Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · 2d

I had fun talking about exoplanets and search for habitable worlds at The Explorers Club live event in Sedona. Sam Schwann, underwater explorer and artist followed with very cool videos of ocean exploration and swimming with sharks! Will do this again soon - next time in Tucson!

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Aug 22

Enjoyed talking w Bruce Dorminey in Iceland about our universal framework to assess which exoplanets & moons may be habitable. Key for search for life beyond Earth! His story: @forbes.com
www.forbes.com/sites/bruced...
@stewardobservatory.bsky.social @uarizonalpl.bsky.social @uarizona.bsky.social

https://forbes.com/sites/brucedor…

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Jul 30

Much enjoyed last week's Sagan Summer School. Great to see friends, colleagues, & meet early-career scientists! My lecture and blog post on the future of exoplanet/sub-neptune research are now online:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSzY...
distantearths.com/sub-neptunes... @stewardobservatory.bsky.social

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Steward Observatory, University of Arizona @stewardobservatory.bsky.social · Jul 28

For 40 years, Michelle Cournoyer has supported students and faculty, solved problems, and shown up with heart. As she prepares to retire this August, we celebrate the impact of a true Steward Observatory legend: bit.ly/3GWkAQv

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harshithamysore.bsky.social @harshithamysore.bsky.social · Jul 25

Exoplanet demographics are key: Integrative. A key point from today's talk by Daniel Apai at #sagan2025 on future prospects of key planetary processes and trends in the sub-Neptune population. #exoplanets

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · Jun 4

A new model helps scientists assess whether environments on alien worlds could support specific forms of life, real or hypothetical, based on known biological limits and uncertain data.

By @danielapai.bsky.social @uarizona.bsky.social:
buff.ly/M4VdDsu

New model helps to figure out which distant planets may host life

As NASA rolls out more powerful telescopes in the future, scientists will need a way to determine where to point them. A new approach could help.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Steward Observatory, University of Arizona @stewardobservatory.bsky.social · Jun 3

When is an alien world habitable? Steward Observatory's @danielapai.bsky.social explores this question in his latest article in The Conversation: bit.ly/43vZKQw

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Steward Observatory, University of Arizona @stewardobservatory.bsky.social · Apr 23

With all the buzz about the latest potential sign of life on a distant planet, Steward Observatory's astronomy professor @danielapai.bsky.social puts the discovery in context. Read his take: bit.ly/3S1fYKB

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Kevin Hardegree-Ullman @kevinkhu.bsky.social · Apr 18

While we're on the topic of biosignatures, I'd like to re-up my last two papers about the challenges of observing O₂ (a key biosignature) on 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩-𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 exoplanets with the biggest upcoming optical/IR telescopes ever built:

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2025AJ.....

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023AJ.....

Bioverse: Giant Magellan Telescope and Extremely Large Telescope Direct Imaging and High-resolution Spectroscopy Assessment—Surveying Exo-Earth O<SUB>2</SUB> and Testing the Habitable Zone Oxygen Hypo...

Biosignature detection in the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets is one of the most significant and ambitious goals for astronomy, astrobiology, and humanity. Molecular oxygen is among the strongest...

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Apr 12

Exciting nights! We are integrating the first prototype telescope based on Nautilus multi-order diffractive optics! At Mt Lemmon Sky Center. Our telescope is unique, custom-built to demonstrate broadband imaging with a light, flat lens! @stewardobservatory.bsky.social @uarizona.bsky.social

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Mark Marley @markmarley.bsky.social · Apr 5

Here is a great postdoc opportunity at LPL with Sukrit Ranjan to study photochemistry and atmospheric escape for terrestrial planets. arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Postdoctoral Research Associate I (Lunar and Planetary Laboratory)

The successful applicant will conduct original research in collaboration with Prof. Sukrit Ranjan and his group related to the composition and structu...

arizona.csod.com

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Kevin Hardegree-Ullman @kevinkhu.bsky.social · Feb 27

PUBLISHED!!! Go check out IF we will be able to look for a key biosignature (oxygen!) with the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Extremely Large Telescope!

🔭🪐🧪

iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Mark Marley @markmarley.bsky.social · Feb 22

The Art of Planetary Science is in full swing at @uarizonalpl.bsky.social Come visit this weekend!

