What's New at The Royal Observatory
ROE staff
on-loan for 'reading' at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival
13 August 2010
A ‘Human Book’ about ‘Dark Skies and Big Telescopes’ was available for loan at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival this week (Wednesday 11th August), in the form of Dan Hillier, the manager of the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh Visitor Centre. Dan from the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UKATC) was part of the ‘Future Editions’ library organised which offered 30 specialists on-loan across the city for festival-goers to chat with for ten minute spells.
Further details about this story.
Spectacular
new ‘Tarantula’ image captured by VISTA
11 August 2010
Astronomers have captured a spectacular new image in a region of our
neighbouring galaxy known to have an abnormally high rate of star formation
that reveals yet more details about its history and development. The
picture, taken with the UK-designed and built VISTA telescope, is of
the Tarantula Nebula, a region in the Large Magellanic Cloud which
contains many stars that can be difficult to detect because they are
enshrouded in the gas and dust clouds from which they formed. Astronomers
were able to take the image by using ESO’s VISTA (Visible and
Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy ) telescope because it can
pick up near infra-red light, which we cannot see ourselves, that has
a longer wavelength of visible light, enabling it to penetrate much
of the dust that would normally obscure our view.
Full text of the Press Release.
Blackford
Secures Investment
5th August 2010
A new software company founded by astronomy experts will embark on an ambitious programme of business development at home and in the USA after securing a six-figure investment sum.
Blackford Analysis opens for business today as Scotland’s newest University spin-out company after attracting development cash from a range of investors.
Full text of the Press Release.
NASA
award for telescope innovation to Edinburgh Scientist
15th July 2010
The late Dr Timothy Hawarden, who was based for many years at the ’STFC's UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), has been awarded a NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal for his pioneering work on innovative cooling techniques that make possible future infrared space telescopes, including the one that will follow the Hubble Space Telescope. The awards were presented at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, home of the Hubble, on 16 June 2010. Nobel laureate, Dr, John Mather, an American astronomer who was an early convert to Tim’s concept, accepted it on Tim’s behalf.
The medals accompanying the award were presented to Tim’s widow, Frances today (15 July 2010) at a brief ceremony held at the UK ATC (formerly the Royal Observatory Edinburgh or ROE) during a meeting of the Science Working Group for the James Webb Space Telescope. At the ceremony Robert Smith, an historian charged with writing a comprehensive history of this huge NASA/ESA mission, gave an introduction to the significance of Tim’s work to an audience of NASA and ESA scientists together with some of Tim’s colleagues at the UK ATC.
Full text of the Press Release.
ROE
Workshop 2010 - Applications of Astronomy
13-15 October 2010
Astronomy has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe. The cutting-edge tools and techniques developed by astronomers to peer into the furthest reaches of the cosmos are now finding applications outside astronomy, ranging from devices for medical imaging through to sensors for security and defence. Astronomy technology is helping to address real-world problems here on earth.
This conference will give an overview of technologies and techniques developed in astronomy, highlight the solutions they offer for solving commercially relevant issues, and provide information and guidance on how academics and industry can collaborate to develop future applications.
Further details are available from the ROE Workshop 2010 web site.
Duel International Conference "10 years of Cosmic Shear"
18th - 23rd July 2010
2010 marks the tenth anniversary of the detection of Cosmic Shear. To celebrate this, and to showcase the latest results from recent surveys as well as setting the agenda for Gravitational Lensing over the next 10 years, we are holding an international conference on Gravitational Lensing in Edinburgh.
The meeting is sponsored by the DUEL (Dark Universe with Extragalactic Lensing) European Community Research Training Network (a FP6 Marie Curie Action), and the University of Edinburgh.
Full details available on the Duel International Conference website
All
eyes on giant telescope project
25 June 2010
An exhibition including two innovative videos is showcasing inspirational
plans to build the largest optical telescope in the world – the European
Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT).
The giant telescope is in an advanced stage of design by astronomers and industry across Europe, led by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The E-ELT, with a main mirror 42 metres in diameter, is expected to revolutionise our understanding of the Universe and its origins.
