright
May I suggest that we take our science to the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting? The DPS never lost focus on inclusivity and advocacy. If we move there together, we can update and expand the community of science focus. aas.org/meetings/58t...
January 27, 2026 at 7:07 PM
May I suggest that we take our science to the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting? The DPS never lost focus on inclusivity and advocacy. If we move there together, we can update and expand the community of science focus. aas.org/meetings/58t...
I lived in Seattle until I was 13. Dad lives there. My mom lives there. Two brothers live there.
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
January 27, 2026 at 4:58 PM
I lived in Seattle until I was 13. Dad lives there. My mom lives there. Two brothers live there.
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
January 27, 2026 at 2:15 AM
I lived in Seattle until I was 13. Dad lives there. My mom lives there. Two brothers live there.
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
I lived in Boston from 13-21. Learned to love sports there.
The last Seahawks-Patriots SB I found myself rooting for New England. Either way, I'll love the game and happy with the outcome!
My textbook on SETI is published!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice, Wright, Jason T
iopscience.iop.org
January 26, 2026 at 4:18 PM
My textbook on SETI is published!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
If so, you can order hardcopies for around $30 each.
Otherwise, you can buy copies here:
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
I hope you like it!
Hey fellow older astronomers:
Did [email protected] ever reveal themself? Do we know who they were?🔭
The rumor mill is quite the legacy…
Did [email protected] ever reveal themself? Do we know who they were?🔭
The rumor mill is quite the legacy…
January 23, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Hey fellow older astronomers:
Did [email protected] ever reveal themself? Do we know who they were?🔭
The rumor mill is quite the legacy…
Did [email protected] ever reveal themself? Do we know who they were?🔭
The rumor mill is quite the legacy…
This is very cool!
I was surprised that we never learn in the final cut what the Deacon said that set Jud off and the movie's events into motion. Was it just a red herring, or a detail cut for length?
The word "Deacon" never appears again in this script so apparently not edited out after shooting…
I was surprised that we never learn in the final cut what the Deacon said that set Jud off and the movie's events into motion. Was it just a red herring, or a detail cut for length?
The word "Deacon" never appears again in this script so apparently not edited out after shooting…
I’ve added the script for Wake Up Dead Man to my site. This is the final shooting script, so it has stuff that was cut and moved around, which I always think is more interesting to see than a conformed cleaned up version. Enjoy! www.rian-johnson.com/screenplays
rcjohnso / scripts
Free screenplays for Brick, Brothers Bloom and Looper.
www.rian-johnson.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:32 PM
This is very cool!
I was surprised that we never learn in the final cut what the Deacon said that set Jud off and the movie's events into motion. Was it just a red herring, or a detail cut for length?
The word "Deacon" never appears again in this script so apparently not edited out after shooting…
I was surprised that we never learn in the final cut what the Deacon said that set Jud off and the movie's events into motion. Was it just a red herring, or a detail cut for length?
The word "Deacon" never appears again in this script so apparently not edited out after shooting…
Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin’s autobiography is just amazing. Every astronomer should read it.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
January 22, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin’s autobiography is just amazing. Every astronomer should read it.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
Here she is talking about her memories of Annie Jump Cannon.
This board game is amazing!
It's super complicated and VERY true to the science. Every astrobiologist board game geek should get a copy! I'm SO impressed at the research behind this game.
I would LOVE to review this game! Anyone know how/where I could do that?
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41...
🔭🧪
It's super complicated and VERY true to the science. Every astrobiologist board game geek should get a copy! I'm SO impressed at the research behind this game.
I would LOVE to review this game! Anyone know how/where I could do that?
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41...
🔭🧪
SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Search for signs of alien life by launching probes and analyzing distant signals.
boardgamegeek.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:51 AM
This board game is amazing!
It's super complicated and VERY true to the science. Every astrobiologist board game geek should get a copy! I'm SO impressed at the research behind this game.
I would LOVE to review this game! Anyone know how/where I could do that?
