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janice

@janiceleeastro.bsky.social

1.9K followers 300 following 93 posts

✨ looking to our future with NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (SuperHubble!) & AI ✨ exploring nearby galaxies with PHANGS, Hubble, JWST

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Feb 27

Relieved to report that our PHANGS paper has finally been accepted for publication in ApJ! To our knowledge, this is the first census for dust obscured star-formation at the star cluster scale across a broad set of nearby galaxies. 🧵[1/n]🔭🧪#extragalactic

janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Dec 12

#extragalactic #paperday arxiv.org/abs/2412.07862
✨🔭🧪 with STScI postdoc Jimena Rodriguez! where we search for dusty star clusters in 19 nearby galaxies using the PHANGS-JWST Treasury Survey, and find a very short timescale (<3 Myr) for the dust embedded phase. Fig 17 & 18 are my favs!

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Lee Billings @leebillings.bsky.social · 8d

Now on @sciam.bsky.social: NASA’s next-gen Habitable Worlds Observatory may be our best chance to find alien life. But can a nation busy ripping itself apart unite to launch a mission to solve life’s cosmic mysteries? By @nadiadrake.bsky.social (and me).

www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-...

NASA’s First-Ever Alien-Hunting Space Telescope Could Enlighten Our New Dark Age

The Habitable Worlds Observatory is poised to tell us whether Earthlike planets are common—if it can get off the ground

www.scientificamerican.com

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · 14d

One of my faves, among the galaxies that we're studying. Uncommonly beautiful because of its striking "flocculent" spiral morphology. We've learned its star clusters tell a story of gas accreted from a neighbor, rejuvenating the disk🧪🔭
iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
#extragalactic #astrosci

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 17d

Spiral, elliptical or neither? 🤔

The latest image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features a hard-to-categorise galaxy, NGC 2775. It has features of both elliptical and spiral galaxies – so what type is it?

Read more 👉 esahubble.org/images/potw2... 🔭

A galaxy seen face-on, with a slightly elliptical disc that appears to have a hole in the centre like a doughnut. In the hole, the core is a brightly glowing point that shines light out beyond the edge of the disc. Around the hole is an inner ring of dust, and at the galaxy’s edge is a thicker outer ring of dust, with a swirling web of dust strands in between. Blue stars and red nebulae are visible behind the dust.

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German Aerospace Center (DLR) @dlr-en.bsky.social · 27d

🥳PLATO, @esa.int's planet-hunting space telescope, has arrived at their ESTEC facility in the Netherlands, after its successful integration in Germany in June.

We're looking forward to the next steps, when its solar panels and sunshield are fitted ahead of the planned launch in 2026! 🔭 #Exoplanets

PLATO loaded onto ship for transport to ESTEC

A lorry delivers PLATO to ESTEC after unloading from the ship

PLATO being moved after being unloaded at ESTEC

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 27d

Today, we mourn the memory of those we lost on September 11, 2001.

We also come together to honor the brave heroes, like our first responders, who risked their lives that tragic day to save countless others. Their sacrifice can never be repaid.

We will never forget.

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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · 29d

Heads up to attendees of #epscdps2025 - there will be a splinter session about Solar System planning for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) in the Ganymede Room TODAY (Weds) at 3 pm!

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Sep 8

"no evidence supporting a statistically significant trend of [O star] multiplicity properties with metallicity" still high (~70%) in the SMC - interesting! 🔭🧪 #AstroSci #extragalactic

A high fraction of close massive binary stars at low metallicity - Nature Astronomy

The analysis of radial velocity variations of O-type stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud reveals a large fraction of close binaries, suggesting that binary physics also plays a prominent role in the l...

www.nature.com

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John F Wu @jwuphysics.bsky.social · Sep 2

Another fantastic paper that arose from our @kitp-ucsb.bsky.social GalEvo23 program.

This one is from the inimitable Kartheik Iyer, who also shared a fantastic takeaway figure on how simulated feedback affects galaxy star formation histories.

#AstroSci #extragalactic

Cartoon showing how galaxy SFH is affected by different things at different epochs: (a) galaxies assemble in overdensities at early times, dominated by cosmological parameters; (b) galaxies and BHs grow along with their host halos, impacted by SNe feedback and halo accretion at high-z; (c) star formation regulated by feedback until quenching, dominated by SNe/AGN feedback and baryon cycling processes.
Image by Kartheik Iyer, who also led the paper.

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Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · Jul 29

The Habitable Worlds Observatory is early in its development as a large infrared/optical/ultraviolet space telescope. Many designs are under consideration, including this artist's concept animation. More about the planned observatory: go.nasa.gov/HWO #HWO2025 #HWO25 🔭 🧪 ☄️

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Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · Aug 15

There was a photographer for the first two days of the Habitable Worlds Observatory conference in Washington DC a few weeks ago - it's so rare to actually get a nice photo dressed up and giving a talk!

