UKATC News

News

UK ATC apprentice wins Rising Star Award
Luca Milan celebrated his win at the Daresbury Laboratory and UK ATC Apprenticeship Awards.
First phase of conservation project at Royal Observatory Edinburgh completed
Windows in Copeland House have been replaced, improving thermal performance in this listed building.
AtLAST unveils new brochure highlighting the science outcomes of its innovative design study
AtLAST (Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope) has launched a new brochure providing an overview of the project’s objectives, methodologies and anticipated impacts.
JWST discovers first young brown dwarfs outside the Milky Way
New images and data from NGC 602 offer new insights into how stars and planets formed.
Edinburgh space testing facility relaunches after major investment
The Higgs Centre for Innovation is relaunching after upgrading its capabilities with new state-of-the art clean rooms and advanced testing equipment.
MOONS Blog – building astronomy instruments that operate below subzero
Mechanical Engineer Jonathan Strachan talks us through some of the complex design and engineering required on a large-scale scientific instrument like MOONS.
Royal Observatory Edinburgh celebrates another successful Doors Open Days
This year we welcomed over 2,700 people to the site across over the weekend.
The largest infrared map of our Galaxy has been completed
VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) in Chile, has successfully mapped over 1.5 billion objects in the Milky Way.
Doors Open Days at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh is back on 28 & 29 September 2024
Go behind the scenes at the Royal Observatory, UK ATC, University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Astronomy and the Higgs Centre for Innovation.
New Director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre announced
Professor Christophe Dumas will follow in the footsteps of Professor Gillian Wright CBE.
Further funding for AtLAST announced
EU has pledged funding for the next 3.5 years of the post-design study phase.
UK ATC apprentice wins Edinburgh College award
Congratulations to Luca Millan on winning Apprentice of the Year (SVQ2 Performing Engineering Operations – Manufacturing and Maintenance).
MOONS update – successful software assessment testing
MOONS reaches another important stage before shipping to Chile.
UK ATC on BBC’s Sky at Night
STFC Webb Fellow Dr Olivia Jones discussed Supernova 1987A with presenter Chris Lintott.
MIRI data reveals that star is actually twins
JWST and ALMA offer new insights into WL 20S.
NASA recognises UK ATC staff for their work on the James Webb Space Telescope
JWST Instrument Commissioning Team received the NASA Honor Award (Group) Silver Achievement Medal.
ESO signs agreement for ANDES instrument on the ELT
UK ATC will lead the design and construction of the near-infrared spectrograph on ANDES.
New insights into Orion Nebula
JWST used to study the formation and evolution of stars, planets and their chemical composition.
UK ATC team to start work on world’s largest telescope
Engineers receive green light to begin manufacturing METIS for the Extremely Large Telescope.
MOONS update – vibration tests successfully completed
Instrument passes vital stage in Preliminary Acceptance Europe process.
Researchers use MIRI to map weather on exoplanet 280 light years from Earth
NASA and ESA have released details of new research using JWST to study the weather on hot gas-giant WASP-43 b.
MIRI image of the Horsehead Nebula
Detailed infrared images of iconic nebula captured by JWST.
MOONS energy chain wins Golden Vector Award
Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of Lisbon receives award from igus for ‘most spectacular energy chain application’.
MOONS update - end-to-end testing of science configurations with FPUs
MOONS front end systems integrated and tested in science operations scenarios.
Royal Observatory Edinburgh to host Royal Astronomical Society meeting
Specialist Discussion meeting “Exploring the Universe with future UV facilities” on Friday 12 April.
JWST image of I Zwicky 18
NIRCam captures details of starburst regions in this dwarf galaxy.
MOONS update - fully populated instrument cooled to 40 Kelvin and controlled with final software
MOONS reaches important stage on road to Chile.
International Women’s Day at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Women from across UK ATC, the Institute for Astronomy and ROE celebrate IWD.
