Dr James O'Donoghue 🪐

On Saturday we hosted a live stream of the fantastic International Observe the Moon Night 2026 event from the University of Reading. If you missed it, not to worry! You can watch it back via the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYcZ...

If you have access to UoR's University Library, take a look at the new 'Imprint Beyond the Class' display celebrating books illustrated by women printmakers at the Reading School of Art including Margaret Webb, Kay Ambrose and other students of the artist Robert Gibbings - on display until Jan 2027

John Flamsteed's fine Atlas Coelestis (1729) (showing the constellation Gemini) from our Henley Parish Library collection appears in the Ure Museum's exhibition 'Divine Travelers: Classical links to Space Exploration' as part of UoR's Observe The Moon Night ourresearch.reading.ac.uk/met-spate/in...

I'm absolutely devastated for colleagues at Jodrell Bank who found out this morning that funding for the UK's e-MERLIN radio telescope array will be terminated. This is a short-sighted move, to save a tiny fraction of the overall UK science budget. #SaveJodrellBank 🔭🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We have a PhD project opportunity starting in September 2026 led by @lukebarnard.bsky.social, supported by me and @mathewjowens.bsky.social It's on Solar Wind - Magnetosphere Coupling at the Giant Planets. Deadline is June 12th. You can apply here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

🔭 The AAS Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) has named its prize winners for 2026. Congratulations to Mark Marley, Catherine Neish, Tad Komacek, Ali Bramson, Casey Dreier, Jack Kiraly, James O’Donoghue, and Robin George Andrews! aas.org/posts/news/2...

I'm happy to share that I've been awarded the 2026 Carl Sagan Medal! As someone who has enjoyed investing lots of time in communicating science, and as an enormous fan of the work of Dr. Sagan, this means a great deal to me. Big thank you to my colleagues! www.reading.ac.uk/news/2026/Un...

Looking for a PhD position in solar system science? Consider coming to work with me, @interplanetary.bsky.social and @mathewjowens.bsky.social! We have a project on Solar Wind - Magnetosphere Coupling at the Giant Planets. www.findaphd.com/phds/project... #heliophysics#aurora#spaceweather

To the Moon and back. What a phrase to be able to say in our lifetime.

My take on a Universe Size Comparison. On and off, this took several months to make! Check it out of you have 10 minutes and be sure to put your 🎧 on for the full experience youtu.be/2D9vHQOaauM (New and improved, reupload!)

Artemis II is scheduled to launch on Wednesday evening.

We have a PhD opportunity at the University of Reading focused on analysing Jupiter and Saturn auroral observations! Title: Investigating Earth-like responses to the Solar Wind in Gas Giant Upper Atmospheres Supervisor: me! Full description/application portal: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Thanks to everyone who has joined us in person and online for our Early Careers Event. 👏 It's been a hugely successful day! This afternoon saw several speakers, including @interplanetary.bsky.social and Dr Affelia Wibisono, talking about their experiences in science communication. 🪐🔭🗣️

Most forecast centres (including us!) got that first CME arrival bang on. The big differences are for the subsequent CMEs. SPWC predict >1400 km/s at Earth. HUXt around 850-950 km/s. It must be different assessments of the CME initial speeds; the models themselves aren't that different.

Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays #OTD in 1895 when he noticed that emanations from a Crookes tube caused a platino-barium screen to fluoresce. The rays exposed photographic plates but were blocked by bone and metal. This early plate shows his wife's hand. 🧪 ⚛️ Image: Wellcome Trust

Light speed is fast, but space is vast...

In somewhat terrifying but hopefully positive personal news, I've decided to purchase an extremely expensive 10x10 booth in the exhibit hall at the American Geophysical Union meeting in December. I'll be selling my gemstone and wire jewelry and art. I hope you'll come find me there.

This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings

Lunar Eclipse - An hour after rising! #astronomy #astrophotography @stormhour.com @photohour.bsky.social

Worst video ever, but go check out the lunar eclipse going on right now 🙂

Good luck UK Lunar Eclipse hunters. The Moon rises in the east in one hour!

Join us for International Observe The Moon Night in-person (registration required) or online!🔭 Held and organized by the @uniofreading.bsky.social alongside Reading Astronomical Society, @royalastrosoc.bsky.social, Troodos Observatory (Cyprus) and supported by STFC www.reading.ac.uk/news/2025/Un...

August 5 was a whole millisecond shorter. Strap in for the full explanation.

It's about time that I wrote this: theconversation.com/why-on-earth...

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Tiny black dot on Saturn. Early this morning, I photographed a rather rare astronomical event, a shadow transit of Saturn’s largest moon Titan across its parent planet. This is a composite of two frames. Questar telescope /Olympus camera. Observed from metro Chicago. #astrophotography

Our global petition to save NASA science closes this Thursday, and we’re just shy of 15,000 signatures! Every name counts, this petition will be hand-delivered to members of Congress. Add yours today, Save NASA Science. planet.ly/petition

The auroral oval seen from space during the early morning on June 1 - captured by the NOAA-21 satellite flying over North America

Update on the ongoing geomagnetic storm: the main magnetic core of the 31 May #solarstorm has arrived at Earth starting around 1 June 12 UTC, BUT it is one of those kinds that are VERY unfavorable for #aurora - the field is entirely northward and very likely to remain so for the next few hours.

Looks like that fast CME is here already, about 2.5 hours before our predicted window. Funnily enough, we've *just* worked out why fast CMEs are often earlier than predicted and will be rolling this into the forecast soon! agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

The WH proposes $6 billion cut in NASA budget, an overall 24% reduction from previous year – and a shocking 47% cut in funding for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate [reductions to to NASA’s fleet of spacecraft already in space, or proposed], an extinction-level event for the Earth & space sciences.

There's a fast CME heading into some fast solar wind and some pre-existing slower CMEs. We're currently putting arrival at noon-to-midnight tomorrow, but this forecast may change as more observations become available. Updates here: research.reading.ac.uk/met-spate/hu...

Please, please, please contact your representatives. Jobs like mine are on the line. 🔭🧪☄️ www.planetary.org/save-nasa-sc...

BREAKING: The president's budget request just hit Congress, which could usher in a dark age for NASA space science. Congress has the final say, but you can help shape the outcome by adding your name to our global petition. This is just the start of our fight. Sign the petition: planet.ly/petition

The NASA planetary science fleet chart if the president’s budget is enacted.

NEW: Mars, like any world with an atmosphere, has aurora—but they’re ultraviolet, invisible to the human eye. Scientists wondered if visible, green, aurora did exist though. And thanks to Percy the rover, they’ve finally seen them! 🤩 Me @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/s...

We’ve just had the largest #SolarFlare of 2025! Is the Sun waking up? Newly appeared active region AR 14087 has been very active today, producing an X2.7-class event (alongside two other M-class flares) in the past 12 hours. This region will rotate to face Earth in coming days.

With the Trump administration's proposed budget we could be saying goodbye to long-planned space missions, new weather satellites, and crucial life-saving treatments. 🧪🔭 www.iflscience.com/trump-admini...

Tonight's Moon, still in waxing crescent mode at 42.9%, looking great in a clear London sky! #astronomy #astrophotography @stormhour.com @photohour.bsky.social