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.
The book is filled with advice, but she sums it up at the end, valeat quantum (= "for what it's worth"):
February 15, 2026 at 5:27 PM
The book is filled with advice, but she sums it up at the end, valeat quantum (= "for what it's worth"):
Original 1976 logo and purported inspiration from a Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonial eagle mask:
February 7, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Original 1976 logo and purported inspiration from a Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonial eagle mask:
More. This speaks so much to not just LLM slop, but our current political climate:
February 5, 2026 at 2:34 PM
More. This speaks so much to not just LLM slop, but our current political climate:
His complaint here about what constitutes quintessentially bad political language reads almost exactly like LLM output:
February 5, 2026 at 2:34 PM
His complaint here about what constitutes quintessentially bad political language reads almost exactly like LLM output:
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.
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!)
The eclipse geometry is known, so the only free parameter is the balance of limb (emission) to disk (absorption). Just tuning this ratio by eye faithfully reproduced what we saw for *both* eclipses we observed! (Red line above).
At different value of the parameter got Ca II H&K pretty well, too.
At different value of the parameter got Ca II H&K pretty well, too.
January 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM
The eclipse geometry is known, so the only free parameter is the balance of limb (emission) to disk (absorption). Just tuning this ratio by eye faithfully reproduced what we saw for *both* eclipses we observed! (Red line above).
At different value of the parameter got Ca II H&K pretty well, too.
At different value of the parameter got Ca II H&K pretty well, too.
Remember these lines are seen in emission on the solar limb (that's why it's called the chromosphere), but absorption in the disk.
The sun blocks different fractions of these with time, which can be worked out with a bit of geometry.
The line strength is a competition between these.
The sun blocks different fractions of these with time, which can be worked out with a bit of geometry.
The line strength is a competition between these.
January 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Remember these lines are seen in emission on the solar limb (that's why it's called the chromosphere), but absorption in the disk.
The sun blocks different fractions of these with time, which can be worked out with a bit of geometry.
The line strength is a competition between these.
The sun blocks different fractions of these with time, which can be worked out with a bit of geometry.
The line strength is a competition between these.
UCI student Pranav Premnath noticed the lines at first got a wee bit *stronger*, then got 8% dimmer. Why?
Elizabeth Gonzalez here at Penn State extracted the lines carefully, accounting for telluric absorption.
Elizabeth Gonzalez here at Penn State extracted the lines carefully, accounting for telluric absorption.
January 16, 2026 at 5:47 PM
UCI student Pranav Premnath noticed the lines at first got a wee bit *stronger*, then got 8% dimmer. Why?
Elizabeth Gonzalez here at Penn State extracted the lines carefully, accounting for telluric absorption.
Elizabeth Gonzalez here at Penn State extracted the lines carefully, accounting for telluric absorption.
November 3, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Just found this old wedding photo of me!
Man, do I look sharp…
Man, do I look sharp…
October 28, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Just found this old wedding photo of me!
Man, do I look sharp…
Man, do I look sharp…
Apparently here at Penn State there is a second @pseticenter.bsky.social?
October 9, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Apparently here at Penn State there is a second @pseticenter.bsky.social?
I feel like we need an Avi Loeb pitchbot that generates these, but he‘s better than most of what it would produce.
(He calculates they came from regions “only” 10° apart on the sky—what are the odds!?—sooo, maybe? 🤣)
(He calculates they came from regions “only” 10° apart on the sky—what are the odds!?—sooo, maybe? 🤣)
September 29, 2025 at 12:02 AM
I feel like we need an Avi Loeb pitchbot that generates these, but he‘s better than most of what it would produce.
(He calculates they came from regions “only” 10° apart on the sky—what are the odds!?—sooo, maybe? 🤣)
(He calculates they came from regions “only” 10° apart on the sky—what are the odds!?—sooo, maybe? 🤣)
Question for @aas.org and @augustfly.bsky.social
When I compile a RNAAS using the latest bst file I get no space after the ampersand in 2-author citations.
Does the string
" \& "
need to read
" \&\ "
the 4 times it appears in aasjournv7.bst? It seems to fix the problem.
When I compile a RNAAS using the latest bst file I get no space after the ampersand in 2-author citations.
Does the string
" \& "
need to read
" \&\ "
the 4 times it appears in aasjournv7.bst? It seems to fix the problem.
September 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Question for @aas.org and @augustfly.bsky.social
When I compile a RNAAS using the latest bst file I get no space after the ampersand in 2-author citations.
Does the string
" \& "
need to read
" \&\ "
the 4 times it appears in aasjournv7.bst? It seems to fix the problem.
When I compile a RNAAS using the latest bst file I get no space after the ampersand in 2-author citations.
Does the string
" \& "
need to read
" \&\ "
the 4 times it appears in aasjournv7.bst? It seems to fix the problem.
Awesome!
From my forthcoming textbook…
From my forthcoming textbook…
September 2, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Awesome!
From my forthcoming textbook…
From my forthcoming textbook…
August 28, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Proud adviser with a whole host of @pseticenter.bsky.social students, postdoc, and alumni!
Winter Parts, Olivia Curtis, @cayladedrick.bsky.social (honorary), Nick Tusay, @mhuston.bsky.social, Pinchen Fan, Evan Sneed, Sofia Sheikh, Lennon Nichol, and Arianna Nielsen.
