Dan Burns

AAPT is offering funding assistance to members of the physics education community to help defray the cost of attending #AAPTWM27. Access Dependent Care & Accessibility Grants at: ow.ly/vaz050ZV8lf and Travel Grants at: ow.ly/qWAQ50ZV8lh. Apply by November 1st. #AAPTGrants

"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible." -Albert Einstein #Einstein #science #physics

"Kids are fonts of misinformation. Anyone can see that the floor is not lava. That is plainly not a fort. Those are cushions. If you wanted erroneous information presented to you in a confident way, you would be asking ChatGPT. At least it has the decency to grovel."

The dielectric constant is just a multiplier. A vacuum is exactly 1. Dry air is 1.00059. Rubber is 3.0, so a rubber dielectric gives you 3 times the capacitance a vacuum would. That is all it tells you. youtu.be/KL-GfLDGmN8 #iTeachPhysics #Physics #Science #EduSky #APPhysics

This Wednesday! us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Test images of the full Moon last night to determine exposure bracketing for the 8/2/26 total eclipse. I made a regular and mineral Moon with the 1/8000s exposure, ISO 100. My next step will be working out the max unguided exposure by imaging stars at the same 18 deg declination. #astrophotography

A spectacular X-ray tribute to a fantastic NASA mission. Swift has perhaps weeks left before it burns up during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere, after two decades of chasing the universe's biggest stellar explosions. badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/an-x-ray-t... 🔭 🧪

I appreciate all the nice comments on the new webcam page I have developed! I am working on some new tools beyond the webcams page as well, so stay tuned for that. theauroraguy.com/pages/webcams

Moonrise tonight, sped up. #astrophotography

Trump turned Sagan’s prediction into a reality.

This was Yandy Diaz's face when my former student Hunter Bigge gave me a shout out on the Rays Teacher Appreciation Day video in May. Yandy's stats during the playoffs show he knows more than enough about physics. You can see the whole video here: www.instagram.com/reel/DX9-Cwv... #ITeachPhysics

Live Kahoot on my YouTube channel, Monday November 2nd at 7pm Eastern. 10 multiple choice questions on AP Physics 1 Unit 2, Forces and Translational Dynamics. Free, and a lot more fun with a crowd. youtu.be/SCQ5dDoWKkc #iTeachPhysics #APPhysics1 #Physics #EduSky #Kahoot

#Spacetober day 23: nebula. An Earth-type planet near the Horsehead Nebula. A cloud of gas is emitting red light, with a dark, absorbent cloud, in the shape of a Horsehead, superimposed in front of it. This is a digitally modified version of a painting I did in the 1990s. #SciArt #spaceart

Join Vernier Science Education for a free webinar: “Simple Harmonic Motion—What Your Sensors Measure.” WIRED’s Rhett Allain & Vernier’s Fran Poodry will show how Python models and sensors reveal energy exchange. Oct 29, 4–5 pm PT. Register: ow.ly/2Xyq50ZXRXo #Physics

can we please just not.

OTD in 1975 a machine from Earth took the first photo ever from the surface of another planet. Venera 9 at Venus. 🧪

#ITeachPhysics

HFG1 and Abell 6 (lower left) are planetary nebula. At HFG1's center is a binary white dwarf and sun-like star. They are hurtling through the galaxy creating an OIII bow shock and leaving an h-alpha tail. The nature of the bright pink knot at 2 o'clock is uncertain. Details in ALT #astrophotography

a message from the future

My first APOD (Astronomical Picture of the Day) in a long time... Seems the idea of green star is a hit. #SciArt #spaceart #Blender

Secure your spot for #AAPTWM27 by booking your room at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel today. Be sure to mention the AAPT room block to receive the special rate. Reserve by December 11th to guarantee your accommodation. ow.ly/rc7r50ZHsYV #AAPTConferences #AAPTMeeting #ITeachPhysics

Ready to inspire and be inspired at #AAPTWM27? January 9th is your chance to dive into workshops that spark creativity, foster collaboration, and elevate your teaching. Workshops fill up fast—secure your spot early! Explore the lineup and add your favorites to your registration: ow.ly/vSPy50ZQCNL

Someone must have been having a bad day when they named this one. LDN 1251, the “Rotten Fish” Nebula. Doesn’t really convey the beauty of the cosmos vibe. Nevertheless, LBN 438 is a beautifully faint dark nebula in the constellation Cepheus. 🔭 #astrophotography ~8 hours UV/IR

