Dr. Craig DeForest ☀️
@craig.deforest.org
Dad, mountaineer, heliophysicist. I lead the PUNCH space mission and direct a team at SwRI. I like science, space, communication, humans, dogs, horses, puns. Lowering barriers and promoting open science are priorities. My personal account; my opinions.
Pinned
Dr. Craig DeForest ☀️
@craig.deforest.org
· Nov 20
I do heliophysics professionally, and geek about many subjects on my own time. Knowledge is power — it's also fun to create, have, and share. I run a #heliophysics feed on BSky. Elsewhere I lead the PUNCH mission to observe the #corona and #solarwind. Ask me anything, I'll probably have an answer.
A final draft is just a rough draft that's stopped complaining.
September 14, 2026 at 11:56 PM
A final draft is just a rough draft that's stopped complaining.
For 20 years I've carried a Timbuk2 messenger bag daily as a laptop-case/man-purse/carry-on. It's time for a change. This is my new @sfbags.bsky.social Waterfield Air Porter. It's smaller than the T2MB, but almost magically well organized. The design is extremely well thought out.
September 13, 2026 at 7:17 PM
For 20 years I've carried a Timbuk2 messenger bag daily as a laptop-case/man-purse/carry-on. It's time for a change. This is my new @sfbags.bsky.social Waterfield Air Porter. It's smaller than the T2MB, but almost magically well organized. The design is extremely well thought out.
OK, I watched it. It was every bit as fluffy as I thought, but still a good romp. Not sorry I saw it in the theater. It's no *Roger Rabbit*, but was definitely a good time.
Who doesn't love that hopeful, hapless canid? I can't wait to see the new movie tomorrow. A bit of escapist fluff would go down well just about now.
August 29, 2026 at 2:34 PM
OK, I watched it. It was every bit as fluffy as I thought, but still a good romp. Not sorry I saw it in the theater. It's no *Roger Rabbit*, but was definitely a good time.
Who doesn't love that hopeful, hapless canid? I can't wait to see the new movie tomorrow. A bit of escapist fluff would go down well just about now.
August 27, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Who doesn't love that hopeful, hapless canid? I can't wait to see the new movie tomorrow. A bit of escapist fluff would go down well just about now.
Here's what I'm listening to right now. Most of us can only dream of leaving such a strong, positive mark on the world. music.apple.com/us/album/the...
The Essential Dolly Parton by Dolly Parton on Apple Music
Album · 2005 · 37 Songs
music.apple.com
August 25, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Here's what I'm listening to right now. Most of us can only dream of leaving such a strong, positive mark on the world. music.apple.com/us/album/the...
I'm pretty thrilled to roll out our system-level complete model of the three #PUNCH WFI spacecraft that monitor the full inner solar system. If you're a fan of LEGO or space (or know one), have a look at this #LEGO #MOC and its tutorial booklet. Now available from @bricklink.bsky.social. ☀️🔭🛰️⚛️🚀🧱
PUNCH/WFI Spacecraft 1:5 model from BrickLink
This is a 1:5 scale model of a real operating "smallsat" spacecraft, part of the PUNCH mission being flown by everyone's favorite space agency (who can't be named here, due to moderation rules). It was designed by members of the actual mission development team, and is part of the PUNCH outreach program. PUNCH stands for "Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere". It is a mission to understand the origins of "space weather", which is a real thing that affects our planet.PUNCH has three "Wide Field Imager" (WFI) spacecraft like this one. The three are in flight right now (as of July 2026) and they photograph our entire inner solar system once every few minutes. The kit is 1157 pieces and includes all major flight subsystems of the spacecraft, showing how they fit together to make a complete working observatory in space. The instruction manual includes 14 pages of notes on the mission, the spacecraft, the individual subsystems, and how they all work together.Recommended for ages 10+, especially young engineers!This version, v1r6, includes some minor adjustments to the previously-approved v1r5: (a) design tweaks from test builds; (b) a note (p. 4) on how the four spacecraft work together.
www.bricklink.com
August 23, 2026 at 5:21 PM
I'm pretty thrilled to roll out our system-level complete model of the three #PUNCH WFI spacecraft that monitor the full inner solar system. If you're a fan of LEGO or space (or know one), have a look at this #LEGO #MOC and its tutorial booklet. Now available from @bricklink.bsky.social. ☀️🔭🛰️⚛️🚀🧱
Comets! ☄️☀️🔭🧪🛰️
NASA’s PUNCH mission surprises with unexpected comet tracking capabilities
YouTube video by Southwest Research Institute
www.youtube.com
August 19, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Comets! ☄️☀️🔭🧪🛰️
Congratulations to @philplait.bsky.social for winning the #AAS Solar Physics Division prize for popular media! (Missed this when it happened -- I just found out at the AAS/SPD business meeting). Article link here: tinyurl.com/plait-award 🧪☀️ & bad-🔭
August 11, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Congratulations to @philplait.bsky.social for winning the #AAS Solar Physics Division prize for popular media! (Missed this when it happened -- I just found out at the AAS/SPD business meeting). Article link here: tinyurl.com/plait-award 🧪☀️ & bad-🔭
If you're forecasting the time of space weather events, modeling and extrapolation are good ... but data are better.
