#spaceaustralia — Public Fediverse posts

🚨 Exciting New Science🚨

Could astronomers have finally found the key to solving one of the Universe's strangest mysteries?

In recent years, the emergence of a new class of objects known as Long-Period Transients (LPTs) has baffled radio astronomers. These bizarre objects emit powerful radio pulses every few minutes to hours - but their behaviour shouldn't really be possible according to our current understanding of how other objects, like pulsars, emit radio waves.

Now, a newly discovered white dwarf binary system may be providing the strongest clue yet. Some researchers are even describing it as a potential "Rosetta Stone" for understanding these mysterious objects.

I had a chat with PhD candidate Kovi Rose from the University of Sydney about this discovery, what makes this system so unusual, and how it could help unravel the mystery of LPTs.

Check out my latest feature article on #SpaceAustralia here: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/new-long-period-transient-reveals-its-secrets

📸 Animation: C. Knox & J.P. Pritchard

#RadioAstronomy #astrodon #astrophysics #LongPeriodTransients

🚨 Exciting New Science🚨

Could astronomers have finally found the key to solving one of the Universe's strangest mysteries?

In recent years, the emergence of a new class of objects known as Long-Period Transients (LPTs) has baffled radio astronomers. These bizarre objects emit powerful radio pulses every few minutes to hours - but their behaviour shouldn't really be possible according to our current understanding of how other objects, like pulsars, emit radio waves.

Now, a newly discovered white dwarf binary system may be providing the strongest clue yet. Some researchers are even describing it as a potential "Rosetta Stone" for understanding these mysterious objects.

I had a chat with PhD candidate Kovi Rose from the University of Sydney about this discovery, what makes this system so unusual, and how it could help unravel the mystery of LPTs.

Check out my latest feature article on #SpaceAustralia here: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/new-long-period-transient-reveals-its-secrets

📸 Animation: C. Knox & J.P. Pritchard

#RadioAstronomy #astrodon #astrophysics #LongPeriodTransients

Could a powerful geomagnetic storm be the reason 8,000 Victorian homes suddenly lost power in January this year?

I had a chat with Dr Richard Marshall from Australian Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather about the origin of solar storms and the risks they present to our communities and critical infrastructure.

So great to be able to have such fantastic and professional insights about these important events and how we, as a society, need to mitigate against them.

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/earthly-impacts-solar-storms

📸 NASA SVS

#SpaceAustralia #SolarStorm #geomagneticstorm #Astrodon #heliophysics

Could a powerful geomagnetic storm be the reason 8,000 Victorian homes suddenly lost power in January this year?

I had a chat with Dr Richard Marshall from Australian Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather about the origin of solar storms and the risks they present to our communities and critical infrastructure.

So great to be able to have such fantastic and professional insights about these important events and how we, as a society, need to mitigate against them.

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/earthly-impacts-solar-storms

📸 NASA SVS

#SpaceAustralia #SolarStorm #geomagneticstorm #Astrodon #heliophysics

Excited to now share this story; papers have been accepted!

Apep is an awesome system, unlike any other we know about. It is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos - because, well, it is chaos!

Two Wolf-Rayet systems orbited by a third supergiant. As all their winds collide, they form these beautiful structures that have now been observed with #JWST and ESO's VLT.

I had a chat with fellow student from Macquarie Uni. Ryan White who has led one of the two papers that are released about this.

My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/order-amongst-chaos-apep

📸 NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Simulation: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Visualization: Christian Nieves (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Apep #Science #WolfRayet

Excited to now share this story; papers have been accepted!

Apep is an awesome system, unlike any other we know about. It is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos - because, well, it is chaos!

Two Wolf-Rayet systems orbited by a third supergiant. As all their winds collide, they form these beautiful structures that have now been observed with #JWST and ESO's VLT.

I had a chat with fellow student from Macquarie Uni. Ryan White who has led one of the two papers that are released about this.

My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/order-amongst-chaos-apep

📸 NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Simulation: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Visualization: Christian Nieves (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Apep #Science #WolfRayet

Excited to now share this story; papers have been accepted!

Apep is an awesome system, unlike any other we know about. It is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos - because, well, it is chaos!

Two Wolf-Rayet systems orbited by a third supergiant. As all their winds collide, they form these beautiful structures that have now been observed with #JWST and ESO's VLT.

I had a chat with fellow student from Macquarie Uni. Ryan White who has led one of the two papers that are released about this.

My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/order-amongst-chaos-apep

📸 NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Simulation: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Visualization: Christian Nieves (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Apep #Science #WolfRayet

Excited to now share this story; papers have been accepted!

