Chris Lintott
@chrislintott.bsky.social
Astronomer, writer and zookeeper. Oxford, Gresham and the Zooniverse. The human half of the Dog Stars podcast. New book: 'Our Accidental Universe' (UK/rest of world) and 'Accidental Astronomy (US) now out.
Pinned
Chris Lintott
@chrislintott.bsky.social
· Jul 24
As a present for my 25th anniversary on #SkyatNight, the team made a montage for me, complete with dodgy hair, odd shirt choices and all the rest... Enjoy! 🔭 🛰️ 🧪
Interesting senior astronomy role going here @oxfordphysics.bsky.social for a two-year senior research post leading the growing Breakthrough Listen SETI effort. Happy to chat to anyone interested: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... 🔭 👽
Job Details
my.corehr.com
October 27, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Interesting senior astronomy role going here @oxfordphysics.bsky.social for a two-year senior research post leading the growing Breakthrough Listen SETI effort. Happy to chat to anyone interested: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... 🔭 👽
Reposted by Chris Lintott
Look what just flew into view! 🪶✨
Meet the Seagull Nebula as seen by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's engineering test camera, ComCam. Two years ago this month, ComCam began on-sky testing — the first time Rubin opened its eye to the sky!
🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-c...
Meet the Seagull Nebula as seen by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's engineering test camera, ComCam. Two years ago this month, ComCam began on-sky testing — the first time Rubin opened its eye to the sky!
🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-c...
October 22, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Look what just flew into view! 🪶✨
Meet the Seagull Nebula as seen by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's engineering test camera, ComCam. Two years ago this month, ComCam began on-sky testing — the first time Rubin opened its eye to the sky!
🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-c...
Meet the Seagull Nebula as seen by NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory's engineering test camera, ComCam. Two years ago this month, ComCam began on-sky testing — the first time Rubin opened its eye to the sky!
🔗: rubinobservatory.org/news/rubin-c...
Live in ten minutes 🔭
About to hear an exciting talk from @chrislintott.bsky.social here at @perimeterinstitute.bsky.social on Interstellar Objects!
It’s being broadcast live so you can stream here too 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
It’s being broadcast live so you can stream here too 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
Interstellar Objects and the New Solar System
YouTube video by Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
www.youtube.com
October 21, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Live in ten minutes 🔭
Do I introduce the (mostly) North American audience at this science communication conference to Cunk? Or will it break them?
October 20, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Do I introduce the (mostly) North American audience at this science communication conference to Cunk? Or will it break them?
Reposted by Chris Lintott
Just a reminder that the STFC cuts will not only end all radio astronomy observations from Jodrell Bank and its e-MERLIN array, they will also end the UK's involvement in the Europe-wide radio astronomy network EVN, of which we were a founder member. Our international partners are astounded...
October 20, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Just a reminder that the STFC cuts will not only end all radio astronomy observations from Jodrell Bank and its e-MERLIN array, they will also end the UK's involvement in the Europe-wide radio astronomy network EVN, of which we were a founder member. Our international partners are astounded...
No names but ‘As I got closer to my PhD advisor, I realised I didn’t want to go into academia’ creates awkward laughter in a conference.
October 20, 2026 at 5:12 PM
No names but ‘As I got closer to my PhD advisor, I realised I didn’t want to go into academia’ creates awkward laughter in a conference.
One day, just for fun, I am going to get on the airline coach at Lewknor Turn and get off at the Compass Centre and blow everyone’s mind. #Oxford
October 19, 2026 at 5:34 AM
One day, just for fun, I am going to get on the airline coach at Lewknor Turn and get off at the Compass Centre and blow everyone’s mind. #Oxford
Follow @elizabethtasker.bsky.social for all the updates on Japan’s ambitious mission to go get a sample of Mars’ moon. Launching today! 🔭
Official launch decision based on the weather assessment this morning was a GO 🚀!
#MMXLIFTOFF in 17 hours!
October 20 at 04:41:03 JST
#MMXLIFTOFF in 17 hours!
October 20 at 04:41:03 JST
October 19, 2026 at 5:24 AM
Follow @elizabethtasker.bsky.social for all the updates on Japan’s ambitious mission to go get a sample of Mars’ moon. Launching today! 🔭
There are many great observatories. But I continue to believe La Palma is the prettiest.
October 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM
There are many great observatories. But I continue to believe La Palma is the prettiest.