☀️🧪🔭🛰️🚀
☀️🧪🔭🛰️🚀
SwRI-led study demonstrates PUNCH’s potential to improve space weather forecasts | Southwest Research Institute
NASA’s PUNCH mission tracks fast coronal mass ejections, the main source of strong space weather events at Earth
www.swri.org
August 5, 2026 at 6:06 AM
If you're forecasting the time of space weather events, modeling and extrapolation are good ... but data are better.
☀️🧪🔭🛰️🚀
☀️🧪🔭🛰️🚀
@swri.org just posted this fun interview I did a few days ago, talking about the PUNCH mission (@punch-mission.bsky.social). More PUNCH results coming soon! ☀️🛰️🔭⚛️
SwRI-led study shows promise for space weather forecasting with NASA’s PUNCH
YouTube video by Southwest Research Institute
www.youtube.com
August 4, 2026 at 6:07 PM
@swri.org just posted this fun interview I did a few days ago, talking about the PUNCH mission (@punch-mission.bsky.social). More PUNCH results coming soon! ☀️🛰️🔭⚛️
If you use FITS files and have a Mac, check out this cool app from the inimitable @gillyspace27.bsky.social ! You install it and instantly Finder previews FITS files properly. If they're #heliophysics data from a known instrument, you even get the official color scheme. Very cool! ☀️🔭🧪🛰️
HelioFITS App - App Store
Download HelioFITS by CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND GILBERT on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like HelioFITS.
apps.apple.com
July 29, 2026 at 4:26 AM
If you use FITS files and have a Mac, check out this cool app from the inimitable @gillyspace27.bsky.social ! You install it and instantly Finder previews FITS files properly. If they're #heliophysics data from a known instrument, you even get the official color scheme. Very cool! ☀️🔭🧪🛰️
As we approach the eclipse in Spain in just three weeks, it's time to re-post this safe solar viewing guide I wrote way back in 2023. Eyepiece projection with binoculars is a simple, fun, safe way to look at the solar disk as totality approaches. ☀️🔭🚀
July 27, 2026 at 2:36 PM
As we approach the eclipse in Spain in just three weeks, it's time to re-post this safe solar viewing guide I wrote way back in 2023. Eyepiece projection with binoculars is a simple, fun, safe way to look at the solar disk as totality approaches. ☀️🔭🚀
The most novel part of the PUNCH mission (@punch-mission.bsky.social) is its three WFIs. Deeply baffled, with optics from @televueoptics.bsky.social, they make polarized images of the entire inner solar system every 4 minutes. The Solar Physics article just dropped! Read it here:
rdcu.be/fvaSc
☀️🧪🛰️🔭
rdcu.be/fvaSc
☀️🧪🛰️🔭
July 22, 2026 at 4:39 PM
The most novel part of the PUNCH mission (@punch-mission.bsky.social) is its three WFIs. Deeply baffled, with optics from @televueoptics.bsky.social, they make polarized images of the entire inner solar system every 4 minutes. The Solar Physics article just dropped! Read it here:
rdcu.be/fvaSc
☀️🧪🛰️🔭
rdcu.be/fvaSc
☀️🧪🛰️🔭
Spotted this #EV prototype at the top of #PikesPeak on Monday. It's an interesting body design, reminiscent of chopped-top, chunky refits of 1940s classics. Looks like it can't decide whether to be an SUV, a station wagon, or a hatchback.
July 17, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Spotted this #EV prototype at the top of #PikesPeak on Monday. It's an interesting body design, reminiscent of chopped-top, chunky refits of 1940s classics. Looks like it can't decide whether to be an SUV, a station wagon, or a hatchback.
Definitely! After all, who would call the White House a starter home?
This might be the most blatant example in existence of "rich guy who created a problem attempting to place the blame for that problem on immigrants"
this guy is the co-founder of Airbnb
July 5, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Definitely! After all, who would call the White House a starter home?
Comet Pan-STARRS provided a nice reminder that the solar wind is not just a stream of disconnected particles. It is a fluid -- with flows, turbulence, and all the other things that fluids do. ☀️🧪🛰️🔭🚀🪐⚛️
June 26, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Comet Pan-STARRS provided a nice reminder that the solar wind is not just a stream of disconnected particles. It is a fluid -- with flows, turbulence, and all the other things that fluids do. ☀️🧪🛰️🔭🚀🪐⚛️
This probably comes as a shock to nobody, but #unitedairlines has really sucky wifi. 700ms ping , few-percent packet loss, peak speeds well under 1Mbps, several-minute lag on popular websites like this one. #Panasonic is bringing us forward into the 1990s!