Apep is an awesome system, unlike any other we know about. It is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos - because, well, it is chaos!

Two Wolf-Rayet systems orbited by a third supergiant. As all their winds collide, they form these beautiful structures that have now been observed with #JWST and ESO's VLT.

I had a chat with fellow student from Macquarie Uni. Ryan White who has led one of the two papers that are released about this.

My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/order-amongst-chaos-apep

📸 NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Simulation: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Visualization: Christian Nieves (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Apep #Science #WolfRayet

Excited to now share this story; papers have been accepted!

Apep is an awesome system, unlike any other we know about. It is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos - because, well, it is chaos!

Two Wolf-Rayet systems orbited by a third supergiant. As all their winds collide, they form these beautiful structures that have now been observed with #JWST and ESO's VLT.

I had a chat with fellow student from Macquarie Uni. Ryan White who has led one of the two papers that are released about this.

My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/order-amongst-chaos-apep

📸 NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Simulation: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Visualization: Christian Nieves (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Apep #Science #WolfRayet

Well, here's some very exciting news!

I've been wanting to share this for a few months, but had to await the pre-print to drop.

A NEW GLITCH EVENT ON A MILLISECOND PULSAR HAS BEEN OBSERVED!

These events are extremely rare - only two others since MSPs were discovered.

Glitches are more commonly observed in the younger, canonical pulsar population as MSPs are much older and should have sorted out these types of disruptive events over their evolution.

That's what makes them so stable!

OR ... maybe they're not as stable as we once thought ...

This new paper predicts that we should see a glitch per MSP once every 400 years or so.

Glitches, profile changes .... as our instruments become more sensitive and datasets expand in time, we're starting to see that MSPs might not be as stable as we once thought ...

That's really important!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/new-glitch-millisecond-pulsar

📸 NASA SVS

#SpaceAustralia #RadioAstronomy #Astrodon #Astrophysics #Science #Pulsars

Well, here's some very exciting news!

I've been wanting to share this for a few months, but had to await the pre-print to drop.

A NEW GLITCH EVENT ON A MILLISECOND PULSAR HAS BEEN OBSERVED!

These events are extremely rare - only two others since MSPs were discovered.

Glitches are more commonly observed in the younger, canonical pulsar population as MSPs are much older and should have sorted out these types of disruptive events over their evolution.

That's what makes them so stable!

OR ... maybe they're not as stable as we once thought ...

This new paper predicts that we should see a glitch per MSP once every 400 years or so.

Glitches, profile changes .... as our instruments become more sensitive and datasets expand in time, we're starting to see that MSPs might not be as stable as we once thought ...

That's really important!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/new-glitch-millisecond-pulsar

📸 NASA SVS

#SpaceAustralia #RadioAstronomy #Astrodon #Astrophysics #Science #Pulsars

I am so very excited to share this story. Def. a career highlight!

Having the opportunity to sit down and have a one-on-one candid chat with the woman who discovered pulsars and changed the course of astrophysics, leading to me being extremely passionate about this topic and eventually moving into a career of pulsar astronomy. Yeah, this was big.

I hope you enjoy this interview, where Prof. Bell Burnell offers some personal insight into the history of the big discovery as well as the legacy of one of astronomy’s most iconic and influential figures.

What an honour it is to tell this story!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/interview-dame-professor-jocelyn-bell-burnell

📸 University of Cambridge

#SpaceAustralia #RadioAstronomy #Pulsars #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrophysics #Science #Astrodon

I am so very excited to share this story. Def. a career highlight!

Having the opportunity to sit down and have a one-on-one candid chat with the woman who discovered pulsars and changed the course of astrophysics, leading to me being extremely passionate about this topic and eventually moving into a career of pulsar astronomy. Yeah, this was big.

I hope you enjoy this interview, where Prof. Bell Burnell offers some personal insight into the history of the big discovery as well as the legacy of one of astronomy’s most iconic and influential figures.

What an honour it is to tell this story!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/interview-dame-professor-jocelyn-bell-burnell

📸 University of Cambridge

#SpaceAustralia #RadioAstronomy #Pulsars #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrophysics #Science #Astrodon

Today was a good day. I got to meet one of my heroes.

Got to spend one-on-one time with the woman who discovered pulsars, Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and interview her for a #SpaceAustralia article 🥺🥺🥺

And she signed a copy of my first-ever PhD paper which I will now have framed and remember forever! 😭😭😭

She is the most humble, nicest person. Just kindness, personified. And such an extremely interesting life - as you can imagine.

