This should be getting better as we leave solar maximum. Here's an update of HST altitude vs. sunspot number.

👋 Meet Maurice! If you’ve visited Jodrell recently, you might have noticed a rather persistent guest tapping at the windows of the Star Pavilion… Maurice, our resident pheasant, has become a regular (if entirely uninvited!) presence at Jodrell’s daily, free Telescope Talks and other events.

Very well referenced & well argued summary of where we are on the latest STFC funding crisis. I'd only add two more: George Efstathiou's analysis of STFC's governance problems telescoper.blog/2026/02/06/t... and @ersatzben.com's forensic analysis of the 'buckets' 🔭🧪 www.ersatzben.com/p/the-bucket...

With satellite launches accelerating at an unprecedented rate, humanity has a responsibility to ensure a sustainable space future. In this #LovellLecture, join Dr Ciara McGrath to explore the opportunities and challenges that define modern space exploration: https://ow.ly/upLY50YkcZw

Are you a physics teacher in the UK? We need your help! 🧑‍🔬🧑‍🏫 We've created an open letter for teachers to sign and express their grave concern at the devastating proposed cuts to astronomy, space science and particle and nuclear physics. ✍️ 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre... #STFC #UKRI

Jim Ratcliffe needs to get out of our club asap www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

And incase you missed it, here is George Efstathiou (recently retired STFC Science Board member) going on the record about why it's come to this... telescoper.blog/2026/02/06/t...

I wrote something .... andthentheresphysics.wordpress.com/2026/02/08/s...

🛰️ Though largely invisible to the naked eye, over 12,000 operational satellites currently circle Earth, delivering countless essential services. Yet with launches accelerating at an unexpected rate, we face the question – how can we ensure a sustainable space future? 🎟️ https://ow.ly/7JHs50Y9V3O

More on catastrophic cuts to UK astronomy & particle physics. Costs of facilities & international subscriptions go up so grants line and individual projects are cut. If the Government is serious about backing science & technology, they need to fix this. www.space.com/astronomy/uk...

Basically as we know : STFC is also funding a bunch of facilities (many which are not even STFC remit!) and those costs have gone up (a lot). So to balance the books, they have to cut (sorry I mean reduce costs) grants to scientists.

🌙 On this day in Jodrell’s history... In 1966, the first close-up photographs of the lunar surface - taken by the Soviet #Luna9 spacecraft - were received at Jodrell Bank, with help from an early type of facsimile machine (a picture receiver) borrowed from the Daily Express newspaper. 📸: JBO / UoM

BREAKING: UKRI shelves physics infrastructure projects worth £280m Major international collaborations with Cern and US Department of Energy in jeopardy, as agency pulls back funds Scoop by @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

These cuts to blue sky research in the UK remind me of the words of Sir J.J. Thomson, who is the discoverer of the electron, that can be found in "A Random Walk in Science" an Anthology compiled by R L Weber. Thomson's words come from a speech: 🧵 🔭 🧪

Grim news for particle physics, astronomy & nuclear physics research in UK. 30% cut overall with projects asked to consider options ranging to a 60% cut. These areas are a huge success for the UK internationally and a great inspiration to the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The Royal Astronomical Society is gravely concerned at the drastic cuts to support for UK astronomy outlined by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Read our statement 👉 ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...

Sadly, cloudy here. If its clear for you, worth a look for #aurora aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk

Another article which fails to mention that men are the abusers.

Some good news www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

On the 14th December, we celebrate Jodrell Bank’s 80th anniversary by sharing our final #JodrellAt80 heritage photo – taking us back to where it all began. This black and white photo is one of the first ever taken at Jodrell, back when the site was still the @manchester.ac.uk botany station. [🧵1/4]

Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.

Went out with the dogs, beautiful clear night, looked up to see if I could spot a Geminid meteor, and right then a very bright one shot overhead 🤩 #watchtheskies #geminids

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be an astronomer, this #LovellLecture is for you! ✨ Join Prof. René Breton in our interactive ‘Be The Astronomer’ lecture, where you'll investigate an astronomical transient from the thrill of discovery to follow-up observations: https://ow.ly/a28550XFGor

🧵 To mark 80 years of discovery, we invited the public to join us in a celebratory project – Cosmic Threads – a community quilt inspired by Jodrell Bank’s rich legacy. Now, we’re delighted to share the results with you in a brand-new exhibition: https://ow.ly/lv6N50XCNyM

These day-night matches are great - no need to get up early to watch England collapse 🫣

The natural state of capitalism is "trickle-up". The only way to counter the "trickle-up" is taxes.

