Hannah Wakeford

BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science A weekly programme looking at the science that's changing our world.

Listeners to Radio 4’s Inside Science today get an essay from me in defence of astronomy as pure research. Please listen in and let me know what you think.

Show starts 4.30pm GMT here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Early-career researchers are rightly worried about the road ahead, and have drafted an open letter to UKRI & #STFC, calling for a "strategic correction" to avoid irreversible loss of curiosity-driven UK research - an essential part of future discoveries, tech, & growth. bsky.app/profile/si-w...

Just won with my old trivia team and got three shout outs from the awesome host. It feels good to be back. #OceanBoat

Funding piece Modern astronomy is full of marvels. In recent years we have rejoiced in the success of the James Webb Space Telescope, and been puzzled by the surprisingly vibrant early Universe it is showing us. We...

I've updated my post on the funding crisis heading for British astronomy: docs.google.com/document/d/1.... UKRI made clear that astro and particle physics are being subject to unique cuts due to rising costs elsewhere. This looks like a deliberate decision not to fund fundamental physics. 🔭 🧪

i love Becky Chambers. re-read the wayfarer series just recently. I like the galaxy and the ground within the best I think but they are all great character pieces.

Question: Do I re-read the first two Percy Jackson’s to cleanse myself of the atrocious decisions made in the Disney+ series, or keep going through discworld for the millionth time?
I guess I could also read something new but I have a cold and need comfort reading right now.

Illustration of the JWST mirror on a space background with different space images in each segment

STScI has released the timeline for the #JWST Cycle 6 Call for Proposals. The proposal deadline is September 30, 2026. Read more: ow.ly/U5vL50Y6AOr

This is devastating. The skills that astronomers learn are invaluable to society, many going into industry, the civil service, science communication, … such drastic cuts will have terrible consequences in the long run.

Wow congratulation. I was hoping to get you to Bristol for a panel at Easter but I see you have awesome life plans! Very well deserved.

Explore the cosmos at the RWA 🪐🚀

We've partnered with the Royal West of England Academy to today launch a new exhibition 'Cosmos: the art of observing Space', which explores the documentation of celestial mechanics by artists deeply inspired by observations of space.

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BOWIE-ALIGN: Sub-solar C/O ratio and metallicity atmosphere of the misaligned hot Jupiter HAT-P-30b We present the JWST NIRSpec/G395H transmission spectrum of the misaligned hot Jupiter HAT-P-30b from 2.8--5.2 $μ$m as part of the BOWIE-ALIGN survey, a comparative survey designed to probe the link be...

A great paper examining the hot Jupiter HAT-P-30b, lead by final-year PhD student Alastair Claringbold (@exoarcturus.bsky.social), as a part of the BOWIE ALIGN program. The program aims to understand how migration history impacts atmosphere composition. #exoplanets

www.arxiv.org/abs/2601.13104

Science Showoff January 2026 Science Showoff is the chaotic science comedy show where your favourite comedians, favourite scientists and favourite friends get to be silly about serious stuff. Join a carefully-curated lineup of ...

A reminder that I and a bunch of awesome people are doing stand-up about science in Kings Cross on the 28th. This will be excellent. Tickets here: wegottickets.com/event/684234.

Bach, the Universe & Everything: Exotic Exoplanets - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment We begin the new year with vigorous resolve with 'Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit' (BWV 111), inspired by the story of the faithful centurion.

Excited to be heading to London on January 25th for a concert of sorts at King's Place Theatre near Kings Cross for "Bach the Universe and Everything" Where I will be talking about exoplanets and their exotic clouds 🪐🌦️ interspersed with music from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment!

A High-Resolution NUV Transmission Spectrum of KELT-9b: Mg II and Fe II Escaping from the Hottest Known Giant Planet We present high-resolution NUV observations from Hubble Space Telescope's (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) data for the hottest known gas planet, KELT-9b. Observations were collected ...

ICYMI: Over the winter holidays, my student's paper on KELT-9b was accepted: arxiv.org/abs/2512.19662!