I'll publish my article and interview with her in about 12 hours from now (around 8:30am Sydney time) - so keep an eye out for it.

Thanks to Manisha Caleb who took this photo of us.

#Pulsars #RadioAstronomy #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrodon #Science #Astrophysics

Today was a good day. I got to meet one of my heroes.

Got to spend one-on-one time with the woman who discovered pulsars, Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and interview her for a #SpaceAustralia article 🥺🥺🥺

And she signed a copy of my first-ever PhD paper which I will now have framed and remember forever! 😭😭😭

She is the most humble, nicest person. Just kindness, personified. And such an extremely interesting life - as you can imagine.

I'll publish my article and interview with her in about 12 hours from now (around 8:30am Sydney time) - so keep an eye out for it.

Thanks to Manisha Caleb who took this photo of us.

#Pulsars #RadioAstronomy #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrodon #Science #Astrophysics

*** EXCITING NEWS ****

Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell is coming to Sydney!

A few of us early-career scientists will be sharing our science and the stage with her.

BUT BUT BUT ... I've been granted a one-on-one interview with her for a #SpaceAustralia article!

What an honour!

I get to spend time / have a chat with the woman who discovered pulsars (the objects that I research) - and then be able to share that story with everyone.

It's a huge thing for me!

To be able to write the story, from first-hand account, of that of a Titan in my field of research / astronomy!

JBB will be in Sydney from next week and is also giving a public lecture at the University of Sydney.

Sadly, it looks like the event has already sold out for those who couldn't grab tickets, but keep an eye out for my SpaceAustralia article - will be released on 21st October!

#Pulsars #Science #RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrodon

*** EXCITING NEWS ****

Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell is coming to Sydney!

A few of us early-career scientists will be sharing our science and the stage with her.

BUT BUT BUT ... I've been granted a one-on-one interview with her for a #SpaceAustralia article!

What an honour!

I get to spend time / have a chat with the woman who discovered pulsars (the objects that I research) - and then be able to share that story with everyone.

It's a huge thing for me!

To be able to write the story, from first-hand account, of that of a Titan in my field of research / astronomy!

JBB will be in Sydney from next week and is also giving a public lecture at the University of Sydney.

Sadly, it looks like the event has already sold out for those who couldn't grab tickets, but keep an eye out for my SpaceAustralia article - will be released on 21st October!

#Pulsars #Science #RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrodon

A personal milestone ✅

I’m incredibly proud to share that my first-ever, first-author paper has been accepted for publication in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA)!

Last week I got to share this work with the pulsar community at the Sardinia Pulsar Conference too.

This project has been at the very heart of my PhD journey so far - a deep, four-year analysis into an unusual and still-mysterious profile change event in one of the most stable and widely used pulsars, PSR J1713+0747. It first appeared on my radar in early 2021 and, since then, it’s been a fascinating and humbling experience trying to unravel what really happened.

In pulsar timing, we rely on the long-term stability of millisecond pulsars to search for phenomena like nanohertz gravitational waves using pulsar timing arrays. But what happens when that stability falters?

This paper explores that very question - examining what changed on this millisecond pulsar, how the polarisation evolved, and what it might mean for the future of precision timing efforts as we prepare for a new generation of ultra-sensitive telescopes.

Seeing this work now out in the world - contributing to the scientific conversation is something I’ve dreamt of for a long time (the last notch to feel like I have fully moved into my science career!). I hope it helps our community better understand the complex and wild behaviour of these exotic stellar clocks.

Read my feature article on SpaceAustralia.com below - and if you have questions about the research, I’d love to chat!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/pulsar-threw-tantrum

📸 R. Mandow et al. 2025

#Pulsars #RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #SpaceAustralia #Astrodon

👀👀👀👀

Super neat preprint! 📡

A rare, hot-Jupiter exoplanet orbits the pulsar PSR J2322-2650.

Astronomers used #JWST to observe it across the full orbit, and found its atmosphere rich in carbon AND it having a strong westward wind! 🤯

So glad that people are using JWST to look at the pulsar planets, esp. since the pulsar is not going to be visible at the JWST wavelengths.

These things are orbiting so close to the pulsar that they are being ablated (spider pulsar!), and one side of them is gonna glow more than the other side.

The first exoplanets discovered were pulsar planets!

They are, however, extremely rare because to form a pulsar you need a supernova, and so things get messy.

Here's an article I wrote about them a little while back on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/science-talk-what-are-pulsar-planets

#Pulsars #Astrophysics #Science #Astrodon #RadioAstronomy #JWST

So excited for this!

