Michael Aye
@michael.planetarypy.space
Planetary data cruncher, wannabe musician, dad to human and dogs (all of them.)
ORCID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-4088-1928
Profile image credits: Artistic vision of CO2 jets on Mars. Published by NASA; artist: Ron Miller.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-4088-1928
Profile image credits: Artistic vision of CO2 jets on Mars. Published by NASA; artist: Ron Miller.
Pinned
Michael Aye
@michael.planetarypy.space
· May 28
The Planetary Factsheets revival from NASA's NSSDC have been further improved by adding constants that my initial website parsing missed, e.g. J2 and many more. I also added a special RangeConstant datatype to acknowledge when a parameter doesn't have a single value on the factsheet. Released...
Music lovers: there are 2 versions of Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger out there. On the soundtrack she moves more steady to the beat, which I find supports the heavy accompany well. But there’s also another radio or studio version where she keeps slowing down and accelerating, not liking it. What u say?
September 15, 2026 at 9:48 AM
Music lovers: there are 2 versions of Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger out there. On the soundtrack she moves more steady to the beat, which I find supports the heavy accompany well. But there’s also another radio or studio version where she keeps slowing down and accelerating, not liking it. What u say?
Reposted by Michael Aye
Flight attendants have the right to organize a union without intimidation or interference.
I've received reports that Delta threatened pay and benefits, and encouraged new workers to report colleagues for even mentioning a union.
I'm pushing back against union-busting tactics.
I've received reports that Delta threatened pay and benefits, and encouraged new workers to report colleagues for even mentioning a union.
I'm pushing back against union-busting tactics.
September 13, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Flight attendants have the right to organize a union without intimidation or interference.
I've received reports that Delta threatened pay and benefits, and encouraged new workers to report colleagues for even mentioning a union.
I'm pushing back against union-busting tactics.
I've received reports that Delta threatened pay and benefits, and encouraged new workers to report colleagues for even mentioning a union.
I'm pushing back against union-busting tactics.
This is one of the best scientific programming resources on the web having its latest release. I learned so much from this free resource over the years!
#SciPy2026 talks are up on YouTube now! www.youtube.com/@SciPy-Conf/...
If you weren't able to attend the conference you can still watch all of the talks and if you did attend the conference but can't be in two place at once or were enjoying the hallway track you can catch up on all you missed! :D
If you weren't able to attend the conference you can still watch all of the talks and if you did attend the conference but can't be in two place at once or were enjoying the hallway track you can catch up on all you missed! :D
SciPy
www.youtube.com
September 13, 2026 at 9:47 PM
This is one of the best scientific programming resources on the web having its latest release. I learned so much from this free resource over the years!
Reposted by Michael Aye
Canada is worth fighting for. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.
September 12, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Canada is worth fighting for. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.
I have released 0.12.0 of my isistools that contained a bug fixed version of csm2map, a faster, pure python version of cam2map. Its faster because it tries to do all in RAM, that works up to CTX size with laptop memory, for HiRISE I’m still testing how it can do it partially out of memory.
September 10, 2026 at 7:35 AM
I have released 0.12.0 of my isistools that contained a bug fixed version of csm2map, a faster, pure python version of cam2map. Its faster because it tries to do all in RAM, that works up to CTX size with laptop memory, for HiRISE I’m still testing how it can do it partially out of memory.
Reposted by Michael Aye
Guten Morgen zusammen - wie gewohnt mit einem aktuellen Bild der Sonne per Satellit SDO.
September 8, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Guten Morgen zusammen - wie gewohnt mit einem aktuellen Bild der Sonne per Satellit SDO.
Oh my word I think yoga instructions that often say don’t shrug possibly created too weak shrug muscles for me creating in turn rotator cuff issues. There I was thinking shrugging is never good and this seems to be wrong!?!
September 8, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Oh my word I think yoga instructions that often say don’t shrug possibly created too weak shrug muscles for me creating in turn rotator cuff issues. There I was thinking shrugging is never good and this seems to be wrong!?!
PROJ ships planetary CRS under a versioned authority, IAU_2015. Write one to a GeoTIFF or GeoPackage, read it back, and most of the stack can't tell you what it is any more.
Four round-trips, minimal reproducers. One works.
michaelaye.github.io/posts/iau-cr...
Four round-trips, minimal reproducers. One works.
michaelaye.github.io/posts/iau-cr...
Four ways your GIS stack loses a planetary CRS – Home
IAU_2015 is a versioned authority, and most readers drop the version
michaelaye.github.io
September 7, 2026 at 10:20 PM
PROJ ships planetary CRS under a versioned authority, IAU_2015. Write one to a GeoTIFF or GeoPackage, read it back, and most of the stack can't tell you what it is any more.
Four round-trips, minimal reproducers. One works.
michaelaye.github.io/posts/iau-cr...
Four round-trips, minimal reproducers. One works.
michaelaye.github.io/posts/iau-cr...