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41...
🔭🧪
It's super complicated and VERY true to the science. Every astrobiologist board game geek should get a copy! I'm SO impressed at the research behind this game.
I would LOVE to review this game! Anyone know how/where I could do that?
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41...
🔭🧪
Work hack:
Put common LaTeX commands into the "text replacement" option on a Mac. In the rare case you want to type these literally, you can just use ESC after typing.
(They magically don't interfere with Overleaf, and putting in lower case Greek letters makes upper case work, too!)
Put common LaTeX commands into the "text replacement" option on a Mac. In the rare case you want to type these literally, you can just use ESC after typing.
(They magically don't interfere with Overleaf, and putting in lower case Greek letters makes upper case work, too!)
January 20, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Work hack:
Put common LaTeX commands into the "text replacement" option on a Mac. In the rare case you want to type these literally, you can just use ESC after typing.
(They magically don't interfere with Overleaf, and putting in lower case Greek letters makes upper case work, too!)
Put common LaTeX commands into the "text replacement" option on a Mac. In the rare case you want to type these literally, you can just use ESC after typing.
(They magically don't interfere with Overleaf, and putting in lower case Greek letters makes upper case work, too!)
Wrote up a bit about the textbook.
One of the reasons I wrote it is to give others a foundation to confidently teach SETI as a course. At Penn State the courses are Astro 476 (for majors) and 576 (for astrobiology grad students).
If you try it out, hit me up for the "teacher's edition"!
One of the reasons I wrote it is to give others a foundation to confidently teach SETI as a course. At Penn State the courses are Astro 476 (for majors) and 576 (for astrobiology grad students).
If you try it out, hit me up for the "teacher's edition"!
Textbook Published!
Waaaay back in April 2021 I negotiated writing a new book for the American Astronomical Society through its eBooks program. It was to be the first textbook on SETI since Shklovskiǐ and Sagan’s ...
sites.psu.edu
January 19, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Wrote up a bit about the textbook.
One of the reasons I wrote it is to give others a foundation to confidently teach SETI as a course. At Penn State the courses are Astro 476 (for majors) and 576 (for astrobiology grad students).
If you try it out, hit me up for the "teacher's edition"!
One of the reasons I wrote it is to give others a foundation to confidently teach SETI as a course. At Penn State the courses are Astro 476 (for majors) and 576 (for astrobiology grad students).
If you try it out, hit me up for the "teacher's edition"!
My textbook on SETI is published!
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
🧪🔭
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
🧪🔭
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Theory and practice, Wright, Jason T
iopscience.iop.org
January 19, 2026 at 5:55 PM
My textbook on SETI is published!
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
🧪🔭
I hope you like it!
Please see if your libraries offer a free download—mine does!
iopscience.iop.org/book/mono/97...
🧪🔭
Naive question:
How well constrained is the amount of mass in SMBHs that is due to accreted dark matter?
Do limits from galaxy dynamics and/or large scale structure put limits on how efficiently BHs can accrete dark matter?
Is it possible that some SMBHs are dark-matter dominated?
🔭🧪
How well constrained is the amount of mass in SMBHs that is due to accreted dark matter?
Do limits from galaxy dynamics and/or large scale structure put limits on how efficiently BHs can accrete dark matter?
Is it possible that some SMBHs are dark-matter dominated?
🔭🧪
January 16, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Naive question:
How well constrained is the amount of mass in SMBHs that is due to accreted dark matter?
Do limits from galaxy dynamics and/or large scale structure put limits on how efficiently BHs can accrete dark matter?
Is it possible that some SMBHs are dark-matter dominated?
🔭🧪
How well constrained is the amount of mass in SMBHs that is due to accreted dark matter?
Do limits from galaxy dynamics and/or large scale structure put limits on how efficiently BHs can accrete dark matter?
Is it possible that some SMBHs are dark-matter dominated?