With the Hubble Space Telescope's STIS instrument, we find enormous escape of metal ions from the hottest hot Jupiter, KELT-9b! 🪐🔭💫

🚨 Important announcement 🚨

Are you a @royalastrosoc.bsky.social Fellow, science communicator, educator, student or member of a local astronomical society? We need your help!

We'll be holding a one-day #RASreach event for Education and Outreach in Manchester on Friday 27 March.

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Read this message and in a rush have just taken all of the Christmas decorations down. That was a close one! would have been bad luck and they would have had to stay up til Feb 2nd otherwise 😬

Damn I got Moribund too! was hoping for something nice to bring up the mood not one to confirms it 😕

Fully funded opportunity for bachelors and masters students to come work at MPIA in summer 2026!

Terrarium in a large rectangular fish tank. The moss and gravel is made to look like the forest moon of Endor from Star Wars and a small model of an Ewok and R2D2 are in the foreground

Got a wonderful gift from a former postdoc today! A terrarium based on The forest moon of Endor complete with its own little Ewok & R2D2 😁

The tank was previously used on BBC The Sky at Night to demonstrate optical depth in a planetary atmosphere. A happy repurposing & joyful addition to my office

Desk with spotlight lamp, microphone and camera set up for filming.

Doing some filming for a potential project this morning. I always get so nervous before filming things. The more prep for something there is the more nervous I become. Very much more comfortable with the hit and hope method. But nevertheless here we go!

As ever, we'll be doing a foodbank collection at Nine Lessons this year. The list of most urgently needed items are at cosmicshambles.com/ninelessons CC @robinince.bsky.social, @soozuk.bsky.social, @nataliehaynes.bsky.social, @seismatters.bsky.social, @profaliceroberts.bsky.social

Next Thursday night is the first night of Nine Lessons 2025. It's also when we will announce the secret project we've been working on for the last four years. Make sure you're in your seats by 7! www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/nin...

Work from @danvalentine.bsky.social !

🪐 The #ExoMars team at the University has welcomed the UK Space Agency’s renewed backing for the Rosalind Franklin rover mission, a flagship project that will see Europe’s first Mars rover launch in 2028.

🖱️ tinyurl.com/d3m5ysah

@esa.int
@ukspaceagency.bsky.social
@abercompsci.bsky.social

Goes with their long proud tradition of running red lights

Large iron ship docked along Bristol Quay. The name Balmoral can be seen in yellow letters along the front

At the wonderful venue of the Balmoral ship docked in Bristol Quay to preset to the Bristol Science Cafe. A great team of volunteers on the ship and the science cafes lead Bob who has been running this for over 2 decades bring science to Bristolian life. #exoplanets #scicomm

This weekend we headed to London for the world premiere of @robertlaidlow.bsky.social’s #Exoplanet suite. The London Philharmonic Orchestra were on fine form bring the amazing worlds we study to life. So grateful to have been a tiny part of the journey. Check out Rob describing the piece 👇 #sciart

Check out this awesome talk by @danvalentine.bsky.social all about his research showing how the @esa.int Ariel mission could perform the most extraordinary phase curve survey to teach us all about #exoplanets
#proudAdvisor #astronomy #science

Sheku Kanneh-Mason Plays Bloch | Southbank Centre

In this video I explain how @stellarplanet.bsky.social and @climatebook.bsky.social research into these classes of planets inspired and informed some of the music.

The concert premiere of "Exoplanets" is at 7.30pm on Saturday 29th November at the Royal Festival Hall in London - tickets here:

YouTube video by London Philharmonic Orchestra Robert Laidlow on Exoplanets

Holst's planets suite may have its famous "Jupiter" and "Neptune", but my new "Exoplanets" for @lporchestra.bsky.social has HOT Jupiters and SUB Neptunes 🪐🪐🪐 (Saturday 29th at 7.30pm!)

youtu.be/kXi3TbD4_VA?...