What's New @scixcommunity.bsky.social?
ADS & #SciX founder Mike Kurtz retires
#APSsummit26 recap
#HistSci literature survey
#AIML workshop recap
#astrophysics #planetaryscience #Earthscience #digitallibrary #digitaltransformation #NASAscience #openscience ☀️
scixplorer.org/scixhelp/wha...
#AAS248 Volunteer Opportunities: We love getting help from undergrads, grads, postdocs, and local amateur astronomers to help in sessions, at registration, special events, and various other essential roles. Apply by 1 May. 🔭www.cognitoforms.com/AAS5/AAS248VolunteerInte...
Are you an astronomy graduate student who’s interested in science communication? Apply for the AAS Media Fellowship by June 26! aasnova.org/2026/04/08/a... 🔭 @aas.org
thirteen bearded men in robes sit and lean around a white‑clothed table in a dim interior. The central figure stands slightly behind the table, raising one hand as he speaks, while the others react with animated gestures and varied expressions, some turning toward him, some arguing among themselves. Plates of bread, a fish, cups of wine, and glass flasks are scattered on the table, with bare feet and legs visible beneath. At the bottom of the scene sit a brass basin, a metal flask, and a small dog curled on the floor near the right corner. Last Supper painting by Jacopo Bassano c. 1546 courtesy of Galleria Borghese #144
For those who observe, remember that the new commandment given this night is to love one another.
#LastSupper ( #MaundyThursday) is associated w/ a #Passover seder observed by Jesus
hence the " #fullmoon after #vernalequinox" part of dating #Easter Sunday
#calendar #timekeeping #astrophysics 🍎
An open medieval Hebrew manuscript with two facing pages of large black calligraphic text on aged, yellowed parchment, lightly stained and worn. Along the bottom margin runs a colorful illustrated scene: on the left page, a figure in a pointed hat bakes round flatbreads in a brick oven while another figure carries a tray of three yellow round loaves. On the right page, several similarly dressed figures in pointed hats and robes stand behind or push carts piled with the same round loaves, one holding up a cup as if making a blessing. The Birds' Head Haggadah c.1300 Isreal Museum #199815 via Wikimedia Commons
To those who celebrate, chag pesach kasher v’sameach.
Full moon April 2 2026 02:12 UTC
Full moon Nissan 15 5786 05:12 IDT
Jewish #calendar is lunisolar w/ #fullmoon in middle of #month
As #spring festival, #Passover #moon occurs shortly after #vernalequinox
#passover #timekeeping #astrophysics 🍎
Black-and-white photo of a woman seated in an early spacecraft simulator. She wears a padded flight helmet with a microphone and a vest-like harness. She also holds two control sticks, one in each hand while sitting inside a boxy metal cockpit frame. A complex arrangement of exposed mechanical parts, wiring, and tubing extends in front of her, supported by a skeletal metal structure. Another person is faintly visible in the dark background at lower right. NASA GRC-1960-C-53088
Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb (1931-2019)
top 2% of ALL candidates on Mercury program screening tests
7k flying hours
1st woman to fly #ParisAirShow
ferried military aircraft in WWII
3 world #aviation records
#NASA told her men only
#WomeninSTEM #astronaut #histsci #spaceflight #WomensHistoryMonth 🍎#pilot
Perhaps we should be confined to "this fragile earth, our island home" until we learn to be better stewards of her. Otherwise, we will do the same wherever we go.
Since emerging as a species, humans have demonstrated our capacity for amazing selflessness and thorough evil, to create beauty and destruction.
While acknowledging our darkness, I choose to live in hope and work towards that vision.
Despite ourselves, we have come along way from australopithecine
Long corridor of an ornate brick mosque with repeating pointed arches and intricate geometric patterns in turquoise and brick above each arch, leading to a dark doorway at the far end, with sunlight casting shadows on the polished stone floor. The Blue Mosque is a historic mosque in Tabriz, Iran. The mosque was constructed in 1465 upon the order of Jahan Shah, the ruler of Kara Koyunlu. photograph Hameddaeipic 2020 via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
For those who celebrate, may you experience peace & happiness on this special day. Eid Mubarak!
Shawwal #moon was seen, ending #Ramadan 1447 AH fast for Muslim communities.
#EidalFitr determination in US uses both #moonwatch & #astrophysical calculations.
