Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies

@palomarskies.bsky.social

Associate professor of astronomy at Palomar College, user of smart telescopes. 🔭 Blog: http://visiblesuns.blogspot.com/

4.3K followers868 following3.8K posts

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Eos
@eos.org

The old Theia is dead, a new Moon struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters. . . er, new models for the formation of our Moon. Adeene Denton (@spacewhalerider.com) and colleagues showed a way to smooth the process of Moon formation. 🔭🧪 eos.org/articles/was...

eos.orgWas the Moon-Forming Impact Squishy or Crunchy? - EosA new computer simulation adds a crust to the Earth-smashing planet Theia, showing how a proto-Moon could form from the leftovers.

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Anthony Edwards
@edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social

San Diego and Los Angeles could experience record high tides next week. Model guidance predicts Monday’s tide in San Diego being 2.5ft above a typical high tide. Tuesday will probably come in around 2.6ft, which would be the highest in San Diego history. Record tides are also possible in L.A.

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies
@palomarskies.bsky.social

I was out running errands and decided to treat myself by going to the bookstore and then picking up specialty ice cream to bring home only find that the power was out. Three hours later it was back on. Yes, I ate some but I think the rest will be safe for another day.

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Daniel Swain
@weatherwest.bsky.social

Here it is: My big October update on the now near-record/record-strength El Niño event and the still-increasing likelihood of significant California impacts this winter. This deep-dive post is meant to accompany my Tuesday 1pm PT livestream.

weatherwest.comEl Niño, already near/at record intensity, will further strengthen to historic level and likely bring major California & SW U.S. winter impacts - Weather WestOctober 12, 2026 - Daniel Swain - A quick recap of the forecast vs real-world evolution of El Niño 2026 thus far An El Niño event officially developed in the tropical Pacific Ocean earlier this summer, and it has strengthened almost continually since that point. In fact, as of mid-October, the 2026 El Niño event has already become the strongest on record #

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

National Weather Service
@nws.noaa.gov

Tropical Storm Rachel will bring hazardous conditions to Baja California and the Southwest this weekend, including damaging winds, flash flooding, and life-threatening surf and rip currents. Coastal flooding and erosion are also expected to worsen. hurricanes.gov

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Mark Marley
@markmarley.bsky.social

Screen door slams, the water clouds wave. Nice writeup about Brittany's @bemiles.bsky.social amazing work on this brown dwarf with JWST data with a screen door analogy from me. news.arizona.edu/news/discove...

news.arizona.eduDiscovery marks the first detection of variable water clouds outside of our solar systemA Jupiter-sized world just 7.5 light-years away is cloudy, chemically complex, and, it turns out, more like home than anyone expected.

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Anthony Edwards
@edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social

The National Hurricane Center on Wednesday morning extended the forecast cone of an ongoing tropical cyclone — Hurricane Rachel — into California. The storm won’t be a hurricane by the time it nears CA this weekend, but it could still present hazards characteristic of a tropical cyclone.

sfchronicle.comThe National Hurricane Center just drew a forecast path for Rachel into California. Is the threat legit?Strong winds, large waves and storm surge are possible in Orange and San Diego counties, with heavy rain and flash flooding possible in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies
@palomarskies.bsky.social

I was at work for 13 hours yesterday and not home until after 10 pm, so naturally I am up before sunrise this morning. Anyway, the first image shows Mars (top), Jupiter (middle), and the star Regulus above the waning crescent moon. 🔭

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Lance Ellisor
@ellisor.net

this is some real orc shit when you are killing trees to build a wall, trees as old as the country you are building a wall around, trees sacred to the people here far before you — you have seriously lost your soul TW: if you love nature, this clip is deeply disturbing

Raider@iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social

The Trump administration’s actions resulted in the destruction of the largest ancient Cottonwood tree on Indigenous territory in Arizona. This tree, known as the “Grandmother Tree,” was 250 years old.

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies
@palomarskies.bsky.social

A weird thing happened today. I was going through old things and found one on my dad’s old ruler/business cards (left) from about 60 years ago. I texted the image to my sister who was cleaning in her home where at the same time she found an even older one just before she got my text!

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Daniel Swain
@weatherwest.bsky.social

Global model ensembles are in strong agreement that a prolonged &anomalous nearly West-wide autumn heatwave will develop this week & persist for 10+ days. While some daytime records may be set, this event will be more notable for its persistence & breadth. [Thread]

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies
@palomarskies.bsky.social

Gone but not forgotten.

European Space History@eurospacehistory.bsky.social

😍 Enjoy this compilation of the last images taken by Rosetta’s high-res camera during the mission’s final hours at Comet 67P. As it moved closer to the surface it scanned across an ancient pit and sent back images showing what would become its final resting place 🥲 www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH5c...

youtube.comRosetta’s final imagesYouTube video by European Space Agency, ESA

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Kevin M. Kruse
@kevinmkruse.bsky.social

When they get back in power, Democrats need to go all-in on higher education. We need a campaign of reinvestment in public universities across the country that makes the Morrill Land-Grant Act look like nothing by comparison *and* a GI Bill of Rights-style program of tuition grants.

The New Republic@newrepublic.com

Trump is banning students majoring in degrees that don’t make enough money from taking out college loans. Degrees for social work, art, religious studies, teaching aides, and music will be hit the hardest. trib.al/kQdKbY1

trib.alTrump Moves to Cut Off Student Loans for Tons of DegreesUnder a new rule, if your degree doesn’t make enough money, you won’t be able to get a student loan.

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Daniel Swain
@weatherwest.bsky.social

New Weather West post out this evening! I discuss the hyperactive East and Central Pacific hurricane season, as well as the upcoming heatwave across CA--and also why even a dry & warm autumn tells us essentially nothing about the El Niño winter to come.

weatherwest.comA parade of East Pacific hurricanes will miss CA (but soak the interior Southwest) before major, long-duration autumn heatwave builds - Weather WestSeptember 27, 2026 - Daniel Swain - A hyperactive tropical East Pacific slings hurricanes toward Hawaii and Baja California, with indirect effects (modest moisture & potentially damaging ocean waves) in SoCal It has already been a remarkable, and arguably historic, East Pacific hurricane season. Three hurricanes (Lala, Lowell, Nolo) have now directly impacted the Hawaiian Islands (though none made formal landfall), with #

Scott Kardel aka Palomar Skies reposted

Bill McKibben
@billmckibben.bsky.social

As a lifelong baseball fan, can I say: this is a truly bad idea. Fenway Park is for baseball, Teton Park is for wildlife www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

washingtonpost.comTrump administration considers building baseball park in Grand Teton National ParkMajor League Baseball contacted the administration about hosting a game in a national park, with an agency official scouting Grand Teton as a possible location.