As we await the bad news in this afternoon's STFC "Town Hall" webinar, we are thinking fondly of PPARC days. (Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council). However, we did not always think so kindly of PPARC. In my ongoing office clear-out, just found this ancient viewgraph #astronomy

The scale, the amounts, the neck. Clacton you deserve better.

The UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) is finally hitting the end of the road. I have spent many many nights inside that dome! End of a glorious history #astronomy www.hawaii.edu/news/article...

Came across this gem today: a replica of Isaac Newton’s telescope, placed on a pedestal below the 200-inch Palomar telescope, for comparison. (Look closely!) 🔭 1958 photo from the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science collection at the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

My latest Science piece #astronomy Undead models and shrouded black holes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

woohoo!

*gasp*

came into my office today to find this on my table. I trust it refers to the furniture not the occupant

melting in oxfordshire. I love Scotland and need to go home :)

Moon Venus Clouds and Neighbours. As an astronomer I should hate clouds. But actually, well, they’re gorgeous #astronomy

The Satellite Strewn Sky. An impressive video made by Youtube user “Amazing Sky” in Alberta #astronomy youtu.be/yZpbJJLk1ug

Obligatory #selfie from the East Coast Main Line, rocking the I'm-about-to-sand-your-floors look 😷! Heading back to Westminster to ask MPs for their help in halting the impending catastrophic funding cuts to UK astro and particle physics. #SaveUKAstronomy 🔭

Disinvest AI stocks. Sounds like a plan. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

"Someone, somewhere, has taken the decision to defund astrophysics research in the UK, but no-one seems quite sure who that was, or why." The latest on the impact of the catastrophic funding cuts to UK astrophysics, by me, in @natastron.nature.com 👩‍🔬🧪🔭 ✒️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I can almost see my office

Twilight Venus and Jupiter over the Portobello chimneys. What a treat #astronomy

The UK party landscape may be fractured, but you can divide into nasty and not-nasty. Thursday’s results show not-nasty 53% in England, 58% in Wales, and 78% in Scotland. We are lovely of course in Scotland, but it’s mostly about the voting system

Ain’t this true. Vote Green tomorrow www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

eh wot pardon

Every time a #reform councillor goes to jail, an angel gets its... No, hold on, a green councillor wins. #Green #Party wins Cliftonville by-election called after councillor jailed - BBC News share.google/Feevc7blaV5b...

eek - that a member’s picture?

Why bother doing astronomy and other blue-skies research? @e-astronomer.bsky.social discusses funding crises in the US & UK, and how researchers should (and shouldn't) justify the required investment. ☄️🔭🧪⚛️ www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

My latest Science water-cooler piece: Is Astronomy a Luxury? #astronomy www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Excellent job done by @robertmassey.bsky.social on Beeb R4 this morning talking about the crazy Reflect Orbital plans for big shiny mirrors in space #astronomy

The RAS is alarmed by the threat to ground-based astronomy posed by proposals put forward by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Reflect Orbital. We have opposed the plans with @eso.org and the International Astronomical Union. Find out more at: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...

The FCC just opened public comments on SpaceX's plan to launch a million satellites to do AI compute in space. Under the current proposal, an environmental review won't be required. Please consider submitting a public comment to oppose this damaging plan. darksky.org/news/two-sat...

lasair.lsst.ac.uk Rubin alerts are now flooding in ! Millions of them. Get them here #astronomy

Another giant passed. I will line up some calming droney music for my day www.theguardian.com/music/2026/f...

Atmospheric pollution from falling SpaceX debris. Nice write up, with quote from yours truly squeezed in at end www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We urgently need public friendly terms that separate Machine Learning from LLMs etc, which these days all just get called "AI". The AI industry is conflating the two for greenwashing purposes www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

excellent shop window, Glasgow Southside.

spot on Professor Rice

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...

this letter is very well written, with all the right points... pure research is not just a diversion, it is an enabling infrastructure

Excellent guest post on Telescoper's blog about the UK astronomy funding crisis, by George Efstathiou. I added a comment. The core problem is "STFC governance structure" - we are being squeezed by being in bed with the national labs #astronomy telescoper.blog/2026/02/06/t...

Bad. I used to consult this everytime I travelled somewhere new… Maybe MI6 can step up :(

sigh

#astronomy UK funding panic: reading Chapman UKRI open letter its clear what we have is the classic stuff "overheating" problem. So the issue is where the course-correction hits: facilities, projects or grants? Where has the problem been *caused*? www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

My sea rower wife @emmalawrence.bsky.social has pointed out that spring tide lags the full moon by a day or two. I feel like I should know why… basic #astronomy

Just realised you can daisy chain XLR cables. Made my day. Don’t mock me. I’m new at the recording game

eek

New Board of Peace shaping up nicely

An excellent summary by @startswithabang.bsky.social about the horror that is Reflect Orbital #astronomy Been out for a while but only just spotted it! bigthink.com/starts-with-...

Frustrating cloudy Aurora night here in Porty, but at least I saw the amazing pictures from Lagganlia! #astronomy #SYTN @astroroyalscot.bsky.social

How beautiful! Our temporary home at Lamraig, Berneray. Giving a talk at the Taigh Chearsabhaig art centre in a few hours

We live in the future. I lift up my portable communicator and take a picture of stars, a planet, and a gas cloud making new stars, as well as water vapour in the Earth’s atmosphere. Oh and my neighbour’s windows. (Castor, Pollux, Jupiter, Orion, and the atmosphere above Portobello)

Gearing up for a trip to North Uist to give a talk at the exhibition "Metaphysical Cosmologies" by the very wonderful Meg Rodger. Online attendance welcome www.taigh-chearsabhagh.org/events/metap...

ARfS No. 1, Reg Prof No. 2, so the academic ancestor of both myself and @astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Just realised. The literary obsession of Victorian Britain with crime, poverty, aristocratic decadence, and moral ambiguity, peaked in a few short years. 1886: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; 1887: A Study in Scarlet; 1888 the real Jack the Ripper murders and media frenzy; 1890: The Picture of Dorian Gray.

This one isn’t a selfie. Upper Belvedere, Vienna