A photo of Jessie in a grey suit and pink shirt in front of a giant black screen with the NASA meatball on it.

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Kara B @karabrug.bsky.social · Aug 7

Next Friday 8/15 is the deadline to endorse #HabitableWorldsObservatory science cases. If you think it is important to consider whether a planet has the right geology in place to host life as we know it _before_ looking for life there, please endorse our case: bit.ly/GeochemHab_endorse #HWO25

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Aug 4

(3/n) #HWO25 speakers, esp on 1st day, not only engaged the mind, but spoke to the soul, reminding us of the wonder & purpose that lie at the heart of our work to understand the universe, the origin of galaxies and elements, and the place of humanity in the cosmos✨🔭🧪 www.youtube.com/live/V_rPlVR...

Towards the Habitable World Observatory - Monday Session 2

YouTube video by STScI Research

www.youtube.com

janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Aug 4

(2/n) #HWO25 talks on STScI Research YouTube Channel🔭🧪☄️ #exoplanets #extragalactic www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Towards the Habitable World Observatory- July 2025 - YouTube

We are pleased to announce the inaugural open community event for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory, to be held at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Wa...

www.youtube.com

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John Debes @johndebes.bsky.social · Jul 31

I said this recently at #HWO2025, but I'll also say it here in light of the upcoming @nancyromansci.bsky.social call for white papers for the coronagraph: If you don't do planets and disks, please put a white paper in! I'm happy to give advice #astrosci 🔭

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Aug 3

you too!
@aussiastronomer.bsky.social your talk was phenomenal ✨🔭 #exoplanets
www.youtube.com/live/V_rPlVR...

Towards the Habitable World Observatory - Monday Session 2

YouTube video by STScI Research

www.youtube.com

janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Aug 1

what a week for our future✨ #HWO25
🧵coming soon🔭🧪☄️
@mmacgreg.bsky.social @hbhammel.bsky.social @bmacastro.bsky.social @dawngelino.bsky.social
@aussiastronomer.bsky.social @stsci.edu @aura-astronomy.bsky.social @justtheletteru.bsky.social @vividreams.bsky.social @leefeinberg.bsky.social +500 others

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jul 29

Back for another day of #HWO25 at the stunning at the @jhuartssciences.bsky.social Bloomberg Center!

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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · Jul 28

Lee Feinberg - principal architect for the Habitable Worlds Observatory - discusses various options for the telescope 🔭 and the possible rockets 🚀 that will launch it at #HWO25

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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · Jul 28

Jessie Christiansen provides historical and scientific context for exoplanet studies “the ‘Neptunes’ are the primary test bed for testing algorithms and tools for exoplanet research” 🔭

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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · Jul 28

Dr. Giada Arney kicks off the Habitable Worlds Observatory science and technology conference in Washington DC 🔭 with a great talk about habitability writ large

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Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · Jul 27

Lookout DC, we’re on the way!!! #HWO25

Selfie of Jessie in a blue collared shirt and a black KN95 mask on a plane.

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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · May 30

Witness the *proposed* devastation of NASA science. If this concerns you, consider exploring the tools provided to make your opinions known: www.planetary.org/save-nasa-sc...

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · May 29

"I've had to go through so much... just in order to become a child again and begin anew." - Hesse

Life is a journey. Thank you to the (newly minted!) Dr
@abigaillee.bsky.social for reflecting on it with me. 🔭🧪

astrobites.org/2025/05/28/i...

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Apr 15

🧪🔭☄️ All hands on deck - here are ways to help: astrobites.org/2025/04/15/h... ✨

NASA Needs Your Help!

NASA is facing severe budget cuts that would cancel missions ready to be launched, put tens of thousands out of a job, and set science back decades. We need your help to ask congress to prevent these ...

astrobites.org

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janice @janiceleeastro.bsky.social · Apr 12

🧪🔭☄️

SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.social · Apr 11

White House proposal would slash NASA science budget and cancel major missions

The White House is proposing steep cuts in NASA’s science program that, if implemented, would cancel several major missions, contradicting claims by the administration’s nominee to lead the agency.

White House proposal would slash NASA science budget and cancel major missions

The White House is proposing steep cuts in NASA’s science program that, if implemented, would cancel several major missions, contradicting claims by the administration’s nominee to lead the agency.

spacenews.com

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American Astronomical Society (AAS) @aas.org · Apr 11

The American Astronomical Society is gravely concerned by the deep cuts to NASA science funding reported to be in the draft President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026. Read more here: aas.org/press/aas-st... and take action now: aas.org/urge-nasa-su...

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