Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace) header
Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace) profile picture

Mike Solontoi

@RocksInSpace

Astronomer, professor of physics-like things and all around grump. Things said here are my opinion, even if they should be universal axioms. Grump grump grump.

 a pale blue dot
askyfullofrocks.blogspot.com
Joined August 2011
  • Tweets7.1K
  • Following373
  • Followers350
950Media
Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)Photo by Mike Solontoi (@RocksInSpace)
Teacher, Adviser, Researcher… Recruiter? Plummeting enrollments at @EvergreenStCol put deep cuts on the table. When the faculty volunteered to help recruit new students, the tide began to turn. #HigherEd bit.ly/3t67nxo
Four people stand behind a table with the words "the Evergreen State College" on a banner

ALT Four people stand behind a table with the words "the Evergreen State College" on a banner

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New paper! What happens to the planets’ orbits when a star flies within 100 au of the Sun? (Implications for long-term survival of life on Earth) With @FranckSelsis , Nate Kaib, and Herve Bouy Thread (with gifs) Blog: planetplanet.net/2023/11/21/… Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2311.12171
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"Oddly enough the overriding sensation I got looking at the Earth was, My God that little thing is so fragile out there." — Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut #EarthDay
The Earth is small in the blackness of space and 3/4 illuminated by the Sun in this photo taken by the Apollo 11 astronauts as they made their way to the Moon in July 1969. Land masses of Africa and Asia are visible in browns while the oceans are a deep blue overlayed with patches of white clouds.

ALT The Earth is small in the blackness of space and 3/4 illuminated by the Sun in this photo taken by the Apollo 11 astronauts as they made their way to the Moon in July 1969. Land masses of Africa and Asia are visible in browns while the oceans are a deep blue overlayed with patches of white clouds.

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Iftach Yakar (@QuantumYakar) profile picture
Iftach Yakar
@QuantumYakar30 Nov 2022
Sometimes I just add “eigen” in front of a word and hope for the best.
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1/ 🆕 Scientists have waited for years to use Webb’s infrared vision to study #Titan’s atmosphere. Now they finally did it! These are images of 🪐 Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by Webb's #NIRCam instrument.
Side-by-side images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera on 4 November 2022, with clouds and other features visible. Left image is various shades of red. Right image is shades of white, blue, and brown.

ALT Side-by-side images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera on 4 November 2022, with clouds and other features visible. Left image is various shades of red. Right image is shades of white, blue, and brown.

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Mike Solontoi retweeted
GRANDPA (@pagingmrScales) profile picture
GRANDPA@pagingmrScales24 Aug 2022
“The X-Men love elephants” line still takes me out 🤣🤣🤣 Scottie a damn cornball, but a hilarious one
Mika of the Midday Star (@JigMastaG) profile pictureMika of the Midday Star@JigMastaG24 Aug 2022
Pretty sure Tesla was a mutant. You fighting the wrong people, Teslelephant.
Image from Mika of the Midday Star (@JigMastaG)
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Mike Solontoi retweeted
GammaLiz (@GROverboard) profile picture
GammaLiz@GROverboard18 Jul 2022
Replying to @gbrammer
TIL that when imaged by JWST, we discover that perfectly normal-looking galaxies are actually churning whirlpools of Eldritch Hell.
Image from GammaLiz (@GROverboard)
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SCIENCE FUN FACT: If the earth was the size of a baseball, the moon would still be the size of the moon. It wouldn’t change. The moon would finally be the planet it always wanted to be, and the earth would just be space debris.
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Today is National Scream Into A Hole In The Garden Day. A happy celebration to all who observe.
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Happy #GmsDay to everyone out there weaving stories and telling tales!
Image from Non-Ironically T.V.'s B. Dave Walters - EVERYWHERE (@BDaveWalters)
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Mina T. (@Mina__T) profile picture
Mina T.@Mina__T2 Mar 2022
Academics have two and only two speeds: 1. Can you review this manuscript by this afternoon? Or 2. Sorry I missed your email in 2016 - do you still want to chat? #epitwitter #AcademicChatter #phdchat
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Mike Solontoi retweeted
Robert McNees (@mcnees) profile picture
Robert McNees@mcnees1 Mar 2022
What if –– and I know this sounds crazy but hear me out –– we just continued to wear masks for a while to protect folks who are at risk.
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Mike Solontoi retweeted
Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell) profile picture
Meg Tirrell
@megtirrell25 Feb 2022
AMA president says he’ll continue masking indoors regardless of CDC’s updated guidance and recommends others do the same to protect those at higher risk:
Image from Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell)
Image from Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell)
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chompie (@chompie1337) profile picture
chompie
@chompie133711 Feb 2022
dentist: so, are you flossing? me: are you using a unique password for every account?
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We *can't* go back - but we *can* go forward *if* we accept we need some adaptations - driven by what we have *learned*. Learning: 1. Outdoors is pretty safe - so let's invest research and funding into making indoor air as much like the outdoors as possible 4/13
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Mike Solontoi retweeted
Jason Harris (@Sumo_Jason) profile picture
Jason Harris@Sumo_Jason24 Jan 2022
It's almost 4pm - time for today's sumo.... what? No sumo today? ah.... darn.... :(
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370,000,000,000,000 📷That's the number of pixels that the narrow angle cameras on our Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have collected of the Moon over 12 years and counting Check out some of the 370 trillion pixels and the spectacular images they make: lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts
grayscale image of a mountain within a crater on the Moon

ALT grayscale image of a mountain within a crater on the Moon

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Had a colleague tell me, “To be clear, I’m not depressed. I’m reacting appropriately to the world around me”. Oof, felt that.
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won't sit
Image from poorly drawn lines (@PDLComics)
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Again—if the US govt is telling us that we should expect everyone to get Covid at some point, then we should be hearing from officials NOW about what the plan is to repair healthcare systems & prepare for long Covid being a widespread chronic illness.
Dr. Alice 💕 (@calirunnerdoc) profile pictureDr. Alice 💕
@calirunnerdoc8 Jan 2022
Replying to @bluenail
reuters.com/article/us-healt…
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