Full text of press release
IfA Research Fellow shortlisted For Women In Science Award
23 June 2010
Dr Catherine Heymans, an Advanced Fellow of the Institute for Astronomy, has been named as one of the eight final candidates for the 2010 L’Oréal UNESCO ‘For Women In Science’ Fellowships.
The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Royal Institution in London on 30 June 2010. Four outstanding female scientists will be awarded fellowships of £15,000 each.
Full text of the web article.
UK scientists focus on revealing hidden mysteries of the Universe
17 June 2010
Secrets of the Universe are to be revealed as a new telescope equipped with the
world's most powerful digital camera begins its observations of the night sky.
The Pan-STARRS sky survey telescope - known as PS1 - will enable scientists to
better understand the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, the material
that is thought to account for much of the mass of the universe but has never
been proven to exist.
Astronomers from the Universities of Durham, Edinburgh and Queen's University
Belfast together with researchers from around the world are using the telescope
to scan the skies from dusk to dawn each night.
Full text of the Press Release.
VISTA Views the Sculptor Galaxy
16 June 2010
A spectacular new image of the Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) has been taken with the ESO VISTA telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile as part of one of its first major observational campaigns. By observing in infrared light VISTA’s view is less affected by dust and reveals a myriad of cooler stars as well as a prominent bar of stars across the central region. The VISTA image provides much new information on the history and development of the galaxy.
Full text of the ESO Press Release.
Largest radio telescope gets royal seal of approval
16 June 2010
The world's largest radio telescope has been officially launched at a special
ceremony in The Netherlands attended by astronomers from the UK and many other
countries. Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands formally opened LOFAR, which stands
for Low Frequency Array, on Saturday 12 June. Representatives from consortia
in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom then officially
signed the memorandum that kicks off their scientific collaboration.
Full text of the Press Release.
Herschel
reveals bright galaxies like to stick together
26 May 2010
Astronomers using the European Space Agency's Herschel telescope have discovered that the brightest galaxies tend to be in the busiest parts of the Universe. This crucial piece of information will enable theorists to fix up their theories of galaxy formation.
Full text of the Press Release.
Posthumous award from NASA
12 May 2010
The late Dr Timothy Hawarden, a long serving STFC staff member, has been awarded a NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal for his pioneering work on passive/radiative cooling of infrared space telescopes. The awards were presented at NASA Headquarters yesterday (11 May 2010); Harley Thronson, who worked with Tim on these innovative mission concepts, received the award on Tim's behalf.
Every year the National Aeronautics and Space Administration awards a small number of medals to recognise those individuals and groups who have made important contributions to the agency's priority mission.
The Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal (ETAM) is awarded to individuals for technology contributions achieved in one of the following areas: early technology development significantly contributing to NASA's mission; exemplary collaborative effort in achieving significant technology transfer; or, exceptional utilisation of a NASA-developed technology resulting in a significant commercial application. These are the highest awards given by NASA.
Tim has been awarded a 2010 NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal. The citation reads, "For the breakthrough concepts that made possible the James Webb Space Telescope and its successors." Tim was informed last autumn that he had been nominated for this award; it is very sad that he did not live long enough to collect it in person.
Harley will give the medal to Tim's wife, Frances, in the summer.
Herschel
reveals stellar surprises and galaxies galore
6 May 2010
The first scientific results from ESA's Herschel infrared space observatory are revealing previously unseen star formation. New images show thousands of distant galaxies furiously building stars, and beautiful star-forming clouds draped across the Milky Way. One picture even catches an ‘impossible’ star in the act of formation.
Presented on 6th May during a major scientific symposium held at the European Space Agency (ESA), the results challenge old ideas of star birth, and open new roads for future research.
Full text of the Press Release.
E-ELT Site Chosen
26 April 2010
On 26 April 2010, the ESO Council selected Cerro Armazones as the baseline site for the planned 42-metre European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Cerro Armazones is a mountain at an altitude of 3060 metres in the central part of Chile’s Atacama Desert, some 130 kilometres south of the town of Antofagasta and about 20 kilometres from Cerro Paranal, home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope.
Full text of the ESO Press Release.