Winter Parts, Olivia Curtis, @cayladedrick.bsky.social (honorary), Nick Tusay, @mhuston.bsky.social, Pinchen Fan, Evan Sneed, Sofia Sheikh, Lennon Nichol, and Arianna Nielsen.
August 22, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Proud adviser with a whole host of @pseticenter.bsky.social students, postdoc, and alumni!
Winter Parts, Olivia Curtis, @cayladedrick.bsky.social (honorary), Nick Tusay, @mhuston.bsky.social, Pinchen Fan, Evan Sneed, Sofia Sheikh, Lennon Nichol, and Arianna Nielsen.
Winter Parts, Olivia Curtis, @cayladedrick.bsky.social (honorary), Nick Tusay, @mhuston.bsky.social, Pinchen Fan, Evan Sneed, Sofia Sheikh, Lennon Nichol, and Arianna Nielsen.
August 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Still can't get over @deschscoveries.bsky.social parodying Loeb, and Loeb straight-up playing out the parody a 3 days later.
Is Desch a clairvoyant, or did Loeb read this mockery of him and think—hey, that's actually a great idea!—and just plagiarize him?!
Is Desch a clairvoyant, or did Loeb read this mockery of him and think—hey, that's actually a great idea!—and just plagiarize him?!
August 18, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Still can't get over @deschscoveries.bsky.social parodying Loeb, and Loeb straight-up playing out the parody a 3 days later.
Is Desch a clairvoyant, or did Loeb read this mockery of him and think—hey, that's actually a great idea!—and just plagiarize him?!
Is Desch a clairvoyant, or did Loeb read this mockery of him and think—hey, that's actually a great idea!—and just plagiarize him?!
Anyway, what could be powering the 3I/ATLAS spaceship?
I dare you to guess the first three things he checked the viability of. Seriously, whatever you're guessing, it's not weird enough.
I dare you to guess the first three things he checked the viability of. Seriously, whatever you're guessing, it's not weird enough.
August 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Anyway, what could be powering the 3I/ATLAS spaceship?
I dare you to guess the first three things he checked the viability of. Seriously, whatever you're guessing, it's not weird enough.
I dare you to guess the first three things he checked the viability of. Seriously, whatever you're guessing, it's not weird enough.
I don't have time to write up Avi's latest, but the short version is he's decided that the surface brightness profile of 3I/ATLAS is anomalous and inconsistent with ordinary comets, and can only be explained by a small, self-luminous nucleus.
He's sure the dust must follow a 1/r^2 profile.
He's sure the dust must follow a 1/r^2 profile.
August 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I don't have time to write up Avi's latest, but the short version is he's decided that the surface brightness profile of 3I/ATLAS is anomalous and inconsistent with ordinary comets, and can only be explained by a small, self-luminous nucleus.
He's sure the dust must follow a 1/r^2 profile.
He's sure the dust must follow a 1/r^2 profile.
Loeb: we must stick to the facts, not judge things based on public opinion.
Also Loeb: Look at how many likes and messages my ideas get! I must be doing it right.
Also Loeb: Look at how many likes and messages my ideas get! I must be doing it right.
August 2, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Loeb: we must stick to the facts, not judge things based on public opinion.
Also Loeb: Look at how many likes and messages my ideas get! I must be doing it right.
Also Loeb: Look at how many likes and messages my ideas get! I must be doing it right.
![[Image of an email]:
Subject: Your ebook has been accepted for publication in the AAS-IOP Astronomy collection
from: ebooksproduction@ioppublishing.org 4:50 AM (6 hours ago)
to: me
Body:
Re: "The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence" by Wright
Dear Professor Wright,
We are pleased to inform you that IOP Publishing has accepted your book for publication.
Our next step is to prepare a proof, which may take up to six weeks for large books. You will next hear from us when your proof is available. We will send you an email with instructions on how to access and review your proof.
In the meantime, we are interested to hear your thoughts on your experience with IOP Publishing so far. We would be grateful if you could complete a very short survey: Accepted Author Survey. (Please be assured that we will only use your details for the purposes of the survey).Thank you for your support of AAS-IOP Astronomy.
Best regards,
IOP Publishing eBooks Production Team
ebooksproduction@ioppublishing.org](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:43ku4dc2gtcryj3hdf465ang/bafkreicdlrmo4tw6exdqlvatk23bnfp3sflgviy67ryxjzsfbjaqhypl6a@jpeg)
So, Avi has responded to this, and he is doubling down. It's a bit unclear, but the best I can figure is he thinks the images of a coma are from shift-and-stacking minutes-long exposures.
I emailed him privately to explain how non-sidereal tracking works. He has not responded.
🔭☄️
I emailed him privately to explain how non-sidereal tracking works. He has not responded.
🔭☄️
July 21, 2025 at 2:07 PM
So, Avi has responded to this, and he is doubling down. It's a bit unclear, but the best I can figure is he thinks the images of a coma are from shift-and-stacking minutes-long exposures.
I emailed him privately to explain how non-sidereal tracking works. He has not responded.
🔭☄️
I emailed him privately to explain how non-sidereal tracking works. He has not responded.
🔭☄️