Dr. Gerard van Belle

NOT FUNNY

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) sees first light!📡 By successfully achieving “First Fringes”, the project hits a crucial benchmark for proof of concept and signals the dawn of a new era in high-resolution imaging of the cosmos. 👉 buff.ly/0TZmwm7

The circle of life continues - I have my annual sighting of @astronomeara at the AAS ExoPAG meeting

I was so hopeful in 1965 when NASA selected its first scientist astronauts that once the scientists began going to the moon we would have a new batch of scientists —- selenologists who would really begin exploring the the moon. But by the time 17 flew I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Its been 50+ years now but I still hope I live to see scientists putting boots on the ground on our nearest neighbor.

@OldSchool80s @BoJackson Bo knows

Dec 7, 1985: 40 years ago, @BoJackson of Auburn was announced as the Heisman Trophy winner. #80s

@astrogrant Like overall existential doom, or it's just time to play Doom?

Gemini 3 launches and instantly took down cloudflare and your P(doom) is < .5?

Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year. buff.ly/jGQxUoI

Lowell Observatory will only have 2 permanent scientists after funding cuts share.google/wXgTaa1xETiwXA…

Wow, Kevin Marvel moving on from AAS - that will be a sea change. Best wishes in your next challenge, Kevin! aas.org/press/aas-anno…

You can add coffee stains to your LaTeX documents. ctan.org/pkg/coffeestai…

@planet4589 I would be delighted to do so, and will definitely take you up on the invite

@FringeDoctor Indeed. Looking like end of the year for me, with arrival in London early 2026. Hope you'll come visit once I'm unpacked.

Brief life update: On Monday I resigned from my appointment at Lowell Observatory. I wish my remaining friends and colleagues luck luck in their endeavors in increasing new visitor center visitation, and pursuing world-class research in the face of having ended tenure today.

@planet4589 Thanks Jonathan You picked a good time to retire 😉

@FringeDoctor Ouch. Best of luck Gerard

Please re-route any emails to me to my personal gmail.

Jared Isaacman and President Donald Trump have met in recent weeks and discussed reviving the fintech billionaire’s nomination to lead NASA, a source says bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Six Planets, Including a Second GPI Planet! This week's new planets include HD 143811 AB b, a massive Jupiter, directly imaged by @PlanetImager, in a 300+-year orbit around two young (15 Myr) stars. There are also new @nasawebb transmission spectra. exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu

Dude holy shit this place sucks.

Katalyst Space Technologies is in a race against time and gravity to save the gamma-ray burst telescope from falling into the clutches of Earth’s atmosphere. bit.ly/3IIffNx

Just made a diagram of China's crewed moon program concept of operation.