@astro_jcm@mastodon.online
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

astro_jcm

@astro_jcm@mastodon.online

• Astronomer and science communicator
• Media Officer at the European Southern Observatory
• Won't shut up about space
• #astronomy #astrophysics #scicomm #astrophotography #space
• he/him
• Toots in English and español
• 🇪🇸 → 🇺🇸 → 🇨🇱 → 🇩🇪

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astro_jcm, to chile
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Onwards and upwards – quite literally! This drone image taken a few days ago shows the progress of ESO's Extremely Large #Telescope, currently under construction atop Cerro Armazones in #Chile The dome is as wide as the Colosseum, and when finished it'll be as tall as the Big Ben.

We have more details for you here: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2325a/

#astronomy #space #universe #scicomm

📷 G. Hüdepohl/ESO

astro_jcm, to Astronomy
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

Like many other scientists I often get "debate me" emails from random people with weird ideas about #astronomy. If I answer, they feel validated. Same if I don't. So I always pick the option that doesn't waste my time. Don't fall for the "debate me" trap, folks, you can't win. #scicomm

astro_jcm,
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

@NatureMC Wow, that's a whole new level of entitlement!

astro_jcm, to space
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The construction of ESO's Extremely Large #Telescope keeps progressing! We've started a new series of video updates, and in this first episode we show you how the gigantic steel frame of the dome is taking shape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfWBnDBB0f0

#astrodon #astronomy #space #universe #scicomm

ct_bergstrom, (edited ) to photography
@ct_bergstrom@fediscience.org avatar

UPDATE: This is an example of atmospheric chromatic distortion that appeared because the moon was very close to the horizon, related to but not the same as chromatic aberration from the lens. First time I've noticed it.

Shooting pictures of the moon with a #Nikkor 800 f/6.3 PF, the chromatic aberration is blue at the top, and red at the bottom.

Can anyone explain what is going on here?

#photography #optics

astro_jcm,
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

@ct_bergstrom This is called differential atmospheric refraction. Short (blue) wavelengths are bent more by the atmosphere than long (red) ones. Therefore, the apparent position of the moon at blue wavelengths is a tad higher. The closer you are to the horizon, the more pronounced this effect is.

astro_jcm,
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

@coprolite9000 @ct_bergstrom No worries! All those terms are roughly interchangeable. After all the atmosphere is like a giant (and messy!) lens, so terms like dispersion and aberration also apply. Dispersion is a tricky word because it can be confused sometimes with scattering, and aberration can include other more complex effects. So yeah, your mileage can vary depending on who you ask :-)

astro_jcm, to internet
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Just saw on someone on #Reddit using #ChatGPT to answer a user's question — they didn't disclose it but it was painfully obvious.

Very on-brand, as a large portion of Reddit's user base consists of people who are confidently wrong about everything.

Still, I miss the times before #AI, when being wrong at least required some effort.

astro_jcm,
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

@dpscifi I totally agree with your sentiment, but unfortunately I'm not sure how this could be enforced. AI detectors are hit or miss, and as you say we soon won't be able to tell the difference, or at least it might get incredibly hard. I honestly don't have an answer for this...

astro_jcm, to ChatGPT
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Whenever you think that something spat out by #chatgpt or another #LLM makes sense, remember that you are the one making sense out of it and not the LLM itself.

astro_jcm, to space
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

In case you missed it, ESO's Very Large #Telescope in #Chile just turned 25! To celebrate this, the first episode of our new hosted show Chasing Starlight recaps some of the coolest science done with this facility.

Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXS9nQfg8eM

#astrodon #astronomy #space #scicomm

astro_jcm, to random
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

For the umpteenth time since I've lived in #Munich I was almost ran over by a biker who thought chatting side-by-side with his biking buddy justified invading the sidewalk. And when it's not that, it's bikers overtaking other bikers on their right, or just not bothering to use the correct bike-lane to the other side or the street in those areas where they're one-way.

astro_jcm, to space
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

We've launched a new monthly hosted show at ESO! The first episode commemorates the 25th anniversary of our Very Large #Telescope, with some of its coolest contributions to astronomy. Check it out in the link below!

🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXS9nQfg8eM

#astronomy #astrodon #space #universe

astro_jcm, to space
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

Happy #TowelDay to those who celebrate! Pro #astronomy tip: never install Genuine People Personality software in a #telescope. We did that at Paranal Observatory in #Chile and, well, bad idea.

#DouglasAdams

astro_jcm, to space
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

Many people imagine professional astronomers hunched over a #telescope and taking notes. We no longer work that way, as light captured by the telescope is registered by complex instruments. But sometimes it's fun to use your eyes!

I took this pic a few years ago, when we removed one of the instruments of ESO's Very Large Telescope in #Chile. A screen was temporarily attached in its place, and we used it to project the #Moon and show it to everyone at the observatory

#astronomy #astrodon #space

astro_jcm, to space
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As a teenager I used to read about the construction of ESO's Very Large #Telescope, not knowing I would end up working there. Still rocking at 25! The VLT, not me; I'm 40 and my back hurts.

More about this image: https://eso.org/public/images/potw2321a/

#astrodon #astronomy #space #universe #chile

astro_jcm, to homebrewing
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

This morning I visited the wonderful Alte Pinakothek in #Munich for the umpteenth time, and I just can't have enough of one of my favourite pictures there by Max Liebermann. Whenever I'm at a #biergarten I can't help but see the similarities with this lively XIX century scene, with #beer and #music bringing together people of all walks of life. #art #MastoArt

astro_jcm, to random
@astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

Me every time I find a tutorial for something I need help with, only to discover it's actually a video and not a text with images:

vicgrinberg, to space
@vicgrinberg@mastodon.social avatar

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    astro_jcm,
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    @vicgrinberg Hitchhiker's whale and Star Wars crawl text? I wasn't sure if the latter was on purpose of if the text was just fit onto the plane.

    astro_jcm,
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    @vicgrinberg Love it! (I have to admit that I zoomed in hoping that one of the small stars next to the whale was in fact a bowl of petunias 🤓)

    AbandonedAmerica, (edited ) to random
    @AbandonedAmerica@mastodon.social avatar

    1/ I'm seeing a lot of talk (still!) of defederating mastodon.social over the recent spam attacks. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but as someone on that instance with no current plans to move, I feel like there are some things those who are considering it may not be taking into account. There are loads of patronizing comments that people on this instance are "doing the Fediverse wrong". No, we're not. You can't have a democracy while telling others they can't choose where to be.

    astro_jcm,
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    @AbandonedAmerica Agreed! I posted something similar a few days ago, pointing out the contrast between Mastodon's openness and the policing tone of some users.

    It's legit to disagree with having the "official" mastodon app direct people to m.s. by default. I'm honestly not sure myself that's the best way to solve the (very real) issues with onboarding. But I've read folks saying it's good that onboarding isn't straightforward because that way only "smart" people can join and... wow, just wow.

    vicgrinberg, to space
    @vicgrinberg@mastodon.social avatar

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    astro_jcm,
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    @vicgrinberg Aaaaaaand there goes my productivity for the next few days.

    astro_jcm,
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    @vicgrinberg I'm feeling the pressure already 😅

    astro_jcm, to fediverse
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    I adore , but there's a stark contrast between the open and customizable nature of the platform and the sense of entitlement and ownership I see in certain users towards newcomers.

    Telling newcomers that the issues they're assuring you they have aren't real, or claiming that <insert possible new feature> will destroy Mastodon even though you can't back it up with actual data, is a terrible communication strategy.

    Build a fence or don't build one, but make up your mind.

    astro_jcm,
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    @Jonathanglick Exactly! This is an excellent point. There's a strong selection effect here.

    astro_jcm, to space
    @astro_jcm@mastodon.online avatar

    You're gonna want to check out this image at full screen, trust me.

    Using ESO's VISTA telescope in Chile, astronomers have produced a huge infrared atlas of 5 nearby star-forming regions, revealing details hidden by dust.

    More info & images: https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2307/

    📷 ESO/Meingast et al.

    #astronomy #astrodon #space #universe #astrophysics

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