I think my biggest compliment while teaching came when I was running a physics unit for environmental science students. I showed one student some Excel hotkeys and they said:
“Wow, you’re a weapon, miss!” 💪
When I'm struggling with some code I think: No, You're a weapon Jayde.
That's great to hear! I wanted it to be as accessible as possible 🚀
Okay now I can reveal the exciting news that this year i became a part of the @astrobites.bsky.social writing rotation, that means you can see writing from me on the internet every few weeks.
And the first one has just come out!
I believe my complaints about the lack of rain has backfired because I saw no glimpses of a super epic blood red lunar eclipse last night.
However, I will always have the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 🐺🦇
The three books i'm begging my Sci-interested folk to read 🔭👽🚀
Update: it is actually raining now and I am complete 🧘🏻♀️
Everyone told me when I moved to Melbourne to get ready for the rain.
Joke’s on them — I love the rain.
Joke’s on me — the forecast keeps promising rain and then… no rain.
A field filled with stars and covered by clouds of gas and dust. In the centre, a thick column of dark black dust blocks light from stars that light it up from behind. More clouds behind those stars are illuminated in pale colours. Complex, layered filaments of red dust lie to the left and right. Blue, white and gold stars in various sizes can be seen around, within and through the colourful layers of dust.
The intricate structure of the stellar eruption looks like a giant and brightly coloured ribbon in space.
Against star-studded black space, an orange nebula surrounds a star.
Misty, bluish-white gas nearly fills this image. A few scattered stars shine through the gas. To the bottom left and just near a bright star, a dark cloud of dust interrupts the glowing, nebulous landscape.
the world is making me sad again and i need some space from it all.
*chooses a PhD to challenge myself and learn a ton of new things 🙂*
me this week: wait… I actually have to learn all these things 😳
Well actually my first week of PhD was two weeks ago but I spent it over in Perth at the Aus National Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics science workshop! 🤓
An insane first week but it was good to get to know the simulation tools I’ll be using over the next 3 years!
UWA is beautiful btw 🌱
Learnt from the best 💅🙆🏻♀️
Like this secret thread post if you want to see obnoxious amounts of food pictures 🕵️
I’ve been totally MIA on socials because over the last few months I’ve been organising my move to th big city. 🏙️
Ya girl just started her PhD @ Swinburne Uni in Melbourne!
Very excited for this new chapter and much news on the way 📚
They believed they contained the souls of the dead. 🫣😅😂
Okay and lots of actual science! Thanks to the 25 other amazing speakers over the last two days. 👏
5. Your Nobel Prize comes with its own unique artwork. Thanks to the replica of Brian Schmidt’s Nobel Prize that’s displayed at Mt Stromlo for this knowledge.
4. Mt Stromlo has actually had a few fires and in the most recent one in 2003 (I think it was this fire), all the past PhD theses were burnt. So the ashes were collected and placed in an urn and now each new PhD student that goes through adds a burnt page of their thesis to the urn.
3. An isotopologue is a chemical that differs from its parent chemical in that at least one atom has a different number of neutrons.
2. Physicists (Astro notwithstanding) are likely to cycle, run or boulder.
Thread of things I’ve learnt at the Mount Stromlo Student Seminars over the last few days:
1. The pythagoreans were a cult of triangle loving, bean haters.
#MSSS2025
ooo! Adding to the reading list!
What are some of the things you do between projects? Astro or unAstro related.
#astro #research
They are so cool! It definitely helped me absorb the information much more deeply as well, so win win.
Finally got around to writing a Blog Post about my experience at @eso.org as a Summer Research Student, so go check it out if you're curious!
jaydewillingham.github.io/Rd2Dr_Pages/...
#astro
I had the pleasure of being a part of Macquarie University's Astronomy Open Night talk line up a few weeks ago. It was such a cool night and I always love an opportunity to talk about our Universe's history!
I think a lot of what students like to learn is dependent on their teachers, mentors and encouragement, it’s amazing that these younglings have such an inspiring woman to show them it’s okay and pretty awesome to like programming. So, thankyou!
Reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and tell me if this is a thesis worthy quote:
“When she was a teenager D’Agostino told a friend that she wanted to go to university to study Death, Stars and Mathematics.”
Either way that’s what I’m telling people I do from now on. 💀✨🧮
And just a few days after getting back to Australia, I was at Macquarie University’s Higher Degree Research poster session, showing off the work behind my Master’s thesis. 🎆🤓
Bonus post of some of my travel pics 📸
Last week I finished my 6-week research programme at @eso.org with a presentation highlighting my work.
It was such an amazing opportunity, I had the best time, met cool people, saw beautiful places and learnt so many things!
Definitely would recommend the experience and the institution! 🌌🔭