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Catalina Sky Survey @catalinaskysurvey.bsky.social · Feb 13

Happy to announce we have joined BlueSky and look forward to sharing information about the amazing discoveries we make at CSS. Stick around for some neat stuff! #astronomy #asteroids #planetarydefense

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Steward Observatory, University of Arizona @stewardobservatory.bsky.social · Feb 13

Glen Schneider (1955–2025) was a self-confessed "umbraphile" -- a "shadow-lover" who pursued solar eclipses around the globe and earned a world record for the greatest number of total solar eclipses ever experienced. Read about his work and lasting legacy: bit.ly/4hVUaet

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Feb 6

Glenn was an exceptional scholar and kind colleague whose office door was always open. His debris disk images will continue to inspire. As a dedicated solar eclipse chaser, he captured the rare ethereal beauty of science around the globe. Ad Astra, Glenn! nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/UMBRAPHILLIA...

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Feb 2

I am thrilled to speak in the College of Science Lecture Series "Can We Talk?". On March 27, Chris Impey and I will explore a really cool topic: communicating with alien civilizations!
science.arizona.edu/community-en...
@stewardobservatory.bsky.social @uarizona.bsky.social @uarizonalpl.bsky.social

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Jan 31

Excellent study of a very exciting substellar companion in the Pleiades!

Gabe Weible @gabeweible.bsky.social · Jan 29

I'm very excited to share that my first (and first-author) publication is up on the arXiv today!

arxiv.org/abs/2501.16429

We studied a circumbinary brown dwarf companion in the Pleiades with direct imaging taken using both apertures of the Large Bincocular Telescope.

4-panel figure showing images of HII 1348B glowing in infrared light, taken with each LBT aperture at each of two nodding positions. The PSF of the unresolved host binary has been subtracted and masked from the images.

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Julien Girard @juliengirard.space · Jan 3

Unlike in 2024 I won't be offering a topic this year but this is really a unique program for students in astrophysics, software engineering, instrument calibration/support, and public outreach/scientific writing.

Check out the SASP @spacetelescope.bsky.social & apply!
www.stsci.edu/opportunitie...

Space Astronomy Summer Program

Fostering hands-on astronomy, engineering, and public outreach project opportunities to serve upper-division undergraduate students.

www.stsci.edu

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Dec 30

A great visit to White Sands National Park. We enjoyed a hike deep into the dune fields. Amazing wind-sculpted landscape! Pretty cool that the gypsum ultimately originates from layers deposited by the Permian Sea on the Pangea supercontinent about 250 million years ago!

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Ilaria Pascucci @pascucci.bsky.social · Dec 11

Have questions to NASA Astrophysics Division Director and about Program Analysis Groups? Attend the Joint PAG Session at the AAS on January 12. More info here: cor.gsfc.nasa.gov/copag/meetin...

Cosmic Origins (COR)

Web site for the NASA Cosmic Origins Program

cor.gsfc.nasa.gov

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Dec 10

Our exoplanets and astrobiology research group – what a thrill to work with this amazing team on exploring new worlds! @gabeweible.bsky.social @stewardobservatory.bsky.social @bemiles.bsky.social @sailorsupernova.bsky.social @matthewmurphy.bsky.social @kevinkhu.bsky.social

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HiRISE Beautiful Mars (NASA) @uahirise.bsky.social · Nov 30

An Impact in Elysium Planitia

This image shows an impact crater in Elysium Planitia that was first discovered by the Mars Context Camera that formed between February 2012 and June 2014.

More: uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_03...

NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
#Mars #science #NASA

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Daniel Apai @danielapai.bsky.social · Nov 26

Congratulations, Kevin! We have been fortunate to have you in our group - thank you for all you have done to support the projects, our team and students! I enjoyed working with you on Project EDEN and the Bioverse studies of the ELT exoplanet science cases. Ad Astra!

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Reposted by Daniel Apai

Steward Observatory, University of Arizona @stewardobservatory.bsky.social · Nov 21

Exploring Tucson? The New York Times recommends heading to the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter, where scientists lead "staggering viewings through giant telescopes." Be sure to book your viewing! skycenter.arizona.edu/news/nyt-spe...

The NYT Spends 36 Hours in Tucson - Including the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter

skycenter.arizona.edu

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