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James Fawcett-Newell

@james4cet.bsky.social
168 followers 105 following 43 posts

Astronomy & Public Engagement | Coordinating outreach for the Euclid mission in the UK 🛰️ 🔭☄️ | he/him

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Reposted by James Fawcett-Newell
Euclid UK @eucliduk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
With our first data release in November just around the corner, scientists and engineers from across the UK will soon be on the road again! Catch us at @newscientist.com's New Scientist Live, 10-12th October 2026, for the return of Euclid, the #darkuniversedetective 🕵️‍♀️
A poster that says "We're exhibiting at New Scientist Live" with the dates 10-12 October. The poster has a purple background with triangular yellow, blue and purple shapes.One of our volunteers of the Euclid exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science exhibition is standing and wearing a white Meta Quest 3 VR headset. They are wearing a white t-shirt and green lanyard, standing in front of a photo of the galactic centre, taken by Euclid. The photo is displayed on LED backlit fabric and contains 60 million stars amongst pink, orange and  yellow gas and dust.
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Jenny Shipway @jennyshipway.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
FIVE days to go! People across the world will be looking up at the starry skies 1-4 October for '100 Hours of Astronomy'. Take a short break, step outside, and join us at 100hours.online to complete four simple stargazing challenges and put a marker on your town or city of our UK/Ireland map.
100 Hours poster, with an image of a young woman holding coffee and gazing up at the stars. She's stood by a public lawn area with houses behind. There's also a picture of a mobile phone showing the app with the four challenge badges, and a UK/Ireland map with pins in it - "Join beginner stargazers across the UK and Ireland. Find the Stars and put a pin in our map"
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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation. 🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
channel4news.substack.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Glad to have added my name to a letter from 50 green groups urging PM to be clear that #climate breakdown is the cause of the current extreme heat crisis. The public deserves leadership that speaks honestly about the nature of the challenges the country faces & offers a robust plan to tackle them
theguardian.com
Green groups urge Andy Burnham to break silence on climate crisis
More than 50 organisations say PM urgently needs to show leadership and prepare British people for scale of change needed as UK struggles through another heatwave
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Jarvis Cocker, New Order, Elbow, Dr Who (v. Eccleston), @daraobriain.bsky.social, Kraftwerk, Mogwai, Brian May, 2 astronauts (Peake & Hadfield), the Poet Laureate, the Lovell family & many more. Heartwarming to see how much the UK loves Jodrell Bank & astronomy🔭🙏 www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
Artists, writers and scientists urge UK government to save Jodrell Bank Observatory
New Order and Simon Armitage among more than 100 signatories to criticise ‘foolish and shortsighted’ cuts
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Meg Schwamb @megschwamb.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The Guardian view on the Lovell telescope: budget cuts to physics are bad science and worse politics www.theguardian.com/commentisfre.... 🔭
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on the Lovell telescope: budget cuts to physics are bad science and worse politics | Editorial
Editorial: Funders have picked a damaging fight with scientists and the public. They should reconsider their plans
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Is “pragmatic” the new, “grown up” word? Andy, there’s nothing “pragmatic” about drilling for more oil & gas - to even consider it with the planet literally on fire is total madness. How many times must we say it will do nothing for energy bills or security? It would be an act of utter recklessness
theguardian.com
Burnham promises ‘pragmatic’ approach to North Sea oil and gas
PM tells reporters the government cannot ignore the energy resource ‘when people are struggling’
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Meet the team of interviewees, fighting to #SaveJodrellBank on BBC Breakfast this morning.💪 L:Dr David Williams-Baldwin @davidw-b.bsky.social top black hole expert, linking the smallest to the supermassive C:Simon Garrington - Prof Boss! R:Phoebe Ryder - amazing PhD student imaging space debris 🥳🔭
Four people standing in what looks like an empty swimming pool, but it's not.  It's the disk of a massive radio telescope.  Catherine (in sunspecs) is particularly excited to be there.