Hubble's successor one step closer to completion
18 March 2010
A working replica of MIRI - the pioneering camera and spectrometer
for the James Webb Space Telescope - has just been shipped (16 March)
from the Science and Technology Facilities Council's Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, bringing the Webb telescope
one small step closer to embarking on its journey into space where it
will produce the sharpest images yet of the farthest depths of the cosmos.
Full text of the Press Release
Royal
Observatory Telescope acquired by the National Museum of Scotland
4 March 2010
A 1930 Schmidt Telescope was craned out of the West Tower Dome of the
Royal Observatory Edinburgh this week, and will form the centrepiece
of the new Earth and Space gallery at the Royal Museum on Chambers Street
when it reopens in 2011 after extensive refurbishment. It was only
possible to remove the telescope, which has not been used since the
1970s, due to the refurbishment to the copper of the domes which is
currently under way. The telescope, which weighed more than 2.6 tonnes,
could only be removed through the roof, so this was a unique opportunity
for
the
National
Museum to
acquire
this piece of Scottish astronomical heritage.
Images of the telescope being removed...
New Image Gallery available on ROE website
A new Image Gallery showcasing some of the best images from the Royal Observatory and collaborators has been launched on the ROE website. The collection brings together photographs of telescopes and observatories and instruments, astronomical images, artists' impressions and historical material from the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, the Institute for Astronomy and the ROE Visitor Centre.
Colin
Cunningham honoured as Fellow of SPIE
11 February 2010
Colin Cunningham has been made a Fellow of the Society by SPIE, the international
society for optics and photonics. Fellows are Members of distinction
who have made significant scientific and
technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics,
photonics, and imaging. They are honoured for their technical achievement,
for their service to the general optics community, and to SPIE in particular.
Full text of the SPIE press release.
‘Out of this World’ Honour for Australian Astronomer
Professor Fred Watson, Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory, and one of Australia’s best-known science communicators, has been honoured for his services to astronomy. On Australia Day, January 26, Fred was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia.
Fred has been Astronomer-in-Charge at the AAO since 1995, having previously worked at the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. Acknowledged in professional circles as one of the pioneers of fibre optics in astronomy, Fred is currently Project Manager for the international RAVE survey of a million stars. He holds adjunct professorships in the University of Southern Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and James Cook University.
Full text of the Anglo-Australian Observatory press release.
Orion in a new light - ESO's VISTA telescope exposes high-speed antics of young stars
10 February 2010
The Orion Nebula reveals many of its hidden secrets
in a dramatic image taken by the new UK-designed VISTA telescope. The
survey
telescope's
huge field of view can show the full splendour of the whole nebula and
VISTA's infrared vision also allows it to peer deeply into dusty regions
that are normally hidden and expose the curious behaviour of the very
active young stars buried there.
Full text of the press release.
Sad Announcement
It is with the greatest of sadness that we mourn the death of Timothy Garn, killed in a tragic accident whilst descending from Ben Lui on Sunday 17th January 2010.
Tim was a Postdoctoral Researcher in Extragalactic Astrophysics. Born on 7th September 1982, he joined the Institute for Astronomy in September 2008, following an outstanding performance as an undergraduate and postgraduate at the University of Cambridge. He was a very talented young astrophysicist whose research career was blossoming quickly, and whose future was extremely bright. An enthusiastic and very likeable young man, Tim lived life to the full and enriched the lives of those around him. He will be sorely missed, as a colleague and a friend. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.
Statement
by the Director UK ATC on the STFC Press Release of Dec 16th 2009:
STFC: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE 2010-15
Impact through inspiration and innovation
Full text of the STFC press release.
Full text of the UK ATC press statement.
First
stunning images captured by VISTA Telescope
A new UK-designed telescope, that can map the sky much faster and deeper than any other infrared telescope, has made its first release of stunning images. VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is the world’s largest telescope dedicated to mapping the sky in infrared light and will reveal a completely new view of the southern sky. The spectacular images of the Flame Nebula, the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy and the Fornax Galaxy Cluster show that VISTA, based at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile, is working extremely well.