#calendar #timekeeping #crescentmoon 🍎
a budding branch with yellow petals stands out starkly against a blurred background, photograph courtesy Gosia K 2020 via Pixabay
For those who celebrate, shake off your #winter hibernation & sing w/ #nature this #spring. #Ostara blessings. Happy #vernalequinox!
On #equinox, #Sun rises due #east, sets due #west;
daylight & darkness nearly balanced (refraction gives more light)
#calendar #timekeeping #astrophysics #season 🍎
This captivating image showcases the journey of the Sun through the sky during the winter solstice (bottom), equinox (middle), and summer solstice (top) in Bursa, Turkey, between 21 December 2007 and 20 June 2008. Using a fisheye lens, the photographer captured the Sun's positions at regular intervals from sunrise to sunset on three different days, illustrating the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year. The variations in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, its height at midday, and the positions of sunrise and sunset, as well as the length of a day, depend on Earth’s axial tilt relative to its orbit around the Sun. The series was taken from a rooftop in Bursa, where the local terrain adds its own unique touch by occasionally obstructing the horizon. Oriented with north at the top and south at the bottom, this visual diary serves as a stunning representation of the Sun’s path for those residing in mid-northern latitudes. Tunç Tezel/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)
March 20 2026 14:46 UT1
#Sun crosses #celestialequator heading northward
#vernalequinox in #northernhemisphere
#daylight period will continue to lengthen until #summersolstice
#southernhemissphere #seasons are reversed
#astrophysics #astrophotography #calendar #equinox #timekeeping #solstice 🍎🧪
A pentagon-shaped SciX sticker showing a smiling cartoon Earth scientist with braids, a green hat, goggles, gloves, and outdoor clothes, holding a rock and a rock hammer, appears overlaid on a satellite image of a rocky coastline labeled “Murroogh” and “Atlantic Ocean.” Text on the sticker reads “SciX www.SciXplorer.org – I am an Earth Scientist.” background image by L Dauphin, 2026, w/ USGS Landsat data.
#APSsummit26 Are you a #science explorer?
Visit #SciX booth in Hyatt by 1 PM MDT today to create "libraries", paper sets, that reduce stress of prepping
lit review
bibliography/ref list
CV/pub list
Stickers by Yueyi Che
@scixcommunity.bsky.social #physics #openscience #NASAscience #research ☀️🧪
On a black space background, a bright image of Saturn with its rings appears on the right. On the left, a pentagon-shaped SciX sticker shows an illustrated planetary scientist in a wheelchair wearing a yellow dress, reaching toward a yellow moon, with the SciX logo and text “I am a planetary scientist.”
#APSsummit26 Are you a #science explorer?
Visit #SciX booth in Hyatt to
visualize collaborations in #physics
identify resources useful when working on topic
review successful proposals related to idea
Stickers by Yueyi Che
@scixcommunity.bsky.social #openscience #NASAscience #planetaryscience 🧪☀️
Mobile app screenshot for an APS Global Physics Summit 2026 session titled “MAR-H00-02:209: Science Explorer: Next Generation Access to ADS and All NASA Science.” A gray tag below the title reads “In-Person, April, Poster Session.” Blue circular icons offer options to Share, Add to My Schedule, take Notes, View Session, View Presenter Video, and open Documents. The session is scheduled for Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 2:00 PM–5:00 PM at the Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D, E & F, Level 2. Under “Chairs/Presenters,” the presenter and author are both listed as Jennifer Lynn L Bartlett. The abstract begins, “For over 30 years, the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) has been the essential digital library for astrophysicists…” and continues offscreen.
If you missed today's in-person poster about ADS -> #SciX, on-demand version w/ extra resources is in #APSSummit26 mobile app til June 18, 2026
@scixcommunity.bsky.social #astrophysics #digitallibrary #virtualmeeting #openscience #NASAscience #research #planetaryscience #physics #Earthscience ☀️🧪
Mobile app screenshot for the APS Global Physics Summit 2026 session details. The header reads “MAR-H00-08:394: Exploring the Physics Literature with the Science Explorer.” Below are gray tags: “In-Person, April, March, Poster Session, SPLASHY, Community Engagement, Education.” Icons allow the user to Share, Add to My Schedule, take Notes, View Session, View Presenter Video, and open Documents. The session is scheduled for Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D, E & F, Level 2. Under “Chairs/Presenters,” the presenter and author are listed as Jennifer Lynn L Bartlett. The abstract text begins: “The Science Explorer (SciX) is a free portal to over 15 million physics articles, preprints, conference proceedings, and books, one of the most extensive open science resources available to physicists world-wide…” and continues below the visible area.
