We had a plenary talk on HiPERCAM last week at the National Astronomy Meeting. Some really cool science (and the technology that enables it) — ending on the dismal note that it’s a victim of the cuts.

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

Sadly it's not just #JodrellBank losing funding, with deep cuts across the board for UK astronomy. One example is the HiPERCAM project whose funding has been entirely cut to save £50K/yr - peanut-levels of £s. Spectacular fast transient science lost, for what? 🔭😡 www.zmescience.com/science/astr...

Been a very hectic and devastating day. Many thanks for the very many lovely messages of support for our work. Here's a flash back to 2008 #savejodrellbank youtu.be/cWWbA4OYG3Y?...

The Jodrell Bank Song

YouTube video by silkfm

youtu.be

There’s a long list of long term hurt to core particle physics and astronomy projects in the STFC prioritisation outcome. Mostly small change compared to new money being thrown at Quantum and AI projects. www.ukri.org/publications...

Explainer: STFC prioritisation outcomes 2026 to 2030

ukri.org

The cuts to STC are outlined here. Grim reading all round. 💔🔭🧪

UK Research and Innovation@ukri.org · last wk.

STFC has set out how their prioritisation programme will affect the research projects in their Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics (PPAN) portfolio. Find out more: www.ukri.org/news/stfc-de...

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.” 🔭🧪

“All scientific observations at Jodrell are expected to cease on the 1 April 2028 unless alternative funding can be found.” I don’t know what to say. This is catastrophic. 💔🔭🧪 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

The Cat 2009 — 2026 💔🌈 We said goodbye to a much loved member of the family last week. It’s been a tough few weeks as her health declined (chronic kidney disease), but she’s at peace now. We’re gonna miss her so much. ❤️

#OTD 93 years ago 📡 An engineer named Karl Jansky gave a 12-min presentation at the US National Committee for the International Union for Radio Science to a small group of people. It marked a significant turning point in our understanding of the Universe. #RadioAstronomy 📸 NRAO/AUI/NSF

A helpful reminder for anyone who needs one: Reform UK was called the Brexit Party before 2021. In 2019, Farage said there was “no difference between the Brexit Party and UKIP in terms of policy.” Same politics. New branding. Don’t be fooled.

FYI: the abstract deadline for NAM has been extended until the 16th! Includes a session on radio astronomy and the SKAO (with a particular focus on work by early career researchers).

Royal Astronomical Society@royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 4mo ago

🚨 Reminder 🚨 The deadline for abstract submissions for NAM2026 at the University of Birmingham is tomorrow. 🔭💫⏰️ If you have a talk or poster you wish to submit for the UK's largest professional astronomy conference, visit: uobevents-national-astronomy-meeting-2026.eventsair.site/callforabstr...

More context on this #Artemis II image: * This is the night side, lit by moonlight. You can see city lights in Spain & Portugal, & a sliver of day at lower right * The Sun is entirely behind Earth, which makes it a kind of solar eclipse, but w/ Earth doing the eclipsing instead of the Moon: ☀️🌍🚀🌕

For ⁦‪@SciTechgovuk‬⁩ Lord Vallance says: “"It is not right to portray this as a massive cut. It's not, it’s about managing a budget responsibly". He added that the UK was and would continue to be the second biggest funder experiments @CERN.🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Higgs Boson was UK triumph, but British physics faces 'catastrophic' cuts

Britain is preparing to cancel its contribution to one of the Large Hadron Collider's next major upgrades.

bbc.co.uk

UK folks: tomorrow evening offers an amazing observational challenge. The Moon will be less than 9 degrees elongation at sunset, but other conditions are favourable. The youngest crescent I’ve ever seen was 18 hours old; this will be 17h! 🔭🌙 www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/moon-ve...

There's a chance to see a wafer-thin Moon with Venus this week. Are you up to the challenge? | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

A chance to see a thin crescent Moon on 19 March 2026 – catch the sweet spot after sunset when the sky is dark before the Moon gets too low.

skyatnightmagazine.com

Great summary of today's Science, Information & Technology Committee hearing (House of Commons) from @astroroyalscot.bsky.social. It seems pretty clear that there have been serious structural and governance failures at STFC that have led to the current crisis.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 5mo ago

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 🔭👩‍🔬⚛️

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 🔭👩‍🔬⚛️

Starting at 9:30am "Following reports that the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is facing significant cost pressures, the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will hold a one-off evidence session exploring scientific research funding" 🔭 committees.parliament.uk/event/26683/...