Full text of the Press Release
Reinvigorated Hubble reveals most distant galaxies yet
Using the recently updated Hubble Space Telescope (HST) two teams of UK astronomers have identified galaxies which are likely to be the most distant yet seen. The UK teams, one led by Andrew Bunker and Stephen Wilkins at the University of Oxford and the other by Ross McLure and Jim Dunlop at the University of Edinburgh, analysed infrared images from the new Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument on HST, installed during the most recent Space Shuttle servicing mission in May 2009. Infrared light is light invisible to the human eye, with wavelengths about twice as long as visible light - beyond the red.
Full text of the Press Release.
Dome Repairs at the Royal Observatory
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is about to start work on a major programme of repairs to the two historic copper domes that top the 1894 Observatory building at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh.
The Grade A listed Observatory building is 115 years old and although repairs have been made when necessary over the years, a major programme of work is required to ensure that the domes continue to be a landmark on the Edinburgh skyline and stand up to the rigours of the Scottish weather for the next 100 years.
Full Text of the "Dome Repairs at the Royal Observatory" press release.
04 December 2009
Herschel
takes a peek at the ingredients of the galaxies
The European Space Agency has today (25th Nov) released spectacular new observations from the Herschel Space Observatory, including the UK-led SPIRE instrument. Spectrometers on board all three Hershel instruments have been used to analyse the light from objects inside our galaxy and from other galaxies, producing some of the best measurements yet of atoms and molecules involved in the birth and death of stars.
Full text of the press release.
Sad Announcement
It is with regret that we announce the sudden death of Dr Tim Hawarden on Nov 10th. Tim was a senior astronomer who had been based at the ROE since 1978 and retired in 2006. He had a long and distinguished career. This and other memories of him will be celebrated by family and friends at a memorial gathering later this month. Further information and an opportunity to contribute your memories or anecdotes can be found on the page below:
Scottish astronomers out of this world
Scottish astronomers are pre-eminent in their field, according to analysis of published scientific research.
Researchers in space science refer to the work of experts in Scotland more frequently than the work of researchers anywhere else, according to figures published in the Times Higher Education magazine.
Full text of the University of Edinburgh article. Full text of the original article in the Times Higher Education magazine.
19 November 2009
STFC welcomes new forest of stars
The new Dark Sky Park in Galloway Forest marks a new high in the growing interest in the UK's dark skies. It follows three years of STFC-led UK Dark Sky events which have been have been rekindling curiosity in the night sky and switching people on to the wonders of the universe.
Full text of the Press Release
18 November 2009
Asteroid honour as Dark Sky Scotland programme gears up for Moonwatch week
The international astronomy community has this month honoured the Dark Sky Scotland public astronomy project by naming an asteroid after it.
Full text of the Dark Sky Scotland Asteroid Honour Press Release
23 October 2009
Cake-bake raises £138.50 for Mental Health Foundation
On Friday 9th October the Royal Observatory Edinburgh held a cake bake to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation. The cakes were judged and a clear winner was chosen: Hermine Schnetler had recreated the Royal Observatory's East Tower in Sugar. The cakes were sold off at £1 per slice. The event raised £138.50 in total.
14 October 2009
Observatory Open Days attract record numbers
Once again the Royal Observatory Edinburgh Open Days attracted record number
of visitors. Over the weekend of 26, 27 September staff and students welcomed
over 2800 people to the site. Visitors went behind the scenes to see instruments
being developed in the UK ATC's Crawford Laboratory, witnessed the birth
of a steaming, fizzing comet, and had photos taken in the Infrared.
Adults and children alike were enthralled but a trip through the night sky
in the Starlab Planetarium and everyone wanted to taste the Liquid Nitrogen
ice cream, made as a stunning finale to the Supercool Astronomy demonstration.
The event is part of Edinburgh Doors Open Days organised by the Cockburn
Association.
14 October 2009
Herschel’s
cameras combine to show the galaxy in a new light
The Herschel Space Observatory has produced spectacular new images of interstellar material in our galaxy, using the UK-led SPIRE camera in tandem with Herschel’s other camera, PACS.
Full text of the press release.
The Open Days are coming...
The ROE Open Days for 2009 are taking place on the 26th and 27th September.
