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Leigh Fletcher

@leighfletcher.bsky.social

Planetary scientist, Dad-in-training, space enthusiast, Professor based at the University of Leicester https://linktr.ee/leigh.fletcher https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5834-9588

435 Posts2336 Follower509 Folgt
Ryleigh Davis@import-astrory.bsky.social · last wk.

My new paper is out in Science Advances! Neptune's inner moons preserve clay minerals from the deep interiors of ancient icy worlds, exposed by Triton's catastrophic arrival. Here's the story and what it tells us about the violent history of the Neptunian system. 🧵 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Neptune’s inner moons and rings are exposed icy body interiors

Triton’s destructive wake exposed clay-like minerals from within ancient icy worlds, now reaccreted as Neptune’s inner moons.

science.org

Richard Alexander@richardalexander.bsky.social · last wk.

It's going to be very hard for UKRI to stick to their mantra that there aren't any cuts at STFC, when the impact of "no cuts" includes closing the most iconic telescope in the country.

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...

Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · last wk.

Short-sighted, stupid cuts to the UKRI budget include shutting down Jodrell Bank, the icon of British astronomy. (Many other cuts too, including 20% to our brand new @vrubinobs.bsky.social). Interesting politically to shut down a major facility in...um..Manchester 🔭 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

Bleddyn Bowen@bleddb.bsky.social · 3w ago

The UK Space Agency had just been folded into DSIT (only as of April!) to merge a lot of backroom admin and cut down on duplication between it and DSIT space directorate. Further changes before the dust has settled for UKSA/DSIT is probably not what most in the space sector wanted to hear.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3w ago

'The incoming prime minister has asked officials to draw up plans to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up.' Although not yet signed off, quite a 'thing' if you're a university researcher or at a university that undertakes research. 1/3

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

At today's UKRI board meeting, the fate of UK particle physics and astronomy will likely be decided. Have we done enough to convince the powers-that-be to halt the proposed funding cuts? 🤞 Read Prof. Hiranya Peiris in Nature today eloquently explaining why these cuts are wrong.🧪🔭⚛️ 📖: rdcu.be/friwM

Restructuring research funding as a choice between discovery and application gets the economics wrong, the evidence wrong and the people wrong. A premise is gaining traction in science policy on both sides of the Atlantic: that fundamental and applied research are competing claims on the same budget, and that the balance must shift towards application. In the USA, the current administration has proposed cuts of billions of dollars to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. In the UK, the national funding agency UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is restructuring its portfolio around government growth priorities, with curiosity-driven research nominally protected but the grant lines that actually fund investigators under severe pressure. The language varies — ‘doing fewer things better’, ‘aligning research with industrial strategy’ — but the underlying logic is the same. Fundamental science, the argument goes, is a luxury that becomes dispensable when budgets are tight. This premise is wrong, and the consequences of acting on it are already visible.
Royal Astronomical Society@royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Stars of physics are in Westminster right now to call on the Government to halt funding cuts to astronomy and particle physics research. Professor Brian Cox called them "inexplicable", urging the Government to instead "trust, inspire and continue to invest in the next generation of scientists".

Stars of physics outside the Houses of Parliament.
Leigh Fletcher@leighfletcher.bsky.social · last mo.

With the new Outer Solar System gallery opening Tuesday, @spacecentre.bsky.social is asking for #planetaryscience #astrophotography images (and the inspiration behind them) to be part of their new display. Surely bluesky astronomers can help? 🔭🪐☄️ Upload here: astrophotography.spacecentre.co.uk

National Space Centre - Astrophotography Submission Form

astrophotography.spacecentre.co.uk

Leigh Fletcher@leighfletcher.bsky.social · last mo.

Popped into @spacecentre.bsky.social to see their new Outer Solar System experience. As a member of the "Space Crew" 25 years ago (rocking the denim shirts), I'm delighted to see this gallery brought bang up to date with the latest #planetaryscience & some wonderful nods to the past.

Leo Hickman@leohickman.carbonbrief.org · last mo.

Letter in today's Times by climate scientist Sir Brian Hoskins: "The discourse around net-zero is increasingly decoupled from…science and our changing weather. "Net-zero is not an arbitrary slogan, rather it is dictated by the laws of physics."

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Leigh Fletcher@leighfletcher.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A Father's Day treat: "May the toys be with you" at New Walk Museum Leicester. The exhibit celebrates Coalville's Palitoy factory, responsible for the most significant toys of the 70s/80s: He-Man, Star Wars (UK license), Play-doh, Care Bears

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ESA Exploration@exploration.esa.int · 2mo ago

"Day 127, orbit 1968 — That aurora was absolutely spectacular… shimmering and dancing beneath us, stretching as far as the eye could see, and so intense it lit up the Station in shades of green 💚", says @esa.int astronaut Sophie Adenot.   📸 ESA/NASA – S. Adenot #εpsilon

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Leigh Fletcher@leighfletcher.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Extended my stay in St Andrews by a day to give a seminar on Jupiter's atmosphere for the School of Maths & Statistics. Hadn't realised John Couch Adams (of Neptune prediction fame) was here, albeit briefly. Thanks to Daphné Lemasquerier, Hamish Hay, and Tom Elsdon for hosting me.

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

So the big Brian tweeted this out to his 3M followers over on the other site - and even though it is a cesspit of doom over there - the comments are so supportive. A lot of love out there for physics and astronomy (albeit from a biased subset of Brian's lovely mega-fans) 🤩🔭⚛️

Screenshot of a tweet from Prof Brian Cox This is indeed a superb letter from The Astronomer Royal of Scotland. “Someone, somewhere, has taken the decision to defund astrophysics research in the UK, but no-one seems quite sure who that was, or why.” I agree - my colleagues in particle physics have also tried, without success, to discover who owns the decision to damage physics research in the UK, perhaps irreparably, at a time when our economy desperately needs the skills and knowledge we develop and teach. @UKRI_News need to get a grip urgently and fix the problem someone, somewhere, has created.
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.
SEIS-UK@seis-uk.bsky.social · 2mo ago

It's not just earthquakes our seismometers pick up, they can also detect the weather! On Thursday morning a large lightning storm hit Leicester, with the thunder being picked up on our seismometers, showing as peaks in the seismogram. #SeismicSaturdays

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Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Go out! Look up! Enjoy the Moon! Watch how it changes from night to night (I've had a great view of the first quarter Moon from the garden the last couple of nights). Do not worry about 'special' events like a mini blue strawberry latte hedgehog Moon. Just go and look whenever you like! 🔭

Clare Burrage@clareburrage.bsky.social · 3mo ago

To the 800+ of you who have signed the letter of support for Physics and Astronomy at Nottingham since yesterday, I cannot thank you enough. Please continue to sign and share as much as you can. nottinghamphysics.github.io/Open_Letter/

Save Nottingham Physics and Astronomy

We, the undersigned, call on the University of Nottingham to reverse its plans to impose compulsory redundancies on its staff in the School of Physics and Astronomy.

nottinghamphysics.github.io