@astronemma
Research Fellow in Astrophysics @ the University of Leeds. Interested in all things Radio Astronomy! Currently working on Galactic filaments. Owned by two dogs, two cats, and two guinea pigs. 🐶🐱🐹 Will post both science and personal. She/her
I’m an early career researcher in astrophysics, and tuned into the session — it was very informative. Thank you for your attention on this. Am really hoping that this can all be resolved in the least damaging way!
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.
Rows of people wearing orange lanyards in a House of Commons committee hearing. At the front is Catherine sporting her "I'm about to perform an appendectomy" mask and looking particularly snazzy.
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 🔭👩🔬⚛️
I appreciate this! I’m an astronomer using remote telescope facilities — the
city I live in shouldn’t matter, I can work from anywhere. It’s good to get experience in different institutions, but it shouldn’t be the make-or-break of a career.
This has definitely piqued my interest! 👀 Will have a more detailed look and might send you an email — I’m assuming you’ll get a lot of interest in the post and it’ll therefore be very competitive.
One point I wanted to pick up on was the notion that ECRs are “lost” to overseas — very valid, but not catastrophic, as they could return in future. There are the ECRs who can’t, or chose not to, move overseas, who then move into non-research roles. V. hard for them to return to academia after that!
Agreed — I was watching along and thought they made an excellent case. Thank you @astroroyalscot.bsky.social @jonbutterworth.bsky.social, and Simon in particular for highlighting the plight of ECRs.
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/...
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/...
Article I co-wrote which covers the astronomy of new crescent Moon visibility in the Islamic calendar! #Ramadan Mubarak to those observing the month ☺️🌙
For anyone in London next weekend - get yourself down to this absolutely wonderful combination of art & astronomy. It’s a really special place.
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...
Astropotamus followed me 15 mins ago
Hello! FYI it just happened again (15 mins ago). Very strange!
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. 🔭 🧪
Many thoughts about this, but the doublespeak of the phrase "building on last year’s 15% reduction" is mind-boggling. 🔭🧪
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.
@lukecharters.bsky.social hello! Just bringing this to your attention as it’s a hugely significant threat to my livelihood, (and, you know, British science as a whole). Will also be writing to my own MP, but for now here’s a personal plea to look at this 🙏
I’ll give you a heads up if/when it next happens!
Notification of astropotamus following 10h ago
Sure, I can only see the most recent notification, but there’s a new one from you most days when I log in. Might be a bug based on an astro list? Yours is the only account that it happens with. My apologies, I had assumed it was intentional!
@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...
Thanks for sharing - super proud of this project!
Not quite the same but I’m the only one who eats beans in my house, I just have the other half the tin the day after!
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 🤧💉🦠
Did you have any more luck with this?
![Quoted from the email announcement: "The figure shows the amplitude and phase data averaged over the 5 minute observation period (top panels) and the waterfall plots showing their variation with time. The phases are flat as a function of frequency, as expected for an isolated point source at the center of the field. Additionally, they are constant in time. This indicates that the system is stable and working as expected. Regions of strong, well-known RFI from geolocation satellites can be clearly seen in the amplitude plots. [Image produced by Shin’ichiro Asayama from data taken by the System AIV team with support from the ATLAS team]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o5oksvbvqshrqbg4bfcsfhch/bafkreiht3timqi5af776rhiai25te6zshhpqrodzq675fnvtemiesawgqi@jpeg)
Quoted from the email announcement: "The figure shows the amplitude and phase data averaged over the 5 minute observation period (top panels) and the waterfall plots showing their variation with time. The phases are flat as a function of frequency, as expected for an isolated point source at the center of the field. Additionally, they are constant in time. This indicates that the system is stable and working as expected. Regions of strong, well-known RFI from geolocation satellites can be clearly seen in the amplitude plots. [Image produced by Shin’ichiro Asayama from data taken by the System AIV team with support from the ATLAS team]"
Quoted from the website announcement: "One of the seven SKA-Mid dishes now constructed on site in South Africa's Northern Cape, with SARAO's MeerKAT radio telescope in the background. Credit: SKAO/Max Alexander."
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/...
Amazing!!
Parents & anyone else up early on Christmas morning: there’s a bright pass of the International Space Station over the UK, just after 6.15.
Well, I say it’s the ISS. Could be Santa heading home…
Exact timings for where you are at www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary....
