Cardiff Physics AS Level Summer Programme 2019

Posted on 1 May 2019 by Chris North

***Deadline Extended: 14th June 2019*** For the third year running we are once again hosting a 3 day non-residential workshop for A/S level students interested in continuing on to Physics degrees. Taking place in Cardiff University School of Physics and Astronomy the workshops will run Tuesday 25 – Thursday 27th June 2019. The event will run 10:00
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Engine Failures to Event Horizons

Posted on 30 April 2019 by Chris North

A roundup of the month’s news from around the Solar System – and beyond. Starting with the Moon, where the first attempt by a privately funded organisation to land on the Moon has ended in a crash-landing. Despite the sad end, the Beresheet mission was otherwise a success, and a promising start for privately funded
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Summer Internships 2019

Posted on 17 April 2019 by Chris North

The School of Physics and Astronomy invites applications from motivated undergraduates for Summer Internship positions. Successful applicants will spend 6-8 weeks in Cardiff working with researchers, staff and students within the school. Further details for each internship, including how to apply, are available on the internship page, or through the links below Michelson Interferometer Interface Design
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Pythagorean Astronomy: flying space-shrapnel and a misbehaving Universe

Posted on 2 April 2019 by Chris North

In December 2018 an object hit the Earth’s atmosphere at over 100,000 kph over the Arctic Ocean, entirely unnoticed, until the orange streak was spotted in satellite imagery. Meanwhile, two missions are currently exploring much larger asteroids – Japan’s Hyabusa-2 mission to Ryugu and NASA’s Osiris-REX mission to Bennu. Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Hopping spacecraft and Rosalind the Rover

Posted on 3 March 2019 by Chris North

Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss the latest events from around the Solar System. Hayabusa 2 has successfully hopped down onto the surface of Ryugu, meanwhile an Israeli lander has been launched to the Moon, where it will also hop about. Further afield, there are new clues to the origin of Neptune’s odd little moon
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Cartwheeling snowmen

Posted on 31 January 2019 by Chris North

Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss the latest events from around the Solar System. At the start of the year, the Chinese Space Agency successfully landed their latest lander (Chang’e 4) on the far side of the Moon. The lander also carried a rover, Yutu 2, which has begun exploring the lunar surface, and a
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Pythagorean Astronomy: 2018 – a year in space

Posted on 30 December 2018 by Chris North

Chris North, Mat Allen and Sarah Roberts discuss the highlights of 2018, and look forward to 2019. From missions to the inner Solar System, landers on Mars, and rovers on asteroids, lots has happened. In 2019, we’re looking forward to New Horizon’s flyby of Ultima Thule out in the Kuiper Belt, more results from the
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The science behind Cardiff’s space-age scanner

Posted on 21 December 2018 by Chris North

A super-sensitive passenger scanner that reveals hidden security threats has been trialled at Cardiff Airport. The walk-through device applies space technology to image human body heat. The result of a collaboration between Sequestim Ltd and Cardiff University scientists, the technology can distinguish between threats and non-threats without the need for passengers to keep still or remove outer clothing. Here, Ken Wood,
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Kepler’s Legacy

Posted on 29 November 2018 by Chris North

Chris North, Sarah Roberts and Matt Smitth discuss the landing of NASA’s Insight probe, which is set to investigate the interior of Mars and search for Mars-quakes. Closer to home, we’re celebrating 20 years of the International Space Station this month. In astrophysics research, Cardiff researchers, including Matt, were involved in a study of exploding
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Changing with the times

Posted on 1 November 2018 by Chris North

Chris North, Sarah Roberts and Mat Allen discuss the launch of Bepi Colombo, which is on its way to study the planet Mercury. Meanwhile, the Hayabusa 2 mission continues its exploration of the asteroid Ryugu, while the Hubble Space Telescope has experienced a problem with its gyros – we discuss what that means for the
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