June 19, 2026 at 5:06 PM
This probably comes as a shock to nobody, but #unitedairlines has really sucky wifi. 700ms ping , few-percent packet loss, peak speeds well under 1Mbps, several-minute lag on popular websites like this one. #Panasonic is bringing us forward into the 1990s!
Reposted by Dr. Craig DeForest ☀️
Visualizing the Artemis-Mission CMEs with PUNCH | PUNCH mission | WhiteWind blog
How can you visualize/display a CME when you need to see both the lower corona and a huge 90° wide swath of the inner solar system? Nonlinear stretching! ☀️🧪🔭🛰️
whtwnd.com/punch-missio...
How can you visualize/display a CME when you need to see both the lower corona and a huge 90° wide swath of the inner solar system? Nonlinear stretching! ☀️🧪🔭🛰️
whtwnd.com/punch-missio...
June 15, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Visualizing the Artemis-Mission CMEs with PUNCH | PUNCH mission | WhiteWind blog
How can you visualize/display a CME when you need to see both the lower corona and a huge 90° wide swath of the inner solar system? Nonlinear stretching! ☀️🧪🔭🛰️
whtwnd.com/punch-missio...
How can you visualize/display a CME when you need to see both the lower corona and a huge 90° wide swath of the inner solar system? Nonlinear stretching! ☀️🧪🔭🛰️
whtwnd.com/punch-missio...
I'm at this meeting right now. It is phenomenal. Really great overviews of the field Monday morning from both established scientists and early-career geniuses. Excellent job from the SOC and LOC! ☀️🧪🚀
#SolarWind17 — The 17th International Solar Wind Conference, 14-19 June 2026, Bath, UK www.solarwind17.com
All participants are invited to submit papers for peer review to a #SolarPhysics article collection: link.springer.com/collections/...
All participants are invited to submit papers for peer review to a #SolarPhysics article collection: link.springer.com/collections/...
June 15, 2026 at 10:10 PM
I'm at this meeting right now. It is phenomenal. Really great overviews of the field Monday morning from both established scientists and early-career geniuses. Excellent job from the SOC and LOC! ☀️🧪🚀
Recently had the pleasure of reading Babcock's paper again, describing the first solar "magnetograph" (new word, ehtn) in 1953. The instrument and the paper are things of beauty. Amazing what could be done, and how, using the technology of the 1950s. 🧪☀️⚛️🔭
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/scan/manifes...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/scan/manifes...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu
June 9, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Recently had the pleasure of reading Babcock's paper again, describing the first solar "magnetograph" (new word, ehtn) in 1953. The instrument and the paper are things of beauty. Amazing what could be done, and how, using the technology of the 1950s. 🧪☀️⚛️🔭
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/scan/manifes...
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/scan/manifes...
Years ago, I made this map of Boulder Canyon, to prove a point (each side of the 15-mile stretch of road has >35 turnouts, which slow drivers almost never use). It metastasized to include many landmarks. Surprisingly, it still works. #boulder #colorado #google
www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/e...
www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/e...
Copy of Boulder Canyon Landmarks & Turnouts - Google My Maps
Map of Boulder Canyon, showing all the turnouts that people never seem to use and many landmarks people refer to.
www.google.com
June 9, 2026 at 4:25 AM
Years ago, I made this map of Boulder Canyon, to prove a point (each side of the 15-mile stretch of road has >35 turnouts, which slow drivers almost never use). It metastasized to include many landmarks. Surprisingly, it still works. #boulder #colorado #google
www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/e...
www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/e...
I spent #MemorialDay doing stuff around the house. Deployed the summer outdoor furniture, weed-whacked the verge around the house, sliced up a pine that blew over this winter, and brought down (and cut up) 12 aspen corpses. Now I'm pleasantly sore. Not too old (yet) for #home #forestry.
May 26, 2026 at 3:19 AM
I spent #MemorialDay doing stuff around the house. Deployed the summer outdoor furniture, weed-whacked the verge around the house, sliced up a pine that blew over this winter, and brought down (and cut up) 12 aspen corpses. Now I'm pleasantly sore. Not too old (yet) for #home #forestry.
Holy cow! Feast your eyes a while, on this gorgeous solar spectrum by the Sol'Ex instrument (assembled by Váradi Nagy Pál). It extends to UV and IR as well as the visible band. Marvel at the F lines, the fine structure, the IR doublets and repeating lines, and the molecular bands. Wonderful! ☀️🧪⚛️🔭
May 20, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Holy cow! Feast your eyes a while, on this gorgeous solar spectrum by the Sol'Ex instrument (assembled by Váradi Nagy Pál). It extends to UV and IR as well as the visible band. Marvel at the F lines, the fine structure, the IR doublets and repeating lines, and the molecular bands. Wonderful! ☀️🧪⚛️🔭