Over last few months I've been planning a special visit from Dr Katie Mack to #Sydney and #Melbourne!

Katie is a fantastic science communicator, renowned cosmologist and of course, author of her internationally acclaimed book, 'The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)'.

We've got loads of events planned from public talks, science panels, and a queers in science event too.

Check out my article on #SpaceAustralia which lists them all, incl. ticket links. Many are already booking out fast!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/dr-katie-mack-sydney-and-melbourne-july-2025

Big thanks to: University of Sydney, Sydney Ideas, OzGrav, Swinburne University, The Wheeler Centre, and Queers in Science who we've partnered with to make this all happen.

Hope to see you there, and def. bring the kids along to these!

Pass it on!

#Astrodon #SpaceEvents #Astronomy #Cosmology

So excited for this!

Over last few months I've been planning a special visit from Dr Katie Mack to #Sydney and #Melbourne!

Katie is a fantastic science communicator, renowned cosmologist and of course, author of her internationally acclaimed book, 'The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)'.

We've got loads of events planned from public talks, science panels, and a queers in science event too.

Check out my article on #SpaceAustralia which lists them all, incl. ticket links. Many are already booking out fast!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/dr-katie-mack-sydney-and-melbourne-july-2025

Big thanks to: University of Sydney, Sydney Ideas, OzGrav, Swinburne University, The Wheeler Centre, and Queers in Science who we've partnered with to make this all happen.

Hope to see you there, and def. bring the kids along to these!

Pass it on!

#Astrodon #SpaceEvents #Astronomy #Cosmology

An Emerging Risk To #RadioAstronomy 📡
Using a prototype SKA-Low instrument, a new analysis from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has detected Starlink signals leaking into protected radio bands.

Radio frequency interference from Starlink not only spans the narrowband intended emissions, but also broadband unintended emissions too, coming from propulsion and avionics.

This RFI is unregulated and affects key science goals.

Starlink appears in ~30% of all sky images.

This new study, from Dylan Grigg at Curtin University, is not the first to study the impacts of Starlink on #RadioAstronomy, but is the largest of its kind, and quantifies how this type of radio frequency interference - that comes from above - will impact the mega-science SKA project.

My latest piece for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/emerging-risk-radio-astronomy

📸 Astro_Work 🔭 (supplied) / Griggs et al. 2025

#Starlink #Satellites #SKA #Astrodon #Astronomy #RFSpectrum

An Emerging Risk To #RadioAstronomy 📡
Using a prototype SKA-Low instrument, a new analysis from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has detected Starlink signals leaking into protected radio bands.

Radio frequency interference from Starlink not only spans the narrowband intended emissions, but also broadband unintended emissions too, coming from propulsion and avionics.

This RFI is unregulated and affects key science goals.

Starlink appears in ~30% of all sky images.

This new study, from Dylan Grigg at Curtin University, is not the first to study the impacts of Starlink on #RadioAstronomy, but is the largest of its kind, and quantifies how this type of radio frequency interference - that comes from above - will impact the mega-science SKA project.

My latest piece for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/emerging-risk-radio-astronomy

📸 Astro_Work 🔭 (supplied) / Griggs et al. 2025

#Starlink #Satellites #SKA #Astrodon #Astronomy #RFSpectrum

An Emerging Risk To #RadioAstronomy 📡
Using a prototype SKA-Low instrument, a new analysis from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has detected Starlink signals leaking into protected radio bands.

Radio frequency interference from Starlink not only spans the narrowband intended emissions, but also broadband unintended emissions too, coming from propulsion and avionics.

This RFI is unregulated and affects key science goals.

Starlink appears in ~30% of all sky images.

This new study, from Dylan Grigg at Curtin University, is not the first to study the impacts of Starlink on #RadioAstronomy, but is the largest of its kind, and quantifies how this type of radio frequency interference - that comes from above - will impact the mega-science SKA project.

My latest piece for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/emerging-risk-radio-astronomy

📸 Astro_Work 🔭 (supplied) / Griggs et al. 2025

#Starlink #Satellites #SKA #Astrodon #Astronomy #RFSpectrum

An Emerging Risk To #RadioAstronomy 📡
Using a prototype SKA-Low instrument, a new analysis from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has detected Starlink signals leaking into protected radio bands.

Radio frequency interference from Starlink not only spans the narrowband intended emissions, but also broadband unintended emissions too, coming from propulsion and avionics.

This RFI is unregulated and affects key science goals.

Starlink appears in ~30% of all sky images.

