Eric Agol
@ericagol.bsky.social
Astrophysicist, exoplanet enthusiast.
RIP George Smoot. My first project in astrophysics was with George's group at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. That summer I showed that the COBE temperature fluctuations were consistent with a Normal distribution, which I did not realize at the time was a confirmation of a prediction of inflation.
With sadness and gratitude, we honor George F. Smoot III—Berkeley Lab scientist since 1974 and 2006 Nobel Laureate in Physics—who has passed away at 80. His “baby picture” of the universe changed cosmology. https://elements.lbl.gov/news/honoring-the-legacy-of-george-smoot/
@nobelprize.bsky.social
@nobelprize.bsky.social
October 21, 2025 at 9:53 PM
RIP George Smoot. My first project in astrophysics was with George's group at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. That summer I showed that the COBE temperature fluctuations were consistent with a Normal distribution, which I did not realize at the time was a confirmation of a prediction of inflation.
Reposted by Eric Agol
Congratulations to @kelbadry.bsky.social for becoming a McArthur genius!!! 🤩🥳
www.caltech.edu/about/news/k...
🔭🧪🎢
www.caltech.edu/about/news/k...
🔭🧪🎢
Kareem El-Badry Named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow
Kareem El-Badry Named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow
www.caltech.edu
October 9, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Congratulations to @kelbadry.bsky.social for becoming a McArthur genius!!! 🤩🥳
www.caltech.edu/about/news/k...
🔭🧪🎢
www.caltech.edu/about/news/k...
🔭🧪🎢
Reposted by Eric Agol
Yall check this out, it’s the top coolest thing I’ve seen in a while, closed form autodiffable representation of optical interferometry, enormously powerful. Yes!!
New paper by me and @benjaminpope.bsky.social! How well can we map a star using optical interferometry?
This is just a submitted preprint at the moment--comments and questions welcome! (1/N)
arxiv.org/abs/2509.25433
This is just a submitted preprint at the moment--comments and questions welcome! (1/N)
arxiv.org/abs/2509.25433
October 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Yall check this out, it’s the top coolest thing I’ve seen in a while, closed form autodiffable representation of optical interferometry, enormously powerful. Yes!!
Reposted by Eric Agol
The statue of Pasteur in Paris faces the Invalides where Napoleon is buried. This is apt as one fought germs, while the other fought Germans.
September 29, 2025 at 12:03 AM
The statue of Pasteur in Paris faces the Invalides where Napoleon is buried. This is apt as one fought germs, while the other fought Germans.
Excellent review paper on prospects for high-precision photometry of exoplanet systems with JWST by Sarah Millholland & Joshua Winn: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
September 28, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Excellent review paper on prospects for high-precision photometry of exoplanet systems with JWST by Sarah Millholland & Joshua Winn: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Not only did this paper get published, but the author, Thomas Count Dracula, received the “Best Author of the Month” award. www.easpublisher.com/article/arti... h/t @bluewhalenews.bsky.social
September 27, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Not only did this paper get published, but the author, Thomas Count Dracula, received the “Best Author of the Month” award. www.easpublisher.com/article/arti... h/t @bluewhalenews.bsky.social
Reposted by Eric Agol
Astronomy 🔭 and physics ⚛️ GRFP applications are due Nov 14! Only seniors and 1st-year grad students can apply now (no second years).
New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
September 26, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Astronomy 🔭 and physics ⚛️ GRFP applications are due Nov 14! Only seniors and 1st-year grad students can apply now (no second years).
Reposted by Eric Agol
Today Sept 27, 2025. It marks a special mathematical date because the numerals of the date form perfect squares.
Written as 09/27/2025, it becomes 9,272,025, which is the square of 3,045.
When written in the European format 27/09/2025, it becomes 27,092,025, the square of 5,205.
Written as 09/27/2025, it becomes 9,272,025, which is the square of 3,045.
When written in the European format 27/09/2025, it becomes 27,092,025, the square of 5,205.
September 27, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Today Sept 27, 2025. It marks a special mathematical date because the numerals of the date form perfect squares.
Written as 09/27/2025, it becomes 9,272,025, which is the square of 3,045.
When written in the European format 27/09/2025, it becomes 27,092,025, the square of 5,205.
Written as 09/27/2025, it becomes 9,272,025, which is the square of 3,045.
When written in the European format 27/09/2025, it becomes 27,092,025, the square of 5,205.
