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Professor Jim Wild
New President of the Royal Astronomical Society
Professor Jim Wild, a space physicist whose research focuses on the links between the Sun, Earth and other planets, has become the new president of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). He succeeds Professor Mike Lockwood, of the University of...
More than 200 physics teachers sign letter opposing budget cuts
An open letter from UK physics teachers opposing budget cuts proposed by the Government has now received more than 200 signatures. The Royal Astronomical Society has been encouraging teachers to put their names to the letter in response to plans...
(A) A dark matter map in our neighbourhood of the universe. The two large densities are dark matter halos of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy; (B) Zoomed-in on the dark matter map, showing a small dark matter clump ~700 million years after the Big Bang; (C-1 and C-2) stars and gas in the simulated ultra-faint dwarf galaxy, formed in the centre of the small dark matter halo in panel B. The two panels show two different radiation levels shortly after the Big Bang. It reveals how the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy
Milky Way's 'little cousins' may hold clues about infant universe
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies – tiny satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way – have long been seen as cosmic fossils. Now, a new study published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society uses an unprecedented set of simulations to...
RAS Fellows Professor Gillian Wright CBE (left), Dr Graeme McGhee (right) and Professor Rashid Sunyaev (inset) have been recognised in this year’s European Astronomical Society prizes.
European Astronomical Society awards prizes to trio of RAS Fellows
Three Royal Astronomical Society Fellows, including a former winner of the Caroline Herschel Medal, have been recognised in this year's European Astronomical Society (EAS) prizes. Professor Gillian Wright CBE, of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in...
Visual impressions of the COLIBRE simulations
See and hear galaxies evolve from the dawn of the universe
The most realistic picture yet of how galaxies formed and then evolved from the beginning of time has been revealed in a suite of new and unique audiovisual simulations. This data, published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society...
RAS logo on a purple starry background.
American Astronomical Society 'stands with' RAS amid cuts crisis
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) welcomes the support of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), which has expressed “deep concern” and “alarm” about proposed funding cuts to astronomy and space science in the UK. In a letter to senior UK...
Research funding cuts threaten generation of scientists
Royal Astronomical Society President Professor Mike Lockwood and President-Elect Professor Jim Wild recently had an opinion piece about the proposed cuts to astronomy and space science published on Research Professional News. They argue that the UK...
An artist’s impression of the Milky Way, with two of its satellite galaxies – the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud – in the bottom left.
Galactic warming: The ‘car engine-like’ effect heating our Milky Way
Our Milky Way's halo of hot gas is warmer to the 'south' than the 'north' because of an internal combustion engine-like effect that is compressing the gas like a piston, a new study has found. Computer simulations reveal that the Large Magellanic...
Professor Matthew Middleton alongside a cover of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Black hole expert to become next Editor-in-Chief of MNRAS
A leading figure in the study of black holes has been appointed as the new Editor-in-Chief of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), one of the world's largest and most prestigious astronomy journals. Professor Matthew Middleton...
A diagram depicting habitable zone boundaries across star type with rocky exoplanets from Bohl et al. (2026). The boundaries of the habitable zone shift based on star colour, since different wavelengths of light will heat a planet's atmosphere differently. 
The best places to look for alien life: Scientists identify 45 Earth-like worlds to explore for a 'Project Hail Mary'
If we're to find extraterrestrial life in the universe, astronomers have pinpointed the best places to look for it. They have identified just under 50 rocky worlds most likely to be habitable out of the more than 6,000 exoplanets discovered so far...
Space background with floating coloured squares with text inside and the RAS logo
First HPQ Astronomy course piloted by RAS to end
The first ever Astronomy Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) in the UK, piloted by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), is coming to an end this month. It has been a hugely successful trial as an alternative to GCSE Astronomy, increasing student...
SpaceX and Reflect Orbital plans would 'permanently scar' night sky
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is alarmed by the threat to ground-based astronomy posed by proposals put forward by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Reflect Orbital. SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites to act as data centres to power...