Antarctica totally wins the prize for best aurora 😍

That's a go: Today our mission passed a standard planning milestone known as Key Decision Point E. We're now approved to proceed toward a launch period that opens Thursday, Oct. 10.  go.nasa.gov/47h65iR

Space science is wild. You can design an instrument for a mission that doesn’t exist yet, that won't launch for (probably) a decade, and will then take almost another decade to reach its target... Here's to hoping I have centenarian genes 💯

I've been AWOL for a bit 😅 After I defended my PhD (over a year ago!), I went to Antarctica to search for meteorites, hiked around New Zealand, and then spent 6 months in France learning to speak the language and exploring the countryside. But I'm ready to come back to space.

After missing convocation, I finally got my PhD diploma in the mail. Super psyched! But after 6ish years of research I would've liked it to actually include my degree title...

The worst part of my day is when I convert USD expenses back to CAD 🇨🇦

When I visited France, I went for a hike and spotted the European Synchrotron (a giant circular particle accelerator) under some lovely light! It's the brightest synchrotron in the world, producing x-rays 10 trillion times brighter than those used for routine medical images 🤯

If you're at the other place, find me at erinspacecase.bsky.social

A year ago, the ANSMET team flew to the bottom of the world! When the aircraft doors opened, the brightness hit first, then the shock of icy air that stole my breath, and then - Ivan the Terrabus rolled up to take us on the slowest, bumpiest, most unforgettable ride to McMurdo.

My gym has a cafe at the front. They're baking cookies. All I smell is freshly baked deliciousness and melty chocolate and it is NOT productive for this workout motivation.

My doctor told me my chest wall was 'unremarkable.' Glad I'm not having a heart attack, but now I'm spiraling over being mid-tier even in my anatomy D:

I'm reading about the 3D structure of biomolecules and just learned we have enough DNA to reach from Earth to the Sun and back, 300+ times🤯 And all that DNA is squeezed into a tiny nucleus...insane! This is why I study astrobiology. Like how the heck did life happen??

Just came across a great opportunity for undergrads (wish I were eligible...) NASA is offering a paid internship to train the next generation of scientists to lead the Europa Clipper mission. Students will be paired with mission team members and be hosted at their institutions!

Research papers are full of surprises, like this gem. A little nod to sci-fi in the middle of serious science? Delightful. Thanks Benner et al., 2004 🖖

The check-in nurse told me that persistent chest pain is never a big deal, and I’m probably just reacting to an electromagnetic storm because "we're all electromagnetic beings" and doctors just don’t get it. I no longer have much confidence in this clinic.

Last year, I launched a scholarship to help Grade 12 students from my hometown pursue college or university. The applications left me hopeful & proud for the next generation of students. My heart is full. If you can, I highly recommend doing something like this, it’s worth it!