Herschel’s UK-led SPIRE instrument returns first images
Scientists at Edinburgh’s UK Astronomy and Technology Centre (UK ATC) are celebrating the success of the first astronomical images captured by the UK-led SPIRE instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory.
Full text of the press release.
ROE Pedallers raise over £650 for charity
On Saturday 20 June the newly formed ROE Pedallers completed the 67 mile Edinburgh to St. Andrews Cycle Ride in aid of LEPRA. The 10 strong team drawn from the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and the Institute for Astronomy raised over £500 for the charity which aims to improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people living with devastating disease and illness such as leprosy, HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB around the world.
Ed Mitchell can’t wait for the next pedallers outing: “The ride was fantastic, a very well organised event and the team spirit of the ROE Pedallers shone through on the day. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all. Bring on the next one.”
A big thank you goes to Jason Cowan, Media Services, for designing the t-shirts worn by the team.
In the photo from left to right: Adrian Townsend, David Lee, Ed Mitchell, Clare Dougan, Ken Rice, David Henry, Stephen Todd, Julian Dines, Stewart McLay, and Eric Tittley.
OPTICON News: World's fastest and most sensitive astronomical camera
The European Commission sponsored OPTICON project is one of the activities which is supported by UKATC staff. A recent highlight is the development of an ultrafast camera for adaptive optics, a key technology for future large telescopes. Developed by a French team as part of the wider OPTICON effort the OCam, or OPTICON Camera, uses a UK detector manufactured by E2V in Chelmsford. OPTICON Project Scientist John Davies, from UKATC, believes that these pan-European initiatives offer great hope for the future of European astronomy and have the potential for other significant industrial impact.
Read the full story: ESO Press Release PR-22-09.
ROE Workshop 2009 - UKIRT: A British Success Story
Registration is now open for the 2009 ROE Workshop. The workshop will give a retrospective look at the UKIRT enterprise from its earliest days through the acquisition of array imagers and world-beating spectrometers, provide an opportunity to highlight the most compelling current results, and look ahead to the completion of the UKIDSS sky surveys and beyond.
Celebrating the 20th Century's most important experiment
In 1919, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) launched an expedition
to the West African island of Príncipe, to observe a total solar eclipse
and prove or disprove Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Now,
in a new RAS-funded expedition for the International Year of Astronomy
(IYA 2009),
scientists are back.
Heavyweight Galaxies in the Early Universe Puzzle Astronomers
An international team of astronomers has discovered large galaxies existing when the Universe was young - some two thirds of the way back to the Big Bang - casting doubt on current theories of how the biggest galaxies form.
Full text of the press release.
World’s first Dark Sky Discovery Sites announced in Scotland
To celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the world’s first Dark Sky Discovery Sites were unveiled yesterday at Newbattle Abbey College in Dalkeith.
Full text of the press release.
Royal Observatory Edinburgh switches off for Earth Hour
At 8.30pm on 28th March the Royal Observatory Edinburgh will join iconic landmarks, businesses, schools and individuals in 80 countries in switching off the lights for one hour - Earth Hour. The World Wildlife Fund initiative will raise awareness of climate change and light pollution. The ROE Visitor Centre leads the Dark Sky Scotland Project which runs astronomy events in dark sky locations across Scotland, helping people discover and enjoy the dark skies near where they live. For more information about Earth Hour and to sign up as an individualvisit the Earth Hour website.
Astronomy Professor is elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Alan Heavens, Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University's Institute for Astronomy, is among 44 newly elected UK and International Fellows adding to the Royal Society of Edinburgh's almost 1500-strong Fellowship of experts in the Sciences, Arts, Humanities, the Professions, Industry and Commerce. Each new Fellow of the RSE is recognised within his or her peer group as having achieved excellence within their discipline or profession.
Fellows are encouraged to contribute to the aims and objectives of the Society, including the provision of expert policy advice to Government and Parliament, outreach education programmes for young people, and public engagement events including conferences and discussion forums. .
UK ATC staff receive Honorary Awards from University
Prof. Gillian Wright, MBE, the European PI for the JWST MIRI instrument, has recently been appointed a Visiting Professor, and Dr Chris Evans, Instrument Scientist on design studies for the European ELT project, has been made Honorary Fellow, at the University of Edinburgh school of physics and astronomy.