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Prof Jim Wild @jim-wild.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
"A recent survey found that nearly 80% of early-career physicists were considering leaving the UK after the funding crisis. The loss of even a fraction of that would be a blow for UK science and also national growth. The task now is to persuade them to stay." www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
World-class Jodrell Bank is under threat and UK risks a physics brain drain
Funding crisis could lead to an exodus that would be a blow for British science and national growth
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Think of all the awesome science-ing we could do with an extra £20M......🧪
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Royal Astronomical Society @royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The Royal Astronomical Society is shocked and dismayed to hear that the UK's iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory is at risk of closure amid a slew of catastrophic budget cuts. Read our full statement here: ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
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Dr Libby Jones @anywaythewind.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I wouldn’t be a professional astronomer today if not for a school trip to Jodrell Bank as a kid. It’s hard to overstate how much inspiration this place gives future scientists. Devastating news. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
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Eamonn Kerins @eamonnkerins.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
There are facilities that do world leading science and there are facilities that inspire the young to dream big and pursue a career in science. The Lovell telescope does both like no other facility I can think of in the UK. I hope sense will prevail 🧪🔭 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
We’re choosing to press the self-destruct button and you can read the silly decisions in ‘detail’ here 🚨 #SaveJodrellBank www.ukri.org/publications...
ukri.org
Explainer: STFC prioritisation outcomes 2026 to 2030
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Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Short-sighted, stupid cuts to the UKRI budget include shutting down Jodrell Bank, the icon of British astronomy. (Many other cuts too, including 20% to our brand new @vrubinobs.bsky.social). Interesting politically to shut down a major facility in...um..Manchester 🔭 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Jodrell Bank's Lovell telescope faces axe in science cuts, BBC understands
Astronomers warn it would tear the heart out of UK science, and leave a generation untrained.
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Unfathomable.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 26/07/2026
ABC Australia has a YouTube series called “You Can’t Ask That” in which they bring in people from various marginalized/stereotyped groups who have volunteered to answer “inappropriate” questions. I’m sure they aren’t fully representative but they do foster empathy & I think they’re generally great.
youtu.be
Muslim women on hijabs, gender inequality, abuse and faith | You Can't Ask That | Full Episode
YouTube video by ABC Australia
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Astronomical Society of Edinburgh @astronomyedinburgh.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Get read for the solar #eclipse: on 5th August, Dynamic Earth in #Edinburgh will be holding an event preparing for the eclipse. Book here: dynamicearth.org.uk/event/get-re... We will be helping with a selection of 🔭, and @astroroyalscot.bsky.social will be there answering questions.
dynamicearth.org.uk
GET READY FOR THE ECLIPSE | Dynamic Earth
A spectacular solar event is coming to Scotland’s skies this August – and Dynamic Earth is here to help you get eclipse-ready with free activities and live talks!
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
We need our science centres more than ever. #wildfire #holyroodpark #wildfire #climateemergency
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Time to get out of here… #wildfire #holyroodpark
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Sadly, looks like that was just the prelude. A lot of the park is being destroyed. #wildfire #holyroodpark #edinburgh #climateemergency
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
“Climate change will manifest as a series of disasters viewed through phones with footage that gets closer and closer to where you live until you're the one filming it.” 😔
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Judy Schmidt @geckzilla.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Two telescopes, two epochs, the same nebula. You might have to stare for a little bit to fully appreciate all the movement going. Apologies to any faint stars who got deleted. I tried to remove the NICMOS PSFs from the Hubble view (which is lower resolution/blurrier)
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The University of Manchester @manchester.ac.uk · 12/06/2026
🚨 Study proves existence of aliens! 👽 Kidding... but how would you really want to find out? Well, a UoM astronomer has led a major international overhaul of the rules that govern how scientists would announce evidence of extra-terrestrial life... www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/b...
