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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · 21d

Ugh that all sounds terrible! (The fact that I started my new biologic injections the same week is definitely not helping... So far, Mom is the hardest hit. Dad is fine. Dogs are fine. Little one had the sniffles and bounced back within a few days.)

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · 21d

Our little one started daycare last week, and I have been sick ever since... My immune system is clearly no match to school germs!

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · 27d

Calling the Astronomy hive mind! Who is your favorite deceased astronomer that deserves to have something named after them posthumously? And why?

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Reposted by Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor

AAS Press Office @press.aas.org · Sep 8

National Radio Astronomy Observatory: Neighboring Star’s Warped Ring Shaped by Evolving Planets public.nrao.edu/news/neighbo...

Neighboring Star’s Warped Ring Shaped by Evolving Planets - National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have made the highest resolution image to date, revealing new insights...

public.nrao.edu

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Sep 4

Paper #2 led by Center for Astrophysics postdoctoral fellow Joshua Lovell: arxiv.org/abs/2509.02884

ALMA Reveals an Eccentricity Gradient in the Fomalhaut Debris Disk

We present evidence of a negative eccentricity gradient in the debris disk of the nearby A-type main sequence star, Fomalhaut. Fitting to the high-resolution, archival ALMA 1.32 mm continuum data for ...

arxiv.org

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Sep 4

Paper #1 led by @jhuartssciences.bsky.social graduate student Jay Chittidi here: arxiv.org/abs/2509.02825

High Resolution ALMA Data of the Fomalhaut Debris Disk Confirms Apsidal Width Variation

We present long-baseline observations of the Fomalhaut outer debris disk at 223 GHz (1.3 mm) from ALMA Cycle 5, which we use along with archival short-baseline observations to produce a 0".57 resoluti...

arxiv.org

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Sep 4

Super excited that these results are finally out! This is the highest resolution ALMA image of Fomalhaut ever, and we can learn new things about the structure of the disk and the planet that is likely shaping it. Press release here: public.nrao.edu/news/neighbo...

Neighboring Star’s Warped Ring Shaped by Evolving Planets - National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have made the highest resolution image to date, revealing new insights...

public.nrao.edu

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Aug 25

It's the first day of classes and I spent the weekend in the hospital with a sick little one who needed emergency surgery... Let's do this! (Also, please send coffee!)

a sign that says " what is even happening " next to a dumpster

ALT: a sign that says " what is even happening " next to a dumpster

media.tenor.com

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Aug 22

Perfect evening for the department welcome crab feast @jhuartssciences.bsky.social! 🦀

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Aug 12

Challenge: post your last photo taken in DC to show what a hell-hole it is.

Panorama photo of Washington, D.C. showing the National Mall

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Aug 4

Ugh that's annoying! (Typed as I wait for my insurance company to decide if they want to approve the new biologic my doctor prescribed for me...)

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

Picture time! #HWO25

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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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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jul 28

That’s such an encouraging story! The last flight I was on I felt like I was the only one on the flight wearing mask… (annoying since I’m also riding the autoimmune medication bus) Also, looking forward to seeing you this week!

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jun 23

Wow wow wow 🤩 It’s just amazing what we humans can do when we support scientific research and funding

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @vrubinobs.bsky.social · Jun 23

Introducing...your sneak peek at the cosmos captured by NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory!

Can you guess these regions of sky?

This is just a small peek...join us at 11am US EDT for your full First Look at how Rubin will #CaptureTheCosmos! 🔭🧪

#RubinFirstLook
ls.st/rubin-first-look-livestream

A sprawling, textured field of galaxies scattered across the deep black of space. It is filled with the delicate smudges and glowing cores of galaxies of many shapes, sizes and colors, as well as the bright multi-colored points of stars. The image focuses on a collection of interacting galaxies connected by delicate streams of stars. At top center lies a large elliptical galaxy that is dense and smooth, like a polished stone glowing with golden light. Like delicate spider silk or stretched taffy, these stellar bridges link the large elliptical to the few larger galaxies beneath, evidence of past collisions.

All throughout the image, thousands of galaxies gather in clusters or are spread throughout, like glittering gems strewn on a table. Some are sharp-edged and spiral, like coiled ribbons; others round and diffuse, like polished pebbles. Still others are just smudges of various colors against the black of space. The background is peppered with pinpoint stars in reds, yellows, and blues, crisp against the velvet black.

A cosmic tapestry of glowing tan and pink gas clouds with dark dust lanes. In the upper right, the Trifid Nebula resembles a small flower in space. Its soft, pinkish gas petals are surrounded by blue gas, and streaked with dark, finger-like veins of dust that divide it into three parts. It radiates a gentle, misty glow, diffuse and soft like the warmth of breath on a cold hand. To the lower left, the much larger Lagoon Nebula stretches wide like a churning sea of magenta gas, with bright blue, knotted clumps sprinkled throughout where new stars are born. Both nebulae are embedded in a soft tan backdrop of gas that is brighter on the left than on the right, etched with dark tendrils of dust and sprinkled with the pinpricks of millions of stars.

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jun 17

Dogs are the most wonderful creatures and I'm so sorry you have to say goodbye to such a very good boy ❤️

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jun 3

Great article, @hannah-richter.bsky.social!

Hannah Richter @hannah-richter.bsky.social · Jun 3

The White House's proposed budget for NASA is "a whole new level of horror," according to one planetary scientist. 🚀❌ Read how the space science community is reeling and dealing in my new story for @skyandtelescope.bsky.social #nasa #trump skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...

Proposed NASA Budget Would Gut Space Science, Jobs

With more than 40 missions on the chopping block, the space community is holding on to hope that the budget is “dead on arrival” in Congress

skyandtelescope.org

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jun 2

The report from our AAS Task Force on Graduate Admission is out! This has become a complicated problem in recent years, and is made even worse with the recent federal budget. You can read the report here: arxiv.org/abs/2505.09759

AAS Graduate Admissions Task Force: Final report and recommendations

In March of 2024 the AAS formed our Graduate Admissions Task Force (GATF), asking us to produce recommendations aimed at improving the state of graduate admissions in astronomy. The task was a timely ...

arxiv.org

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · Jun 1

I don’t think that all of the ones selected in the last call have actually received full funding yet. POEMM has its CSR this fall.

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · May 30

I'm so sorry Jessie...

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · May 30

So far I've parsed that it eliminates AAPF and ASCEND. ALMA will still be support by Green Bank Observatory will start close out. Cuts to a bunch of other facilities as well.

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · May 30

nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/00-NSF...

nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · May 30

The NSF hasn't fared any better including completely eliminating postdoctoral fellowships. I was an NSF AAPF. That program is responsible for me getting to where I am now. We will lose so many early career scientists because of this.
nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/00-NSF...

nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov

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Reposted by Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor

Laura Lopez @ohdearz.bsky.social · May 30

The president's budget request for NSF FY26 is also out. It zeroes out the NSF astronomy & astrophysics and NSF MPS ASCEND postdoc fellowships. nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/00-NSF...

nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov

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Dr./Prof. Meredith MacGregor @mmacgreg.bsky.social · May 30

The President's Budget Request for NASA is out - What a disaster for astrophysics! Numerous missions already in development are canceled. It is well past time for all of us to raise our voices if we value science in this country.
You can find the documents here:
www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budg...

FY 2026 Budget Request - NASA

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request

www.nasa.gov

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