Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans

@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor of Astrophysics, Edinburgh University. Author of How to Design a Universe. (She/her)

21.1K followers896 following4.5K posts

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

I spent 2 months researching/planning/writing my ERC StG application back in 2009, and 2 months again for my ERC CG in 2014. It was necessary to carve out that time to deeply think about why/what/how. I am so pained that so many postdocs are now farming that crucial learning experience off to AI. 😔

European Research Council (ERC)@erc.europa.eu

🎢 We are seeing a record 7710 proposals – a 60.4% increase since 2026 – for ERC Starting Grants in 2027. ⚛️ Physical Sciences & Engineering proposals are most numerous (43%), followed by Social Sciences & Humanities (29%), and Life Sciences (28%). 🔗 link.europa.eu/d3J8Jw 🧪 #AcademicSky

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

🔊New gig at super fancy venue alert! #Dundee, Nov 10th, I'll be at The McManus with 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿artist Gillian Eilidh O'Mara for an in-conversation event about how science, art and storytelling help us explore the Universe and find our place within it. 🔭 🎟️: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/designing-...

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

The wonderful & exceptionally talented 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿artist, Gillian Eilidh O'Mara (insta @light.on.the.sea), has created "this imagined corner of the cosmos" after having her "entire mind blown open" by my book. I'm absolutely blown away: all the love, joy and wonder I poured into the book, in a single picture.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Here's a lovely wee reel the fine folk at #Aberdeen Science Centre put together about my new role as their Patron. Who do you think is having more fun - me or the kids? 😂 #scicomm 👩‍🔬🔭🧪🎢 📹: AV One Solutions

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

The fine folk at the awesome #Aberdeen Science Centre invited me to become their Patron, with a focus on promoting science and public engagement. I said "when do I start!" 🤗 It's a fantastic day out - do come visit some time! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #scicomm 🎢🔭 aberdeenbusinessnews.co.uk/astronomer-r...

aberdeenbusinessnews.co.ukAstronomer Royal for Scotland appointed as first patron of Aberdeen Science Centre - Aberdeen Business NewsAberdeen Science Centre has appointed The Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor Catherine Heymans, as its first Patron of Science and Engagement.
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

And Lift Off! A glorious launch of #MMX, the start of an amazingly awesome 5 yr round trip to Mars' moon Phobos. 1yr to get there, 3yrs exploration landing on the surface (twice), then 1yr to get home with the bounty (2tbls of Phobos dust), arriving in the Australian outback in 2031! 🥳🔭🧪🛰️🚀

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

JAXA Rocket launch to Mars imminent! 🍿: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn6g...

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

All eyes on Tanegashima today for the 20:41 (⏰UK) #MMX launch to Mars' moon #Phobos! Getting an idea of scale for 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Radio: the spacecraft ≈ the size of a car, Phobos ≈ the size of the Isle of Arran, and the MMX rover ≈ the size of your carry-on suitcase. 🤩 🍿: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn6g...

youtube.comLaunch live streaming of Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)/H3 Launch Vehicle flight No.10(English)YouTube video by JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構
Elizabeth Tasker@elizabethtasker.bsky.social

Official launch decision based on the weather assessment this morning was a GO 🚀! #MMXLIFTOFF in 17 hours! October 20 at 04:41:03 JST

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Fab 1st day at #NewScientistLive. Absolutely brilliant astro talks from @chanda.blacksky.app & @chrislintott.bsky.social and I even managed to fangirl Helen Sharman (astronaut) to tell her about the time she visited my school and changed my life. She is the nicest person in the world ever 🤗🔭

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

🔊Alright #London! Some Queens & Kings from BlueSky 🔭Astro are coming to visit y'all next week! #NewScientistLive 😎 Sa 10 Oct: @chanda.blacksky.app & @chrislintott.bsky.social 😎 Su 11 Oct: @dreochapman.bsky.social, @jimalkhalili.bsky.social et moi 🤗 ℹ️: live.newscientist.com/2026-talks-p...