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Euclid UK @eucliduk.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
We're going on tour! 🚅 🧪 You can meet #HumansOfEuclid from across the UK at @royalsociety.org's #SummerScience Exhibition 2026 as we bring you Euclid: The Dark Universe Detective. 🌌
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Royal Astronomical Society @royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
🚨 Call for action 🚨 The RAS is demanding urgent action to address the damage light pollution is doing to astronomy, human health, biodiversity and the natural environment. It follows a conference we hosted last year, where evidence was presented about the impacts of artificial light at night.💡🌃 ⤵️
The Light Pollution conference hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society in 2025.
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Grumpelstiltskin @maxwellshabbsby.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
#artemis #tunnocks
Artemis II being safely brought down by Tunnock’s tea cakes
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Cameron McGrath @camgottaplan.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
For the people who missed it
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Nina @ninaneedsspace.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
I’m rapidly discovering that I’m basically incapable of reading anything about #ArtemisII without crying. And I’m OK with that. I hoped but didn’t entirely believe that anything like this would happen in my lifetime, and here it is, happening right now. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Artemis II blasts closer to the far side of the Moon
The mission's last, big push on its lunar journey takes humans out of the Earth's orbit for the first time since 1972.
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
I you think these are already breathtaking enough and THEN YOU NOTICE THE AURORAE 😍😱
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Euclid UK @eucliduk.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
In partnership with The University of Edinburgh, can find us at Dynamic Earth during Edinburgh Science Festival next week and we *cannot* wait!
Euclid’s view of M78 is in the background. A filamentary orange veil covers a bright region of star formation. The background is dark, stippled with stars and galaxies ranging from small bright dots to starry shapes. The foreground veil spans from upper left to the bottom right and resembles a seahorse. Bright stars light up the ‘eye’ and ‘chest’ regions of the seahorse with purple light. Within the tail, three bright spots sit in a traffic-light like formation. In the foreground, placed on top of M78, is a “Dark Universe Detectives” logo and below this the University of Edinburgh and Euclid Consortium LogosThree young people from the Euclid team (Left to right: woman, man, man) in the foreground are smiling and the middle person is holding a scale model of the Euclid space telescope. In the background are displays and screens related to dark matter and dark energy.
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The Planetarium at Glasgow Science Centre @glasgowplanetarium.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Did you miss the fantastic space sessions as part of #CuriousAbout? We have good news! They're available to watch on YouTube or the Curious About website. First up, we have Space Discovery with Toni Newell, Planetarium Officer at Dynamic Earth. curiousabout.glasgowsciencecentre.org/live-session...
curiousabout.glasgowsciencecentre.org
Space Discovery - Live Sessions
In this live session, we’ll be joined by Toni Newell, Planetarium Officer at Dynamic Earth. She’ll be answering your space questions, talking about her favourite space facts, and finding out how Scotl...
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
The #Moon is looking stunning through the front gates of the Royal Observatory Edinburgh this evening!
The Moon lies in the centre of this image, looking bigger than usual and orange in colour due to being close to the horizon. There is a sunset hue of faint blue and even fainter pink in the sky. In the foreground, framing the Moon, is the Victorian front gate of the Royal Observatory.
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Euclid UK @eucliduk.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Hubble x Euclid 🤝 The two space telescopes join forces to create a breathtaking new view of the Cat’s Eye Nebula! 😍
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Euclid UK @eucliduk.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Remember that lovely aurora last week? Well...um...this is what Euclid saw... 😱 🧵
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Euclid Consortium @ec-euclid.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
Those were beautiful #aurorae in the past days. A solar storm brought a lot of protons to Earth. Not only to Earth but also to #ESAEuclid – but does #Euclid notice? Oh yes. www.euclid-ec.org/here-comes-t... #ESA #Sun #SpaceWeather #space
Snapshot of a part of Euclid VIS detectors, almost saturated with cosmic ray hits.
