Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 17h

Learning about quantum tunnelling was one of the goosebumps moments that made me continue studying #physics.

From "How can this be possible!?" to "This is already used in all computers" in an hour :)

⚛️ Nobel Prize 2025 --> macroscopic quantum tunnelling ⚛️

www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2025...

Illustration of quantum tunnelling if it existed in the macroscopic world. Left image shows a child throwing a ball that bounces off a wall. Right image shows a child throwing a ball and it going through the wall and out the other side.

Source: Nobel Prize in Physics page: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2025/press-release/

2 1 30

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 4d

#SciX has some cute new vizualisations that you can use with your existing #ADS private libraries - like this author network plot.

#RadioAstronomy #AstroSci

A circle showing different authors that Tara Murphy has co-authors papers with. Generated by the SciX platform. Related authors are grouped together in different colour bands. Main co-authors are in a larger font.

1 12

Reposted by Tara Murphy

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 21d

Join us @sydney.edu.au for our 2025 Stibbs Lecture:

"Reflections on the Discovery of Pulsars: An Evening with Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell"

Date: Thursday 16 October 2025
Time: 6pm - 7:15 pm
Venue: University of Sydney

Registration is free: www.sydney.edu.au/science/news...

⚛️ 🔭 🧪

#RadioAstronomy

A slide advertising the Stibbs Lecture at the University of Sydney. Key information is in the main post.

1 7 15

Reposted by Tara Murphy

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 29d

Come and join us for the Dr Peter Domachuk Memorial Lecture on "Heat, Light and Passive Cooling" presented by Professor Shanhui Fan.

Wednesday October 1st, 6pm @sydney.edu.au #Physics, followed by a cocktail reception.

Registration is free:
www.sydney.edu.au/science/news...

A poster slide advertising the Peter Domachuk memorial lecture. The picture on the right shows a sun with schematics of passive cooling devices.

On the left is the lecture information, which is in the main post.

1 5

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 21d

Join us @sydney.edu.au for our 2025 Stibbs Lecture:

"Reflections on the Discovery of Pulsars: An Evening with Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell"

Date: Thursday 16 October 2025
Time: 6pm - 7:15 pm
Venue: University of Sydney

Registration is free: www.sydney.edu.au/science/news...

⚛️ 🔭 🧪

#RadioAstronomy

1 7 15

Reposted by Tara Murphy

Sarah Scoles @sarahscoles.bsky.social · 21d

Ever wonder what happened to that $100 million interstellar spaceship program? Me too. www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

A $100-Million Mission to Another Star Just Disappeared

An abandoned plan to visit another star highlights the perils of billionaire-funded science

www.scientificamerican.com

2 22 57

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 23d

When we search for radio transients we exclude extended objects

Hence we discard lots of radio galaxies, like the ones in this ASKAP VAST gallery, compiled by PhD student Surabhi Chandra

Each image shows radio emission from a galaxy with a supermassive black hole at the centre

#RadioAstronomy

A 5 (across) 10 (down) grid of images. Each one shows a radio galaxy from the ASKAP VAST survey. The colour scale ranges from dark blue to bright yellow.

1 8 43

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 28d

Yes I agree re Twitter. Some hashtags have a different role here because of Feeds bsky.app/feeds

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 28d

You might want to join the #Physics feed and use ⚛️ so your posts appear there.

2

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 29d

One week left to apply for our continuing position in Applied Plasma Physics and Biointerface Engineering! A great opportunity for someone at Levels B/C/D (lecturer to associate prof.) to lead in this area.

Deadline Sep 17th

usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USYD_E...

#Physics #Engineering

Reposted by Tara Murphy

Emily Hunt @emily.space · 29d

For the last two years, I've been paying for the Astronomy feeds hosting myself.

It has been a privilege to grow our community here, but I also shouldn't keep doing it for free 😅

That's why I'm delighted to announce that we now have a donations page on Open Collective! 🔭☄️ #astrophotography

The Astrosky Ecosystem - Open Collective

We're building an open-source ecosystem of social media tools for the space science & astronomy communities.

opencollective.com

5 53 110

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 29d

Come and join us for the Dr Peter Domachuk Memorial Lecture on "Heat, Light and Passive Cooling" presented by Professor Shanhui Fan.