🔭🧪
A note on this in case it helps others:
Finishing this book was VERY CHALLENGING for me. I think I generally draft and edit easily and quickly (once I know clearly what I want to say) but the scope of this book was so imposing that it defeated my usual mental rubrics, which it stalled for YEARS.
Finishing this book was VERY CHALLENGING for me. I think I generally draft and edit easily and quickly (once I know clearly what I want to say) but the scope of this book was so imposing that it defeated my usual mental rubrics, which it stalled for YEARS.
I love the phrase "writing jail". That will be the title of my memoirs. 😄
January 16, 2026 at 7:49 PM
A note on this in case it helps others:
Finishing this book was VERY CHALLENGING for me. I think I generally draft and edit easily and quickly (once I know clearly what I want to say) but the scope of this book was so imposing that it defeated my usual mental rubrics, which it stalled for YEARS.
Finishing this book was VERY CHALLENGING for me. I think I generally draft and edit easily and quickly (once I know clearly what I want to say) but the scope of this book was so imposing that it defeated my usual mental rubrics, which it stalled for YEARS.
tagging 🔭🧪
Now that work on my textbook is done and I'm out of writing jail, I'm working on a backlog of other writing projects.
Here's a fun one!
NEID observed the 2023 October solar eclipse, and monitored the H-alpha and Ca II H&K lines—which changed strength during the eclipse.
Here's a fun one!
NEID observed the 2023 October solar eclipse, and monitored the H-alpha and Ca II H&K lines—which changed strength during the eclipse.
A Simple One-free-parameter Model of the Solar Chromosphere Explains Solar Chromospheric Line Variations Measured by NEID at WIYN during the 2023 October Solar Eclipse
A Simple One-free-parameter Model of the Solar Chromosphere Explains Solar Chromospheric Line Variations Measured by NEID at WIYN during the 2023 October Solar Eclipse, Wright, Jason T., Gonzalez, Elizabeth, Premnath, Pranav, Robertson, Paul, Mahadevan, Suvrath, Gupta, Arvind F., Halverson, Samuel, Krolikowski, Daniel M., Logsdon, Sarah E., Luhn, Jacob K., Ninan, Joe P., Palumbo, Michael L., Roy, Arpita, Schwab, Christian, Terrien, Ryan C.
iopscience.iop.org
January 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM
tagging 🔭🧪
Now that work on my textbook is done and I'm out of writing jail, I'm working on a backlog of other writing projects.
Here's a fun one!
NEID observed the 2023 October solar eclipse, and monitored the H-alpha and Ca II H&K lines—which changed strength during the eclipse.
Here's a fun one!
NEID observed the 2023 October solar eclipse, and monitored the H-alpha and Ca II H&K lines—which changed strength during the eclipse.
A Simple One-free-parameter Model of the Solar Chromosphere Explains Solar Chromospheric Line Variations Measured by NEID at WIYN during the 2023 October Solar Eclipse
A Simple One-free-parameter Model of the Solar Chromosphere Explains Solar Chromospheric Line Variations Measured by NEID at WIYN during the 2023 October Solar Eclipse, Wright, Jason T., Gonzalez, Elizabeth, Premnath, Pranav, Robertson, Paul, Mahadevan, Suvrath, Gupta, Arvind F., Halverson, Samuel, Krolikowski, Daniel M., Logsdon, Sarah E., Luhn, Jacob K., Ninan, Joe P., Palumbo, Michael L., Roy, Arpita, Schwab, Christian, Terrien, Ryan C.
iopscience.iop.org
January 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Now that work on my textbook is done and I'm out of writing jail, I'm working on a backlog of other writing projects.
Here's a fun one!
NEID observed the 2023 October solar eclipse, and monitored the H-alpha and Ca II H&K lines—which changed strength during the eclipse.
Here's a fun one!
NEID observed the 2023 October solar eclipse, and monitored the H-alpha and Ca II H&K lines—which changed strength during the eclipse.
Reposted by Jason Wright
Read more about the bills passed yesterday (aas.org/posts/news/2...), and thank your members of Congress today! aas.org/action-alert...
