Latest News

RAS logo on a purple starry background.
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 (STFC). In a letter from its Executive Chair, Professor Michele Dougherty, the...
Dr Allan Chapman, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Dr Allan Chapman, 1946-2026
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Allan Chapman, who has died aged 79. Described as "extraordinarily erudite" and an "indomitable spirit", Dr Chapman was a historian with a particular interest in scientific...
Dr Stefano Lorito
Tsunami expert appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of GJI
An expert in tsunami science and the world’s most powerful earthquakes has been appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Geophysical Journal International (GJI), one of the world's leading peer-reviewed research journals in solid-Earth geophysics. Dr...
Graphic promoting the exhibition Cosmos: The art of observing Space.
RAS and RWA launch 'art of observing Space' exhibition
The Royal Astronomical Society has partnered with the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) to launch a new exhibition which explores humanity's enduring fascination with the cosmos through an extraordinary blend of historic artefacts and contemporary...
A composite RGB image of the Ring Nebula (also known as Messier 57 and NGC 6720) constructed from four WEAVE/LIFU emission-line images.
Mysterious iron 'bar' discovered in famous nebula
A mysterious bar-shaped cloud of iron has been discovered inside the iconic Ring Nebula by a European team led by astronomers at University College London (UCL) and Cardiff University. The cloud of iron atoms, described for the first time in Monthly...
This LOFAR DR2 image of J1007+3540 superimposed over an optical image by Pan-STARRS shows a compact, bright inner jet, indicating the reawakening of what had been a ‘sleeping’ supermassive black hole at the heart of the gigantic radio galaxy.
'Reborn' black hole spotted 'erupting like cosmic volcano'
One of the most vivid portraits of “reborn” black hole activity – likened to the eruption of a “cosmic volcano” spreading almost one million light-years across space – has been captured in a gigantic radio galaxy. The dramatic scene was uncovered...
The Royal Astronomical Society's 2026 award winners include Professor Shrinivas Kulkarni (top left), of California Institute of Technology, and Professor Andrew Jackson, of ETH Zürich (top right), who have each been awarded the Society's Gold Medal (inset top). Other winners include, from left by row, Jackson-Gwilt Medal winner Professor Alistair Glasse, Eddington Medal winner Professor Debora Šijački, Chapman Medal winner Professor Mathew Owens, Herschel Medal winner Professor Andrew Bunker, Agnes Mary Cle
Winners of 2026 RAS Awards revealed
An astronomer who has made ground-breaking discoveries about millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts and supernovae and an "exemplary" mathematical geophysicist specialising in Earth's magnetic field have each been awarded the Royal Astronomical...
Graphic promoting the RAS Thesis Prizes for 2025.
RAS Thesis Prizes 2025 – 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...
John Brown Memorial
Cosmic rays and music collide for John Brown Memorial Lecture
A pioneering fusion of nuclear physics and audiovisual art will be showcased as part of the Royal Astronomical Society's third annual John Brown Memorial Lecture. Named in honour of the former Astronomer Royal for Scotland and winner of the RAS Gold...
The Royal Astronomical Society is commemorating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory Greenwich with the launch of a special collection and booklet titled 'Band of Brothers: The entwined histories of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and Royal Astronomical Society’ (left). It has been put together by Dr Louise Devoy (inset), Senior Curator at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, and features a section on the first 10 Astronomers Royal who lived and worked at Greenwich, including Harold Spencer Jones an
Royal Observatory's 350th anniversary commemorated with special collection
The Royal Astronomical Society is celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory Greenwich by highlighting the long standing links between the two institutions. To mark the occasion, the Society is today launching a special collection and...
An artist’s impression of a bright quasar almost outshining its host galaxy.
Astronomers challenge 50-year-old quasar law
Compelling evidence that the structure of matter surrounding supermassive black holes has changed over cosmic time has been uncovered by an international team of astronomers. If true, the research led by the National Observatory of Athens and...
Reflected light image of a thin section of carbonaceous chondrite CV3 from NASA's Antarctic collection, analysed in the study. Several chondrules with bright olivine crystals embedded in a carbonaceous matrix can be seen.
Mining asteroids for water and metals explored
The potential for space mining – including identifying asteroids close to Mars and Jupiter best suited for extracting precious metals and water – has been explored in a new study. Research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical...