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Image of Arp220 from the Hubble Space Telescope showing the large scale structure of the merging system.
Clever trick to cook stars like Christmas puds detected for first time
The missing ingredient for cooking up stars in the same way you might steam your Christmas pudding has been spotted for the first time by astronomers. Much like a pressure cooker has a weight on top of its lid to keep the pressure in and get your...
This graphic offers a glimpse of the history of the Universe, as we currently understand it.
Dark energy 'doesn’t exist' so can't be pushing 'lumpy' Universe apart – study
One of the biggest mysteries in science – dark energy – doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the Universe is expanding. For the past 100 years, physicists have generally assumed that the cosmos is...
Graphic showing the RAS Thesis Prizes 2024 and deadline for nominations on a pink starry background.
RAS Thesis Prizes 2024 – Call for nominations
Each year the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) recognises the best PhD theses in astronomy and geophysics completed in the UK. Three prizes are available: the Michael Penston Prize for astronomy, the Keith Runcorn Prize for geophysics, and the...
Christmas
Christmas and New Year closure 2024
Christmas and New Year closure The RAS offices at Burlington House will be closed over the Christmas and New Year period From Friday 20 December. The RAS will re-open on Friday 3 January 2025. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all our Fellows!
The two prize winners.
GJI Student Paper Award Winners 2024
Geophysical Journal International (GJI) is delighted to announce the two winners of the 2024 Student Paper Award. They are Théo Santos for his first author paper, “Refining Tomography with Generative Neural Networks trained from Geodynamics”, and...
University of Aberdeen's Dr David Cornwell doing seismology-related outreach, which forms part of planned grant activities funded by the RAS.
RAS hands out over £160k in grants in 2024
More than £160,000 in grants have been awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society in 2024. In recent years the Society has been able to support projects ranging from an educational seismology network in Scotland, to a travelling observatory bringing...
Earth-bound asteroids ‘could be tracked more precisely’ with new equation
Identifying asteroids on a potential collision course with Earth could be made easier thanks to an advancement in how to track their orbits more precisely. Taking into account a phenomenon first identified by Sir Isaac Newton and later confirmed by...
WEAVE data overlaid on a James Webb Space Telescope image of Stephan's Quintet, with green contours showing radio data from LOFAR.
2 MILLION mph galaxy smash-up seen in unprecedented detail
A massive collision of galaxies sparked by one travelling at a scarcely-believable 2 million mph (3.2 million km/h) has been seen in unprecedented detail by one of Earth's most powerful telescopes. The dramatic impact was observed in Stephan's...
Amount of stars (white) produced in universes with different dark energy densities. Clockwise, from top left, no dark energy, same dark energy density as in our Universe, 10 and 30 times the dark energy density in our Universe.
A formula for life? New model calculates chances of intelligent beings in our Universe and beyond
The chances of intelligent life emerging in our Universe – and in any hypothetical ones beyond it – can be estimated by a new theoretical model which has echoes of the famous Drake Equation. This was the formula that American astronomer Dr Frank...
RAS welcomes support for science in Budget
The first Budget of the new government has been welcomed as a "positive step" for science by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The Society, along with much of the science sector, had been concerned about rumoured real-term cuts to the science...
Pictured left, RAS President Mike Lockwood (right) and Geophysics Secretary James Hammond (left) put their signatures to a series of legal documents to complete the handover of Burlington House (pictured bottom right) from the Government to the RAS and its fellow Learned Societies following the agreement of a 999-year lease. RAS Executive Director Philip Diamond is pictured inset with the 19th Century seal press used to stamp the documents (also top right).
Signed, sealed, delivered: RAS inks London HQ lease
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has officially signed a 999-year lease on its London headquarters, having agreed a deal with the Government earlier this year to transfer the building’s ownership. RAS President Mike Lockwood and Geophysics...
Deadline for RAS Fellowships approaching
Are you an early career researcher looking to pursue a career in research? We're currently accepting applications for a Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) Research Fellowship. They are offered to outstanding candidates to enable them to pursue research...