Reposted by Michael Aye
Possibly the most American news of all time
Prison inmates donate more than $4,000 to pay children's school lunch debt
Residents at the prison contributed $3,810 of their own money, while Kansas Department of Corrections employees added another $457.
local12.com
September 7, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Possibly the most American news of all time
Reposted by Michael Aye
Happy Monday! Please enjoy my tiny painting of Neptune
September 7, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Happy Monday! Please enjoy my tiny painting of Neptune
Released planetarypy 0.83.0 🪐
IAU feature names are now a plottable layer — add_features(ax, "mars") is the coastlines() move for planetary maps. 47 bodies, 2049 Mars features, 9086 lunar.
Plus a session-wide target CRS and other goodies.
michaelaye.github.io/planetarypy/...
IAU feature names are now a plottable layer — add_features(ax, "mars") is the coastlines() move for planetary maps. 47 bodies, 2049 Mars features, 9086 lunar.
Plus a session-wide target CRS and other goodies.
michaelaye.github.io/planetarypy/...
Release Notes – PlanetaryPy
michaelaye.github.io
September 7, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Released planetarypy 0.83.0 🪐
IAU feature names are now a plottable layer — add_features(ax, "mars") is the coastlines() move for planetary maps. 47 bodies, 2049 Mars features, 9086 lunar.
Plus a session-wide target CRS and other goodies.
michaelaye.github.io/planetarypy/...
IAU feature names are now a plottable layer — add_features(ax, "mars") is the coastlines() move for planetary maps. 47 bodies, 2049 Mars features, 9086 lunar.
Plus a session-wide target CRS and other goodies.
michaelaye.github.io/planetarypy/...
The remaining spacecraft is also "power-positive", with the solar panels were stored since end of cruise in June and they have now successfully been switched back on.
Together, the stacked spacecraft travelled nine billion km, did 22 loops around the Sun and performed nine planetary flybys.
MTM's propulsion system is dependent on Bepi's computer control, so after today, MTM will float around the Sun indefinitely.
🔭 🧪 #planetsci 2/3
MTM's propulsion system is dependent on Bepi's computer control, so after today, MTM will float around the Sun indefinitely.
🔭 🧪 #planetsci 2/3
September 3, 2026 at 2:16 PM
The remaining spacecraft is also "power-positive", with the solar panels were stored since end of cruise in June and they have now successfully been switched back on.
Reposted by Michael Aye
📡 Estrack deep space antennas are in position for #BepiColombo.
Cebreros ready for separation detection - check! ☑️
Malargüe ready for background tracking - check! ☑️
@esa.int #JAXA #Mercury
Cebreros ready for separation detection - check! ☑️
Malargüe ready for background tracking - check! ☑️
@esa.int #JAXA #Mercury
September 3, 2026 at 1:30 PM
📡 Estrack deep space antennas are in position for #BepiColombo.
Cebreros ready for separation detection - check! ☑️
Malargüe ready for background tracking - check! ☑️
@esa.int #JAXA #Mercury
Cebreros ready for separation detection - check! ☑️
Malargüe ready for background tracking - check! ☑️
@esa.int #JAXA #Mercury
An indirect confirmation of the separation has arrived: Using a tiny change of radio communication frequencies caused by the presumed separation event! Now we are waiting for telemetry. (I'm excited specifically b/c I recently became a Co-I for the BeLA instrument, the laser altimeter).
ESA Operations @operations.esa.int
Preliminary #BepiColombo Doppler separation signal detected. Initial tracking data are consistent with the planned MTM separation sequence. Now awaiting acquisition of signal at 15:53 CEST for full confirmation.. 9/3/2026
Preliminary #BepiColombo Doppler separation signal detected. Initial tracking data are consistent with the planned MTM separation sequence. Now awaiting acquisition of signal at 15:53 CEST for full confirmation.. 9/3/2026
September 3, 2026 at 1:34 PM
An indirect confirmation of the separation has arrived: Using a tiny change of radio communication frequencies caused by the presumed separation event! Now we are waiting for telemetry. (I'm excited specifically b/c I recently became a Co-I for the BeLA instrument, the laser altimeter).
Just learned about Devetashka Cave in Bulgaria. Are you even a geologist if you haven’t been there? ;) absolutely gobsmacking: 70,000 years ago early humans were living there, up to 100 meter high ceilings, with built in flood light holes.
September 3, 2026 at 11:42 AM
Just learned about Devetashka Cave in Bulgaria. Are you even a geologist if you haven’t been there? ;) absolutely gobsmacking: 70,000 years ago early humans were living there, up to 100 meter high ceilings, with built in flood light holes.
Reposted by Michael Aye
That's the first time that I am happy with my processed image of an observation of Neptune by Hubble, so I am sharing it here too! 🔭
This observation was done yesterday around 6pm UTC. The data come from the 17964 proposal led by Mariarosa Marinelli.
This observation was done yesterday around 6pm UTC. The data come from the 17964 proposal led by Mariarosa Marinelli.
September 1, 2026 at 9:20 PM
That's the first time that I am happy with my processed image of an observation of Neptune by Hubble, so I am sharing it here too! 🔭
This observation was done yesterday around 6pm UTC. The data come from the 17964 proposal led by Mariarosa Marinelli.
