Year: 2013

Researchers at the Open University and the University of Central Lancashire have confirmed the existence of a circumsolar dust ring which encircles the Sun and closely follows the orbit of Venus. The discovery is reported in the journal Science on 22nd November 2013, and makes use of observations from NASA’s Read More …

Kirsty Brocklehurst, from Lancaster Girl’s Grammer School, was named winner of the Young Researchers Scheme at the University of Central Lancashire for her intern work at the University over the summer. She was awareded this honour at the intern poster exhibition, where interns presented the results from their summer research Read More …

A team of astronomers, including Victor Debattista, who leads UCLan’s Galaxy Dynamics Group, has shown that the bulge of the Milky Way has an X-shape. While these types of bulges have been seen in other galaxies before, the presence of such a bulge has only recently been confirmed in the Read More …

Leading the first of the PhD student talks, Nicky Agius, a final year student gave a CARD on dust in Early type galaxies. She discussed the various instrumentation and telescopes currently available in two consortia, H-Atlas and GAMA, which she has used to probe the effect of dust. Nicky gave Read More …

This week’s CARD was given by another member of staff, Joanne Bibby, who has been teaching and running outreach at UCLan for the last year, after a stint at the American Museum of National History in New York. Joanne’s research focusses strongly on large surveys of massive stars in nearby, Read More …

Dimitris Stamatellos gave the first CARD this summer to an audience of JHI staff, postgraduates and summer interns. This discussion included a presentation of the work Dimitris has been carrying out with his radiative-hydrodynamic simulations on disc fragmentation and the formation of planetary systems. His clear and concise description of Read More …

Researchers from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have developed a method of tracking solar flare radiation that can be used to warn International Space Station astronauts if harmful radiation is heading their way Solar flares eject large amounts of particle radiation into interplanetary space. This can disrupt satellite technology Read More …

Brad Gibson (UCLan), Gareth Few (Exeter), Daisuke Kawata (MSSL), and Chiaki Kobayashi (Hertfordshire) have been awarded a remarkable 6 million core hours of Tier 1 High Performance Computing time as part of PRACE‘s Extreme Computing Initiative. Their project (GalChem: Galactic Chemodynamics in the Era of Gaia) will allow the generation Read More …

By Professor Paul Murdin In the Foster Building Room FBLT2, on 11th April 2013 at 6pm. The distinguished Professor Paul Murdin will discuss the possibility that life exists elsewhere in the Universe. This is the subject of his latest book “Are We Being Watched?” (Thames & Hudson). Professor Murdin will Read More …

The Jeremiah Horrocks Institute is organising an public evening of observing to view comet PanSTARRS, Jupiter and the Moon at Alston Observatory. The evening will feature short talks from researchers at the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute. Refreshments will be provided. The event takes place Tuesday, 16th April 6pm to 10pm, weather Read More …