Institute of Astronomy

News and Press Releases

New ‘fuzzy’ dark matter research disrupts conventional thinking

Published on 07/10/2019 

New ‘fuzzy’ dark matter research disrupts conventional thinking

IoA astronomer Dr Anastasia Fialkov has simulated dark matter in a new way for the first time, disrupting conventional thinking about the make-up of the universe. The research, published in Physical Review Letters, was done alongside institutions including Sussex, Princeton, Harvard, and MIT.

Professor Robert Kennicutt recieves Royal Astronomical Society Gold Medal

Published on 02/07/2019 

Professor Robert Kennicutt receives the Gold Medal in Astronomy for his fundamental contributions to understanding star formation in galaxies and for the accurate determination of the Hubble constant.

2019 Pilkington Prize awarded to Dr Nikku Madhusudhan

Published on 26/06/2019 

We are pleased to announce that Dr Nikku Madhusudhan is a recipient of the 2019 Pilkington Prize.

Special Public Evening -- celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1919 eclipse

Published on 13/05/2019 

Special public evening -- Wednesday 29th May 2019 at 6:30pm

The Institute of Astronomy is hosting a special public event to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1919 eclipse expeditions. Observations taken during a total solar eclipse provided the first proof that light could be influenced by gravity, and verified the prediction made by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The results established the fundamental importance of Relativity in our understanding of physics and Astronomy.

Variations in the ‘fogginess’ of the universe identify a milestone in cosmic history

Published on 15/04/2019 

Large differences in the ‘fogginess’ of the early universe were caused by islands of cold gas left behind when the universe heated up after the big bang, according to an international team of astronomers.