Do we really want 250,000 mirrored satellites in Low Earth Orbit? Hasn't the Starlink megaconstellation already done enough damage? 🧪 @mjibrown.bsky.social

The Super Massive Podcast helps us prepare for the big storm! Izzie Clarke, @drbecky.bsky.social, and @robertmassey.bsky.social host! 🔭

A wonderful and thought provoking talk by @robertmassey.bsky.social this evening to @bathastronomers.org.uk and visitors from the public. So kind of Dr Robert Massey to travel to us from London. It is the kind hearts of people like Robert that keep astronomical societies fun and vibrant communites.

Amid all the stuff about ‘dangerous London’ and ‘broken Britain’, new figures show the homicide rate in London is at a 10-year low. Killings dropped by 26% over the last year, from 78 to 58. No one under 25 was murdered during the school summer holidays.

Murder rates aren’t just dropping steeply in Britain — they’re even dropping in the US (though of course they’re far higher there). The 2024 homicide rate in the US decreased by about 15%, one of the largest drops in American history — and mostly in the largest cities.

Bonus Episode of The Super Massive Podcast! Help support the podcast by joining The Super Massive Club! Ad free and it helps the @royalastrosoc.bsky.social! @robertmassey.bsky.social, Izzie Clarke, and @drbecky.bsky.social host! 🔭🛰️🪐

Shouldn't the response to this be that Ukraine & its allies view any Russian troops in Ukraine as legitimate targets, since they're there in violation of the UN Charter and a variety of bilateral Ukraine-Russia agreements?

The UK couldn't take Reform's Trumpism. It doesn't print the world's currency; it doesn't have a vast internal market; it can't just ignore the bond markets; it doesn't have loads of really strong sub-national government. It would just break up like a satellite hitting the atmosphere.

In large part it's the fault of the Conservative Party just kind of... falling apart and giving up that we've got this massive threat burgeoning right in front of us. But if you asked me (I know you didn't) I'd recommend leaving the blame games at home and focus on stopping the UK doing the same.

This is what I mean. I'd vote for almost anyone to stop this lot. Doesn't matter what your political stripe, I'd recommend you do too. They are a clear danger to basic state functions. Just ask RFK Jr.

I've got no doubt that Reform UK are a threat to state security - to internal cohesion, intel co-operation with the EU27, to continued use of Faslane and to the Coalition of the Willing. And yet here we are.

So many people are soooo complacent about liberal freedoms they take for granted. Just like they were complacent about Trump and Putin. Don't be those people.

The interesting thing is that far more of the UK population remain tethered in reality. RefUK would have won, what, only 30% and a bit of the vote. And after this lot got going on science, vaccines, Ukraine, the BBC, the EHRC, the Reset and everything else they'd be in single figures within months.

It's clear from today's Reform UK Conference that if they gained an overall majority the UK would in some ways be even worse off than the US under Trump 2.0. Utterly unhinged Call of Cthulu-style stuff. Wouldn't take much for the country to become an autocratic semi-democracy either.

An unpleasant scene in central Oxford. On the left, anti-immigrant shouts of 'send them back' and (I'm pretty sure) 'shoot the f**kers'. On the right, singing of 'stop the hate/ stop the fear' through a tannoy. Crowd on the right about double the size of that on the left.

Another "Live" Q&A from @royalastrosoc.bsky.social's The Super Massive Podcast! Hosts, @robertmassey.bsky.social and Izzie Clarke along with some amazing guests! Check it out and join The Super Massive Club! 🔭🎢

Trump is reportedly creating a loyalty scorecard that rates how hard corporations work to support his agenda.  His regime is apparently planning to consult the ratings when considering corporate requests.  This is how things work in a dictatorship.

Ever wondered about the shape of space? 🌌 Join Izzie Clarke & @robertmassey.bsky.social as they tackle listener questions in the latest Supermassive Podcast. ✨ Plus, UK @esa.int astronaut Rosemary Coogan shares her journey from astrophysicist to astronaut! 👩‍🚀 🎧: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Posting this again. Not enough electricity left to build affordable homes in 3 west London boroughs, because all capacity has been used by a data centre. #affordablehousingUK www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/repo...

Just had a look at my notifications on X, and find I'm accused of monomania by @iainmartin1.bsky.social. Yet in three-quarters of the manufacturing sector, electricity consumption is less than 3% of gross output. So it's not got much to do with it.

What is the shape of space? The Super Massive Podcast Bonus Episode!! Izzie Clarke and @robertmassey.bsky.social host! And don't forget to join the Super Massive Club for ad free episodes! 🔭🎢

Thanks to @meganeaves.com, @robertmassey.bsky.social from the @royalastrosoc.bsky.social, and the others who were able to share their expertise with us in this first episode

For the last seven months, Chris and I have worked on creating a limited series to tackle the topic of dark skies and light pollution, and why you should care about it. We couldn’t be prouder. The first episode is now out on all your favourite podcast apps www.theastroholic.co.uk/blog/fading-...