Can an expert tell me if these error bars are accurate? arxiv.org/abs/2509.17454
September 27, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Can an expert tell me if these error bars are accurate? arxiv.org/abs/2509.17454
Reposted by Eric Agol
Congrats to Univ of Washington's Prof. Josh Krissansen-Totton (former UCSC postdoc!) on being selected for the AGU Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Sciences
www.agu.org/user-profile...
www.agu.org/user-profile...
AGU - American Geophysical Union
www.agu.org
September 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Congrats to Univ of Washington's Prof. Josh Krissansen-Totton (former UCSC postdoc!) on being selected for the AGU Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Sciences
www.agu.org/user-profile...
www.agu.org/user-profile...
Reposted by Eric Agol
A High-Precision, Differentiable Code for Solar System Ephemerides (Cassese et al in press) arxiv.org/abs/2509.19549
A High-Precision, Differentiable Code for Solar System Ephemerides
We present jorbit, a python/JAX library designed to enable modern data-driven numerical studies of the solar system. Written entirely in JAX, an auto-differentiable and optionally GPU accelerated lang...
arxiv.org
September 25, 2025 at 7:26 AM
A High-Precision, Differentiable Code for Solar System Ephemerides (Cassese et al in press) arxiv.org/abs/2509.19549
Reposted by Eric Agol
On the 🔭🧪 postdoc job market? Excited about science with Rubin and big surveys? Come join us at DiRAC. I’m so excited that we’re able to offer a few of these Fellowship positions this year!
Please share, LMK if you have Q’s!
aas.org/jobregister/...
Please share, LMK if you have Q’s!
aas.org/jobregister/...
Postdoctoral Scholar - Institute for Data Intensive Research in Astrophysics & Cosmology | American Astronomical Society
We invite applications for the 2026 DiRAC Fellowship in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington. These up to 3-year full time postdoctoral positions are available to promising earl...
aas.org
September 17, 2025 at 5:02 AM
On the 🔭🧪 postdoc job market? Excited about science with Rubin and big surveys? Come join us at DiRAC. I’m so excited that we’re able to offer a few of these Fellowship positions this year!
Please share, LMK if you have Q’s!
aas.org/jobregister/...
Please share, LMK if you have Q’s!
aas.org/jobregister/...
Reposted by Eric Agol
Pythagorean Triple Square Day, as one man affectionately calls 9/16/25, is a day like no other this century.
On 9/16/25, celebrate a date of mathematical beauty
Pythagorean Triple Square Day, as one man affectionately calls 9/16/25, is a day like no other this century.
n.pr
September 16, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Pythagorean Triple Square Day, as one man affectionately calls 9/16/25, is a day like no other this century.
Reposted by Eric Agol
youtu.be/Jx5SxWqpjjI
🔭
AAS Journal Author Series: Richard Zeebe and David Hernandez on 2025AJ....170...71Z
Richard Zeebe (University of Hawaii at Manoa) and David Hernandez (Yale University) chat about their article on stellar flybys of the solar system and their (lack of) effect on the Earth.
🔭
AAS Journal Author Series: Richard Zeebe and David Hernandez on 2025AJ....170...71Z
Richard Zeebe (University of Hawaii at Manoa) and David Hernandez (Yale University) chat about their article on stellar flybys of the solar system and their (lack of) effect on the Earth.
AAS Journal Author Series: Richard Zeebe and David Hernandez on 2025AJ....170...71Z
YouTube video by AAS
youtu.be
September 16, 2025 at 2:34 PM
youtu.be/Jx5SxWqpjjI
🔭
AAS Journal Author Series: Richard Zeebe and David Hernandez on 2025AJ....170...71Z
Richard Zeebe (University of Hawaii at Manoa) and David Hernandez (Yale University) chat about their article on stellar flybys of the solar system and their (lack of) effect on the Earth.
🔭
AAS Journal Author Series: Richard Zeebe and David Hernandez on 2025AJ....170...71Z
Richard Zeebe (University of Hawaii at Manoa) and David Hernandez (Yale University) chat about their article on stellar flybys of the solar system and their (lack of) effect on the Earth.
Sorry Google and @wikipedia.org but this is not correct. Half of the Nobel prize was awarded to Penrose for the mathematical theory of black holes; the other half to Genzel & Ghez for their study of Sgr A*. (Thanks
@nytgames.bsky.social
Connections for alerting me to this!)
@nytgames.bsky.social
Connections for alerting me to this!)
