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Dr Libby Jones

@anywaythewind.bsky.social

Infrared Astronomer 🔭 - space dust and stars in local galaxies. Webb Fellow @ UK Astronomy Technology Centre Love sports, history, 🐶 and UK politics.

231 Posts1407 Follower2544 Folgt
ESO@eso.org · last wk.

The conclusion of a century-long quest 😲 Our VLT obtained firm evidence that Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the Orion constellation and one of the most famous stars in the night sky, is not alone! 🔭 🧪 1/4

A collage of various astronomical images. The background image shows a wide view of a starry night sky, with blue lines connecting the stars of the Orion constellation. An inset image zooms into the star Betelgeuse, showing its orange surface. A second inset shows a bright companion next to the star. Image by ESO/M. Montargès et al. Background: N. Rissinger (skysurvey.org).
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last wk.

I'm absolutely devastated for colleagues at Jodrell Bank who found out this morning that funding for the UK's e-MERLIN radio telescope array will be terminated. This is a short-sighted move, to save a tiny fraction of the overall UK science budget. #SaveJodrellBank 🔭🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands

Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.

bbc.co.uk

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 3w ago

“What will the Lovell Telescope discover/enable 20 yrs from now? I can’t tell you, and that’s the point. It will either be something extraordinary that none of us can yet predict, or we will defund it and leave Cheshire with a rusting monument to unfulfilled potential and discoveries never made.” 🔭🧪

Dr Libby Jones@anywaythewind.bsky.social · 3w ago

One of my absolute favourite parts of my job is seeing students succeed. Huge congratulations to @conornally.bsky.social who celebrated his PhD graduation on Saturday & whose final thesis paper is on arXiv today: arxiv.org/abs/2607.11682 🎓 The science behind our #JWST press image 👇🧵 🔭🧪

JWST NIRCam and MIRI Reveal the Dust-Producing AGB Population of NGC 6822

We present a photometric catalogue of the Local Group dwarf galaxy NGC 6822 based on deep JWST observations obtained with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Point-sp...

arxiv.org

Peter Grindrod@petergrindrod.bsky.social · 4w ago

I wish I hadn't made this - it's grim. STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship success rates over time. I found conflicting data on the STFC website, so there could be a mistake, but last year the success rate was <4%

A plot showing 3 lines, over the time period of 2014 to 2025. Applications have risen from 166 to 186. Funded applications has decreased from 12 to 7. And so success rates have decreased from 7.2 to 3.8%.
Dr Libby Jones@anywaythewind.bsky.social · 4w ago

A very good science day: Cen A paper out this morning, and now HST is observing my JWST follow-up program in NGC 6822. We're using WFC3/IR's unique filters to identify stellar dust producers - and the observations are happening right now! 🤩🔭🧪 spacetelescopelive.org/hubble

Space Telescope Live

Explore official, up-to-date information on current, past, and upcoming investigations by NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.

spacetelescopelive.org

Dr Libby Jones@anywaythewind.bsky.social · 4w ago

Wow! The @NASAWebb images of Centaurus A are spectacular 🤩 From intricate dust structures to stars revealed in its centre, Webb is transforming our view of this AGN Exciting to see these images as our MICONIC paper goes public after a year+ exploring Cen A w. MIRI arxiv.org/abs/2607.04942 🔭🧪

MICONIC: The spatial relationship between star formation and the AGN in Centaurus A revealed by JWST/MIRI

Centaurus A (Cen A), the nearest active radio galaxy, hosts a warped dust disc formed in a gas-rich merger. We present JWST/MIRI imaging in three filters, F560W, F770W, and F1130W, of this central dis...

arxiv.org

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 4w ago

If this leaked info is to be trusted, we'll soon be adding #SaveJodrellBank to #SaveUKAstronomy🔭. I fear this is UKRI "rolling the pitch" to prepare us for the official announcement of unpleasant news😔 There is still a little glimmer hope though: A DSIT spokesperson said: "This is speculation".

A gorgeous sunset image of the iconic Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory. The prioritisation decisions approved by Dsit are also likely to include the scaling back of several UK-based research facilities supported by STFC, RPN understands. These include e-Merlin, an array of seven radio telescopes, of which the Lovell is one, headquartered at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire.
Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · 4w ago

UK research at Cern to shrink as government approves STFC cuts. 🚨Exclusive: Science department approves UKRI’s cost-saving proposal, with major UK facilities also facing cutbacks. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last mo.

Erm... I might have just got a little bit too carried away on the BBC World Service, waxing lyrical about the gorgeousness of the @ec-euclid.bsky.social image of the heart of the Milky Way: "swirling golden cloudy fuzziness" "the cosmos scattered with glitter" 😂 ☺️🔭 📷: www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

From ESA: A dense field of tiny stars fills this square image taken by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope. The lower and central areas are dominated by bright yellow and gold colours, forming a textured background similar to fine glitter or sand. Dark brown and black patches cut irregularly through the yellow regions, like ink stains or clouds of smoke. Toward the upper left, the colours shift to purple and reddish tones, blending gently into the surrounding star field. Small blue points of light are scattered across the image.
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last mo.

🤩 Gorgeous image drop from @ec-euclid.bsky.social! 60 million stars = (roughly) >60 million exoplanets too.... Anyone else gazing at this image wondering what might be out there gazing back? 🤗 🥳 Huge congratulations to @science.esa.int and the whole Euclid team! 🧪🛰️🔭

Fionna O’Leary@fascinatorfun.bsky.social · last mo.

A reminder of the story behind the woeful Americanisation and decimation of an iconic British Brand, Cadbury, that was so much more than just a brand of chocolate, but also a proud British project for social improvement. apple.news/AROmsXsYiR2m...

The American woman who ripped the heart out of Cadbury — The i Paper

Kate Lister: Irene Rosenfeld oversaw Kraft's hostile takeover of Cadbury – and ordinary Brits have been suffering since

apple.news