If you missed the live event, here is The Super Massive Podcast entitled, Astronauts: Do we need them? Thanks to @robertmassey.bsky.social, Izzie Clarke, and Richard Hollingham! 🔭

Another hugely exciting story I've been working on at #NAM with astronomers Matthew Hopkins & @chrislintott.bsky.social: Matthew confirmed that the newly discovered interstellar visitor, Comet 3I/ATLAS, is older than our entire Solar System! ☄️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Personally I'd bet on the squirrels.

Following controversy at the #nam2025 quiz last night, we have now confirmed that Robert Massey *would* win in a fight with four squirrels. The results of the quiz are therefore unchanged.

On an LNER train after a great NAM conference in Durham. Once again it's hot, rammed, the wifi is threadbare, food and drink running low and we're already 30 minutes late. And people wonder why enough investment doesn't go outside London.

If you missed the STFC executive talks at #nam2025, then the take home message is that it’s all great and there’s loads of money.

Want to know about the secret side of @nam25-durham.bsky.social? Follow @unofficialnam.bsky.social... It's the only way I find out what's really going on... 😂😉

Good news at #nam2025 : new investment in instrument building in the UK. Bad news: it consists entirely of the leftover Lego from the creativity session. First come first served!

One for @royalastrosoc.bsky.social and @nam25-durham.bsky.social to note...

Attendees are requested not to through copies of Binney & Tremaine onto the stage during today’s plenary. Those things are heavy. Chanting along with your favourite derivations is, of course, encouraged #nam2025

Senior RAS employee confirms aliens interfering with conference #iwanttobelieve #nam2025

On my way to @nam25-durham.bsky.social. Packed LNER train, got a seat thanks to staff tip off at King's Cross, some people may have been standing for more than two hours... (Wasn't possible to reserve a seat even five days ago.) Hopeless wifi too. Remind me why we accept this shambles?

A timeline of my facial expressions listening to this month's Supermassive podcast: 😁😡😁 #Pluto #NasaCuts #MorePluto @royalastrosoc.bsky.social @robertmassey.bsky.social @drbecky.bsky.social pca.st/b64yyt3q

My home city is becoming more of a self parody. They really need to get more of the hipsters out to Southmead and Withywood now and again... 🙄

Pluto is really cool 🥶 in more ways than a few! Time for The Super Massive Podcast with @drbecky.bsky.social, @robertmassey.bsky.social, and Izzie Clarke! Btw, join the Super Massive Club! Totally worth it! 🔭

Who needs Glastonbury when you can watch @blurtribute.bsky.social recreate the legendary Mile End Stadium gig at the (only marginally smaller) Walthamstow Trades?!

What do we think?🤔 Hmm…. A Daily Mail headline so clearly designed to make you furious. Being shared by salivating Tory MPs who love a good rage farming story! So, what’s going on here? Let’s take a look!👀 🧵 1/13

I'm late to the party for the @royalsociety.org's work on space, but the one day conference today on their report is really very good... (Can't find the report itself online yet). royalsociety.org/science-even...

From a couple of days ago. The town of #lewes #eastsussex shrouded in fog at dawn. #Venus and the #Moon above, ponies grazing below.

I'm delighted that our governing council endorsed this statement and that we added our signature last week. Our US friends really need our support right now.

Got an innovative project idea? Find out more about how to apply at: iau.org/Iau/News/Ann...

Could YOU use your astronomy skills to help solve local and global challenges? The IAU Office of Astronomy for Development has launched a Call for Proposals to inspire and encourage people globally to apply astronomy to drive sustainable development. ⤵️

Fascinated by volcanoes? 🌋 Why not come and join us for our final Public Talk of the 2024/25 season on Tuesday 20 May. Professor James Hammond will be providing a captivating insight into Mount Paektu – a volcano famed for one of the largest eruptions in human history in 946 CE. ⤵️

Unfortunately we have had to cancel the drinks reception due to staff shortages. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. The Presidential Address will still take place as planned.

#Astro4Earth and #debrafischer just posted a 1-min public video: huge cuts in proposed US budget for #NSF and #NASA & about the beauty and value of astronomy, at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZsQ... Please share if you resonate with it. #astronomy #astroedu #space #science #sciencebudget #budgetcuts

With the Trump administration's proposed budget we could be saying goodbye to long-planned space missions, new weather satellites, and crucial life-saving treatments. 🧪🔭 www.iflscience.com/trump-admini...

Bold leadership from the EU to attract US researchers in the face of the Trump disaster. Will the UK, and Peter Kyle take notice? erc.europa.eu/news-events/...