These awards are made to individuals of high achievement whose work is considered important to the University.
Scottish launch of International Year of Astronomy 2009
Scientists, amateur astronomers, teachers and outdoor educators are gathering at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh this morning, 25th February, to launch the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Scotland.
Full text of the press release.
Scientists get the measure of life on other planets
Alien life forms are out there – and there could be thousands of them,
according to a new scientific analysis. Researchers at the University of
Edinburgh refined existing research to work out that there could be at least
361 life
forms in our Galaxy - and
possibly as many as 38,000.
RAS award goes to SCUBA team
The Group Achievement Award goes to the Sub-millimetre Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA) team. The SCUBA camera was built at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and mounted on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, where it operated from 1996 to 2006. SCUBA enabled astronomers to map the sky at sub-millimetre wavelengths (beyond infrared) with unprecedented speed. Amongst a suite of discoveries, SCUBA provided the first images of rotating debris disks around Sun-like stars, with direct evidence for the formation of planets.
Full text of the RAS press release.
Space and astronomy a hit with pupils as 1000 schools get free telescopes
From next year pupils in 1 in 4 secondary schools will get close up views of the Moon, planets and the stars, in one of the largest astronomy outreach projects ever seen in the UK. The Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA), Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have teamed up to give free telescopes to 1000 secondary schools from early in 2009.
Full text of the press release.
Scots rediscover the stars
A project is underway to open Scots’ eyes to the night skies above them by searching for local Dark Sky Discovery sites as part of the build up to International Year of Astronomy 2009.
Full text of press release
IfA Astronomers Scoop RCUK Award
A variety of business ideas from some of the UK's brightest researchers competed for the prize of being crowned this years RCUK Business Plan Competition winner. Concentrating on turning research into marketable businesses to benefit UK society, the teams were invited to present their ideas to a panel of experts. Winners of the RCUK Business Plan Competition receive £25,000 to propel their business to new heights.
The
winning team this year was Blackford Analysis, a team from the University
of Edinburgh who have developed an algorithm for real-time image registration
of MRI images. The algorithm was devised at the IfA by Prof Alan Heavens
and developed with Dr Ben Panter to deal with large quantities of galaxy
spectral data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. It has been applied to the
rapid alignment of brain images by Dr Ben Panter and Dr Rob Tweedie, funded
by a grant from Scottish Enterprise.
Further details are available on the RCUK site: 2007/08 RCUK Business Plan Competition winner.
Astronomers
peer through cosmic dust to see origins of the Universe
Astronomers using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii are set to make major new discoveries about the origins of the planets, stars and galaxies with the start of a new survey to map the Universe.
Full text of the press release.
Colliding
galaxies reveal colossal black holes were common in early Universe
New observations made with the Submillimeter Array of telescopes in
Hawaii suggest that black holes – thought to exist in many, if
not all, galaxies – were common even in the early Universe, when
galaxies were just beginning to form. Astronomers have found two very
different galaxies in the distant Universe, both with colossal black
holes at their heart, involved in a spectacular collision.
Full text of the press release.
IfA post-grads give Royal Institution talk
Stuart Lynn, Simon Reynolds and Dr Rita Tojeiro, all current or past post-graduate students of the IfA, have been invited to give a public talk at The Royal Institution of Great Britain. On October 16th, the 3 astronomers will give their talk, 'The Cosmic Childhood', in the historic lecture theatre where Faraday first demonstrated electricity. To find out more about the talk and the Royal Insitution of Great Britain, or to book tickets for the talk, visit the Royal Institution website.
Female physicist from Edinburgh visits Korea to strengthen international female physics network
Julia Kennedy is taking a break from her work in astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, to attend the third International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP), 8-10 October, held in Seoul, Korea.
Scientists meet in Edinburgh to discuss progress in the search for alien life.
The origins of life in our galaxy and the ongoing search for alien life outside our solar system will be at the forefront of discussions this week (8th – 10th Oct) when scientists gather at Edinburgh’s Royal Observatory for this year’s Annual Workshop.
Full text of the Press Release.
