@sundogplanets@mastodon.social
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

sundogplanets

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Professor of astronomy, farmer of goats. Asteroid (42910). She/her.

Has mostly lived in warmer places, now learning to live respectfully on Treaty 4 lands (Saskatchewan, Canada)

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

It's been a lovely conference, and I've managed to survive being in Toronto (staying in a dorm room, because holy crap hotels are expensive in Toronto). Ready to go back home now! ...Unfortunately I still have 3 more days of conference to go.

I'm up early because this dorm room bed really sucks and cities are loud. Guess I'm going to go for a walk and see if anywhere has good breakfast. Another live radio interview scheduled for later today, I wonder how many others will pop up?

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I pushed myself too hard and had to bail out on talks for a bit and go take a nap. Feeling much better, and grateful I was able to do that.

But after not looking at my email for 2 hours, I have FOUR interview requests. Wow. I'm glad people are interested in the space junk story!

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Oh no I'm on national news again...?

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.4226867

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

"Enjoy your water, and remember that you have Jupiter to thank for that beverage"

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Here's my interview from this morning on my local CBC radio station talking about SpaceX space junk discovered by a farmer in his field in Saskatchewan: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-66-the-morning-edition-sask/clip/16067265-sask.-farmer-finds-space-junk-field

startswithabang, to random
@startswithabang@astrodon.social avatar

The unexpected connection between the northern lights and Hubble’s death

2024 has gifted us the most spectacular auroral show on Earth since 2003.

It's also been the year that Hubble's orbit has decayed more severely than any other.

They're related.

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/northern-lights-hubble/

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

@startswithabang When I first read this I thought maybe you meant Edwin Hubble, the person (the telescope makes a lot more sense!)

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I have a live radio interview about the Saskatchewan space junk in the middle of a prize talk about black holes (which sounds very cool), so I guess I'll go to the beginning of it?

My public talk for tonight is ready (too long, but ready), and the satellite pollution advocacy website is almost ready to launch!

I am disappointed I did not see any raccoons yet today.

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Oh dear lord is it actually still Monday? I had so many good conversations today with old friends and collaborators, and yelled about satellites to a room full of astronomers to try to encourage them to take action, and didn't completely melt down in a big city.

Almost have a public website ready to go with more satellite regulation advocacy info, hopefully will get it (at least bare bones version) before my public talk tomorrow!!

Mundane observation about Toronto: SO much falafel.

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

My first talk is done, I think it went well? A CBC reporter called me moments after my talk to get an interview for the Saskatchewan space junk story (I think maybe I was a bit too enthusiastic in my interview since I had literally just given a talk and listened to a session on satellite pollution so I am MAD and fired up).

Maybe I can take a short walk before the last session of the day starts? (Though I"m not 100% sure being outside is actually calming for me in Toronto...)

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

First Toronto raccoon already spotted. It apparently lives in a vent on the roof right outside the dorm room where I'm staying for the conference. Hello urban chaos panda!

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Also I brought some homemade garlic scape salt to give to a couple of friends I'll be seeing in Toronto, and now all my clothes smell like garlic. Ooops.

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

Hello Toronto - a reminder that I'm giving a public talk TODAY. Want to hear me yell about satellites for an hour? Come say hi!

The image in the poster was taken by Joshua Rozells, see APOD link: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220614.html

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

@WTL I don't think it will be, but I will ask

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

@crit I'm pretty sure they are going to record it, I will post a link if they do!

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Incredible auroras all night, doesn't seem like we're in Kessler Syndrome yet (yay) but apparently GPS and Starlink internet aren't working for people.

A goat got into chicken food and I had to force feed him baking soda to try to save his life (we'll see how that goes ☹️ ).

I emailed the CNN reporter who interviewed me about satellite pollution a couple years ago to see if she's interested in the space junk story.

And it's Vaisakhi/Khalsa Day, so I'm going to get amazing free food!

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

@DGaladi Interesting.

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I am talking o a reporter about this in a couple hours: https://regina.ctvnews.ca/from-outer-space-sask-farmers-baffled-after-discovering-strange-wreckage-in-field-1.6880353

This is about an hour away from my farm, so this'll be a fun conversation, and yet another great opportunity to tell a lot of people about what a huge problem we have with unregulated commercialization of orbit. (Also I just redid my slides for my public talk next week, this is going in!)

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

ok jumping back into this thread because hahahaha I can't believe everything that's happening.

I found out during a live radio interview this morning that someone claiming to be from SpaceX did indeed call the farmer, and ask to get the space junk back from him. But it sounds like whoever contacted him has absolutely no idea how rural Saskatchewan works. There is no FedEx. There are no addresses. This is going to be harder to recover than they thought.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I talked to a couple of space law experts to find out what to even advise the farmer on this. I had sort of thought that since it's in another country and it fell on private property, it belongs to the property owner.

But it is much more complicated than that, because of the Outer Space Treaty.

What should have happened is Global Affairs Canada should have contacted the US State Department, who should have contacted SpaceX.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

But I think what actually happened was someone somewhere else in the Canadian gov't saw a news interview and told SpaceX.

The space law experts I talked to agreed that since SpaceX has now asked for it (assuming it is SpaceX), the farmer has to surrender it. BUT he should ask for compensation.

If there had been damage, the US gov't would have had to compensate the Canadian gov't, but because it's a private company, and no damage happened, compensation is voluntary

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I chatted with the farmer again, and he's doing everything right! He asked for proof that the person was from SpaceX. He asked them to donate to the local skating rink. He's being careful at every step. He's doing a great job of dealing with a totally bizarre situation that very few people in the world have ever had to deal with.

I'll be heading up to visit him and see the junk over the weekend once I'm back in Sask, he seemed pretty confident that he'd still be in possession of it.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I have so many interview requests that I'm actually starting to lose track of them at this point...

But I'm really glad there is so much interest. This is terrifying stuff: SpaceX and other companies are dumping stuff on the ground that could very easily kill people. Countries need to enforce the rules that already exist, and the regulations NEED to be updated to take into account how terrifyingly many re-entries are happening now.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Augh I have an interview written on my calendar happening soon but I can't find it anywhere in my email.... oh noooooo I need a better system.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I have now done 5 interviews about Saskatchewan space junk from a random empty classroom at University of Toronto.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

@carlysagan Do people get paid for news interviews?! I always considered it a part of my job as a professor at a public university...hm.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

@carlysagan yeah it's definitely exhausting... this is an interesting thing to consider. Thanks for the idea.

sundogplanets,
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

I'm going to CBC studios in Toronto tomorrow morning for an interview and coffee with a science journalist that I'm totally going to fangirl about! This is exciting (but it means I have to shift 2 other interviews I had already scheduled...haha this is so hilarious)

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • anitta
  • everett
  • magazineikmin
  • Youngstown
  • thenastyranch
  • rosin
  • slotface
  • ngwrru68w68
  • Durango
  • PowerRangers
  • kavyap
  • cisconetworking
  • tsrsr
  • DreamBathrooms
  • modclub
  • mdbf
  • tacticalgear
  • khanakhh
  • ethstaker
  • vwfavf
  • InstantRegret
  • tester
  • osvaldo12
  • cubers
  • GTA5RPClips
  • Leos
  • normalnudes
  • provamag3
  • All magazines
    •