Math professor. Climate researcher when time allows. ✞ PhD Mathematics-Virginia Tech. PhD Environmental Sciences-UVA. MSc Astrophysics-LJMU.https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3mbeswikbw22yMy resolution for 2026 is to travel 940 million kilometers.01 Jan 2026 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbeswikbw22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lirkn36aqk2oThe Euclid Space Telescope just found a particularly beautiful example of an Einstein ring (a gravitational lensing effect) around the galaxy NGC 6505. Source: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/20245301422 Feb 2025 14:44 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lirkn36aqk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lfq4ipqep22nThe moon and Mars last night.14 Jan 2025 20:43 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfq4ipqep22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lfge5iyn7s2i2024 was the warmest year on record. As usual, Carbon Breif has an excellent summary. https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-2024-sets-a-new-record-as-the-first-year-above-1-5c/10 Jan 2025 23:33 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfge5iyn7s2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lfdf3gvjvk2qTwo stages of the same sunset.09 Jan 2025 19:12 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfdf3gvjvk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lfak3nrc4c22Freezing rain followed by clear blue skies made a beautiful scene yesterday.08 Jan 2025 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfak3nrc4c22https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3leopzmpses2oHappy New Year everyone!01 Jan 2025 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3leopzmpses2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3leksxcfjv22cI write squiggles on a whiteboard to help students understand the deep secrets of the universe. [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Dec 2024 00:44 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3leksxcfjv22chttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lehyshig4c2hI recently started reading this book on the philosophy of astrophysics (as far as I know, the only one ever published on the subject) and I have to say, it's been fascinating. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-26618-829 Dec 2024 21:50 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lehyshig4c2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lecaolzc6s23Altocumulus at sunset27 Dec 2024 14:55 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lecaolzc6s23https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3ldtpxmbvts2wPersistent contrails contribute to global warming, but they can be avoided with only small adjustments to flights. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44172-024-00329-721 Dec 2024 20:19 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldtpxmbvts2whttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3ldjrjlwknc2s17 Dec 2024 21:20 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldjrjlwknc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lda5odvknk2oTwo years ago I enrolled in an online MSc program in astrophysics at Liverpool-John Moores University to pursue a longtime interest. I finished the program this semester and just got the diploma today.14 Dec 2024 01:31 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lda5odvknk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3ld3abdiyc22eHello! I'm a math professor and love teaching. I also have a background in climate science and astrophysics, and I am fascinated by planetary atmospheres, stellar interiors, and the parallels between them. I'll be posting here on astronomy and climate science.12 Dec 2024 02:34 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3ld3abdiyc22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lcsqsg2el22dI found an interesting recent study of current drought and precipitation changes in the context of natural variability. It compares paleoclimate records (distant past) instrumental records (recent past) and model projections (future). https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL10740008 Dec 2024 17:36 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcsqsg2el22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lclclf5xjk23Sunset last night05 Dec 2024 18:33 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lclclf5xjk23https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lcbvveqsdk2tThe Northern Hemisphere winter solstice is on December 21, but meteorological winter begins today and ends on the last day of February. This definition corresponds more closely to the coldest time of the year. Happy first day of winter everyone!02 Dec 2024 00:52 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lcbvveqsdk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lc3n2ezrvk26With Northern Hemisphere winter approaching, sunrise times are getting later, which means it is now easier to watch a sunrise. I recommend it.29 Nov 2024 12:58 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lc3n2ezrvk26https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lbze3ywklc23If climate change can exacerbate wildfires, why has burn area decreased? According to this modelling study, climate change has contributed a 16% increase in burned area, but this was more than canceled by the 19% decrease due to land-use changes. https://www.carbonbrief.org/climate-change-almost-wipes-out-decline-in-global-area-burned-by-wildfires/28 Nov 2024 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbze3ywklc23https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lbsfad5qdc27In honor of Blue Sky, I bring you...a blue sky, with subtle wave clouds--probably atmospheric gravity waves.25 Nov 2024 20:44 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbsfad5qdc27https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lbmsknkzk22fEvery galaxy in this image could host millions of inhabited planets teeming with countless life forms of every imaginable variety... or they may all be completely sterile. The universe looks very different depending on which of those options is correct, and we really don’t know which it is.23 Nov 2024 15:26 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbmsknkzk22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lblazghzls2fVenus just after sunset yesterday.23 Nov 2024 00:40 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lblazghzls2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lbad3j4r2k2eThe greenhouse effect of CO2 has been known from experiments since the 1850s, but now it can also be calculated from first principles using quantum mechanics: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad226d18 Nov 2024 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbad3j4r2k2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lb3ynpfdrc23Sundogs and cirrostratus over central Virginia earlier this week. I suspect that many of us in the atmospheric sciences got started because we looked up at something like this and wondered what was going on up there.16 Nov 2024 23:00 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lb3ynpfdrc23https://bsky.app/profile/dfschmidt.bsky.social/post/3lazxm56mcc2sHello everyone! I am moving in from Twitter and hoping to find some of the insightful conversations we once had there. I specialize in climate science and large-scale atmospheric circulation, but more recently I am teaching full-time in a math department and doing research when time allows.16 Nov 2024 03:36 +0000at://did:plc:7ixph2dpwxg7jbtipbc4bkwe/app.bsky.feed.post/3lazxm56mcc2s