If you missed today's in-person poster session about #SciX, the on-demand version with additional resources is available in the #APSSummit26 mobile app until June 18, 2026.
@scixcommunity.bsky.social #physics #digitallibrary #virtualmeeting #openscience #NASAscience #research #astrophysics ☀️🧪
Do not give up hope. The space elevator concept is not dead but still has a long way to be viable.
scixplorer.org/search?p=1&q...
A hand holds a smartphone horizontally, and the phone’s screen displays tightly packed shelves of colorful books, like a small library. In the blurred background on a wooden table is an open book with its pages spread. courtesy G Altmann 2018 via Pixabay
#APSSummit26
"Science Explorer: Next Gen Access to ADS & All #NASAScience"
Poster 209, Exhibit Hall
March 17, 2026, 2-5 PM MDT
Have you tried #SciX on your phone?
#digitallibrary #research #openscience #physiscs #astrophysics #planetaryscience #Earthscience @scixcommunity.bsky.social ☀️
Close-up of two hands holding a white tablet against a blue gradient background. The screen shows a photo of a full bookshelf with several shelves of colorful books, creating the impression of a digital library. courtesy G Altmann 2016 via Pixabay
#APSSummit26
"Exploring #Physics Literature w/ #Science Explorer"
Poster 396, Exhibit Hall
March 17, 2026
2-5 PM MDT
What are you looking for? Let #SciX help you find it!
#digitallibrary #research #openscience #NASAscience #planetaryscience #earthscience #astrophysics @scixcommunity.bsky.social ☀️
A pentagon-shaped SciX sticker with a cartoon illustration of a woman astrophysicist is shown against a colorful space nebula background full of stars. The character has medium-brown skin, long curly hair in two buns, and wears a black dress with star patterns, gold jewelry, and tattoos. She points at herself with one hand while holding a large telescope decorated with stars and a planet with the other. Text on the sticker reads “I am an Astrophysicist,” along with the SciX logo and the website “www.SciXplorer.org.”
#APSsummit26 Are you a #science explorer?
Visit #SciX booth in Hyatt to learn how to find papers, data, & software efficiently & effectively w/ free #digitallibrary
Stickers by Yueyi Che
#astrophysics ☀️ #planetaryscience #openscience #Earthscience #NASAscience #physics @scixcommunity.bsky.social
We're excited to see you at the APS Global Physics Summit 2026 from 15th to 20th March 2026! The conference is at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver CO, and we'll be there presenting two posters and doing demos at the SciX booth. Find us at the Hyatt next to the NASA booth!
A woman stands smiling in front of a SciX / SciXplorer conference booth inside a bright building with large windows. She is wearing a dark sweater, a colorful galaxy-patterned skirt, black tights, and boots, with a conference badge hanging on a lanyard. The booth table behind them is covered with a black tablecloth featuring the SciX logo and images of space and planetary phenomena, along with brochures and small promotional items spread across the table.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at #APSSummit26. Stop by for a few minutes to experience how #SciX can accelerate your #physics research.
#openscience #NASAscience #astrophysics #Earthscience #planetaryscience ☀️
The background of space is black. Thousands of galaxies appear all across the view. Their shapes and colors vary. Some are various shades of orange, others are white. Most stars appear blue, and are sometimes as large as more distant galaxies that appear next to them. A very bright star is just above and left of center. It has eight bright blue, long diffraction spikes. Between 4 o’clock and 6 o’clock in its spikes are several very bright galaxies. A group of three are in the middle, and two are closer to 4 o’clock. These galaxies are part of the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, and they are warping the appearances of galaxies seen around them. Long orange arcs appear at left and right toward the center. image credit NASA 2022, public domain
If we want to be a truly interstellar species, "new" #physics will be necessary.
ad astra
#spaceflight #spacetechnology
Black‑and‑white photo of a man in a long overcoat, gloves, and a beret standing in the snow beside a tall, skeletal metal launch tower holding the first successful experimental rocket, with bare trees and a flat, wintry landscape in the background. photograph by E. C. Goddard, 1926, Library of Congress Digital ID cph.3c10433, public domain
1926 March 16
Robert H. Goddard (1882-1945)
launched 1st successful liquid-fueled #rocket
& Space Age (only world didn't know it yet)
reached height of 41 ft & traveled distance of 90 ft in a flight lasting 3 sec
100 yrs later, still basis for #spaceflight
#spacetechnology #histsci #physics 🍎🧪
On the right of the image is a sheer cliff face marked with vertical striations; talus lies at its base. The left of the image is in almost total darkness, and the background is deep space.