This new study, from Dylan Grigg at Curtin University, is not the first to study the impacts of Starlink on #RadioAstronomy, but is the largest of its kind, and quantifies how this type of radio frequency interference - that comes from above - will impact the mega-science SKA project.

My latest piece for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/emerging-risk-radio-astronomy

📸 Astro_Work 🔭 (supplied) / Griggs et al. 2025

#Starlink #Satellites #SKA #Astrodon #Astronomy #RFSpectrum

An Emerging Risk To #RadioAstronomy 📡
Using a prototype SKA-Low instrument, a new analysis from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has detected Starlink signals leaking into protected radio bands.

Radio frequency interference from Starlink not only spans the narrowband intended emissions, but also broadband unintended emissions too, coming from propulsion and avionics.

This RFI is unregulated and affects key science goals.

Starlink appears in ~30% of all sky images.

This new study, from Dylan Grigg at Curtin University, is not the first to study the impacts of Starlink on #RadioAstronomy, but is the largest of its kind, and quantifies how this type of radio frequency interference - that comes from above - will impact the mega-science SKA project.

My latest piece for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/emerging-risk-radio-astronomy

📸 Astro_Work 🔭 (supplied) / Griggs et al. 2025

#Starlink #Satellites #SKA #Astrodon #Astronomy #RFSpectrum

Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Let Me Drive a Lunar Rover?

They actually let me drive Australia’s Lunar Rover… I still don’t know why.

This all happened at AusSpace 2025 — Australia’s biggest space tech event — where I somehow found myself behind the controls of ROO-VER, the lunar rover being built to drive on the Moon.

Not only did I get to drive the thing, but I also sat down with one of the engineers building it... and then, somehow, ended up interviewing former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (?!). That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write.

This trip was insane, full of space tech, mad energy, a few surprises — and, of course, one very confused engineer trying to explain to me how to drive a robot made for the Moon.

So… did I crash it? Did Scott Morrison talk about space chickens? Did I get kicked out of AusSpace?

There’s only one way to find out 👇

#LunarRover #AusSpace2025 #SpaceAustralia #ROOVER #Engineering #MoonMission #SpaceExploration #Astroworx #ScottMorrison #Science #Tech #STEM #Innovation #FutureTech #Robotics #NASA #SpaceX #Australia #BehindTheScenes #Trending #YouTubeShorts #Vlog #CrazyIdeas #WildRide

YouTube: https://youtu.be/hrkSaIBE7dY

Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Let Me Drive a Lunar Rover?

They actually let me drive Australia’s Lunar Rover… I still don’t know why.

This all happened at AusSpace 2025 — Australia’s biggest space tech event — where I somehow found myself behind the controls of ROO-VER, the lunar rover being built to drive on the Moon.

Not only did I get to drive the thing, but I also sat down with one of the engineers building it... and then, somehow, ended up interviewing former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (?!). That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write.

This trip was insane, full of space tech, mad energy, a few surprises — and, of course, one very confused engineer trying to explain to me how to drive a robot made for the Moon.

So… did I crash it? Did Scott Morrison talk about space chickens? Did I get kicked out of AusSpace?

There’s only one way to find out 👇

#LunarRover #AusSpace2025 #SpaceAustralia #ROOVER #Engineering #MoonMission #SpaceExploration #Astroworx #ScottMorrison #Science #Tech #STEM #Innovation #FutureTech #Robotics #NASA #SpaceX #Australia #BehindTheScenes #Trending #YouTubeShorts #Vlog #CrazyIdeas #WildRide

YouTube: https://youtu.be/hrkSaIBE7dY

Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Let Me Drive a Lunar Rover?

They actually let me drive Australia’s Lunar Rover… I still don’t know why.

This all happened at AusSpace 2025 — Australia’s biggest space tech event — where I somehow found myself behind the controls of ROO-VER, the lunar rover being built to drive on the Moon.

Not only did I get to drive the thing, but I also sat down with one of the engineers building it... and then, somehow, ended up interviewing former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (?!). That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write.

This trip was insane, full of space tech, mad energy, a few surprises — and, of course, one very confused engineer trying to explain to me how to drive a robot made for the Moon.

So… did I crash it? Did Scott Morrison talk about space chickens? Did I get kicked out of AusSpace?

There’s only one way to find out 👇

#LunarRover #AusSpace2025 #SpaceAustralia #ROOVER #Engineering #MoonMission #SpaceExploration #Astroworx #ScottMorrison #Science #Tech #STEM #Innovation #FutureTech #Robotics #NASA #SpaceX #Australia #BehindTheScenes #Trending #YouTubeShorts #Vlog #CrazyIdeas #WildRide

YouTube: https://youtu.be/hrkSaIBE7dY

Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Let Me Drive a Lunar Rover?

