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Astronomical Society of Edinburgh

@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social

We love sharing our passion for astronomy. We've been holding meetings in Edinburgh since 1924. Come to one of our meetings, in person or online - visitors are always welcome. #astronomyedinburgh #edinburgh #scotland www.astronomyedinburgh.org

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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 23h ago

Very kindly @newscientist.com have listed the new book in their "best new popular science books of August 2026" list. The summary made me chuckle - I suppose I kind of always have been a "go big or go home" type of girl. 😂

No small ambition in this next book, either. Astrophysicist Catherine Heymans’s latest is, according to its subtitle, no less than a look at the “science of real and virtual worlds”. At its heart is that wonderful, death-defying question: could we be living in a computer simulation, and how would we even know? It all sounds fascinating, as Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland, takes us “on a humorous and mind-bending journey through the science of reality itself”. From subatomic particles and the cosmic mysteries of dark matter to the secrets of the human senses, we are promised an exploration of “whether humanity could ever create a virtual universe as rich and diverse as our own – and what that means for our sense of self, free will and consciousness”. Not much going on here, then.
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 3d ago

A Sunday reading for you! Chpt 2 of "How to Design a Universe" opens with the philosophical: do you see colour in the same way I see colour? What even is colour? Queue physics of rainbows & electromagnetism to question if we could ever simulate human sense🤔 #BookSky 🔭 www.youtube.com/shorts/Upkww...

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

A busy morning filming with BBC Breakfast at Jodrell Bank! Photos/vids to follow, but in the meantime enjoy me locked inside @philbull.bsky.social's RHINO cage: a brand new radio telescope designed to detect the light emitted by neutral hydrogen gas, between galaxies, in the v v early Universe 🤗🔭👩‍🔬

Catherine is locked in a large metal cage which has a horn at the top. She looks happy though. In the background is a radio antenna.Catherine, in sunspecs, is hooting with laughter, inside the cage, looking at the antenna reciever inside the new radio telescope. It looks like an old car radio antenna sticking out into the cage - radio astronomy is wonderful.
PPhil Bull@philbull.bsky.social · 3y ago

I'm going to start off on the right foot and spend most of my time posting about the prototype 21cm global signal horn we're building at Jodrell Bank. Here's one of the 4 main panels.

Panel of horn antenna frame propped up against a shed at Jodrell Bank. The Mark II is in the background.
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · last wk.

This w/end's little snippet from my new book is from Chpt1 where we're asking "What is light?" Dear 🇺🇸US friends hoping you have a good chuckle at me attempting an American accent, rather than being affronted! #BookSky 🔭 📖: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/how-to-de... 📽️: www.youtube.com/shorts/-RIPE...

Chapter 1: Light Available to Preorder now!

YouTube video by Astronomer Royal Scotland Prof Catherine Heymans

youtube.com

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2w ago

🔊Calling #Edinburgh: 5th Aug, Dynamic Earth, @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social and I will be joining forces for a day of free activities to get you ready for the 90% partial solar eclipse 6pm-8pm 12th August! 👩‍🔬🔭🧪 Big thanks to @iop.org for funding the event 🥳 ℹ️: dynamicearth.org.uk/event/get-re...

Get ready for the eclipse: funded by the Institute of Physics at Dynamic Earth.
Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/partia... We'll be holding an event on Calton Hill to view the partial solar eclipse on 12th August. We'll have some solar telescopes with us and lots of eclipse glasses so that people can view the eclipse safely. Remember THE SUN IS DANGEROUS TO OBSERVE.

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/partia... We'll be holding an event on Calton Hill to view the partial solar eclipse on 12th August. We'll have some solar telescopes with us and lots of eclipse glasses so that people can view the eclipse safely. Remember THE SUN IS DANGEROUS TO OBSERVE.

Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing on Calton Hill - Astronomical Society of Edinburgh

Join us in the evening on 12 August to watch the amazing partial eclipse of the Sun. We'll have our solar telescopes with us plus lots of free eclipse glasses to give away.

astronomyedinburgh.org

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2w ago

Get read for the solar #eclipse: on 5th August, Dynamic Earth in #Edinburgh will be holding an event preparing for the eclipse. Book here: dynamicearth.org.uk/event/get-re... We will be helping with a selection of 🔭, and @astroroyalscot.bsky.social will be there answering questions.