I remember being at a talk about attempts to improve diversity of science coverage on Wikipedia where the depressing takeaway is which you reach a point where are you reflecting the bias not in Wikipedia but in the world. There are fewer mentions of women in the sources it relies on.
I don't disagree with any criticism here particularly but I think that taking aim at Wikipedia, one of the great achievements of humanity, in this internet context, is reckless and dumb
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Is Wikipedia ‘deeply biased’? Sandi Toksvig says it is – so she’s backing a rival
Just 19% of the online encyclopedia’s biographies are of women. Is this because it’s edited by ‘mostly white, middle-aged, European men’, as the comedian claims?
www.theguardian.com
October 17, 2026 at 9:27 AM
I remember being at a talk about attempts to improve diversity of science coverage on Wikipedia where the depressing takeaway is which you reach a point where are you reflecting the bias not in Wikipedia but in the world. There are fewer mentions of women in the sources it relies on.
Boooooooooo.
No more leap seconds! Timekeeping is officially changing. Starting May 20, 2027, the international time standard will no longer use #leapseconds to keep it aligned with Earth’s rotation.
What's that mean for you? Find out at: buff.ly/aeyE68h
📸 Pexels/ Stas Knop..
What's that mean for you? Find out at: buff.ly/aeyE68h
📸 Pexels/ Stas Knop..
October 16, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Boooooooooo.
Reposted by Chris Lintott
Seeing my 2020-2022 predictions about the sky becoming a moving net of light come through by 2026. Sigh
Brendan Larsen from Ngāmotu in Aotearoa and a member of the New Plymouth Astronomical Society took this stack over a couple of hours and estimates 14000 satellite trails. This is how bad it is now, it's set to get much much much worse - and then we lose Low […]
[Original post on river.geek.nz]
[Original post on river.geek.nz]
October 16, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Seeing my 2020-2022 predictions about the sky becoming a moving net of light come through by 2026. Sigh
Free tickets are available for my upcoming @greshamcollege.bsky.social lecture 'Our Sun, Our Star', on 11th November. Register now to attend or watch online - in person tickets will go fast. www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/sun... 🔭
Our Sun, Our Star
The Sun makes life on Earth possible. It is special to us, but it is also just another one of the Milky Way’s hundred billion stars.This lecture considers what the Sun can teach us about its stellar b...
www.gresham.ac.uk
October 15, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Free tickets are available for my upcoming @greshamcollege.bsky.social lecture 'Our Sun, Our Star', on 11th November. Register now to attend or watch online - in person tickets will go fast. www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/sun... 🔭
Going to need another telescope.
"Oversubscription of 18:1" ☠️
And also: "Due to the increasing number of proposals, and with the goal of fairly distributing the review activity, JWST proposers may be expected to serve as reviewers in future cycles." #JWST 🔭
www.stsci.edu/contents/new...
And also: "Due to the increasing number of proposals, and with the goal of fairly distributing the review activity, JWST proposers may be expected to serve as reviewers in future cycles." #JWST 🔭
www.stsci.edu/contents/new...
JWST Observers Break Another Record in Proposal Submissions
www.stsci.edu
October 12, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Going to need another telescope.
Agree on 'A City on Mars' but that's 'Accidental Astronomy' in the wild on the top shelf!
@smbccomics.bsky.social A City on Mars in the wild, and in good company. I enjoyed the audio book a lot.
October 12, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Agree on 'A City on Mars' but that's 'Accidental Astronomy' in the wild on the top shelf!
Term starts for us @oxfordphysics.bsky.social tomorrow.
Excited after a year on sabbatical to get going again, with my excellent students.
For the first time, I've written (with their help) some rules about the use of LLMs. The most interesting thing was working out what is important. 🧪
Excited after a year on sabbatical to get going again, with my excellent students.
For the first time, I've written (with their help) some rules about the use of LLMs. The most interesting thing was working out what is important. 🧪
October 11, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Term starts for us @oxfordphysics.bsky.social tomorrow.
Excited after a year on sabbatical to get going again, with my excellent students.
For the first time, I've written (with their help) some rules about the use of LLMs. The most interesting thing was working out what is important. 🧪
Excited after a year on sabbatical to get going again, with my excellent students.
For the first time, I've written (with their help) some rules about the use of LLMs. The most interesting thing was working out what is important. 🧪
Delighted to be in this astrophysics supergroup!
