So I created a Threads account this week. Meta quickly locked it for 120 days because they thought I wasn't real. I sent a photo of me. 24 hrs later they deleted my account because my photo *proved* I wasn't real.
My existence has been disproven. I have failed cogito ergo sum.
How in the heck did researchers take a picture of the burbling black hole hidden at the center of our galaxy? This video, narrated by Caltech's Katie Bouman, explains how! youtube.com/watch?v=Ol_SB5Zf… Video by @AstroRob and @timmypyle
Today, the Event Horizon Telescope released the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy! For the first time, we can actually see this massive monster that our Sun and all the other stars in our galaxy are spiraling around! nature.com/articles/d41586-0…
The NY Times published a wonderful tribute by @beckyferreira today to the discovery milestone of 5000 confirmed exoplanets. Many astronomers discuss their favorites, as do exoplanet enthusiasts Rachel Bloom, Wil Wheaton...and me! 🙂 nytimes.com/2022/04/02/scien…
We're not done talking about exoplanets! Join host @phillamarr and @aussiastronomer, Science Lead of the NASA Exoplanet Archive, at 4pm PT March 30 for #AskTheAstronomersLive. Ask Jessie anything about planets outside our solar system! UniverseUnplugged.org
ALT The show banner for Ask The Astronomers Live, featuring headshot images of host Phil Lamarr and guest astronomer Dr. Jessie Christiansen. The background images are two artist's illustrations: one depicts two planets passing in front of their host star, the other contains multiple planets viewed by people through a window as though they are tourists visiting an alien world far away.
Special shoutout to @timmypyle for the awesome lyrics and for letting me sit in on the recording session. Witnessing Ms. Bloom nail the phrase "exoplanet-slash-star transit photometry technique" was a beautiful thing.
How do astronomers find planets in star systems...without even seeing them? Host @FeliciaDay and friends explore where people and planets came from as we channel-surf through the galaxy in the Astrophysics Variety Hour! #AstroVarietyyoutu.be/6LVWqPMmf0g
ALT A composite of six still images from the 35-minute Astrophysics Variety Hour, a series of educational videos on finding and characterizing exoplanets. The show features Felicia Day as the host, an original song by Rachel Bloom, segments featuring Wil Wheaton, and many other friends of NASA’s Universe of Learning. Longer segments (3-4 min.) are tied together with humorous channel-surfing interstitials.
I'm very excited this video is being released next week! It's a project I created, wrote, and co-directed with the amazingly talented @whitneyavalon for NASA's Universe of Learning group:
Are you ready for some star-studded FUN? 🌠🌟✨
Here's a sneak peek of the Astrophysics Variety Hour that drops next week, featuring human star @FeliciaDay! (Watch for cameos of another type of star—those orbited by exoplanets.) Sound ON! #AstroVariety
In 2010 I created a Roku game called Hogoword, which became one of the most successful Roku games of its time. Alas, independent apps were apparently removed from Roku devices last month.
So I just released the original Roku Hogoword game for free online: timpyle.art/hogoword
My game Hogoworm Dungeon is now available on Steam! Gather coins, harness magical spells, and outwit mechanical Spiderbots through 100 puzzling levels of an abandoned Hogo Company factory. store.steampowered.com/app/1…
As a bonus, the game includes lots of amazing worm facts* from your fellow worms! Impress your friends with how much you learn!
* (Disclaimer: worm facts may not be actual facts.)
In 2009, Betty White lent her voice to a quirky little video we produced at Caltech about NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope running out of cryogen. I still think back so fondly about how sweet & supportive she was. Goodbye to a genuinely wonderful person. m.youtube.com/watch?v=uMpvg9…
The Webb Space Telescope successfully launched this morning! For astronomers everywhere (and also for us astronomy enthusiasts), this is the best Christmas present we could have gotten.
@CNNAshley 's excellent article explains why it's so exciting: cnn.com/2021/12/25/world/jam…
Caltech astronomers "discovered" Godzilla in this new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope! Also includes a link to the Artistronomy web app I developed for Caltech, for those who think they can create better Godzilla art from this nebula... jpl.nasa.gov/news/a-monster-…