Jayde Willingham
@jaydewst.bsky.social
Masters Student @ Macquarie University aspiring to use galactic research to answer the big cosmological questions. 🌌🪐💫 Keeping well read and caffeinated. 📚☕
jaydewillingham.github.io
jaydewillingham.github.io
Pinned
Jayde Willingham
@jaydewst.bsky.social
· Jan 17
Hi Bluesky! 🦋
I’m Jayde, a Masters Candidate at Macquarie University in Sydney Australia.
This is a stepping stone on my path to a PhD and researching how the evolution of galaxies can help probe the answers to our big questions in cosmology!
I’m excited to include you all in my journey 🚀🌌
I’m Jayde, a Masters Candidate at Macquarie University in Sydney Australia.
This is a stepping stone on my path to a PhD and researching how the evolution of galaxies can help probe the answers to our big questions in cosmology!
I’m excited to include you all in my journey 🚀🌌
Thread of things I’ve learnt at the Mount Stromlo Student Seminars over the last few days:
1. The pythagoreans were a cult of triangle loving, bean haters.
#MSSS2025
1. The pythagoreans were a cult of triangle loving, bean haters.
#MSSS2025
October 28, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Thread of things I’ve learnt at the Mount Stromlo Student Seminars over the last few days:
1. The pythagoreans were a cult of triangle loving, bean haters.
#MSSS2025
1. The pythagoreans were a cult of triangle loving, bean haters.
#MSSS2025
ooo! Adding to the reading list!
Nicole’s first paper showed that quasi-stars, black holes cocooned in stellar envelopes, can reproduce JWST’s “Little Red Dots,” matching their red colours and Balmer breaks. These could be SMBHs in formation. arxiv.org/abs/2510.17952 🔭☄️
![Predicted SEDs of a 10^6 M⊙ total mass, late-stage quasi-star both on its own (black dashed line) and embedded in a host galaxy (solid blue line) compared with JWST observations of LRDs (red) that includes the emission from the host stellar component with masses ∼10^9.5 M⊙. The top row shows comparisons with UNCOVER-45924 (I. Labbe et al., 2024) and the bottom row with MoM-BH*-1 (R. P. Naidu et al., 2025). We show models with (left) and without (right) dust. Semi-synthetic models of quasi-stars embedded in a host galaxy are shown in blue, using hosts properties inferred for UNCOVER-24996 and MoM-UDS-948311 respectively. The faded colors surrounding the lines represent 1σ uncertainties in JWST measurements. Gray dashed lines indicate key wavelengths: the Balmer break (H∞), Hγ, Hβ, [OIII], and both CaII lines. Discrepancies in emission lines likely arise from the use of LTE atmospheres at nonzero metallicity, particularly in the Hβ emission and CaII absorption lines - these are discussed in Sec. 2.2. Shaded regions indicate the far-UV and NIR approach, highlighting a few of the well fit continuum regions discussed in Sec. 3. The stellar parameters of the quasi-star model at this point are Teff=6241 K, log(g)=−0.003, and Z=0.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cugc4wn2mruqtvx7lm2kztiy/bafkreihl6ovaillakosqgxbqbas2th4gwg2hvaglvrjk4hjepp6dxf54qe@jpeg)
October 28, 2025 at 4:04 AM
ooo! Adding to the reading list!
October 22, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Finally got around to writing a Blog Post about my experience at @eso.org as a Summer Research Student, so go check it out if you're curious!
jaydewillingham.github.io/Rd2Dr_Pages/...
#astro
jaydewillingham.github.io/Rd2Dr_Pages/...
#astro
October 10, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Finally got around to writing a Blog Post about my experience at @eso.org as a Summer Research Student, so go check it out if you're curious!
jaydewillingham.github.io/Rd2Dr_Pages/...
#astro
jaydewillingham.github.io/Rd2Dr_Pages/...
#astro
I had the pleasure of being a part of Macquarie University's Astronomy Open Night talk line up a few weeks ago. It was such a cool night and I always love an opportunity to talk about our Universe's history!
October 9, 2025 at 4:42 AM
I had the pleasure of being a part of Macquarie University's Astronomy Open Night talk line up a few weeks ago. It was such a cool night and I always love an opportunity to talk about our Universe's history!
Reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and tell me if this is a thesis worthy quote:
“When she was a teenager D’Agostino told a friend that she wanted to go to university to study Death, Stars and Mathematics.”