Wednesday October 1st, 6pm @sydney.edu.au #Physics, followed by a cocktail reception.

Registration is free:
www.sydney.edu.au/science/news...

1 5

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 7

Was a challenge to find the right spot on our very-well-lit campus :)

1 1

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 7

4am lunar eclipse (red moon) on campus @sydney.edu.au

🔭

A red moon during a lunar eclipse, between two sandstone buildings on the University of Sydney campus.

A red moon during a lunar eclipse, between a green tree and a sandstone building on the University of Sydney campus.

A red moon during a lunar eclipse, above a building on the University of Sydney campus. A bright streetlight is on the left.

2 17 110

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 7

How are we feeling about the likelihood of clouds over Sydney at 3:30am?

#Astronomy

Dr Laura Driessen @astrolaura.com · Sep 5

Lunar eclipse fans, there's a total lunar eclipse this weekend! All of Australia (and a bunch of other countries) will be able to see all the best bits. The eclipse will be in the evening of Sunday the 7th or the morning of Monday the 8th of September 🧪🔭🌝
www.abc.net.au/news/science...

When and where can I see Monday's total lunar eclipse from Australia?

A total lunar eclipse, also known as a "blood moon", will be visible across all of Australia next week. Here's what you need to know to get the best view and snap the best photo.

www.abc.net.au

2 3 7

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 4

A vote for #perovskite - at Sydney #Physics we're using it to develop new solar cells anitagroup-perovskite.sydney.edu.au

Home - Solar Research Group

News About Us We are a dynamic research group based at the Sydney Nano Hub with laboratories for material synthesis, device fabrication and characterization, and solar cell and module testing ...

anitagroup-perovskite.sydney.edu.au

4 12

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

You can hear more about Anita's research here:

#Physics @sydney.edu.au

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D305...

Professor Anita Ho Baillie – Winner, 2025 Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research

YouTube video by Australian Museum

www.youtube.com

4

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Congratulations to @anitaho-baillie.bsky.social from @sydney.edu.au #Physics

A Eureka Prize recognising her cutting edge research in solar cell technology!

Australian Museum Eureka Prizes @eurekaprizes.bsky.social · Sep 3

🏆 Professor ‪@anitaho-baillie.bsky.social‬ from @sydney.edu.au is awarded the University of Sydney Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research. #EurekaPrizes ‬‬

Learn more: youtu.be/D305jgujrQk

2 4 14

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Grote Reber's ashes have gone to the University of Tasmania, and various components of the infrastructure have been preserved for the museum at USyd

1 1

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Yes :)

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

And for the scientists, here are a couple of articles about the telescope design and construction:

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1981PASA...

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008JAHH...

The Molonglo Observatory synthesis telescope

Modifications of the Cross radiotelescope of Molonglo Observatory are largely complete, and observations are being done again. A steerable telescope, necessary to obtain extended observing times and g...

ui.adsabs.harvard.edu

1 6

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Here is another article about the telescope, by @cosmicrami.com

www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/icon...

#RadioAstronomy

An Iconic Australian Telescope, Upgraded for Future Science | Spaceaustralia

One of Australia’s oldest and most iconic radio telescopes, the Molonglo Observatory, has recently been refitted with new technology, now boosting its capabilities in delivering on emerging science, l...

www.spaceaustralia.com

2 1 8

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

You can read about the farewell here (article by @funfactscience.com)

www.sydney.edu.au/science/news...

Molonglo leaves an incredible legacy, not just of science, but training many well known #RadioAstronomy scientists around the world.

Farewell to an Icon: The Legacy of Molonglo Telescope

www.sydney.edu.au

1 10 26

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Interested in owning a part of Australian history? The Molonglo Observatory site is for sale:

www.realestate.com.au/property-hou...

Don't worry, we stopped scientific operations a few years ago and gave it a suitable farewell (see next post).

#RadioAstronomy

Four pictures of the Molonglo Telescope site, from a Ray White real estate advert. The main top image shows the telescope infrastructure, extending out across farming land.

8 12 40

Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Do you dig them up in the desert ?

1 2