I couldn’t find a video showing the classic oil drop and ruler to estimate the size of an atom so I made this one yesterday. I use it as part of my A-level physics induction taster lessons: youtu.be/7WoKdnnHoCg #ITeachScience #SciTeachUK

Thinking about attending #AAPTWM27, but the cost is holding you back? 🧰 Grab our K–12 Funding Toolkit—letter templates, grant tips, and sponsor drafts—to help secure support. Access the free toolkit: ow.ly/5ahC50ZWvo7 & Winter Meeting registration: ow.ly/xXQC50YJ4um #ITeachPhysics #AAPTMeeting

Take advantage of #AAPTWM27 Early Bird Registration rates! Register today and get ready to hear from outstanding plenary speakers, participate in workshops, informative sessions, events, and more. Early Bird rates end on October 23rd. ow.ly/xXQC50YJ4um #AAPTConference #AAPTMeeting

Share your innovative ideas about how to teach physics more effectively, and interact with fellow educators by submitting a poster presentation. Submission deadline is Friday, Oct. 23. ow.ly/c6cY50ZXA0J #AAPTWM27 #AAPTConference #AAPTMeeting #ITeachPhysics #PhysicsEducation #PhysicsTeachers

If you're looking for art to accompany a press release, this is what I do. I have a PhD in astronomy and space illustration/animation is my specialty. This piece, on green white dwarfs, is one of my most recent commissions. Please don't use AI. Use an artist. Thank you. #sciart #scicomm #blender

Momentum Demonstration xkcd.com/3312/

While in town for a funeral, I went for a walk and stumbled upon the 113 year old Witch’s Hat Water Tower. It is located on the highest point in Minneapolis. Nice view of the city on a perfect fall day.

Curious about science advocacy? ☕️ Join Roohi Dalal & Dawson Lang for an AAPT Virtual Coffee Hour on Oct 26, 8:30 pm ET! This event is open to the public. ow.ly/wJnX50ZWh6U #AAPTCoffeeHour #PhysicsEducation #ITeachPhysics

#Spacetober day 19: Saturn In this artwork we find ourselves floating within the ring system of the gas giant, Saturn. The ring particles are made almost entirely of water ice - which is why they are so bright - and range in size from about a centimetre to a few metres across. #SciArt #blender

This is simply fantastic

🔭 Sonified: Eagle Nebula Pillars Credit: Image Credit: NASA, ESA, & The Hubble Heritage Project (STScI/AURA); Sonification: NASA, CXC, SAO, K. Arcand, M. Russo & A. Santaguida ap261018

#Spacetober day 18: launch vehile/rocket An illustration of the Saturn 5 rocket just after take-off. The Saturn 5 launch vehicle was used during the Apollo missions that landed men safely on the Moon and returned them. Modelled and rendered in #Blender #SciArt

One of the many things I love about El-Sayed is that he's willing to engage with someone hostile if it gets them to admit the premises behind that hostility, to the extent that it becomes impossible to avoid the underlying bigotry. You want to go there, fine, but he's gonna make you own it.

“Omaha, oh, somewhere in middle America Get right to the heart of matters It's the heart that matters more I think you'd better turn your ticket in And get your money back at the door” - Counting Crows

Some spectacular shadows in Nevada’s basin and range region on my sunrise flight to Des Moines this morning.

TIL that pollen can be seen being released in a cloud from my pine trees. It was backlit by the Sun, making it very noticeable to the unaided eye. This video is real-time.

AstroBin's Image of the Day: "Arp 271" by Wolfgang Promper www.astrobin.com/rem263/ #astrophotography

#spacetober day 16: Jupiter Europa is the smallest of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, and the second closet to the planet. Its surface is icy and relatively smooth. Impacting meteorites cause melting of the surface, allowing the water to smooth out before re-freezing. 1/2 #spaceart #sciart

Curious about what's in store for you at the 2027 AAPT Winter Meeting? Take a peek at the Schedule at a Glance for a quick overview of the exciting sessions planned ➡ ow.ly/sjBU50ZHXVJ, and get ready for an awesome conference experience—we can't wait to welcome you! #AAPTWM27 #ITeachPhysics

I sorted all 700+ of my physics videos into 8 more curricula: IB, JEE and NEET, A Level, MCAT, Philippines DepEd, Ontario, Australia, Gaokao. Free pages for each on my site. The laws of physics are the same everywhere. youtu.be/ocUkYKoPYp0 #iTeachPhysics #Physics #EduSky #IBPhysics