Such a joy to finally meet @astroroyalscot.bsky.social and @chrislintott.bsky.social in person at @newscientist.com Live yesterday! Sometimes actually you should meet your heroes 😅
October 11, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Delighted to be in this astrophysics supergroup!
Reposted by Chris Lintott
3 cameras watching the sky in Northumberland @northumb-astro.bsky.social
October 10, 2026 at 7:52 PM
3 cameras watching the sky in Northumberland @northumb-astro.bsky.social
Reposted by Chris Lintott
Worth a look if it’s clear,
The Northern Lights may be visible across parts of the north tonight 🌌
With skies clearing in places, there could be some fantastic viewing opportunities 👀
With skies clearing in places, there could be some fantastic viewing opportunities 👀
October 10, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Worth a look if it’s clear,
As expected, the Prime Minister's promise to sort out the mess of funding for Jodrell actually meant nothing - it seems the government would like it to be some sort of heritage theme park when you can go and see where we used to do science. 🔭
'The University of Manchester is seeking alternative funding sources to keep scientific work at Jodrell Bank going after hearing that lost UK Research and Innovation funding would not be restored despite interventions by the prime minister.'
Manchester seeks alternative Jodrell funds despite Burnham pledge
University exploring new revenue streams to continue important scientific research at site, as astronomers remain concerned about the future of facility
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 9, 2026 at 7:42 AM
As expected, the Prime Minister's promise to sort out the mess of funding for Jodrell actually meant nothing - it seems the government would like it to be some sort of heritage theme park when you can go and see where we used to do science. 🔭
Ranked responses to winning the Nobel:
3. Anne Carson (see below)
2. Peter Higgs (Went for a walk in order to hide)
1. Doris Lessing www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBO...
3. Anne Carson (see below)
2. Peter Higgs (Went for a walk in order to hide)
1. Doris Lessing www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBO...
October 8, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Ranked responses to winning the Nobel:
3. Anne Carson (see below)
2. Peter Higgs (Went for a walk in order to hide)
1. Doris Lessing www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBO...
3. Anne Carson (see below)
2. Peter Higgs (Went for a walk in order to hide)
1. Doris Lessing www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBO...
Reposted by Chris Lintott
ESA is hosting a hackathon event following the first big Euclid data release will n November, on our Datalabs platform. Follow @davidoryan.bsky.social for more info!
I'm running the ESA Datalabs Euclid Hackathon 2026, 23-26 Nov at ESAC, Madrid. Attend this public hackathon on finding astrophysical anomalies in the first Euclid data release. Win prizes finding the rarest objects!
Fee: 0€
Reg Deadline: 20th of October
Site: www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esa-data...
🔭🧪
Fee: 0€
Reg Deadline: 20th of October
Site: www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esa-data...
🔭🧪
Home - ESA Datalabs Euclid Hackathon 2026 - Cosmos
www.cosmos.esa.int
October 8, 2026 at 9:48 AM
ESA is hosting a hackathon event following the first big Euclid data release will n November, on our Datalabs platform. Follow @davidoryan.bsky.social for more info!
Reposted by Chris Lintott
Holy shit you guys there are so many things to see in this video.
My favorite detail is one I recognize from studying Curiosity’s landing sequence. The vehicle rolls alternately left and right to control its lift as it enters the atmosphere in order to target its landing range
My favorite detail is one I recognize from studying Curiosity’s landing sequence. The vehicle rolls alternately left and right to control its lift as it enters the atmosphere in order to target its landing range
NASA has released onboard video of Artemis II's reentry through Earth's atmosphere 🤩
Top speed: about 25,000 mph
Top speed: about 25,000 mph
October 8, 2026 at 5:30 AM
Holy shit you guys there are so many things to see in this video.
My favorite detail is one I recognize from studying Curiosity’s landing sequence. The vehicle rolls alternately left and right to control its lift as it enters the atmosphere in order to target its landing range
My favorite detail is one I recognize from studying Curiosity’s landing sequence. The vehicle rolls alternately left and right to control its lift as it enters the atmosphere in order to target its landing range
Strong @aussiastronomer.bsky.social vibez here.
I need this.
I spend way too much time rebooting the past. It does not change.
I spend way too much time rebooting the past. It does not change.
“Finish every day and be done with it.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson writes to his daughter in 1854.
Ralph Waldo Emerson writes to his daughter in 1854.
October 7, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Strong @aussiastronomer.bsky.social vibez here.