MagAO-eXtreme Posts

It has long been my intention to use a XWCL blog post to spread the delights of Simon & Garfunkel with the watching world. But, well, I’m still not going to quite get around to it with this post (but halfway there!). The song of the day is “Waters of March” sung by Art Garfunkel. Feel ...

Hello everyone, my name is Justin. I’m a soon-to-be Ph.D-holder-guy in the midst of writing my dissertation on the topic of the coronagraphic architecture known as the PIAACMC (Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization Complex Mask Coronagraph). Basically this coronagraph uses everything but the kitchen sink to suppress stellar light, while preserving as much planet light as possible ...

Before I moved to Tucson, I thought there were four seasons. Since living here, I’ve learned there are five. Fall, winter, spring, summer, and the North American Monsoon. I also used to think summer started at the end of May. However, we’re already facing our first 90+ºF (32+ºC) day next week. Soon we will become nocturnal desert ...

Let’s face it. I am bored. You are bored. We all are bored. We have been in social isolation now for over a month, and if you are like me, nice clothes, makeup, even jeans are a thing of normalcy past. Every day I have been hovering between pajamas and gym clothes. One of the ways ...

Hi everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog post but it makes me happy that the team thought to include me in their blogger recruits. I am going to do a take on Dr. Kelsey Miller’s “Views from the Apocalypse” but rather than a cute Dutch city, I’ll be reporting from the city ...

One thing I am getting out of this quarantine is exploring many recipes and using my kitchen hardware more often than making weekly meal preps. I purchased a 6-quart enameled cast iron dutch oven back in February and have used it once so far to make beef and red lentil chili. I’m very excited I ...

Being confined at home can make anyone a little bit Genghis Khan, as my cat can attest. Today’s Song of the Day is “Genghis Khan” by Miike Snow. Please enjoy the video, below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_SlAzsXa7E “Genghis Khan” by Miike Snow

From the “such a good adventure that it should be a 6 book novel published as a trilogy” department: https://youtu.be/2zNSgSzhBfM “Can’t Hold Us” feat. Ray Dalton by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

I don’t know about all of you, but for me all of the days have started to blur together. In the mornings I find myself thinking: what activity could I do today so that today is different from yesterday (and the day before that, and the day before that…)? Luckily for me, yesterday night I ...

When every weekend is spent at home having a mild time, one must find one’s own diversions. After the cooking is done and the phone calls to friends and family concluded, I scroll idly through the daily output of internet meme-makers. This usually provides a few minutes of distraction, eventually running aground on reposts ...