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astrojonny.bsky.social
British Science Journalist of the Year 2024. Words about space in The New York Times, Scientific American, New Scientist, BBC, WIRED, + more. Sometimes on the TV and radio. [email protected] @astro_jonny on Twitter Portfolio: authory.com/JonathanOCallaghan
406 posts 2,294 followers 329 following
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Posts 13 Comments 37

Good morning from Mexico City 🇲🇽

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

Need a new Switch game to play on a 12-hour flight tomorrow, preferably something a little bit unknown/left-field. Any suggestions?

submitted 9 days ago • 4 comments

There might be a supermassive black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud based on studies of hypervelocity stars – and this researcher thinks he knows where to find it. Really cool paper this. Story by me in New Scientist. www.newscientist.com/article/2468...

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

All the best to @planet4589.bsky.social with his retirement. Will gladly welcome him back to the UK! www.newscientist.com/article/2468...

submitted 9 days ago • 3 comments

I'm giving a talk to my daughter's school tomorrow about animals that have been to space. Always fun getting kids to guess which animals have become astronauts, and gets a good laugh when they learn about the Moon tortoises in 1968! Cats, dogs, monkeys, tortoises... am I missing anything?

submitted 12 days ago • 11 comments

Someone pointed this out to me elsewhere, but 2024 YR4 could be a mega-interesting opportunity for the world. If we can't rule out an impact by April, we might have to work together on a deflection mission by 2028. A rare chance for countries to come together and solve a monumental problem?

submitted 13 days ago • 3 comments

Astronomers have been given time on JWST to observe asteroid 2024 YR4 in March, and hopefully help to rule out the chance of it impacting Earth in 2032.

submitted 13 days ago • 1 comment

There's a new space race taking place – except, it's not quite in space. Really enjoyed writing this BBC article on Very Low Earth Orbit, and the air-breathing satellites being designed to fly perpetually in the skies of our planet. Enjoy! www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

submitted 13 days ago • 1 comment

Hello space people, I am looking for experts on life support systems for space stations for a feature I am working on. If that's you, or you know somebody, do get in touch. jdaoca[at]gmail[dot]com Thanks!

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

2,000 followers, thanks all! Turns out you all like asteroids potentially hitting Earth. I'm celebrating with the return of the Inanimate Carbon Rod to my profile page.

submitted 18 days ago • 2 comments

Hello new followers! Come for the wonderful space content, stay for the spicy YIMBY hot takes 🏘️

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Here's the observability chart from Lowell for the next decade for 2024 YR4 with generous settings (V < 24.5). After the last few observations from this apparition and archival data, there will be no more until Dec 2028. #PlanetSci #PlanetaryDefense #Asteroids #NEOs asteroid.lowell.edu/astobs/

submitted 19 days ago • 3 comments

The chance of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting out planet in 2032 is now 1.5%, or 1 in 67. The OVERWHELMING likelihood is that the asteroid will miss Earth. But for the first time ever, we might have to seriously consider a deflection mission soon. Let me explain. 🧵 (1/x)

submitted 19 days ago • 99 comments