👇 Another excellent follow for the Artemis fans - will it be third time lucky for the NASA crew? 🤞

#Artemis “astronauts return to the moon” fans: follow NASA’s Jason Hutt for the insider info! 🧵👇

A professional proofreader has just finished reading something I've written, and it's become abundantly clear that I have never properly understood when I should use 'which', and when I should use 'that' 😳 I can picture the poor proofreader "oh no, not another one...."😬

Mega-Elon AI data centres in space? Absolutely loving @adambecker.bsky.social on why Musk hasn't entirely thought his 'genius idea' all the way through. The vacuum of space is an excellent insulator, filled with SSD-damaging radiation 😬 📻 Full Podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/2126417/epis...

Top #Equinox fact: Today is the day that the Sun rises due East and sets due West. At the December solstice the sun rises in the South East. At the June solstice it rises in the North East. As the days pass between the two, the sunrise position slowly changes passing due East each equinox.🤩 🔭🧪

I believe this video is intended as an olive branch, but with the management speak dialled up to 11, I'm not entirely sure what has actually been said 😵‍💫 Credit where credit is due though: important discussions are taking place and this is a very good thing. #STFCcuts #SaveUKAstronomy

🥳 Some super happy news: we're featured in Edinburgh's ELATE teaching & learning magazine! A superb write-up by P7 students Lachlan & Rafe about their experience exploring the cosmos with our mini robotic telescopes in the dark skies of Lagganlia😍 @outdoorlearningedi.bsky.social 🔭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #scicomm #SYTN

The future of UK Astronomy & Particle Physics is at risk from proposed 30% funding cuts that, if implemented, will be "genuinely catastrophic". Great to see this detailed BBC report on the issue by @pallabg.bsky.social 🔭🧪⚛️ #STFCcuts #SaveUKAstronomy 🗞️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"This is not straightforward... and the STFC thing is particularly difficult" Understatement 😬 A thread with quotes from Lord Vallance and his thoughts on the "STFC thing"

The Science, Innovation & Technology Committee will be questioning Science Minister, Lord Vallance, today at 13:30 in its inquiry examining the UK’s science diplomacy capabilities. I'll have my popcorn ready! #SaveUKAstronomy #STFCcuts 📺: committees.parliament.uk/event/26819/...

Out in the wild! Hooted with with delight on seeing two books by two dear colleagues next to each other on the @portybooks.bsky.social shelves 🥳 Radio Universe: @dreochapman.bsky.social The Starspotter's Guide: Sheila Kanani

It's #LongCovidAwarenessDay & co-incidentally my 4th anniversary of #LivingWithLongCovid. Good news: every month I get that little bit better. I am the Queen of pacing! Bad news: there is no cure, no treatment, just patience. Sending love & spoons to all my fellow #ME/CFS #LC friends today.

The Science, Innovation & Tech committee have written the most amazing letter to DSIT/UKRI/STFC: "What is clear is that, despite your assertions to the contrary... widespread cuts have been proposed before adequate consultation with those affected was undertaken. This is wholly unacceptable" 💪🔭⚛️🧪

Huge congratulations to the #Stirling Astronomical Society on their 40th birthday! 🥳 If you're in the area, do join them for a cosmic celebration with music and stargazing (weather Gods willing). 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Stirling Highland Hotel: Friday 13th March Entry is free 🎟️: www.citizenticket.com/events/the-s...

Just finished an audio clip for a kids podcast, sharing my top tip for "saving the planet". After double-checking they were sure they didn't want to hear about the planetary defence team's plans for diverting killer asteroids in space, I decided to go with this data from the UN. #EatVeggie #EatVegan

Some thoughts after two parliamentary committee hearings lifeandphysics.com/2026/03/08/s... #LifeAndPhysics

🔊 Calling all Primary School teachers!🎢 Tues 11th Mar @11am GMT: Join me & @glasgowscience.bsky.social online where we'll be answering your questions live! Just getting my bank of pictures ready in anticipation of what the kids will ask 🤗🔭 🍿: curiousabout.glasgowsciencecentre.org/live-session...