January 16, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Read more about the bills passed yesterday (aas.org/posts/news/2...), and thank your members of Congress today! aas.org/action-alert...
All of this.
I know a lot of people think Ancient Aliens is harmless fun. It certainly can be fun (I say this as a fan of Weekly World News!) but it has definitely not been harmless.
I know a lot of people think Ancient Aliens is harmless fun. It certainly can be fun (I say this as a fan of Weekly World News!) but it has definitely not been harmless.
Few individuals have had such a colossal & deleterious impact on the cultural psyche as the recently-departed Erich von Däniken. While he was not alone in fusing aliens into our conception of the distant human past, he was perhaps the most successful & the most harmful in doing so.
January 13, 2026 at 4:06 AM
All of this.
I know a lot of people think Ancient Aliens is harmless fun. It certainly can be fun (I say this as a fan of Weekly World News!) but it has definitely not been harmless.
I know a lot of people think Ancient Aliens is harmless fun. It certainly can be fun (I say this as a fan of Weekly World News!) but it has definitely not been harmless.
They say you should never meet your heroes, but…
I'm reading Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin's auto-ish biography and so far she's exceeding my mental image of her.
She and Sergey Gaposhkin took in a Japanese family to save them from internment in a concentration camp!
🔭🧪
I'm reading Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin's auto-ish biography and so far she's exceeding my mental image of her.
She and Sergey Gaposhkin took in a Japanese family to save them from internment in a concentration camp!
🔭🧪
January 11, 2026 at 3:09 AM
They say you should never meet your heroes, but…
I'm reading Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin's auto-ish biography and so far she's exceeding my mental image of her.
She and Sergey Gaposhkin took in a Japanese family to save them from internment in a concentration camp!
🔭🧪
I'm reading Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin's auto-ish biography and so far she's exceeding my mental image of her.
She and Sergey Gaposhkin took in a Japanese family to save them from internment in a concentration camp!
🔭🧪
Final proofs of the textbook are in!
Should be available…soon I hope?
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
Should be available…soon I hope?
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
IOPP: Title Detail: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Jason T. Wright
A textbook for astronomy majors, astrobiology graduate students, and interested scientifically-minded people covering the theoretical, practical, historical, and social aspects of the Search for Extra...
store.ioppublishing.org
January 7, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Final proofs of the textbook are in!
Should be available…soon I hope?
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
Should be available…soon I hope?
store.ioppublishing.org/page/detail/...
Adventures in copy editing:
The fractional degree in the term "0°.04 pixel" in my textbook first got typeset as "0. 04 pixel", then after I flagged it it was "corrected" to "0.04 pixel", then after I missed that it was further "corrected" to "1/25 pixel".
Glad I caught it in 3rd proofs!
The fractional degree in the term "0°.04 pixel" in my textbook first got typeset as "0. 04 pixel", then after I flagged it it was "corrected" to "0.04 pixel", then after I missed that it was further "corrected" to "1/25 pixel".
Glad I caught it in 3rd proofs!
January 7, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Adventures in copy editing:
The fractional degree in the term "0°.04 pixel" in my textbook first got typeset as "0. 04 pixel", then after I flagged it it was "corrected" to "0.04 pixel", then after I missed that it was further "corrected" to "1/25 pixel".
Glad I caught it in 3rd proofs!
The fractional degree in the term "0°.04 pixel" in my textbook first got typeset as "0. 04 pixel", then after I flagged it it was "corrected" to "0.04 pixel", then after I missed that it was further "corrected" to "1/25 pixel".
Glad I caught it in 3rd proofs!
I am also pleased to report that the furry convention doesn’t end until tomorrow.
I am pleased to report that, today at least, #aas247 attendees appear to be sharing the convention center and Sheraton lobby bar with a furry convention.
January 3, 2026 at 9:53 PM
I am also pleased to report that the furry convention doesn’t end until tomorrow.