iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This is a cool mission (literally). Cooled to 4.5 degrees above absolute zero, it'll scan the skies in infrared *starting* at the longest wavelength JWST can see, and going out to 200+ microns.

213024

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Very exciting news for the far-infrared community - and especially for those of us with and interest in interstellar magnetic fields! PRIMA's polarimetry capabilities are going to be a gamechanger for our understanding of how magnetised interstellar clouds evolve to form stars 🧲

021

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Good start. Next up, realising that the penny pinching cuts are killing twenty more projects in astronomy, often for tiny amounts. The fix is simple…and cheap.

211024

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

This is how the cuts are going to kill us by the way - loads of small cuts to projects that on a spreadsheet don't stand out, but which quietly provide the capacity the UK community depends on across wavelengths and modes of observation.

13110

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

This is just one of the many other projects that have received similar bad news over the last few days - there are many of us in this boat

010

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

An excellent day at #NAM2026 learning about the latest results in ground-based instrumentation - but sadly, my own poster, on our exciting plans for new instrumentation on the JCMT, has been superseded by the news last week that UK operations funding for the JCMT has been halted by STFC cuts 1/2

A poster titled "The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope: Current Status and Future Plans", with a piece of paper pinned to it describing the effect of STFC cuts

140

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

One of the many reasons I love the internet is occasionally getting the context for a poem from my AQA GCSE English Anthology delivered to me during my lunch break

220

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Event Horizon Telescope @ehtelescope.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Lights, camera… submillimeter action. Image 1: The James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Maunakea, observing for the M87* MOVIE campaign. Image 2: The observing team on opening night- running the show behind the scenes. #M87MOVIE

063

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I may well be the last person in the star formation community to have seen this one... xkcd.com/3222/

xkcd.com

Star Formation

030

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Michael Mills @michaelmills.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

I salute the pedantry of the child’s new toy.

A tube of glow-in-the-dark plastic planets that lists the contents as “8 glowing planets” and “1 glowing Pluto”

673670673

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

An excellent write-up from @pallabg.bsky.social - great to see this getting attention! And some interesting discussion of leaked minutes from STFC's governing council, suggesting that at least within STFC, this is seen as a shift in funding away from "curiosity-driven" research.

010

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

The Science, Innovation & Tech committee have written the most amazing letter to DSIT/UKRI/STFC: "What is clear is that, despite your assertions to the contrary... widespread cuts have been proposed before adequate consultation with those affected was undertaken. This is wholly unacceptable" 💪🔭⚛️🧪

The letter reads:

We were deeply concerned by what we heard, both from witnesses representing the PPAN community and those who contacted us in advance of the hearing.
It is not clear whether the current situation is the by-product of irresponsible financial management and inadequate governance; a conscious decision to set aside the 2009 ‘Drayson partitions’ in order to deprioritise a particular area of scientific research in favour of research facilities; an unintended consequence of wholesale, rushed reforms to the way the UK funds scientific research; or a combination of all three.
What is clear is that, despite your assertions to the contrary in evidence to my committee and our counterparts in the House of Lords, widespread cuts have been proposed before adequate consultation with those affected was undertaken.

411561

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Here is my run-down of today's Science and Technology Committee hearing (House of Lords) where "considerable disquiet in the science community" was raised with Sir Patrick Vallance. Really great to see the public gallery packed with physicists!