New research using JWST and ALMA shows massive stars shape entire planetary systems
Astronomers discover radiation plays more important role in solar system formation than previously thought.
Astronomers find first strong evidence of neutron star at centre of Supernova 1987A
After over 35 years of study JWST data provides new information on what’s at the heart of SN 1987A.
Scottish Affairs Committee visits UK ATC and Higgs Centre
MPs visited Edinburgh as part of the inquiry into Science and Scotland.
Blog - LEGO and astronomy
Systems Engineers Martin Black explains why LEGO is a useful tool to help engineers, designers and public engagement.
ESA gives go-ahead for flagship gravitational-wave observatory in space
LISA mission advances to the construction phase.
Spectacular MIRI image of nebula N79
Star-forming region of Large Magellanic Cloud captured by JWST.
Former UK ATC Director Ian Robson receives prestigious Service Award from the Royal Astronomical Society
Each year, the RAS recognises significant achievements in the fields of astronomy and geophysics.
Blog - SKAO Programme Increment (PI) Planning Week
Software Engineer Thaddeus Kenny was recently in Rome to collaborate with software teams from around the world working on the SKAO.
Royal Astronomical Society acknowledges MIRI Team's contribution to James Webb Space Telescope
Team received Group Achievement Award in honour of their work on JWST.
Celebrating two years since JWST launched
We relive the successful launch of this amazing space mission on Christmas Day 2021.
AtLAST and first instances of SKAO Sensitivity Calculators released
UK ATC develops new software tools for astronomers.
MIRI reveals that planets may form in harsher conditions than previously thought
New insights into rocky-planet-forming regions of disks in the Lobster Nebula.
Former directors discuss their time at UK ATC
As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we caught up with previous UK ATC Directors to find out more about the history of the organisation.
Accretion disc detected in another galaxy for the first time
Using ALMA scientists have observed an accretion disc in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
UK Astronomy Technology Centre celebrates 25 years of innovation
UK ATC celebrates 25th anniversary
UK ATC apprentice wins Impact Award
Eilidh Fraser celebrated her win at the Daresbury Laboratory and UK ATC Apprenticeship Awards.
JWST detects water vapour, sulfur dioxide and sand clouds on nearby exoplanet
MIRI offers insights into atmosphere of WASP-107b.
MOONS update - Fibre Positioning Module connected to Rotating Front End
After almost 1000 Fibre Positioning Units have been secured in place project reaches major milestone.
JWST provides insights into origins of the Crab Nebula
New MIRI and NIRCam image of this supernova remnant.
JWST detects quartz crystals in clouds of WASP-17 b
Silica partciles detected on an exoplanet for the first time using MIRI.
New MIRI image of NCG 346
Filaments of dust and gas revealed in this new infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Nature features study on Herbig-Haro 211
October issue of Nature features a spectacular image from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Another successful Doors Open Days at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh
This year’s event was another big success with almost 2,500 visitors over the weekend.
New MIRI image of M51
Stunning JWST image of spiral galaxy M51 released by NASA, ESA and CSA
Launch of space mission to map the evolution of the Universe
The Euclid Space Telescope has successfully launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Higgs Centre for Innovation marks £10 million in investment
Tech start-ups at the business incubation centre have secured over £10 million in investment, and created 100 jobs since it opened in 2018.
UK ATC's Gillian Wright awarded Caroline Herschel Medal
UK ATC Director is first UK recipient of this pretigious award.
Webb reveals new details on how stars formed in the early Universe
Studies on the Small Magellanic Cloud have revealed new insights into star and planet formation.
Blog - ERIS installed at the Very Large Telescope in Chile
Instrument Scientist William Taylor travelled to the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert, to ensure the instrument was operating as anticipated.
James Webb Space Telescope reveals cosmic ‘fingerprint’ in space
A new image shows at least 17 dust rings created by a rare type of star and its companion, locked in a celestial dance.