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans reposted

Chris Lintott
@chrislintott.bsky.social

As expected, the Prime Minister's promise to sort out the mess of funding for Jodrell actually meant nothing - it seems the government would like it to be some sort of heritage theme park when you can go and see where we used to do science. 🔭

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

'The University of Manchester is seeking alternative funding sources to keep scientific work at Jodrell Bank going after hearing that lost UK Research and Innovation funding would not be restored despite interventions by the prime minister.'

timeshighereducation.comManchester seeks alternative Jodrell funds despite Burnham pledgeUniversity exploring new revenue streams to continue important scientific research at site, as astronomers remain concerned about the future of facility
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Extremely loud squeals of excitement chez-Heymans.... that is the actual CERN Director General holding a copy of my book in front of the actual LHC tunnel 🥰 🤩 Huge thanks to @pippawells.bsky.social for taking the book on a little site tour before it joins its friends on the CERN library shelves 🙏⚛️🔭

Pippa Wells@pippawells.bsky.social

@astroroyalscot.bsky.social your fabulous book has made it to the CERN library. We took it to see a plaque commemorating the invention of the WWW by Tim Berners-Lee, and by sheer luck also bumped into CERN Director General, Mark Thomson.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans reposted

Rubin LSST:UK
@lsstuk.bsky.social

"I have to emphasise how lucky I was. Because when we started this project, everybody realised this was maybe a good idea, but very few thought it would work, including myself." A wonderfully modest quote from Nobel Prize winning Prof Francis Halzen. 🔭 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk'Ghost particles' from space telescope wins 2026 Nobel Prize in PhysicsBelgian physicist Prof Francis Halzen has won for his pioneering work on an observatory that detects particles from space.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans reposted

Dr Lori-Ann Foley
@lafoley.bsky.social

And finished! This is a really great book that explains the physics so well — easy to understand for all levels. An interesting and fun read. (I lol’ed when the programming chapter started with CH saying she wasn’t old enough to have ever used computer cards … but I am and did 👵 😆)

Dr Lori-Ann Foley@lafoley.bsky.social

Back from holiday and all caught up so I popped How to Design a Universe by @astroroyalscot.bsky.social on to my book stand. I’m 50 pages in after the first reading session. Lovely explanations of the physics, whatever your level. Can’t wait to find out if I live in a simulation. 😀

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

As arXiv announces a new submission rate limit policy, I refer anyone who is up in arms about it to👇Hogg 2026👇. I'm so confused who would want to submit so much slop? For me (both writing and hiring) it's always been about quality over quantity, every single time. 🧪⚛️ blog.arxiv.org/2026/10/01/u...

blog.arxiv.orgFair Moderation, Equitable Access, and AI: arXiv’s Updated Rate Limit PolicyarXiv, and the scientific community at large, are facing a watershed moment. Scholarly publishing is currently changing at a rapid pace, and we are seeing a…
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Let me recommend grabbing a cup of tea & reading this really thoughtful piece from the inimitable @hogg.bsky.social on moderating AI/LLM use in astrophysics. 🔭 "the real question we face is not ... how we do astrophysics. It is the question of why we do astrophysics." 📖: arxiv.org/pdf/2602.10181

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Just heading off to meet P6 of Hillside Primary in Aberdeen this morning. I'll be helping them get ready for tonight's 100hours stargazing challenge. Amazingly the weather Gods appear to be on our side with clear skies forecast up North tonight!🤞🔭 👇Join in with stargazers across the entire globe!