They actually let me drive Australia’s Lunar Rover… I still don’t know why.

This all happened at AusSpace 2025 — Australia’s biggest space tech event — where I somehow found myself behind the controls of ROO-VER, the lunar rover being built to drive on the Moon.

Not only did I get to drive the thing, but I also sat down with one of the engineers building it... and then, somehow, ended up interviewing former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (?!). That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write.

This trip was insane, full of space tech, mad energy, a few surprises — and, of course, one very confused engineer trying to explain to me how to drive a robot made for the Moon.

So… did I crash it? Did Scott Morrison talk about space chickens? Did I get kicked out of AusSpace?

There’s only one way to find out 👇

#LunarRover #AusSpace2025 #SpaceAustralia #ROOVER #Engineering #MoonMission #SpaceExploration #Astroworx #ScottMorrison #Science #Tech #STEM #Innovation #FutureTech #Robotics #NASA #SpaceX #Australia #BehindTheScenes #Trending #YouTubeShorts #Vlog #CrazyIdeas #WildRide

YouTube: https://youtu.be/hrkSaIBE7dY

Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Let Me Drive a Lunar Rover?

They actually let me drive Australia’s Lunar Rover… I still don’t know why.

This all happened at AusSpace 2025 — Australia’s biggest space tech event — where I somehow found myself behind the controls of ROO-VER, the lunar rover being built to drive on the Moon.

Not only did I get to drive the thing, but I also sat down with one of the engineers building it... and then, somehow, ended up interviewing former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (?!). That’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write.

This trip was insane, full of space tech, mad energy, a few surprises — and, of course, one very confused engineer trying to explain to me how to drive a robot made for the Moon.

So… did I crash it? Did Scott Morrison talk about space chickens? Did I get kicked out of AusSpace?

There’s only one way to find out 👇

#LunarRover #AusSpace2025 #SpaceAustralia #ROOVER #Engineering #MoonMission #SpaceExploration #Astroworx #ScottMorrison #Science #Tech #STEM #Innovation #FutureTech #Robotics #NASA #SpaceX #Australia #BehindTheScenes #Trending #YouTubeShorts #Vlog #CrazyIdeas #WildRide

YouTube: https://youtu.be/hrkSaIBE7dY

Your Smartphone Can Measure Solar Storms! ☀️🧲

Industry researchers found a way to provide better global coverage of what dynamics are occurring in the turbulent ionosphere - a region of Earth's atmosphere that is affected by the Sun's activity. They did this by tapping into GPS signals transmitted between smartphones and satellites.

Check out my latest #SpaceAustralia article here: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/your-smartphone-can-tell-us-about-solar-storms

📸 Kast, Smith, Google Research Software Engineers

#Geomagneticstorms #ionosphere #GPS #Astrodon #Science #Smartphones

Your Smartphone Can Measure Solar Storms! ☀️🧲

Industry researchers found a way to provide better global coverage of what dynamics are occurring in the turbulent ionosphere - a region of Earth's atmosphere that is affected by the Sun's activity. They did this by tapping into GPS signals transmitted between smartphones and satellites.

Check out my latest #SpaceAustralia article here: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/your-smartphone-can-tell-us-about-solar-storms

📸 Kast, Smith, Google Research Software Engineers

#Geomagneticstorms #ionosphere #GPS #Astrodon #Science #Smartphones

*** SCIENCE GOODIE*** 📡

A few weeks back wrote an article about the news of the Intermediate-Mass Black Hole inferred at the centre of Omega Cent. and wrote how we can use millisecond pulsars to really zone in on it.

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/omega-centurais-monster-black-hole

Well, a team did this & say it might NOT be an IMBH!

https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.00939

This is very cool and I hope it evolves into a fun, science battle!

📷 ESO

#Astrodon #GlobularClusters #SpaceAustralia #BlackHoles

*** SCIENCE GOODIE*** 📡

A few weeks back wrote an article about the news of the Intermediate-Mass Black Hole inferred at the centre of Omega Cent. and wrote how we can use millisecond pulsars to really zone in on it.

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/omega-centurais-monster-black-hole

Well, a team did this & say it might NOT be an IMBH!

https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.00939

This is very cool and I hope it evolves into a fun, science battle!