This observation was done yesterday around 6pm UTC. The data come from the 17964 proposal led by Mariarosa Marinelli.
Reposted by Michael Aye
Europäische Raumsonde kurz vor Ankunft am Merkur. Morgen ab 13:45 Uhr Liveübertragung aus ESA-Kontrollraum. www.esa.int/Space_in_Mem...
Live erleben: BepiColombo beginnt die Anflugphase am Merkur
Nach acht Jahren steht die ESA/JAXA- Mission BepiColombo kurz vor dem Beginn ihrer Ankunftsphase am Merkur. Am 3. September 2026 wird sich das Merkur-Transfermodul (MTM) der ESA von den beiden wissens...
www.esa.int
September 2, 2026 at 4:24 AM
Europäische Raumsonde kurz vor Ankunft am Merkur. Morgen ab 13:45 Uhr Liveübertragung aus ESA-Kontrollraum. www.esa.int/Space_in_Mem...
Reposted by Michael Aye
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now in orbit! 🔭☄️
Explore research documenting the mission’s development, from detectors and #instrumentation to coronagraphs and optical systems, through #SPIE_JATIS: https://bit.ly/3V7UOiH
Explore research documenting the mission’s development, from detectors and #instrumentation to coronagraphs and optical systems, through #SPIE_JATIS: https://bit.ly/3V7UOiH
September 1, 2026 at 8:47 PM
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now in orbit! 🔭☄️
Explore research documenting the mission’s development, from detectors and #instrumentation to coronagraphs and optical systems, through #SPIE_JATIS: https://bit.ly/3V7UOiH
Explore research documenting the mission’s development, from detectors and #instrumentation to coronagraphs and optical systems, through #SPIE_JATIS: https://bit.ly/3V7UOiH
Reposted by Michael Aye
Roman’s antenna and visor-like sunshade have successfully deployed.
science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/...
#Roman 🔭🧪
science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/...
#Roman 🔭🧪
NASA Roman Space Telescope’s Antenna, ‘Visor’ Deployed - NASA Science
Roman’s antenna and visor-like sunshade have successfully deployed.
science.nasa.gov
September 1, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Roman’s antenna and visor-like sunshade have successfully deployed.
science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/...
#Roman 🔭🧪
science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/...
#Roman 🔭🧪
Reposted by Michael Aye
September 2, 2026 at 3:05 AM
Reposted by Michael Aye
There absolutely is no doubt that the climate crisis has been caused by humans and our pumping of green house gasses and pollutants in to the Earth's atmosphere since the industrial revolution and growing effectively exponentially ever since.
September 2, 2026 at 7:10 AM
There absolutely is no doubt that the climate crisis has been caused by humans and our pumping of green house gasses and pollutants in to the Earth's atmosphere since the industrial revolution and growing effectively exponentially ever since.
Reposted by Michael Aye
So the week after the "Star Trek Strange New Worlds" talked about "Strong Force Neutrinos" this happens....
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
World’s biggest dark matter detector spots a single weird particle
It’s far too early to declare a discovery, physicists with the LZ detector say
www.science.org
September 2, 2026 at 5:41 AM
So the week after the "Star Trek Strange New Worlds" talked about "Strong Force Neutrinos" this happens....
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Michael Aye
Nochmal zum Thema Merkur (siehe Post von heute Morgen): Da ist ja unter anderem immer noch völlig rätselhaft, warum dieser kleine Planet (hier in einer unserer aufwendigen Visualisierungen dargestellt) einen proportional viel zu großen Kern hat.
September 2, 2026 at 9:05 AM
Nochmal zum Thema Merkur (siehe Post von heute Morgen): Da ist ja unter anderem immer noch völlig rätselhaft, warum dieser kleine Planet (hier in einer unserer aufwendigen Visualisierungen dargestellt) einen proportional viel zu großen Kern hat.
Reposted by Michael Aye
What angers me the most as a planetary scientist about the world blowing through the 1.5 deg C threshold is that we know how to stop this. The broad strokes physics/processes here are straightforward enough that the runaway greenhouse Earth and snowball Earth was a homework assignment in grad school
September 2, 2026 at 7:08 AM
What angers me the most as a planetary scientist about the world blowing through the 1.5 deg C threshold is that we know how to stop this. The broad strokes physics/processes here are straightforward enough that the runaway greenhouse Earth and snowball Earth was a homework assignment in grad school
Reposted by Michael Aye
Ausgerechnet die AfD-"Patrioten" stellen sich schützend vor das 'Opfer' Putin+zweifeln daran, dass Russland hinter Leipzig steckt, weil angeblich keine Beweise vorliegen. Das ist wie ein Bankangestellter, der sich schützend vor einen Bankräuber stellt wenn die Polizei anrückt!
September 2, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Ausgerechnet die AfD-"Patrioten" stellen sich schützend vor das 'Opfer' Putin+zweifeln daran, dass Russland hinter Leipzig steckt, weil angeblich keine Beweise vorliegen. Das ist wie ein Bankangestellter, der sich schützend vor einen Bankräuber stellt wenn die Polizei anrückt!