Either way that’s what I’m telling people I do from now on. 💀✨🧮
“When she was a teenager D’Agostino told a friend that she wanted to go to university to study Death, Stars and Mathematics.”
Either way that’s what I’m telling people I do from now on. 💀✨🧮
September 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and tell me if this is a thesis worthy quote:
“When she was a teenager D’Agostino told a friend that she wanted to go to university to study Death, Stars and Mathematics.”
Either way that’s what I’m telling people I do from now on. 💀✨🧮
“When she was a teenager D’Agostino told a friend that she wanted to go to university to study Death, Stars and Mathematics.”
Either way that’s what I’m telling people I do from now on. 💀✨🧮
And just a few days after getting back to Australia, I was at Macquarie University’s Higher Degree Research poster session, showing off the work behind my Master’s thesis. 🎆🤓
August 15, 2025 at 2:24 AM
And just a few days after getting back to Australia, I was at Macquarie University’s Higher Degree Research poster session, showing off the work behind my Master’s thesis. 🎆🤓
Last week I finished my 6-week research programme at @eso.org with a presentation highlighting my work.
It was such an amazing opportunity, I had the best time, met cool people, saw beautiful places and learnt so many things!
Definitely would recommend the experience and the institution! 🌌🔭
It was such an amazing opportunity, I had the best time, met cool people, saw beautiful places and learnt so many things!
Definitely would recommend the experience and the institution! 🌌🔭
August 14, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Last week I finished my 6-week research programme at @eso.org with a presentation highlighting my work.
It was such an amazing opportunity, I had the best time, met cool people, saw beautiful places and learnt so many things!
Definitely would recommend the experience and the institution! 🌌🔭
It was such an amazing opportunity, I had the best time, met cool people, saw beautiful places and learnt so many things!
Definitely would recommend the experience and the institution! 🌌🔭
Can we take a moment to appreciate how cool the names "Cosmic Dawn" and "Cosmic Noon" are? So dreamy 🤩🌌✨
Published in #MNRAS: "JWST MIRI/MRS observations of hot molecular gas in an AGN host galaxy at Cosmic Noon", Kakkad et al. This is Fig. 8: for the caption & to read the paper please visit academic.oup.com/mnras/articl... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social @royalastrosoc.bsky.social
August 6, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Can we take a moment to appreciate how cool the names "Cosmic Dawn" and "Cosmic Noon" are? So dreamy 🤩🌌✨
Today I had the pleasure to present at the ESO journal club. It was very scary but I am so excited to develop my sci-comm skills! 🌌🎤
August 1, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Today I had the pleasure to present at the ESO journal club. It was very scary but I am so excited to develop my sci-comm skills! 🌌🎤
Biggest shock of 2025: I'm using viridis instead of plasma 💀
July 31, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Biggest shock of 2025: I'm using viridis instead of plasma 💀
Only the coolest thing you will read all week 🌌🏃♀️
Exciting news! My second first-author paper is out on the arXiv today!! arxiv.org/abs/2507.14610
We present a brand new JWST image of the Apep colliding wind binary in the mid-infrared, and we study what this nebula can tell us about the THREE stars in it's centre. Read on for more... 1/?🔭🧪
We present a brand new JWST image of the Apep colliding wind binary in the mid-infrared, and we study what this nebula can tell us about the THREE stars in it's centre. Read on for more... 1/?🔭🧪
July 23, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Only the coolest thing you will read all week 🌌🏃♀️
For the next three nights me and the other summer students get to play with ESO’s New Technology Telescope (NTT). Here’s a nice little pic of a YSO! ⭐️✨💫
July 17, 2025 at 7:26 AM
For the next three nights me and the other summer students get to play with ESO’s New Technology Telescope (NTT). Here’s a nice little pic of a YSO! ⭐️✨💫
Spent way too much time this morning looking through the ALMA archive, here are some pretty sources 🤩🔭🌌
July 16, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Spent way too much time this morning looking through the ALMA archive, here are some pretty sources 🤩🔭🌌
Aus is being blessed with so many @astrokatie.com events right now and I’m devastated to be missing them 😭 But here’s my contribution to the Dr. Mack hype:
Check out the 11 ep podcast she co-hosts with John Green. I found it last year and it's an absolute gem!
open.spotify.com/show/5sdOcHY... 🌌🔭🎤🎧
Check out the 11 ep podcast she co-hosts with John Green. I found it last year and it's an absolute gem!