Volume training needed: "his meter readings had been recorded in cubic feet rather than cubic metres which means he has potentially been billed more than three times what he should have been." www.theguardian.com/money/2025/d...

Ancient 👽 ? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Lovely article by Nicky Jenner in the latest issue of Astronomy Now all about 80 years of @jodrellbank.bsky.social. Other great pieces about the latest interstellar visitor & planets beyond Neptune too. @proftimob.bsky.social @teresa-anderson.bsky.social #JodrellBank

It’s been a wonderful afternoon celebrating in the lead up to the Observatory’s 80th anniversary this December, joined by current staff, alumni, researchers, and special friends of Jodrell Bank both old and new! 💫 #JodrellAt80

Abstracts submitted to LPSC 2026 are required to comply with White House (non-legally binding) executive orders forbidding mention of topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. At least USRA/LPI isn't hiding it. But is this what our community wants? Or deserves? I don't think so.

🎟️ Last chance to get livestream tickets! Travel back in time in this Thursday's Heritage Lecture, where Professor Tim O'Brien, Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement, will share the fascinating – and unlikely – story of how the observatory came to be: https://ow.ly/Fgu350Xq3iv

🎧 Did you catch our special anniversary broadcast on BBC Radio 4? Sharing stories from the BBC archive and beyond, ‘Jodrell Bank at 80’ is a fascinating look at our site’s heritage and legacy! Listen: https://ow.ly/6a6I50XonAO #JodrellBank

Just listened to JODRELL BANK AT 80 from Radio 4 (now on BBC Sounds). This is a *wonderful* prog celebrating JB & Bernard Lovell, with fab interviews & archive stuff. Hannah Peel is a great presenter, suitably awestruck by the telescope, & her specially-written piece is hauntingly beautiful...

Bloody midweek bonfire night means fireworks go on for well over a week freaking out the poor dogs 😔🤫🐕🐕

Wes Streeting's comments on the racism experienced by health workers reminds me of the research by colleagues here at Manchester on the crucial role that immigrants have played since the inception of the NHS. doi.org/10.1258/jrsm...

A tiny bit of the BBC news piece that’s gone out today ✨🔭 The documentary and full piece is now on BBC Sounds & also airs on BBCR4 tomorrow (8th Nov) at 8pm Featuring the brilliant @proftimob.bsky.social at @jodrellbank.bsky.social #JodrellAt80 #JodrellBank

BBC 5 Live from 10am with @monicagrady.bsky.social answering questions about SPACE!

Casey Handmer's rant on NASA's Orion capsule is worth a read. caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2025/10/31/n...

Very enjoyable evening last night @jodrellbank.bsky.social with @teresa-anderson.bsky.social and @hannahpeel.bsky.social discussing re-release of Hannah's Mary Casio and her new commission for BBC Radio 4 with BBC Philharmonic inspired by 80 years of Jodrell Bank.

Really worth visiting to see these amazing photographs recording the years when humans first ventured into space www.itv.com/news/granada...

This beatiful installation by Peter Androsch, which I worked on way back in 2009 in Linz, is on display again. This time in Vienna. I created the sounds of 672 pulsars. Each lives in a small drawer and plays when opened. www.hdm.at/en/museum2/p...

Learn how a maths mistake led to the Jodrell Bank we know today! 🔭✨ youtube.com/shorts/cFchw...

The University of Manchester has appointed Professor Tim O’Brien as the new Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement. 🔗 Find out more: https://ow.ly/eE1W50XbbtJ #JodrellBank

Admit to being a bit disappointed that the age verification tool on here didn't tell me what age it thought I was from the scan of my face. 🤔😱

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

Edgar Neufeld, who has died aged 92, was a Jewish refugee from the Nazis who did his PhD here before pursuing an illustrious career at IBM and working in education and social justice. He was here when we tracked the carrier rocket of Sputnik 1 in October 1957. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Something to look forward to with @chrislintott.bsky.social