Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · 2h

Day 4 of #SLW: @westernu.ca Engineering prof Ana Luisa Trejos recently spoke on the CBC Quirks & Quarks 50th anniversary show!

Hosted at the @perimeterinstitute.ca, she discussed the future of science + insights on advancements in automation + robotics.

Listen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w63q...

Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · 3h

Day 3 of #ScienceLiteracyWeek: Misinformation tactics📚

A big component of science literacy is to be able to navigate the information we encounter - and ensure we are able to tell true from false!

Learn more about identifying misinformation here: tinyurl.com/bdaprz4p

Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · 2d

Welcome to Science Literacy Week 2025! 🚀🪐

Championed by the Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC) the goal of #ScienceLiteracyWeek is to celebrate Canadian science, inspire curiosity, and support STEM-related public engagement initiatives.

Learn more: www.scienceliteracy.ca/about/

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · 5d

We welcomed @westernu.ca alumni + the public at the #WesternHoco tours on September 27th!

Researchers from Western Space and @rotmanphilosophy.bsky.social gave a great overview of the space and philosophy research happening at Western.

Thanks to @westernuAlumni for organizing the event!

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Reposted by Western Space

Western University @westernu.ca · 13d

It’s official, we are all in! Join us as we continue to drive impactful change for Canada and the world. There's so much to be proud of and so much more to do. #AllinWesternU

Learn more: allin.westernu.ca?utm_medium=s...

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · 19d

In partnership with the @rotmanphilosophy.bsky.social, the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration will be participating in Western's annual Homecoming celebrations on Saturday, September 27th!

Register by September 23rd here: www.westernconnect.ca/site/Calenda...

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · 20d

An international team of nearly 100 researchers, including @westernu.ca adjunct professor Auriane Egal + professor Denis Vida published the first-ever comprehensive study of an asteroid's journey from space down to impact on earth. ☄️

Read the full story here: news.westernu.ca/2025/09/plan...

image of meteor streaking toward the ground with a tree in the foreground.

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Sep 4

Are you attending EPSC - DPS Joint Meeting in Finland next week? Come visit Western Space at Booth #14!

Learn more about the conference here: epsc-dps2025.eu

#WesternU #WesternuSpace #ESPCDPS2025 #finland #spacesciences

@europlanetmedia.bsky.social @aas.org

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Sep 2

Welcome back Western Space!

We are looking forward to another great year of activities, opportunities and more to bring to our membership.

Follow along on our website at www.space.uwo.ca

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 29

An international team including @westernu.ca profs Jan Cami and Els Peeters discovered new molecules in images of the Butterfly Nebula collected by #JWST!

Learn more here:
news.westernu.ca/2025/08/webb...

colorful image of the inner features of the butterfly bebula. The colors are bright oranges, vibrant blues and pinks on a black starless background. The text reads 'Western astrophysicists help decode chemistry behind cosmic butterfly's beauty.'

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 27

Congratulations to recent @westernu.ca PhD geology graduate James Burley on the official naming of the Martian crater Tokmok! 🛰️

Learn more about this research here: ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023LPIC...

Learn more about Tokmok crater here: planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/16402

image of a large crater on surface of mars. Crater is surrounded by an apron of upturned rock known as the ejecta blanket.

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 20

Western Space is attending the Europlanet Science Congress - Division for Planetary Sciences joint annual meeting from Sept. 7-12th in Helsinki, Finland!

Visit booth #14 to learn about our researchers, projects & opportunities for collaboration.

@europlanetmedia.bsky.social
@westernu.ca

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 14

@westernu.ca Global Meteor Network researchers are using cameras to tackle aviation-induced climate change in real-time caused by condensation trails, or contrails for short. ✈️

Learn more here: www.ctvnews.ca/london/artic...

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 5

Link to article: www.npr.org/2025/07/17/n...

NASA tests scientific instruments in Arizona crater ahead of moon landing attempt

NASA wants to land Artemis astronauts on the moon in 2027, but the scientific instruments they'll bring must be tested on Earth. The best place to do that is a mile-wide meteorite crater in Arizona.

www.npr.org

Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 5

How can you study impact craters like an astronaut? It's easier than you may think. Planetary science prof @planetneish.bsky.social + her grad students recently conducted analogue studies at Meteor Crater to assess the feasibility of in-situ tools that will be used by astronauts.

Learn more below:

two scientists stand infront of an impact crater with equipment in the foreground.

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 1

www.cnn.com/2025/07/25/s...

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/25/science/asteroid-2024-yr4-potential-lunar-impact"

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Aug 1

The asteroid 2024 YR4, studied by scientists for its likelihood of impacting earth in 2032, is now predicted to have a greater chance of hitting the Moon.

@westernu.ca prof Paul Wiegert spoke to CNN about the significance of this once in a 5,000 year event.

Learn more below:

Artists representation of a grey asteroid 2024 YR4 floating through the dark starry universe

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Reposted by Western Space

Western Libraries @westernulibs.bsky.social · Jul 30

📢 #WesternU instructors,

Did you know that you can give students free & easy access to your Course Readings? Our service is one way you can help alleviate rising costs & provide more equitable access to higher education.

Find out more 👇
lib.uwo.ca/coursereadin...

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Jul 30

Sarah Gallagher, director of Western Space took @spaceqmedia.bsky.social through mission control's diverse functionality and discussed current and future plans for the facility.

Read the full article below: spaceq.ca/mission-cont...

image of space and space craft decorate the hallway outside of the mission control facility

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Jul 17

The Perseid Meteor Shower is getting started tonight! While it peaks in mid-August, it is one of the best meteor showers all year ☄️

The meteors are visible streaking from the Perseus Constellation region of the sky, and originate from the 109P/Swift-Tuttle comet.

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Reposted by Western Space

Gordon "Oz" Osinski @drcrater.bsky.social · Jul 14

I am so happy and proud of my PhD student Ananya Srivastava who has been awarded an uber prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship 😀🎉

@westernu.ca @westernuspace.bsky.social

news.westernu.ca/2025/07/vani...

Western celebrates 5 Vanier Scholars, 2 Banting Fellows - Western News

Western is celebrating its five newest Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship recipients, two new Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship recipients and their research.

news.westernu.ca

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Reposted by Western Space

Gordon "Oz" Osinski @drcrater.bsky.social · Jul 10

Super excited for my #PhD student Simona Ruso who is defending her thesis today on the characterization of subglacial channels on Earth & Mars 😀

@westernuspace.bsky.social @westernu.ca

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Jul 14

Congratulations to @westernu.ca PhD Geology student Ananya Srivastava for being selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious 2025 Vanier Graduate Scholarships! 🚀

Learn more: news.westernu.ca/2025/07/vani...

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Jul 2

On June 20th, some of the Skylark CubeSat team visited the Gr. 6 students at the Eva Circe-Cote French Immersion Public School in St. Thomas! The students got to learn all about cubesats designed & built at Western University. Thank you to the ECC FIPS School for hosting them!

@westernu.ca

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Western Space @westernuspace.bsky.social · Jun 24

We are proud to celebrate the official launch of the Western Space Mission Control Facility!

This facility provides a multifaceted workspace for analogue missions + remote imagery planning sessions to support interdisciplinary space research objectives.

news.westernu.ca/2025/06/west...

Western Space launches new Mission Control Facility

Western Space's new Mission Control Facility is a hub for taking ‘dreaming to doing’. The new facility will propel the next generation of space research.

news.westernu.ca

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