If your pop-sci book shelf is looking for a new addition - Emma Chapman's Radio Universe is coming out this week. It's genuinely delightful and well worth picking up a copy! 👉@dreochapman.bsky.social 📖: www.waterstones.com/book/radio-u...

Good morning Moon 😍 Happy weekend everyone. 🔭

Remember "NASA makes 'emergency' decision as chances of 'city-destroying' asteroid hitting Earth rise to 1-in-43", that turned out to not be on a direct collision course after all? Well disappointingly it's not going to crash into the moon either. Party-pooper ☹️ 🔭🧪 science.nasa.gov/blogs/planet...

Calling the #scicomm community, and anyone looking for a new career in bonny Scotland. New job alert for an Education & Learning Officer at the fantastic #Kirkcudbright Dark Space Planetarium. Application deadline: 27th March. 🔭🎢 www.darkspaceplanetarium.org/explore/care...

London reflections from the 🚄home * It was proper hot, ti-shirt weather, but everyone was wearing coats 🤔 #SpotTheScot * When you smile at passers-by, very few smile back (say "morning" and you really freak them out 😂) * Lots of bikes everywhere - very well done Londoners * Everyone looks very chic👌

Lots of lovely messages from colleagues <beams with pride> "You only missed out on one opportunity I think. A quick dance around the table to the pretty loud music whilst answering the questions would have demonstrated our flexibility as a community reacting to changing circumstances." 😂

Anyone watching the UKGov hearing on the STFC cuts yesterday would have also heard the rumba cha-cha-cha music in the background. Turns out it was a dance class for MPs lead by National Treasure and legendary icon Angela Ripon. The Sun newspaper was not impressed! www.thesun.co.uk/news/3840795...

P.S Highlight of the day was the happy singing security guard at the entrance to Westminster calling me (someone not so far off the age of 50) "young lady".... yay to FFP3 masks covering up decades of laughter lines 😂

Here is my run-down of today's Science, Information & Technology Committee hearing (House of Commons) where @jonbutterworth.bsky.social @si-wills.bsky.social & I argued for no funding cuts, & Prof. Michele Doughtery explained why they were needed. The public gallery again packed with physicists 🔭👩‍🔬⚛️

Summary: "it's this question of the [PPAN] partition.... I think it's a very legitimate concern because of the tensioning between the increasing facilities cost: that's what she's trying to work through at the moment to come up with solutions" (sadly no offer of a magic money tree solution though)

Here is my run-down of today's Science and Technology Committee hearing (House of Lords) where "considerable disquiet in the science community" was raised with Sir Patrick Vallance. Really great to see the public gallery packed with physicists!

I'm sure we'll all agree that everything is now super clear 😵‍💫 High res version here: committees.parliament.uk/publications...

Obligatory train selfie: London here I come! 1st time on a train, & 1st time leaving Scotland, since getting proper ill in 2022. Thankfully doing a lot better these days, but will welcome all energy donations. And yes, I know I totally rock the "I'm about to clear your house of asbestos" look 💃

"Planned cuts to physics and astronomy funding threaten to undermine a core UK government strategy to harness innovation to boost economic growth, leading researchers have warned ministers." Thanks @financialtimes.com for covering this really important story 🗞️: www.ft.com/content/a235...

Well, it's been a busy day prepping for my upcoming appearance in Westminster👇. The chocolate is all gone. This thread contains evidenced statistics to support the continued (not cut) funding for UK particle, astro and nuclear physics (PPAN). Thanks to everyone who contributed today! 🧵

I have tea & chocolate: ready to start a day of prep for my Wed appearance at the UKGov Science, Information and Technology select committee. I'll be making the case for the economic and scientific benefits of funding (not cutting) UK astronomy. Keen to hear your Sunday thoughts on the matter!🔭⚛️🎢👩‍🔬

How are the #planetaryparade fans doing tonight? Clear skies here so I took up the challenge! 😎Jupiter (easy - right of the moon) 👍Venus (bright on the W horizon) 👌Saturn (trickier - need to know where to look) 🤷‍♀️Mercury (in hiding) 🙅‍♀️Neptune and Uranus (needs 🔭) 📷 @planetariumbochum.bsky.social