ROE Open Days 2008
Preparations are under way for this year's Open Days, on the theme of 400 Years of the Telescope. The Open Days will take place on the 27th and 28th of September, from 10am till 5pm, as part of the Cockburn Association's Door Open Day.
A clash of clusters provides another clue to dark matter
A powerful collision between galaxy clusters has been captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. This clash of clusters provides striking evidence for dark matter and insight into its properties.
New Hubble and Chandra observations of the cluster known as MACSJ0025.4-1222 indicate that a titanic collision has separated dark from ordinary matter. This provides independent confirmation of a similar effect detected previously in a target dubbed the Bullet Cluster, showing that the Bullet Cluster is not an anomalous case. (27/08/2008)
Full text of the press release.
The mystery of young stars near black holes solved
The mystery of how young stars can form within the deep gravity of black holes has been solved by a team of astrophysicists at the Universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
The team, partly funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), made the discovery after developing computer simulations of giant clouds of gas being sucked into black holes. The new research may help scientists gain better understanding of the origin of stars and supermassive black holes in our Galaxy and the Universe. The new discovery is published in the journal Science this week (22nd August 2008).
Full text of the press release.
Astronomers have better brain scans within their sights
Patients having hospital brain scans could receive faster and better diagnosis and avoid the need for repeat appointments, thanks to a new technique developed by astronomers.
Full text of the press release.
ROE Workshop 2008 - Habitability in our Galaxy
The scope of the workshop is to consider the origins of life in our galaxy. The aim is to gather researchers from areas including astrophysics, geophysics and biology. The workshop will also include discussions on astronomical instruments, both present and future, and laboratory based experiments studying extreme environments.
More details are available on the workshop details page:
Infrared Sunglasses See Black Hole Disks
For the first time, astronomers have found a way to get a clean view of the disks which surround supermassive black holes in the centre of galaxies. By using a polarizing filter on the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, they have been able to see through the clouds of dust which surround these black holes.
Full text of the press release.
Survey telescope nears completion
A 4.1 metre diameter primary mirror, a vital part of the world's newest and fastest survey telescope, VISTA [the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy] has been delivered to its new mountain top home at Cerro Paranal Observatory, Chile. The mirror will now be installed on the telescope and coupled with a small test camera for initial testing prior to installing the main camera in June. Full scientific operations are due to start early next year. VISTA, a survey telescope being constructed for ESO (the Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere), will form part of ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) facility. It is an in-kind contribution to ESO as part of the UK's accession agreement, with the subscription paid by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Full text of the press release.
SCUBA-2 is installed on the JCMT
New pictures...
VISTA
main mirror arrives at the telescope
More new pictures...
Astronomers find Embryonic Planet
Using radio observatories in the UK and US and computer simulations, a team of astronomers have identified the youngest forming planet yet seen. Team leader Dr Jane Greaves of the University of St Andrews will discuss the 'protoplanet' in her talk at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting in Belfast on Wednesday 2 April.
Full text of the press release.
Revealing the multi-wavelength sky with AstroGrid
The multi-wavelength sky is set to clear as the world's most powerful astronomical virtual observatory opens. The AstroGrid service provides the UK astronomy community unparalleled access to the wide range of multi-wavelength observations of our sky.
Full text of the press release.
Seeing the stars inspires highland communities to switch off the lights
Two Highland communities were inspired by star-gazing sessions last weekend to take part in the global Earth Hour event. This will see households and businesses switch off their lights at 8pm for one hour on Saturday 29 March. Community leaders in Knoydart and Laggan are encouraging local people to take part.
Full text of the press release.
Edinburgh astronomers deliver "Origins" Camera
Today (21 February 2008) the Science and Technology Facility Council's UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh shipped its biggest and most complex ever instrument. The giant camera known as SCUBA-2 will be transported to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on top of a 14,000 foot mountain in Hawaii where it is expected to make major discoveries related to the origins of galaxies, stars and planets.
Full text of the press release.
Royal Astronomical Society Group Achievement Award presented to Edinburgh Led Team
The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey Team has been named as the first recipient of a new Group Achievement Award presented by the Royal Astronomical Society. The award recognizes outstanding achievement by large consortia in any branch of astronomy or geophysics where it is not appropriate to present, jointly, one of the other awards of the Society.