4 March 2026 - Science, Innovation and Technology Committee - Oral evidence session - Committees - UK Parliament

09:00 - The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

committees.parliament.uk

Astronomers take note: The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee are having another session on Wednesday, taking evidence from (among others) the Prof Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social and STFC Executive Chait Prof Michele Dougherty. committees.parliament.uk/event/26683/...

4 March 2026 - Science, Innovation and Technology Committee - Oral evidence session - Committees - UK Parliament

09:00 - The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

committees.parliament.uk

Article I co-wrote which covers the astronomy of new crescent Moon visibility in the Islamic calendar! #Ramadan Mubarak to those observing the month ☺️🌙

The Conversation UK@uk.theconversation.com · 6mo ago

When Muslims arriving in the UK tried to sight the new crescent Moon, they would often struggle – in part due to a very British problem: the cloudy weather.

For anyone in London next weekend - get yourself down to this absolutely wonderful combination of art & astronomy. It’s a really special place.

Royal Astronomical Society@royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Honk, honk! We're also excited to say that a mesmerising mobile observatory bus known as 'Moon Palace' will be stopping off outside the RAS for a two-day visit this February. 🔭🚌 Designed for all ages, it has telescopes, out-of-this-world artwork, lunar maps & 'cosmic tea' in alien head mugs. 🎨🌘👽️

Open letter from Early Career Researchers to the UKRI investment plan. We can't let young people pay the price of "outcome-driven strategies". #stfc #ukri ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io If you are a postdoc or PhD, read and sign! 🧬🔭🔬⚗️🧪📡🛰️

The peculiar construction of #STFC, funding national labs & international projects, alongside blueskies research (read: jobs for postdocs, fellows, students...), means it lacks the flexibility to respond to rising costs & shifting priorities within a flat budget. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Is UK science in jeopardy? Huge funding reforms spark chaos and anxiety

Major reforms to the United Kingdom’s national research funding agency are aimed at boosting the nation's economy.

nature.com

I've updated my post on the funding crisis heading for British astronomy: docs.google.com/document/d/1.... UKRI made clear that astro and particle physics are being subject to unique cuts due to rising costs elsewhere. This looks like a deliberate decision not to fund fundamental physics. 🔭 🧪

Funding piece

Modern astronomy is full of marvels. In recent years we have rejoiced in the success of the James Webb Space Telescope, and been puzzled by the surprisingly vibrant early Universe it is showing us. We...

docs.google.com

Many thoughts about this, but the doublespeak of the phrase "building on last year’s 15% reduction" is mind-boggling. 🔭🧪

Prof Stephen Serjeant@stephenserjeant.bsky.social · 6mo ago

In UK astro news, the Executive Chair of our funding council #STFC, Prof Michele Dougherty, has written to the community. TL;DR: skint. Bad times ahead for UK astro, particle physics, facilities etc 🧪🔭

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.

Royal Astronomical Society@royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 6mo ago

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...

@astropotamus.com hi please can you stop following and unfollowing? I already follow you back. Will have to block you otherwise 😬

A new project, aiming to provide Muslim communities across the UK with the skills to host local astronomy hubs and moon-gazing events, is being established by the University of Leeds and @cam.ac.uk 🌙 To read more, click the link below 👇 www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article...

Not sure what specific flavour of lurgies I have right now, but currently very thankful for vaccines and boosters — I dread to think of what state I’d be in right now without them 🤧💉🦠

Super proud of this project!! 🌙 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Leeds University moonsighting project unites science and religion - BBC News

The project hopes to end 'moon wars' between mosques across the UK.

bbc.co.uk

Breaking: SKA-Mid achieved first fringes last month! This is the first step towards individual dishes becoming an interferometer. It's kind of a big deal. Congrats to the SKA Mid Commissioning Team! Looking forward to first SKA Mid image in 2026. 🔭 📡 🧪 www.skao.int/en/news/693/...