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School of Physical and Chemical Sciences

2020 News

Tessa Baker and Phil Bull AU researchers win prestigious European Research Council grants
14 September 2020

Two cosmologists in the Astronomy Unit in the School of Physics and Astronomy have been awarded prestigious Starting Grants from the European Research Council.

Comet NEOWISE (close-up), seen by Dr Thomas Haworth from Cheltenham on 10th July Rare naked-eye comet NEOWISE lights up the sky
19 July 2020

A recently-discovered comet has become visible to the naked eye during twilight. QMUL astronomer Thomas Haworth has been making the most of this rare opportunity by taking some photos!

Artist's impression of Gliese 887 V2b (RedDots collaboration) Super-Earths discovered orbiting nearby star
26 June 2020

A system of super-Earth planets has been detected orbiting one of closest stars to the Sun, Gliese 887. An international team of astronomers, including Professor Richard Nelson and Dr Gavin Coleman of Queen Mary University of London, made the discovery as part of Red Dots, a project to detect terrestrial planets orbiting stars close to the Sun.

Artist's impression of Gliese 887 V2b (RedDots collaboration) Super-Earths discovered orbiting nearby star
26 June 2020

A system of super-Earth planets has been detected orbiting one of closest stars to the Sun, Gliese 887. An international team of astronomers, including Professor Richard Nelson and Dr Gavin Coleman of Queen Mary University of London, made the discovery as part of Red Dots, a project to detect terrestrial planets orbiting stars close to the Sun.

Cassini image of Saturn and Titan Saturn's Moon Titan Drifting Away Faster Than Previously Thought
8 June 2020

Research involving scientists from Queen Mary University of London has shown that the moons of Saturn are moving outwards faster than first estimated, providing new insights into how the Saturn system formed. 

Cassini image of Saturn and Titan Saturn's Moon Titan Drifting Away Faster Than Previously Thought
8 June 2020

Research involving scientists from Queen Mary University of London has shown that the moons of Saturn are moving outwards faster than first estimated, providing new insights into how the Saturn system formed. 

Image of the observatory with the QMSPEC experimental set-up (the instrument is under the black ‘cloth’ which is used to block stray light). (Clark Baker) Innovative spectrometer sees first light (and breaks a record)
1 June 2020

Astronomers at QMUL have developed an extremely high-resolution spectrometer for exoplanet studies that is many times smaller, lighter, and cheaper than current alternatives. Its first-light spectrum is thought to be the highest resolution ever taken from the UK!

Queen Mary astronomer makes the connection to Data Science
11 May 2020

The QMUL School of Physics and Astronomy is a member of the Data Intensive Science Centre in the South East Physics Network (DISCnet). DISCnet is an STFC funded Centre for Doctoral Training, aimed at training a new generation scientists in data science. Paula Soares, a cosmology PhD student in the Astronomy Unit being supervised by Dr Alkistis Pourtsidou, is part of DISCnet and undertook a 3-month long data science internship in the summer of 2019.

Sunset over the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (credit: D. Storer) Queen Mary astronomers celebrate funding success
30 April 2020

Astronomers at QMUL are celebrating a bumper research funding award from the UK Government's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Astronomy Unit hosts the Parker Solar Probe FIELDS team meeting
16 March 2020

The QMUL Astronomy Unit hosts a meeting for the team that designed and operates the FIELDS suite of instruments onbaord NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft.

The MeerKAT radio telescope. Courtesy: SARAO. Astronomy Unit researchers help usher in a new era of radio cosmology
6 March 2020

Researchers at Queen Mary are leading the way as a new generation of cosmic surveys with radio telescopes begin.

An artists impression of Alpha Cen B, discovered as part of the pale red dots programme Updates from the Planets group at Queen Mary
5 March 2020

The Planets group at Queen Mary has had another busy year! Here are some recent highlights.

An artists impression of Alpha Cen B, discovered as part of the pale red dots programme Updates from the Planets group at Queen Mary
5 March 2020

The Planets group at Queen Mary has had another busy year! Here are some recent highlights.

Parker Solar Probe. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben Researchers uncover intense chaotic motions of the solar wind
3 February 2020

New research from Queen Mary University of London has observed the chaotic behaviour of the solar wind at distances closer to the Sun than ever before.

Parker Solar Probe. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben Researchers uncover intense chaotic motions of the solar wind
3 February 2020

New research from Queen Mary University of London has observed the chaotic behaviour of the solar wind at distances closer to the Sun than ever before.

Queen Mary researcher awarded prestigious Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship
6 January 2020

Dr Julian Adamek, a senior postdoctoral researcher in the Astronomy Unit, has been awarded a prestigious Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

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