Reminiscing today on our old stand-up show & @joezuntz.bsky.social's uncannily prophetic joke "her main duty is to fight the Astronomer Royal for England. And fortunately he's 80, so one quick smack with an 18 inch telescope & down he goes"😇 AR🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 v New AR🇬🇧 STFC CEO Westminster: 4th Mar

Joyful light relief from the STFC cuts doom and gloom. @jodrellbank.bsky.social has a resident pheasant called Maurice 🥰

STFC CEO responds to @jonbutterworth.bsky.social "it is important for all of our ... programmes ... to contribute to us making savings across our entire portfolio" No mention that *all* is disproportionately falling on the particle-astro-nuclear programme 🤷‍♀️😡 www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

And we're off! My most favourite telescope, the Vera Rubin Observatory, has turned on its public alert stream and boy, were there a lot of changes in the Universe last night. More coming: ~7 million a night 😮: exploding stars, belching black holes, asteroids cruising through the solar system. 🤗🔭🧪

Super awards ceremony today, celebrating outstanding #scicomm & Physics public engagement in Edinburgh. Congrats @astr0mia.bsky.social, Ellie Bishop, Miquel Nebot-Guinot & Cheryl Patrick with honourable mentions for @eucliduk.bsky.social @ukbiofilms.bsky.social 🥳 ℹ️: www.ph.ed.ac.uk/news/2026/ce...

Upcoming fancy gig: opening gala of the Edinburgh Science Festival 😮 Super excited to meet Oor Nicola and talk "First Women" with Janey Jones (Edinburgh-Seven). If you're in the area, should be a fun night. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎟️ April 2nd: www.edinburghscience.co.uk/event/openin...

Anyone particularly interested in my view on 👽 #alien existence (yes very probably somewhere out there in the Universe: no we haven't evidence of them visiting here), here's a fun interview on Channel 4. I wasn't expecting "If they come, will they eat us?" 🫢🔭👩‍🔬 📽️: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm89...

Today the astro-community discussed the devastating proposed 30% cuts to our research funding, cuts that will be offsetting (some of the) rising costs at UK facilities that we don't use. Hard not to feel victimised when those same facilities make a fanfare announcement about an expensive facelift. 🔭

Let me recommend grabbing a cup of tea & reading this really thoughtful piece from the inimitable @hogg.bsky.social on moderating AI/LLM use in astrophysics. 🔭 "the real question we face is not ... how we do astrophysics. It is the question of why we do astrophysics." 📖: arxiv.org/pdf/2602.10181

Calling #Edinburgh Higgs Boson fans - there are only a few tickets left for the 2026 Higgs Lecture which will be delivered this year by the wonderful Fabiola Gianotti (and you get to see Higgs' Nobel Medal afterwards). March 23rd 🎟️: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-higgs-...

Well this truly is the end of things: NO HULA HOOPS? Will there be panic buying .... should I go right now and stock up.....

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

If you've got pre-teens in your lives, check out the Feb #Alien edition of Aquila, with #comic artist Edward Ross & me. We visit #K2-18b, aka "The Planet of the Plankton", to see how #JWST detects chemicals on distant planets, & show that sensational science reporting isn't always to be believed.🔭🧪

Listeners to Radio 4’s Inside Science today get an essay from me in defence of astronomy as pure research. Please listen in and let me know what you think. Show starts 4.30pm GMT here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Thanks to @iansample.bsky.social at the Guardian for covering the devastating funding cuts that are being proposed for UK (astro)physics, and the dire impact these would have on young researchers. Will UKRI/STFC reconsider? Will the UKGov step in?🤞👩‍🔬🧪⚛️🔭 www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

🔊 Calling UK early career researches in astro, particle & nuclear physics. Please sign this open response to the proposed cuts at STFC ⚛️🧪🔭 "Protecting the UK's reputation as a science superpower requires not only investment, but continuity, confidence, and people" ✍️ ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io