This is a cliff on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
It's about 1 km tall.
If you jumped from the top, it would take you 47 minutes to reach the bottom, and you'd probably be OK.
illustration of clock face with hands at roughly quarter to twelve in center of concentric waves spreading outward, courtesy of G. Altman via Pixabay
Is #DaylightSavingTime sending waves through your routines?
Promoted as an #energyefficiency measure during #WWI & #WWII, the US used year-round #DST, or War Time, during WWII.
Today, the #health & #energy benefits of DST are controversial.
#timekeeping #histsci #time #astrophysics #spring 🍎🧪☀️
SciX libraries help us understand the impact of researchers like the ones we have highlighted for #IWD2026 and so much more. Learn more about how to build libraries for role models, literature reviews, and even living CVs with our Training Hub video guides https://scixplorer.org/scixhelp/
“When she did her hair, she would put the bobby pins in her mouth. She had the highest urine count in the place.”
So true. So tragic.
#histsci
www.daytonhistorybooks.com/building_the...
Black-and-white vintage photo of a woman in a plaid dress standing beside tall racks of electronic equipment, holding papers and adjusting a control knob on the front panel, surrounded by numerous dials, gauges, and switches. Carolyn B. Parker standing before a bank of testing instruments, taken at Wright Field, near Dayton, Ohio, ca 1945. courtesy Leslie Carolyn Edwards, appeared in Mickens, R. E., & Patterson, C. E. 2021, "Carolyn Beatrice Parker: A Life in Physics," History and Philosophy of Physics Newsletter, XV (College Park, MD: American Physical Society), 1, https://cdn.ymaws.com/nsbp.org/resource/resmgr/bhm-images/FHPP_Fall21.pdf
Carolyn Beatrice Parker (1917-1966)
#nuclearphysicist
BA Fisk 1938 #Physics
MA U Mich 1941 #Math
MS MIT 1953 Physics
WWII Dayton (part of Manhattan) project #scientist
1st African-American woman to earn Physics graduate degree
#WomeninSTEM #histsci #AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth #atomicphysics 🍎 🧪
Carved and painted wall of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, featuring rows of symbols such as ankhs, birds, scarab beetles, animals, and sun disks in red, yellow, blue, and green on pale stone above a doorway in a temple. Symbols in cartouches in bottom and middle registers on right are clear. Symbols on top and middle registers on left appear to have been chiseled away. Photograph of Djeser-Djeseru, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, 2013, courtesy of kairoinfo4u (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) via Flickr
Some think that any attention, even bad attention, is better than no attention at all. ("All press is good ...")
Unfortunately, damnatio memoriae and abolitio memoriae have also tended to draw attention to the empty space, granting further fame, even if infamy
#history #egypt #memory #Hatshepsut
A somber 19th‑century interior scene of a church or chapel where people stand in a quiet line. At the center, an elderly, stooped man in a long beige coat leans on a cane and approaches a priest in white robes, who stands behind a dark wooden railing and reaches out a hand offering ashes. Around them, several women and children in dark, modest clothing watch, including a little girl in a red hooded cape who stands beside a taller woman in a gray dress on the right; both have ashes on their foreheads. The background is filled with wooden paneling and columns, and the floor is patterned with black‑and‑white tiles, giving the painting a subdued, devotional atmosphere. painting, Ash Wednesday by Charles de Groux, 1866, courtesy Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen en Baron Caroly (#136776), Lier, Belgium
To those who observe, you are marked on #AshWednesday with a cross of #hope, not just #repentance. May you find grace
Western Christians begin #Lent on Feb 18 2026
Orthodox Christians begin #GreatLent Feb 23
Both count back from #Easter but approx #vernalequinox differently
#Calendar #histsci 🍎