Trifid nebula (top right) and the Lagoon nebula

Rubin Observatory reveals first images

23 Jun 2025

The Vera C Rubin Observatory, a new scientific facility that will bring the night sky to life like never before using the largest camera ever built, has revealed its ‘first look’ images at the start of its 10-year survey of the cosmos.

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The image shows a deep galaxy field, featuring thousands of galaxies of various shapes and sizes

Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

20 Jun 2025

Understanding how the universe transitioned from darkness to light with the formation of the first stars and galaxies is a key turning point in the universe’s development, known as the Cosmic Dawn. However, even with the most powerful telescopes, we can’t directly observe these earliest stars, so determining their properties is one of the biggest challenges in astronomy.

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Growth Minister opens Cambridge's Ray Dolby Centre

12 May 2025

Lord Spencer Livermore, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Minister for Growth, visited Cambridge to officially open the Ray Dolby Centre – a state-of-the-art facility that will redefine the future of physics research and innovation in the UK.

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Milecastle 39 on Hadrian's Wall

Extreme drought contributed to barbarian invasion of late Roman Britain, tree-ring study reveals

17 Apr 2025

Three consecutive years of drought contributed to the ‘Barbarian Conspiracy’, a pivotal moment in the history of Roman Britain, a new Cambridge-led study reveals. Researchers argue that Picts, Scotti and Saxons took advantage of famine and societal breakdown caused by an extreme period of drought to inflict crushing blows on weakened Roman defences in 367 CE. While Rome eventually restored order, some historians argue that the province never fully recovered.

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