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Erika

@explorecosmos.bsky.social

2.6K followers 280 following 600 posts

Canadian Astrophysicist • Chasing distant worlds & mountain peaks • Breathing with the Earth through yoga • Writing what the soul whispers. https://www.instagram.com/explorecosmos_/

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Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · 2d

🌝

#Moon #Fullmoon #Astronomy #Astrophotography #Science

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · 4d

Meteor shower captured during the Perseids peak over Polonony Dark Sky Park, Slovakia.

#Astronomy #Science #Cosmos #Physics #News

👉 petrhoralek.com

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 7

IF CONFIRMED, this would mark the closest directly imaged planet to Earth, located in the habitable zone of a Sun‑like star, and a landmark opportunity for in‑depth future observations. 5/5

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 7

Based on its brightness and motion patterns, the planet candidate likely resembles a Saturn‑mass gas giant in an elliptical orbit ranging between one and two astronomical units from the star. 4/

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 7

To reconcile this intermittent visibility, researchers ran millions of orbital simulations, factoring in data from previous Very Large Telescope hints and Webb’s own findings, and determined that the object’s orbit may bring it so close to the star at times that it becomes unobservable. 3/

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 7

While the team initially detected the faint planetary signal in August 2024 using Webb’s MIRI coronagraph to suppress the star’s glare, subsequent observations in early 2025 did not reveal the object again. 2/

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 7

Astronomers using the #JWST have uncovered compelling evidence of a giant exoplanet orbiting Alpha Centauri A, one of the stars in our nearest stellar system just 4 light‑years from Earth. 1/

👉 esawebb.org/media/archiv...

#Science #Astronomy #News

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 1

Moon phases August 2025.

#Astronomy #Moon #Science

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 1

... creating dense pockets where gas cooled and collapsed more easily, ideal conditions for star formation.

If confirmed, this idea could link the mysterious nature of dark matter with the origins of light in the universe. 3/3

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 1

Unlike black holes formed from collapsing stars, these ancient objects could have emerged directly from extreme density fluctuations in the infant cosmos.

New theoretical work suggests that their gravitational pull may have drawn in surrounding matter, ... 2/

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Aug 1

Primordial black holes, thought to have formed just fractions of a second after the Big Bang, might have played a crucial role in shaping the early universe by helping the first stars ignite. 1/

👉 arxiv.org/pdf/2506.06171

#Astronomy #Science #News #Astrophysics

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Jul 15

IC 405 / Caldwell 31

Camera: Sony A7III astromodified.
Telescope: Skywatcher Quattro 150/600.
Mount: Sky-Watcher NEQ5 Pro GoTo.
178 light frames stacked & processed in PixInsight.
Exposure: 60 seconds per frame, ISO 10000 (2 hours 58 minutes total exposure).

#Astronomy #Astrophotography

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Jul 15

Solar System thermometer 🌡️

#Science #Astronomy #Physics

(Yes, Venus is hotter than Mercury, even though Mercury is closer to the Sun. Its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat through a strong greenhouse effect, while Mercury lacks an atmosphere to retain heat.)

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Jul 15

4 billion years ago vs now.

#Astronomy #Science #Physics

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · May 30

Naked eye vs. telescope.

#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Science #Telescope🔭

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Apr 24

😁🥹

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Apr 23

ISS orbit time on each planet based on their real sizes.

#Astronomy #Science

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Apr 19

Distances from Earth.

#SolarSystem #Astronomy #Science

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Apr 8

Retrograde motion puzzled ancient astronomers, who thought Earth was the center of the universe. It wasn’t until the heliocentric model (with the Sun at the center) that this illusion was correctly explained. All outer planets show retrograde motion when Earth passes them. 3/3

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Apr 8

This "backward" motion occurs roughly every 26 months. The last one started on December 6, 2024 and finished on February 23, 2025. The next one is from January 25, 2027 to April 7, 2027. 2/3

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Apr 8

Mars sometimes appears to move backward in the night sky due to retrograde motion, an optical illusion. This happens when faster-orbiting Earth overtakes Mars. As Earth passes, Mars seems to slow, stop, and move westward, although it's still moving forward in space. 1/3

#Mars #Science #Astronomy

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Mar 21

So beautiful 😍

#Horses #Cute #Photography #Nature

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Mar 11

Mark your calendar ✔️

#astronomy #space #telescope #cosmos

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Mar 8

Jupiter.

Image taken by @NASAJuno #JunoCam PJ40 and processed by myself. #NASA #Astrophotography #Science

👉 www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/proc...

Erika @explorecosmos.bsky.social · Mar 8

Efectivamente. Yo misma he procesado alguna, pero está no parecía real. Buscaré otra igual de bonita...y real...para publicarla. ☺️ Un saludo 🫡