GET READY FOR THE ECLIPSE | Dynamic Earth

A spectacular solar event is coming to Scotland’s skies this August – and Dynamic Earth is here to help you get eclipse-ready with free activities and live talks!

dynamicearth.org.uk

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

The other half says this has real 1980's Jackanory vibes, which I'm not sure whether to take as a compliment or insult....🤔 Anyway, here is a clip from the Prologue of my new book "How to Design a Universe"! Out on Sept 10th. 🔗: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/how-to-de... 📺: www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Ek...

The Prologue: Booting up

YouTube video by Astronomer Royal Scotland Prof Catherine Heymans

youtube.com

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

Um..... so I did a thing 🫣 📽️: youtube.com/shorts/krnxj... Indie 📕: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-... Amazon 🔗: www.amazon.co.uk/How-Design-U... 🔭👩‍🔬🎢

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Lesser-known-fact: the summer #solstice is a moment in time that delivers the longest day/shortest night in the North. At 9:24am (BST) the North Pole will be at its most-tilted towards the Sun. Me & the druids will be on #BBCR4 Broadcasting House later on to celebrate 🤗🔭🧪 📷: National Maritime Museum

The main diagram shows the Earth's annual rotation around the Sun, surrounded by a zodiacal scale that gives the names, symbols and images of the signs of the zodiac. The seasons and the positions of the equinoxes and solstices are marked. Text at the corners describes the Zodiac and the Earth, and a longer text at the bottom explains the Phenomena of the Seasons. From: https://collections.rmg.co.uk/media/501/182/l1073_001.jpg
Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Happy Summer Solstice (for the Northern Hemisphere). #nights_drawing_in 🙂

An image of Edinburgh wishing everyone a happy summer solstice for 21 June
Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Important advice on safely observing the August #eclipse, and choosing safe eclipse glasses. We sourced our eclipse sunglasses through @gostargazing.bsky.social www.astronomyedinburgh.org/2026/06/15/o... 🔭

Observe the eclipse safely this August - Astronomical Society of Edinburgh

On 12 August 2026 you will be able to see a partial solar eclipse from the UK. If the weather cooperates it's going to be an amazing spectacle with about 90% of the Sun covered as seen from Edinburgh....

astronomyedinburgh.org

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 2mo ago

@astroroyalscot.bsky.social's Nature article on proposed funding cuts to astronomy research has prompted a number of us to write to our MPs encouraging them to attend the June 15 meeting: www.astronomyedinburgh.org/2026/06/05/p...

Proposed Funding Cuts to Astronomy and Astrophysics - Astronomical Society of Edinburgh

If you have any interest in astronomy at all then you may be seriously worried by these proposals! We certainly are. Here's how you can help.

astronomyedinburgh.org

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Reposting for the Sunday morning reading crowd with a free-to-read link that isn't behind the Nature paywall! 🔭⚛️🧪👩‍🔬 📖: rdcu.be/floXQ

All the evidence points to a healthy, world-class research community underpin-ning a key innovation pipeline from which future transformative technology and break-through science will emerge.Yet, despite all this success, 30% funding cuts have been proposed for UK astrophysics research
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 2mo ago

"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...

World View: A change in UK policy jeopadizes the future of UK astrophysics - By Catherine Heymans The latest budget proposal announced by the largest UK science funding agency threatens to severely affect UK astrophysics research. My colleagues and I are fighting back.
Mike Christie@mikechristie.bsky.social · 2mo ago

And here is a video of the ISS transit taken with the #TeleVue NP101 🔭. 35 frames extracted from the 2 minute video, and converted to .mp4 at a slower rate. This is roughly 1s elapsed time, and the ISS moves from right to left. #astrophotography

Mike Christie@mikechristie.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Captured the ISS transit of the Moon this evening from #Edinburgh. Very fast! This is a still from a 2 minute video: #TeleVue NP101 🔭, #Touptek 585mono camera. Still extracted and sharpened in AstroSurface, histogram transformation in PixInsight. #astrophotography

The international space station (ISS) in transit across the Moon. The ISS is a white blur due south of Plato. The transit was very fast - just under a second, so I set up a video recording with an IR pass filter at 19:17 and recorded around 2 minutes of video at around 25 to 30 fps. Then I had to hunt for the 1s in 2 minutes of video!
Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

A fascinating talk on how modern astronomy has evolved. Well worth a watch at the link below. 🔭

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh@astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 3mo ago

We have a talk this Friday May 1st at 7.30pm open to all on YouTube. Prof Ian Robson will discuss the discoveries that have led to our current knowledge of the Universe and examine the onset of ‘Big Data’ in modern astronomy. #astronomy www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6wh...