Finally some clarity on the #STFC budget: it's falling in real terms as UKRI spending rises. A conscious decision has been made to decrease UK funding for fundamental physics, despite all the evidence that our blue skies research is key for economic growth.
Thank you @resprofnews.bsky.social!
Just to crib Jan's great chart here a little bit - here are just a few of the headlines that came out when growth somewhat slowed in 2024
Many, many media outlets do not really know how to handle technological change like this
I'm going to call it.
On top of capturing the far side of the Moon, Earthshine on the far side, the solar corona (maybe some zodiacal light), Saturn, Mars and Mercury... this #artemis2 photo includes Neptune!!
Just out of frame on the left were Venus and Earth.
I mean, mind-blowing!
🧪🔭🚀🌙👩🚀
A view of the Carina-Sagittarius spiral arm of the Galaxy captured by the homeward bound crew of Artemis 2. The bright patch near the centre is the Carina nebula. On the lower right the Large Magellanic Cloud is visible. The LMC is a small galaxy that orbits around our own Milky Way Galaxy.
I'll be on the #BBCBreakfast sofa tomorrow morning at around 8:15 talking about all things #Artemis2.
Nice to see the crew squeeze in some Galactic #Astrophotography as they journey home.
#CarinaNebula #LMC #SpiralArms 🧪🔭🚀🌙👩🚀
And for those wanting to know more about the region of space in the background, here's the image superimposed on top of a #stellarium view.
What a view from #Artemis2.
A solar eclipse by the Moon, with the outer solar corona surrounding the Moon's far side.
The Earth-lit crescent of the Moon.
Saturn (nearest to Moon), Mars and Mercury (farthest from Moon).
A photo right up as one of the most stunning images of our solar system.
A jar of Nutella spins freely inside the Integrity capsule, just under 4 minutes before the crew becomes the farthest humans from Earth in history.
The moon viewed from Integrity around the time that its crew voyages farther from Earth than that of Apollo 13 in 1970.
I just love that moments before the crew of #artemis2 set a new record for the farthest distance travelled from Earth, a jar of #nutella decides to get in on the party.
Fossil fuel chaos is harming the planet and putting us out of pocket. I’m calling on the UK government to go all in on renewable energy. Add your name too: action.friendsoftheearth.uk/petition/bre...
An Ironman themed woolly knitted for me by my wife Kate. It's amazingly brilliant and my new favourite hat.
Me wearing the fantastic Ironman themed woolly hat. It has the red Ironman M logo and also is adorned with swimmers, cyclists and runners.
Building up my training load at the moment as I prep for my first attempt at a full Ironman distance in August. However, I have a secret weapon - a superb support crew in the shape of my wife, Kate. Look at this amazing woolly hat she's just knitted for me!!
5 years ago today - one of the most remarkable landings of all time.
youtube.com/watch?v=y8rY...
Today the astro-community discussed the devastating proposed 30% cuts to our research funding, cuts that will be offsetting (some of the) rising costs at UK facilities that we don't use. Hard not to feel victimised when those same facilities make a fanfare announcement about an expensive facelift. 🔭
📣"RAS Fellows urged to lobby against unprecedented cuts" 📣
🔭The @royalastrosoc.bsky.social is calling on its members to help force the Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to astronomy and space science.🧪⚗️🚀🛸🛰️🌌
#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC
Read and share: www.ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
UK Solar Physics early career researchers rightly deeply concerned at the savage cuts to #STFC science (and I'd add apparent contempt for their plight by #UKRI). They have an open letter... uksolphys.org/general-news...
I'm a Dr in physics, but in the UK...
📣Many researchers are facing the same reality: contracts ending, careers cut short, talent lost. 👥📉
UKRI needs to change course — now. 🧪🔭⚗️
If you’re affected, post your own photo and share this message. Visibility matters.
#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC
I've signed up to 4 mass participation events for 2026. In date (and insanity) order:
April: Wilmslow Olympic distance Triathlon
June: Bolton half Ironman
August: Leeds full Ironman
September: The North East Skinny Dip (charity fundraiser for MIND).
Already starting to worry...
STFC inflated costs are coming from the facilities (which serve multiple research councils). But curiosity-based physics researchers are the ones being chosen to lose out. The UK is a leader in many science areas, including physics. Are we over-indexed, or are others under-indexed?
Tracking the impact of curiosity-based within any science area is indirect. Doesn't mean the impact is not real. Funding only the "direct" stuff is borrowing from tomorrow - sticking plaster economics.
Physics-based sector accounts for ~11% of UK GDP. This isn't "special pleading" - physics is a motor of our economy. The rising costs in STFC stem not from curiosity-based physics research but from costs of facilities used across research councils. Why should physics get crushed for it?
@iop.org found in 2019 alone #physics generated 11% of UK GDP. Now #STFC, which overseas much of UK physics public research funding, aims to cut curiosity-driven research by 30%. Robbing the future to pay for the present will never be a successful economic strategy. 🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
A New STFC Funding Crisis
The outlook for UK astronomy now looks even more bleak than the dark days of the funding crisis following 2008. It looks like a return to the Bad Old Days.
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...
I think the BBC are better than most of the UK media when it comes to balance.
Why #nasa #artemis is important and why today's words from Artemis II astronaut #ChristinaKoch really spoke to me. Segment from #BBCNews channel.
No, this is an accurate reflection of yesterday's NASA press conference. The point was made that previous Apollo missions went at similar points in the lunar "day" when roughly the same face was lit by sunlight. It'll be different for #artemisII so they may well see regions unseen before by humans.
Proud to be part of this amazing team.
Can't tell for sure, to be fair. But i know this one is official: @nancyromansci.bsky.social
Attending (virtually) a @nasaromantelescope.bsky.social collaboration meeting this week where we are getting our heads around the science we'll do with 100,000 new exoplanets over its five year nominal mission. For perspective, the last 30 years has delivered 6000. Roman will be mind blowing! 🔭🧪🪐
Roman is expected to find 60,000-200,000 transiting planets, alongside mass measurements of cooler planets from microlensing.