Full text of the announcement.
Heat from the Heavens - Opening up the Infrared Sky
The JAC (Joint Astronomy Centre) has announced that the infrared sky is expanding significantly for the world astronomical community with the first world release of data (DR1) from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS).
Full text of the JAC Press Release.
Testing
time for instrument on Hubble's successor
A significant milestone for the Hubble Space Telescope successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is on course to be reached before Christmas with the testing of the verification model of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
Full text of the STFC press release.
Supercool Astronomy in Edinburgh
Launch of Winter Programme
Events at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh are a great way to help you take advantage of the long dark winter nights we have here in Scotland. Not only do we have these extra hours of darkness, but we are also blessed with many rural areas which do not suffer from light pollution, meaning we have even more opportunities for stargazing.
Full text of the Press Release.
The Future is HUGE
Royal Observatory, Edinburgh Open Days
As part of the 2007 Edinburgh Doors Open Day the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh will be opening its doors to the public on 29th and 30th September (10am - 5pm). Come and catch talks, demonstrations and exhibits and find out about the mammoth mega-projects we are working on. As astronomers seek to probe ever further into the mysteries of the Universe the telescopes they need get bigger and bigger.
Full text of the Press Release.
Astronomers Over the Moon at Start of Star-Gazing Season
The nights are drawing in... so astronomers are heading out into Scottish forests and woodlands to take advantage of the spectacular dark skies the country has to offer and inviting people to take part in the Dark Sky Scotland autumn programme of nationwide astronomy events.
Full text of the Forestry Commision Scotland press release.
Young Stars Swim in Pools of Molecular Hydrogen
During a search for hydrogen emission in the disks of young stars, Suzanne K. Ramsay Howat (UK Astronomy Technology Centre) and Jane S. Greaves (University of St. Andrews) have discovered a massive layer of hot gas around a low-mass M3-type star in the 6 million-year-old Eta Chamaeleontis cluster. Both the strength and the kinematics of the emission imply that it arises from a disk illuminated by ultraviolet radiation produced by the central star.
Full text of the Gemini Observatory Announcement.
ROE - JSPS Joint Workshop 2007 - Decrypting the Universe, Large Surveys for Cosmology
The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh announces a joint workshop with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science:
Decrypting the Universe
Large Surveys for Cosmology
More details are available on the workshop details page:
Book now for VC Summer Events Programme
Would you like to get the whole family working together as a team? Come along to our family learning workshops.
NASA
and ESA sign agreement on the James Webb Space Telescope (Hubble's successor)
Representatives National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an official agreement defining the terms of cooperation on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at Le Bourget air show in Paris today (18th June). UK scientists have a lead role in the mission which will investigate the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems.
Full text of the STFC press release.
A Constellation is Born
A new Highland Constellation has been 'discovered' by schoolchildren involved in this Dark Sky Scotland project, with each star linked to a key event in Highland history.
First Dark Sky Scotland Event
The first event in the 18 month Dark Sky Scotland programme will take place in Durris, Aberdeenshire.
Full text of the Forestry Commision Scotland press releases: 23 January, 6 February.
Dark Sky Scotland Launch
The Deputy First Minister, Nicol Stephen, MSP, launched Dark Sky Scotland, Scotland’s first nationwide programme of public and educational astronomy events. The dark skies of rural Scotland, free from urban light pollution, are among the best in Europe offering stunning views of the stars and planets.
Full text of press release.
ESO Council Gives Green Light to Detailed Study of the European Extremely Large Telescope
European astronomy has received a tremendous boost with the decision from ESO's governing body to proceed with detailed studies for the European Extremely Large Telescope. This study, with a budget of 57 million euro, will make it possible to start, in three years time, the construction of an optical/infrared telescope with a diameter around 40m that will revolutionise ground-based astronomy. The chosen design is based on a revolutionary concept specially developed for a telescope of this size.
The UK ATC has particpated in much of the preliminary research and development that has looked at the critical technologies that would be required for an ELT. The UK ATC provides a project scientist for OPTICON which has contributed to the ELT project by sponsoring conceptual studies and community meetings.
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