The Vera Rubin Observatory goes live tonight (in a sense). Shakedown operations with the Vera Rubin ‘scope have been going on for months now, finding the last issues and optimizing the procedures for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (Feb 2026)
Normally, I don’t expect much from Astronomy Journal. February (vol. 171 #2) was a surprise: Fan, X. Zhang, X. Xu, X. et al. Photometric Observations and Analysis of Active Asteroid (62412) 2000 SY178 Art 68 ae2678Cordova Quijano, S. A. Ye,… Read More »Note, Paper: Crack and Track 4-Pack
Just in the latest Nature issue (vol 649 #8098): https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00188-6Michael Eisenstein, 21 January 2026 Seven technologies to watch in 2026 “Scientists excel at discovering limits — and then pushing beyond them.” The illustrious journal Nature cites the pusher, Vera Rubin.… Read More »To Watch the Watchers?
Yes, it’s time again for SBAG (NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group), this time the Winter meeting: 34th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG)January 13–14, 2026 https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/sbagjan2026/technical_program/?session_no=101 Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 8:30 AM8:30 AM Darryl Seligman Early-Career Icebreaker9:25… Read More »2026 Winter SBAG Meeting, 1
The Winter 2025 meeting of the AAS (American Astronomical Society), Jan 4-8, Phoenix, AZ, concludes soon: https://aas.org/meetings/aas247 Again, my cull of small-body-relevant agenda items. Most of the meeting is general astronomy, not small bodies or Solar System items: https://submissions.mirasmart.com/AAS247/Itinerary/EventsAAG.aspx See… Read More »AAS Winter 2026 Meeting, Three
Again, the American Astronomical Society’s big meeting is about to go on (Jan 4-8), in Phoenix, AZ. https://aas.org/meetings/aas247 Highlights from (effective) day 2, Jan 6: https://submissions.mirasmart.com/AAS247/Itinerary/EventsAAG.aspx See also: Day 1 (ish) Tuesday, January 6 203 – High-Altitude Balloon Astronomy: Instruments,… Read More »AAS Winter 2026 Meeting, Two(sday)
It’s January, time for the big AAS (American Astronomical Society) meeting. This year, it’s in mild and sunny Phoenix, AZ, January 4-8. https://aas.org/meetings/aas247 Of course, the big meeting is themed around… nothing, it’s a general meeting. There’s a separate DPS… Read More »AAS Winter 2026 Meeting, One
‘Breaking’: the Vera Rubin Observatory has announced its results on transient detection S251112cm. First detected Nov. 12 by humanity’s gravitational-wave array(s), Vera Rubin had then pursued any optical counterpart at that general location: gcn.nasa.gov/circulars/43257 Rubin imagery begins at Nov. 14.… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (late-Dec ‘25)
The January Acta Astronautica was divided into Part A and B, don’t ask me why. Now, Part B (vol. 238, Jan 2026): Otsuki, M. Baba, M. Imada, T. et al. Exhaustive evaluation of microgravity landing dynamics for small body exploration Pg 1-12Ye,… Read More »Note, Paper: P-Defense, B
Congratulations to the Vera Rubin Observatory staff, all around, for being named a runner-up for Science magazine’s Breakthrough of the Year, after the boom in renewable energy (i. e., Swanson’s Law): vol. 390 #6779, 18 DecScience’s 2025 Breakthrough of the… Read More »Vera Rubin Up Next For Uprate