Mike Malaska / is on Nostr

Planetary scientist, organic chemist, astrobiologist, field scientist. Works at JPL. Champion of Titan exploration. Fascinated by life in Deep Ice. Studies the mysterious labyrinths and dissolution geology (karst) on Titan. Opinions expressed are my own. He/Him.

#PlanetaryScience
#astrobiology
#chemistry
#geomorphology
#geology
#karst
#cryosphere
#OceanWorlds
#DeepIce
#PlanetaryCaves

Last Notes

2024-08-14 22:35:41

I just captured a one-in-a-million image.
In the woods just off our front deck.
I think it wants me to go with it to Narnia.
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/962/755/219/091/509/original/a632d06d2220117e.jpg

2024-05-18 00:57:11

Diphastiatum digitatum (fan clubmoss) patch on today's walk.
Up close, it is cute yet bizarre looking. I expect a tricertops running through this.
In deep shaded woods with oak and pine.
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/459/345/545/993/746/original/a29c3f451fb4bd0e.jpg

2024-05-08 19:36:27

10 seconds of 13-year cicada. Sound up all the way.
Microphone slightly clips and distorts the slowly pulsing high pitched hiss they make.
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/407/133/662/249/276/original/406e5e464e637dd1.mp4

2024-04-06 18:12:56

View looking out at the sky and clouds from just inside the entrance to Glove Cave, Pisgah Crater near Ludlow, CA.
#geology
#Mojave
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/225/614/679/277/148/original/20b7ca151919c6c6.jpg

2024-03-17 00:16:41

Many people ask me: "Gee Mike, have you seen any scary-ass fungi in your garden lately?"
Why sure, here is a nightmare-inducing image of cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae):
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/108/135/090/708/374/original/0480cea9c6ca58a1.jpg

2024-03-06 17:39:44

Can I bore you all with some cactus pictures from Ash Meadows/Devil's Hole?
Sure!
Here's a real cutie. Fishhook cactus in a crevice in carbonate (limestone/dolimite) rocks.
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/049/961/132/863/043/original/c2d2189ad5cd9b83.jpg

2024-03-02 16:35:56

"Mommy, what's wrong with that man over there?"
"I think he's a scientist, dear. That means he gets excited about things nobody cares about."

2024-03-02 15:00:13

Here is a detail of some of that salt deposit where the lake "went away".
(Can't use term "receded", because the lake might be bigger now. Maybe "moved away"?)
Wind was moving image left to image right. It swooped around the topographic obstacle. There is also a neat lumpiness repeating bump pattern as well. And on top of all this are the fine hairs of salt. Zoom in to image center for detail.
I think that this is an evaporative salt effloresecnce carved by wind.
#geology
#DeathValley
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/026/666/497/520/291/original/d23f81d63faaa956.jpg

2024-03-01 06:04:51

Lake Manly filling parts of Badwater Basin in Death Valley.
It was amazing to see. Very elemental: sun, sky, clouds, mountains, water, waves, beach. No life. Like looking at pre-Cambrian Earth.
I didn't think it would affect me as much as it did. Its a very raw feeling.
I'm glad I got to see this.
#geology
#DeathValley
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/112/018/913/220/479/656/original/656e7442d056a8c5.jpg

2024-01-14 23:44:21

- reply

(Full disclosure, I am currently leading a team of brilliant scientists funded by the Cassini Data Analysis Program to put the Huygens, and future Dragonfly landing sites into geological context of Titan.
We are still actively researching this, but can share background context of previously published work.)
Link to Wikipedia article for generahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon)
Image link: https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14924
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/111/756/957/375/993/863/original/c727725bac0ac8a0.jpg

2024-01-14 23:28:24

On January 14, 2005, the Huygens probe successfully landed on the surface of Saturn's moon #Titan
Here is a link to a video clip, as well as links to where you can download this video.
https://science.nasa.gov/resource/titan-descent-data-movie-with-bells-and-whistles/
This was one of the greatest of humankind's achievements....the first time we ever landed on an #OceanWorld.
But what did we learn? What do these images tell us?
Thread time!

2023-11-25 03:30:50

I honestly do not think the discovery of alien life will be that big of a deal to the public.
When I give outreach talks, there is usually about 10-20% of the audience who assumed we'd already found life on another world - usually on Mars. When explained otherwise, the new information did not shatter their world.
Anyone else have this experience during outreach presentations?
#astrobiology

2023-07-16 20:59:50

You know, many people probably walk through Plaza Las Fuentes in Pasadena and don't really wonder about how the waters are connected.
But I do.
And we're gonna run around with a cheap-o conductivity probe and figure it all out.
So buckle up, because SCIENCE IS GONNA HAPPEN!
(And we gonna focus on really cheap and easy stuff. So you too can do this with your favorite fountains and water features.)
[Thread]
https://cdn.masto.host/deepspacesocial/media_attachments/files/110/725/747/994/008/598/original/b65fb9b5692939ee.jpeg