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Euclid UK @eucliduk.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
New #Euclid image drop from @esa.int and @ec-euclid.bsky.social! 😍 Meet LDN 1641, a ‘dark cloud’ about 1300 light-years from Earth, observed by Euclid back in 2023 to test its guiding systems. ⬛️☁️
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Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
🔊Announcing a new Physics/Astro PhD scholarship scheme in Edinburgh, for students from a Black heritage, inc mixed Black background. Please help me spread the word. The scholarship covers all tuition fees, living costs & research travel. #blackinSTEM 🔭👩‍🔬⚛️ ℹ️: www.ph.ed.ac.uk/studying/pos...
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
Smidge of Aurora tonight…
A view from Holyrood Park, with the foreground trees and buildings silhouetted aside from warmly lit up windows. In the sky, from ground level upwards, we see light pollution, then a stripe of green light, then a blotch of purple light. The plough asterism is visible in the centre of the sky. The sky becomes darker the further up the image we go.
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Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) @sciencecentres.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
This week, we submitted a ‘Budget Representation’ to HM Treasury calling for a fairer funding settlement for the UK's science and discovery centres that are INELIGIBLE for the infrastructure funds provided by DCMS, DSIT or DfE for comparable organisations.
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Jenny Shipway @jennyshipway.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
Join us during the global 100 Hours of Astronomy. Try our simple stargazing challenges and add your marker to our UK/Ireland map. Come to 100hours.online during the event and we'll explain it all. You just need to look up!
Social media advert for the event, with the logo, dates, and a picture of a mobile phone showing the activity as it will look during the event. It's got an attractive simple design and there are four challenge buttons. This activity is all about visually observing the sky.
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News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Amidst shameful media neglect of genocide in #Gaza, there has been a consistent exception: the UK’s Channel 4 News. Today’s report on the daily killings by Israelis of the starving queuing for food aid. Wait for the UN assessment at the end. This is a difficult but essential watch. Pls share.
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Back in the dome at Dynamic Earth today for #RubinFirstLook. @spacedoot.bsky.social and @notverymedieval.bsky.social ran a brilliant watch party in challenging circumstances 👏…and the size of those images…wowzers! 🤯 Now to figure out how to do this for #Euclid ‘s big data drop next year…😀
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
🔴 🏆
Across the bottom of the photo in the foreground is a red and white scarf which says “LIVERPOOL”. In the background is a street in Liverpool, the Liver Building in view, with the sky a pastel red after red smoke and flares were lit.
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ESO @eso.org · 23/05/2025
Astronomy is often described as a visual science, but a purely visual approach to communicate it leaves out a significant part of the population. In this ESO blog post we talked with two experts to learn how we can do better with tactile activities. www.eso.org/public/blog/... 🔭 🧪
eso.org
ESOblog: Accessibility in Astronomy Pt. 1: Feeling your way through the cosmos
Accessibility in Astronomy Pt. 1: Feeling your way through the cosmos
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Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
An astonishing headline reporting on new observations from a team led to Nikku Madhusudhan claims they’ve found ‘hints of life’ on a planet orbiting a dwarf star some 124 light years away. What’s going on? (1/n) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 🔭 🧪
bbc.co.uk
Promising hints of life found on distant planet K2-18b
Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 17/04/2025
An important point. I’m sure there are a lot of ways scientists and science communicators can do better, but as long as organized and funded political disinformation campaigns are rampant and unconstrained, we’re fighting a real uphill battle.
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 29/03/2025
What a heartbreaking photograph - the impact of satellite constellations on the night sky. Taken above the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, Western Australia. Credit: Joshua Rozells
Photograph of the Sky with streaks of light cutting across it in patterns from satellites
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
What a fun week! 🚲
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James Fawcett-Newell @james4cet.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
So my Dad has been in touch with me twice this week… He does this through the modern medium of email (🤷‍♂️). First email subject line - “Venus”. 🔭 Couple of days later, it’s followed by a second email with a subject line of simply “Pies”. 🥧 Gotta hand it to him, he knows how to get my attention.
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