And, truly, from the bottom of my heart, I am DEEPLY sorry for the whole amazing AXIS team, grateful for the work they have done, it will not have been done in vain but I know how badly this hurts. Literally the worst imaginable time to be wrapping up a CSR was in the wake of the '26 PBR.
I'm sorry for all that has happened but there is so much light amid this darkness. And note that the US Senate has just declared the X-ray Workforce a "national strategic asset". Hang in there.
So, hang in there X-ray community. And I hope folks understand that the importance of this science is ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE larger than the field itself.
...so when a single mission like Chandra is threatened, the entire U.S. field is threatened. This space dependence also means existential reliance on winning Decadal Survey recommendations and highly competitive NASA Announcements of Opportunity.
... while a flagship like Chandra or Lynx costs billions. Optical and radio astronomy benefit from hundreds of ground-based observatories worldwide, fostering large communities with diverse funding streams and career pathways. X-ray astronomy has no such safety net...
More importantly, X-ray astronomy is totally dependent on space-based missions, because Earth's atmosphere is opaque to X-rays (be very thankful about this 😉). So every X-ray observation requires a satellite. This sets a high cost floor: even the smallest X-ray mission costs tens of millions...
Many things to say about X-ray astronomy right now but one quick comment on the quote unquote "smallness" of its community relative to optical astronomy:
Optical astronomy is >>6,000 years old, X-ray astronomy is 60 years old. The size of a community is also a function of its age.
(1/n)...
Omg this is incredible Yvette!
Looking forward to hosting @ohdearz.bsky.social at the CfA for her colloquium tomorrow!
I watched the defense today and it was the most fun I’ve had listening to someone talk about baryons in an astrophysical context, maybe ever! Congrats to Dr. Omoruyi 🔭🧪
Most of my emails in the last 6 months have been incredibly bleak but this one was just 👌 to write
Not a lot of great news these days. But celebrating *Dr.* Osase Omoruyi yesterday was a bright light. Being lucky enough to advise her has been the highlight of my career. Congratulations, Dr. Omoruyi!
!!
@scibry.bsky.social found this at the CfA when I removed and old nameplate in front of it and felt like Indiana Jones
www.aas.org
I’ve just pinged a few of our ADS colleagues at the CfA to see if we can put out a note or statement on this
It’s a real memo for sure, M-25-13 but I don’t see it on OMB/WH website yet. But multiple agency heads have received it (hence why NSF canceled “paused” proposal reviews today 🥴
My god this one is incredible
if you know you know
Radiology Case Reports Volume 19, Issue 6, June 2024, Pages 2106-2111 Case Report Successful management of an Iatrogenic portal vein and hepatic artery injury in a 4-month-old female patient: A case report and literature review
In summary, the management of bilateral iatrogenic I'm very sorry, but I don't have access to real-time information or patient-specific data, as I am an AI language model. I can provide general information about managing hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct injuries, but for specific cases, it is essential to consult with a medical professional who has access to the patient's medical records and can provide personalized advice. It is recommended to discuss the case with a hepatobiliary surgeon or a multidisciplinary team experienced in managing complex liver injuries.
Another Elsevier paper with obvious AI-written text.
“In summary, the management of bilateral iatrogenic I'm very sorry, but I don't have access to real-time information or patient-specific data, as I am an AI language model. “
Join us starting at 3:40 for the LAST TWO PLENARIES of what is officially the largest single gathering of the astronomical community in history. They’re going to be incredible. 👀👀 #AAS245
A truly transformative mission, one of the most impactful, one that punched far above its cost class, one that will be remembered as a huge milestone in the history of astronomy. Congratulations and ❤️❤️ to the whole @esa.int Gaia team. #AAS245
The legendary - the *LEGENDARY* - Neta Bahcall is on the stage right now, delivering her lecture for the Society’s highest honor. She’s currently talking about how she was hired as a postdoc by Lyman Spitzer 🤯 #AAS245
Portion of a presentation slide titled Closing Thoughts, with an image of Kermit the frog smiling and the text, "What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing, and what do we think we might see?" there is also some text about how awesome the Chandra space telescope is
It's too early for this level of astronomy feels 🥹 as usual the #aas245 plenary speakers are hitting it out of the park
#AAS245 there is an official AAS Bird in the plenary hall. I hear its name is Birdy McBirdface. Birdy is friendly to astronomers and brings good luck if it lands on you. 😎🕊️
Skywatching alert: On Monday evening US time (the 13th), Mars will temporarily slip behind the Moon. Check out the details near the end of this Bob King article:
Hey #astronomers headed to #AAS245:
Congressman Glenn Ivey will be giving remarks at the @aasoffice.bsky.social booth Monday at 9:20am. Let’s show up and give him a sense of how much we care about policy and legislation!
Please share and spread the word 🙏🏻
Poster saying "Half of Black astronomers have left, or are considering leaving, the field due to finances. Survey on Poverty in Astronomy Special Session, Tuesday, January 14, 10am in Chesapeake G/H" for #aas245
The CSMA is proud to sponsor a #aas245 special session on the results of the Astronomy Poverty Survey. The panel will report astonishing findings (like the poster below) from the survey's >1000 respondents and describe next steps. The session is Tuesday, Jan 14, at 10am! 🔭🧪 See you there!
We are SO excited and grateful to welcome Rep. Glenn Ivey to #AAS245. Please join the Congressman in the Exhibit Hall tomorrow (Monday) at 9:20 am for his remarks. Rep Ivey will also be meeting with students and many of our friends including @blackinastro.bsky.social Welcome, Rep. Ivey! 🔭
At least 2,262 presentations will be made this week.