Announcements

Next Generation Interferometric Image Reconstruction: call for papers
The new generation of radio telescope arrays, such as the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and its existing pathfinders MeeRKAT and ASKAP (radio), as well as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) (m…
Royal Astronomical Society unveils 2023 award winners
The Royal Astronomical Society is pleased to announce the 2023 winners of its awards, medals and prizes. Each year the RAS recognises significant achievement in the fields of astronomy and geophysics through these awards, encompassing different…
GCSE Poster Competition 2023 - Sponsored by Winton
The Royal Astronomical Society invites you to present an astronomy topic of your choice as an academic style poster. Winners will receive book token prizes of 1st = £100, 2nd = £50, 3rd = £25. Some example topics are given in the guidelines but you…
Astronomers discover eight new super-hot stars
An international team of astronomers has discovered eight of the hottest stars in the universe, all with surfaces hotter than 100,000 degrees Celsius. The work was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The paper is based on…
Astronomers and Space Scientists Win National Honours
The Royal Astronomical Society is delighted that four astronomy and space experts were recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list. Professor Gillian Wright receives the award Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of…
Building Closure August Bank Holiday
The Royal Astronomical Society will be closed for the August Bank Holiday on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 August 2024.
Update on the RAS and JWST
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) recently wrote to the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA to express its concerns about the original JWST naming process, the apparent failure to investigate James Webb’s background and the d…
Three quarters of major observatories affected by light pollution
Researchers from Italy, Chile and Galicia have studied and compared the light pollution levels at major astronomical observatories across the world. The study shows that light is polluting the sky above most observatories and that immediate action is…
Mars shines high in UK skies
In the first part of December northern hemisphere observers will enjoy their best view of Mars until the 2030s. The red planet will be high in UK skies and will appear brighter than any star. Mars is often described as the solar system planet most l…
Professor Jay Pasachoff, 1943-2022
The Royal Astronomical Society offers its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the astronomer Professor Jay Pasachoff, who has died at the age of 79. Pasachoff began his career at Harvard, receiving his doctorate there in 1969, befor…
Professor Tom Marsh
The Royal Astronomical Society is saddened to learn of the tragic death of Professor Tom Marsh of the University of Warwick, whose body has been found near the European Southern Observatory in Chile. Professor Marsh worked in astronomy for four deca…