📷 ESO

#Astrodon #GlobularClusters #SpaceAustralia #BlackHoles

Astronomers: Omega Centauri - a massive globular cluster orbiting our Galaxy - likely has a 20,000 solar mass black hole in its core.

The globular cluster, which contains approx. 10 million stars is thought to be the remnant core of a former dwarf galaxy, now cannibalised by the Milky Way.

These new findings might provide the 'missing link' between stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes.

I had a chat with The University of Queensland Dr Holger Baumgardt who played a direct role in providing the theoretical modelling and investigations into the stellar velocities around the monster black hole. My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/omega-centurais-monster-black-hole

📷 ESO / ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA)

#GlobularClusters #BlackHoles #Astronomy #Astrodon #Astrophysics

Astronomers: Omega Centauri - a massive globular cluster orbiting our Galaxy - likely has a 20,000 solar mass black hole in its core.

The globular cluster, which contains approx. 10 million stars is thought to be the remnant core of a former dwarf galaxy, now cannibalised by the Milky Way.

These new findings might provide the 'missing link' between stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes.

I had a chat with The University of Queensland Dr Holger Baumgardt who played a direct role in providing the theoretical modelling and investigations into the stellar velocities around the monster black hole. My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/omega-centurais-monster-black-hole

📷 ESO / ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Häberle (MPIA)

#GlobularClusters #BlackHoles #Astronomy #Astrodon #Astrophysics

New Reads! 👀

Australian astronomers have used Murriyang (Parkes radio telescope) data to make the most precise measurements of the nearest millisecond pulsar to Earth.

This new data was then used by researchers using the NICER telescope aboard the International Space Station to help further constrain the mass, radius and equations of state of matter of the brightest millisecond pulsar in the sky.

Wrote a little article outlining these new results on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/closing-earths-closest-millisecond-pulsar

📷 C. Knox/OzGrav/SwinburneUni

#RadioAstronomy #XRayAstronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Pulsars

New Reads! 👀

Australian astronomers have used Murriyang (Parkes radio telescope) data to make the most precise measurements of the nearest millisecond pulsar to Earth.

This new data was then used by researchers using the NICER telescope aboard the International Space Station to help further constrain the mass, radius and equations of state of matter of the brightest millisecond pulsar in the sky.

Wrote a little article outlining these new results on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/closing-earths-closest-millisecond-pulsar

📷 C. Knox/OzGrav/SwinburneUni

#RadioAstronomy #XRayAstronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Pulsars

New Reads! 👀

Australian astronomers have used Murriyang (Parkes radio telescope) data to make the most precise measurements of the nearest millisecond pulsar to Earth.

This new data was then used by researchers using the NICER telescope aboard the International Space Station to help further constrain the mass, radius and equations of state of matter of the brightest millisecond pulsar in the sky.

Wrote a little article outlining these new results on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/closing-earths-closest-millisecond-pulsar

📷 C. Knox/OzGrav/SwinburneUni

#RadioAstronomy #XRayAstronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Pulsars

New Reads! 👀

Australian astronomers have used Murriyang (Parkes radio telescope) data to make the most precise measurements of the nearest millisecond pulsar to Earth.

This new data was then used by researchers using the NICER telescope aboard the International Space Station to help further constrain the mass, radius and equations of state of matter of the brightest millisecond pulsar in the sky.

Wrote a little article outlining these new results on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/closing-earths-closest-millisecond-pulsar

📷 C. Knox/OzGrav/SwinburneUni

#RadioAstronomy #XRayAstronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Pulsars

New Reads! 👀

Australian astronomers have used Murriyang (Parkes radio telescope) data to make the most precise measurements of the nearest millisecond pulsar to Earth.

This new data was then used by researchers using the NICER telescope aboard the International Space Station to help further constrain the mass, radius and equations of state of matter of the brightest millisecond pulsar in the sky.

Wrote a little article outlining these new results on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/closing-earths-closest-millisecond-pulsar

📷 C. Knox/OzGrav/SwinburneUni

#RadioAstronomy #XRayAstronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Pulsars

Are astronomers on the brink of discovering a new celestial object?

Recently, astronomers have been discovering an emerging population of astrophysical objects that resemble neutron stars, but with longer rotation periods. This unique population is challenging our understanding of how these objects form and how they emit radiation.

I got to speak with this exciting new paper’s lead author, Dr Manisha Caleb from The University of Sydney, about this remarkable discovery, which was first found by CSIRO's #ASKAP telescope located in WA.