September 16, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Sorry Google and @wikipedia.org but this is not correct. Half of the Nobel prize was awarded to Penrose for the mathematical theory of black holes; the other half to Genzel & Ghez for their study of Sgr A*. (Thanks
@nytgames.bsky.social
Connections for alerting me to this!)
@nytgames.bsky.social
Connections for alerting me to this!)
TIL that I study “space balls” (71 down in Sunday’s NYT crossword).
September 9, 2025 at 2:19 PM
TIL that I study “space balls” (71 down in Sunday’s NYT crossword).
Reposted by Eric Agol
The Rocky Worlds DDT has published our final target list. Join us for an information session on September 15 to learn more about the 9 targeted planets and the goals of the program.
🔭 #exoplanets
🔭 #exoplanets
Rocky Worlds DDT Updates: Final Target List and Virtual Information Session
www.stsci.edu
September 4, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The Rocky Worlds DDT has published our final target list. Join us for an information session on September 15 to learn more about the 9 targeted planets and the goals of the program.
🔭 #exoplanets
🔭 #exoplanets
Reposted by Eric Agol
Hey #exoplaneteers (and other early career folks) - applications for the 2026 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program are open!
www.stsci.edu/stsci-resear...
www.stsci.edu/stsci-resear...
Announcement of Opportunity
Find in-depth information about the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program (NHFP) and its requirements.
www.stsci.edu
September 2, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Hey #exoplaneteers (and other early career folks) - applications for the 2026 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program are open!
www.stsci.edu/stsci-resear...
www.stsci.edu/stsci-resear...
Reposted by Eric Agol
The exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 d intrigues astronomers looking for possibly habitable worlds beyond our solar system because it is similar in size to Earth, rocky, and resides in an area around its star where liquid water on its surface is theoretically possible. (1/5) 🧵 🔭 🧪
August 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 d intrigues astronomers looking for possibly habitable worlds beyond our solar system because it is similar in size to Earth, rocky, and resides in an area around its star where liquid water on its surface is theoretically possible. (1/5) 🧵 🔭 🧪
Reposted by Eric Agol
Today on the #arXiv:
Santana-Ros et al. 2025, "Temporal Evolution of the Third Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Spin, Color, Spectra and Dust Activity" - arxiv.org/abs/2508.00808
The nucleus of #3I/ATLAS remains confused with the coma.
Santana-Ros et al. 2025, "Temporal Evolution of the Third Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Spin, Color, Spectra and Dust Activity" - arxiv.org/abs/2508.00808
The nucleus of #3I/ATLAS remains confused with the coma.
Temporal Evolution of the Third Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Spin, Color, Spectra and Dust Activity
We aim to characterize the physical and activity properties of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS through spectroscopic and photometric observations during the first month after its discovery. We perform...
arxiv.org
August 4, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Today on the #arXiv:
Santana-Ros et al. 2025, "Temporal Evolution of the Third Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Spin, Color, Spectra and Dust Activity" - arxiv.org/abs/2508.00808
The nucleus of #3I/ATLAS remains confused with the coma.
Santana-Ros et al. 2025, "Temporal Evolution of the Third Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Spin, Color, Spectra and Dust Activity" - arxiv.org/abs/2508.00808
The nucleus of #3I/ATLAS remains confused with the coma.
Reposted by Eric Agol
We are pleased to announce the release of the #JWST Cycle 5 Call for Proposals for General Observer and Survey time and funding for Archival Research programs. Read more: ow.ly/IjWC50WyF62
August 1, 2025 at 2:49 PM
We are pleased to announce the release of the #JWST Cycle 5 Call for Proposals for General Observer and Survey time and funding for Archival Research programs. Read more: ow.ly/IjWC50WyF62
Reposted by Eric Agol
aww yeah ☄️ 🔭 🛰️
arxiv.org/abs/2507.21967
arxiv.org/abs/2507.21967
July 30, 2025 at 1:37 AM
aww yeah ☄️ 🔭 🛰️
arxiv.org/abs/2507.21967
arxiv.org/abs/2507.21967
Reposted by Eric Agol
Big day for the matriarchy! 🥳 Huge congrats to the awesome Prof. Doughtery, lead on the Jupiter-bound ESA JUICE mission & STFC Exec Chair.
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
UK gets first female Astronomer Royal in 350 years
Prof Michele Dougherty is the first woman to be appointed to the influential post.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 30, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Big day for the matriarchy! 🥳 Huge congrats to the awesome Prof. Doughtery, lead on the Jupiter-bound ESA JUICE mission & STFC Exec Chair.
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