open.spotify.com/show/5sdOcHY... 🌌🔭🎤🎧
July 14, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Aus is being blessed with so many @astrokatie.com events right now and I’m devastated to be missing them 😭 But here’s my contribution to the Dr. Mack hype:
Check out the 11 ep podcast she co-hosts with John Green. I found it last year and it's an absolute gem!
open.spotify.com/show/5sdOcHY... 🌌🔭🎤🎧
Check out the 11 ep podcast she co-hosts with John Green. I found it last year and it's an absolute gem!
open.spotify.com/show/5sdOcHY... 🌌🔭🎤🎧
Hey Siri, play “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse
July 10, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Hey Siri, play “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse
I made my first 4D plot today - dreams do come true kids.
July 8, 2025 at 2:55 PM
I made my first 4D plot today - dreams do come true kids.
A Haiku Review for my first week ESO:
Endless caffeine tide.
Universe did not notice.
Brain just exploded.
🚀🌌👽📡✨☄️
Endless caffeine tide.
Universe did not notice.
Brain just exploded.
🚀🌌👽📡✨☄️
July 4, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A Haiku Review for my first week ESO:
Endless caffeine tide.
Universe did not notice.
Brain just exploded.
🚀🌌👽📡✨☄️
Endless caffeine tide.
Universe did not notice.
Brain just exploded.
🚀🌌👽📡✨☄️
I am very excited to announce that over the next few weeks I’ll be a summer research student at @eso.org. Stay tuned for some cool science and beautiful pics!
#ESOSummerResearch.
#ESOSummerResearch.
July 1, 2025 at 7:02 AM
I am very excited to announce that over the next few weeks I’ll be a summer research student at @eso.org. Stay tuned for some cool science and beautiful pics!
#ESOSummerResearch.
#ESOSummerResearch.
Starting the morning with a virtual tour of the first imagery from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory 🌌
skyviewer.app/tours/cosmic...
skyviewer.app/tours/cosmic...
Rubin's Cosmic Treasure Chest
skyviewer.app
July 1, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Starting the morning with a virtual tour of the first imagery from NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory 🌌
skyviewer.app/tours/cosmic...
skyviewer.app/tours/cosmic...
Update I found Crux or the Southern Cross (I think?) and Alpha Centauri (I also think). The moon was hidden by some clouds but that is my next victim 🔭
I don't use telescopes for fun often enough (light pollution 😭) but when I do, Stellarium is a *fantastic* program/app for finding your way around the sky!
It has basically all targets you could want to look at loaded in it, and the phone app can move using where you point your phone.
It has basically all targets you could want to look at loaded in it, and the phone app can move using where you point your phone.
June 17, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Update I found Crux or the Southern Cross (I think?) and Alpha Centauri (I also think). The moon was hidden by some clouds but that is my next victim 🔭
I’m not sure why I chose Australian winter as the perfect time to start using my childhood telescope again but here we are. Calling all my astronomers to give me telescope and star gazing tips! 🔭✨
June 16, 2025 at 7:45 AM
I’m not sure why I chose Australian winter as the perfect time to start using my childhood telescope again but here we are. Calling all my astronomers to give me telescope and star gazing tips! 🔭✨
So PRETTY 🤩🌌
🔭 UGC 1810: Wildly Interacting Galaxy from Hubble
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, HLA; Processing & Copyright: Domingo Pestana
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25060...
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, HLA; Processing & Copyright: Domingo Pestana
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25060...
June 4, 2025 at 10:58 PM
So PRETTY 🤩🌌
Just Out: EMU/GAMA: A new approach to characterising radio luminosity functions.
Link: arxiv.org/abs/2505.11453
I have been lucky enough to be a part of my first publication, go check out the awesome work being done in radio astronomy! 🌌📡
Link: arxiv.org/abs/2505.11453
I have been lucky enough to be a part of my first publication, go check out the awesome work being done in radio astronomy! 🌌📡
May 27, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Just Out: EMU/GAMA: A new approach to characterising radio luminosity functions.
Link: arxiv.org/abs/2505.11453
I have been lucky enough to be a part of my first publication, go check out the awesome work being done in radio astronomy! 🌌📡
Link: arxiv.org/abs/2505.11453
I have been lucky enough to be a part of my first publication, go check out the awesome work being done in radio astronomy! 🌌📡