Jenny Shipway@jennyshipway.bsky.social

✨ ONE DAY to go! ✨ Join us for a 100-Hour global stargazing marathon. Pop outside during the event and complete our beginners' stargazing challenges to put your markers on the map 🤩 📌 See how many people have already registered their locations in advance at 100hours.online - is your town there? 👀

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

It's been 7 months since I gave evidence at the UKGov select committee hearing, on the policy changes at UKRI which have had a catastrophic impact on funding for UK astronomy and particle physics. When asked if we thought we were the "canary in the coal mine", we said yes..... we weren't wrong. 🧪🔭⚛️

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social

MRC success rates drop sharply after grants overhaul. Warnings of “catastrophic” impact on medical researchers as some rates fall below 5 per cent. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

researchprofessionalnews.comMRC success rates drop sharply after grants overhaul - Research Professional NewsWarnings of “catastrophic” impact on medical researchers as some rates fall below 5 per cent
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

🥳 Alfredo has finished the book & he liked it ☺️ On pitching the idea, most replied "could you write a book about just the things you're the expert on, you know Dark Matter - Lean more into the traditional pop-sci genre?" So glad Bloomsbury allowed me to write and style the book I wanted to read!🙏

Dr Alfredo Carpineti@drcarpineti.bsky.social

A truly great, accessible and fun book from @astroroyalscot.bsky.social - if you have ever wonder if we live in a simulation and want to learn about a lot science, this is the book for you!

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

One additional 'quick fact': if your name is John, the Nobel committee is twice as likely to award you the Prize for Physics, compared to scientists who are female - Number of physics prizes to a John: 10 - Number of female physics Nobel laureates: 5 Best wishes to all the John-hopefuls this yr 👩‍🔬⚛️

Nobel Prize@nobelprize.org

The announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physics is happening in one week – and we'll be breaking the news live at nobelprize.org. Quick facts: - Number of physics prizes: 119 - Individuals awarded the physics prize: 229 - Youngest laureate: 25 - Oldest laureate: 96 - Double physics laureates: 1

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

I got sent a lump of concrete in the post the other day, with a handwritten message "Is this of interest?" Ha! Take that AI, and your farm of AI-slop! The astronomer royal still gets real mail from lovely people and I'm so delighted they still want to share their mad wonderful weird world with me 🤗

Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social

I miss getting radical theories of cosmology in mad pamphlets via the post. Now it's all AI-generated email offering me the chance to coauthor the manuscript of the century or - this seems new - insisting I make time to meet with the author to discuss their ideas.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

🔊Calling #Aberdeen #Elgin & #Inverness: I am heading North to come see y'all. There'll be grown-up book talks + school visits on route! Come & say hello. 🔭🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎢 📘Th 1st: Aberdeen Science Centre 📗Fr 2nd: Moray Astronomy Club 📙Sa 3rd: Inverness Science in the Atrium ℹ️: www.roe.ac.uk/~heymans/H2D...

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

Here are all my tour dates (spit out my tea - yes I am going on actual "tour" 😲 - do I get to print a ti-shirt?). There will be planetarium shows, science talks and in-conversation events! Come and say hello some time! www.roe.ac.uk/~heymans/H2D...

roe.ac.ukHow to Design a Universe: EventsJoin Catherine Heymans, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, at events across the UK celebrating her new book, How to Design a Universe: The Science of Real and Virtual Worlds.
Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

The wonderful & exceptionally talented 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿artist, Gillian Eilidh O'Mara (insta @light.on.the.sea), has created "this imagined corner of the cosmos" after having her "entire mind blown open" by my book. I'm absolutely blown away: all the love, joy and wonder I poured into the book, in a single picture.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans
@astroroyalscot.bsky.social

I absolutely love the idea of everyone across the world, looking up at the cosmos, together. Join in the international fun for 100 hours of stargazing! The challenges start this Thursday! 🔭🎢🧪⚛️ ℹ️: 100hours.online

Jenny Shipway@jennyshipway.bsky.social

FIVE days to go! People across the world will be looking up at the starry skies 1-4 October for '100 Hours of Astronomy'. Take a short break, step outside, and join us at 100hours.online to complete four simple stargazing challenges and put a marker on your town or city of our UK/Ireland map.