People sat in rows a committee hearing - all smartly dressed

25010

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Institute of Physics @iop.org · 02/03/2026

UKRI funding changes are raising serious concern across the UK science community. More than 50 university physics leaders including all 23 Russell Group universities with physics facilities have warned that proposed cuts risk undermining innovation-led economic growth. 🔗 www.ft.com/content/a235...

ft.com

Top academics warn UK physics cuts threaten effort to boost economy

More than 50 heads of departments tell science minister that changes risk undermining crucial tech growth fields

01212

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Lucien Heurtier @lucienheurtier.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

📢 @astroroyalscot.bsky.social, Prof. Jon Butterworth, & our rep for Early-Career Researchers, Simon Williams @si-wills.bsky.social will meet the SITC Committee next week to talk about the STFC funding! Let's all attend the hearing in person and online!🙎💻 committees.parliament.uk/event/26683/...

committees.parliament.uk

4 March 2026 - Science, Innovation and Technology Committee - Oral evidence session - Committees - UK Parliament

09:00 - The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

11410

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I had so much fun speaking about magnetic fields and star formation at #astrofest2026 yesterday - and even more listening to the rest of the amazing speakers!

020

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Another comic I never bothered posting This one from 2023. Topical galileo humour apropos of precisely nothing at all

1. [Title Panel]: Is Your 17th Century Astronomer Spending Too Much Time on His Telescope?

2. [Text -only panel] These days, more and more 17th Century Astronomers have access to telescopes. Here are some warning signs that they are on the slippery slope to Godless heliocentrism!

3. STAYING UP LATE WITH THEIR TELESCOPE

[GALILEO is looking through his telescope out the window at a starry sky].

GALILEO'S WIFE:
Go to bed, Galileo!

GALILEO: In a minute...

4. ‘FOMO’ (FEAR OF MISSING OBSERVATIONS)

GALILEO'S WIFE:
Dinner, Galileo!

GALILEO [Looking through telescope]:
Just need to check my orbits

5. WITHDRAWING FROM REAL-WORLD ACTIVITIES

[Galileo's friend the POPE is now standing next to Galileo, who is still looking through his telescope]

THE POPE: Come to church, Galileo!

GALILEO: Not now...

6. FALLING OUT WITH FRIENDS

GALILEO: [Showing The Pope the book he's working on) I'm just working on my book challenging the Bible's view of the Universe

7. BEING ARRESTED BY THE INQUISITION

[GALILEO is being dragged out of the room, hands outstretched to his telescope. He is calling to it]:

GALILEO: Telescooope

9. GETTING SENTENCED TO HOUSE ARREST UNTIL DEATH FOR HERESY

[GALILEO sitting in front of his telescope, now with bars over the windows]

GALILEO: Ah, crap.

10. CONTINUED TELESCOPE USE DESPITE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

[GALILEO in same position but now with long white beard, he is looking through his telescope through a barred jail window at the sky]

GALILEO'S WIFE:
Go to bed, Galileo!

GALILEO: In a minute...

[Ends]

338497

Reposted by Kate Pattle

Royal Astronomical Society @royalastrosoc.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

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...

ras.ac.uk

Proposed budget cuts a catastrophe for UK astronomy

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is gravely concerned at the drastic cuts to support for UK astronomy outlined by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (...

37862

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Had an excellent time at this last week - it's worth mentioning that the book in question is best viewed through 3D glasses!

010

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

A very happy Halloween to everyone apart from* the person who recently pointed out to me just how much the Rosette Nebula looks like a skull 💀 * or rather, especially to Image credit: Nick Wright/IPHAS collaboration

000

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Always good to see the Cosmic Bat Nebula out and about! This is one of the most striking examples of an outflow from a young star reshaping the cloud that it's forming in - and in 2023 we found that the outflow is reshaping the magnetic field in the cloud, too! iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...

iopscience.iop.org

Radware Bot Manager Captcha

To ensure we keep this website safe, please can you confirm you are a human by ticking the box below.

010

Kate Pattle @jumpingjupiters.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

One of my very favourite star-forming regions!

030

Reposted by Kate Pattle

The Royal Society @royalsociety.org · 06/10/2025

Can't make it to our lates event, 2075: A space odyssey, tomorrow evening? Head to our YouTube channel from 6.30pm to catch livestreams straight from the event and learn about building spacecraft, the lives of stars, and more: #WorldSpaceWeek www.youtube.com/@royalsociety/strea…

033