What if we are on the precipice of something big here? These are def. very exciting times for geeks like me!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/population-strange-slow-rotating-astrophysical-objects-grows

#SpaceAustralia #Astrophysics #NeutronStars #Astrodon #RadioAstronomy

📸 Carl Knowx/OzGrav

Are astronomers on the brink of discovering a new celestial object?

Recently, astronomers have been discovering an emerging population of astrophysical objects that resemble neutron stars, but with longer rotation periods. This unique population is challenging our understanding of how these objects form and how they emit radiation.

I got to speak with this exciting new paper’s lead author, Dr Manisha Caleb from The University of Sydney, about this remarkable discovery, which was first found by CSIRO's #ASKAP telescope located in WA.

What if we are on the precipice of something big here? These are def. very exciting times for geeks like me!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/population-strange-slow-rotating-astrophysical-objects-grows

#SpaceAustralia #Astrophysics #NeutronStars #Astrodon #RadioAstronomy

📸 Carl Knowx/OzGrav

Ohhh, some exciting astro news!!! 👀👀👀

A new paper has found more evidence for a neutron star in the supernova 1987A remnant using JWST's MIRI/MRS and NIRSpec/IFU!

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj5796

However, a secondary paper from a few days back, which also used JWST MIRI, found no evidence of the compact remnant in their data: https://arxiv.org/html/2402.14014v1

Almost 2 years ago I wrote a feature article looking at the evidence for this, so these new papers and findings are exciting!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/did-1987-supernova-produce-pulsar

📸 Fransson et al. / Bouchet et al.

#Supernova #Astrodon #Astrophysics #NeutronStar #Pulsar #SpaceAustralia #Science #SN1987A

Ohhh, some exciting astro news!!! 👀👀👀

A new paper has found more evidence for a neutron star in the supernova 1987A remnant using JWST's MIRI/MRS and NIRSpec/IFU!

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj5796

However, a secondary paper from a few days back, which also used JWST MIRI, found no evidence of the compact remnant in their data: https://arxiv.org/html/2402.14014v1

Almost 2 years ago I wrote a feature article looking at the evidence for this, so these new papers and findings are exciting!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/did-1987-supernova-produce-pulsar

📸 Fransson et al. / Bouchet et al.

#Supernova #Astrodon #Astrophysics #NeutronStar #Pulsar #SpaceAustralia #Science #SN1987A

It's been a few months since I've done some proper science writing for #SpaceAustralia (Phd Lyfe) but thought this new paper drop was interesting to write about!

Australian astronomers have used radio waves to look deep into the heart of the Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae & found an undiscovered radio source.

The newly found radio source could potentially be the first evidence of an intermediate-mass black hole in the core of a Globular Cluster, or a pulsar that is real close to the centre.

Both cases = good science labs for us!!!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/radio-source-heart-47-tuc

📸 Paduano et al & NASA/ESA Hubble

#Astrophysics #Astrodon #Science #RadioAstronomy #GlobularClusters #Pulsars #BlackHoles

It's been a few months since I've done some proper science writing for #SpaceAustralia (Phd Lyfe) but thought this new paper drop was interesting to write about!

Australian astronomers have used radio waves to look deep into the heart of the Globular Cluster 47 Tucanae & found an undiscovered radio source.

The newly found radio source could potentially be the first evidence of an intermediate-mass black hole in the core of a Globular Cluster, or a pulsar that is real close to the centre.

Both cases = good science labs for us!!!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/radio-source-heart-47-tuc

📸 Paduano et al & NASA/ESA Hubble

#Astrophysics #Astrodon #Science #RadioAstronomy #GlobularClusters #Pulsars #BlackHoles

DYK that the general public, you and I, have access to JWST images (within days of their release)?!

And you can download and process them?

I just colour processed the Ring Nebula, and holy hell, how is this a real image?! 🤯🤯🤯

Will write a blog on #SpaceAustralia this weekend on how YOU can also do this - super easy and no tech skills required.

📸 JWST/STScI/ESA/NASA/MJ Barlow et al.

🎛️ NIRCAM (F300M/F335M)

#JWST #Nebula #InfraredAstronomy #space #Astrodon #RingNebula

DYK that the general public, you and I, have access to JWST images (within days of their release)?!

And you can download and process them?

I just colour processed the Ring Nebula, and holy hell, how is this a real image?! 🤯🤯🤯

Will write a blog on #SpaceAustralia this weekend on how YOU can also do this - super easy and no tech skills required.

📸 JWST/STScI/ESA/NASA/MJ Barlow et al.

🎛️ NIRCAM (F300M/F335M)

#JWST #Nebula #InfraredAstronomy #space #Astrodon #RingNebula