Andy Lawrence
Active Galaxy Nut and Space Environmentalist.
Read Losing The Sky at Amazon, Apple Books, or Google Play.
More grooviness at https://andyxlastro.me
- this letter is very well written, with all the right points... pure research is not just a diversion, it is an enabling infrastructure
- 🔊 Calling UK early career researches in astro, particle & nuclear physics. Please sign this open response to the proposed cuts at STFC ⚛️🧪🔭 "Protecting the UK's reputation as a science superpower requires not only investment, but continuity, confidence, and people" ✍️ ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
- Excellent guest post on Telescoper's blog about the UK astronomy funding crisis, by George Efstathiou. I added a comment. The core problem is "STFC governance structure" - we are being squeezed by being in bed with the national labs #astronomy telescoper.blog/2026/02/06/t...
- Bad. I used to consult this everytime I travelled somewhere new… Maybe MI6 can step up :(
- World FactBook has been taken offline. No doubt the DOGE boys think we can all just ask AI or Grokipedia whatever we or our students might need to know, because who needs reliable info anyway... 😒 simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/5/t... #SSChat #AcademicSky 🗺️🗃️🍎📚
- sigh
- #astronomy UK funding panic: reading Chapman UKRI open letter its clear what we have is the classic stuff "overheating" problem. So the issue is where the course-correction hits: facilities, projects or grants? Where has the problem been *caused*? www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
- My sea rower wife @emmalawrence.bsky.social has pointed out that spring tide lags the full moon by a day or two. I feel like I should know why… basic #astronomy
- Just realised you can daisy chain XLR cables. Made my day. Don’t mock me. I’m new at the recording game
- eek
- The Royal Astronomical Society is gravely concerned at the drastic cuts to support for UK astronomy outlined by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Read our statement 👉 ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
- Reposted by Andy Lawrence[Not loaded yet]
- An excellent summary by @startswithabang.bsky.social about the horror that is Reflect Orbital #astronomy Been out for a while but only just spotted it! bigthink.com/starts-with-...
- Frustrating cloudy Aurora night here in Porty, but at least I saw the amazing pictures from Lagganlia! #astronomy #SYTN @astroroyalscot.bsky.social
- How beautiful! Our temporary home at Lamraig, Berneray. Giving a talk at the Taigh Chearsabhaig art centre in a few hours
- We live in the future. I lift up my portable communicator and take a picture of stars, a planet, and a gas cloud making new stars, as well as water vapour in the Earth’s atmosphere. Oh and my neighbour’s windows. (Castor, Pollux, Jupiter, Orion, and the atmosphere above Portobello)
- Gearing up for a trip to North Uist to give a talk at the exhibition "Metaphysical Cosmologies" by the very wonderful Meg Rodger. Online attendance welcome www.taigh-chearsabhagh.org/events/metap...
- ARfS No. 1, Reg Prof No. 2, so the academic ancestor of both myself and @astroroyalscot.bsky.social
- Just realised. The literary obsession of Victorian Britain with crime, poverty, aristocratic decadence, and moral ambiguity, peaked in a few short years. 1886: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; 1887: A Study in Scarlet; 1888 the real Jack the Ripper murders and media frenzy; 1890: The Picture of Dorian Gray.
- This one isn’t a selfie. Upper Belvedere, Vienna
- I have never seen a queue like this for a hot dog stand. Must be v.good.
- Well I did manage a bit of R&R in the end. Vienna Rathaus mit der grosse Christkindlmarkt
- The title of this conference on Dark Skies is “collaborating with industry to share the wealth of the sky”. Well. Yes. That keyword “wealth” must encourage our commercial chums… #astronomy
- Selfie demanded by @astroroyalscot.bsky.social who of course I obey in all things
- The UN it seems is obsessed with arcs
- Look Mum I’m at the UN
- Queue to get in to a misty UN building
- arriving at UN Vienna for conference on Dark and Quiet Skies.. don’t worry they said, we have your photo in our database.. but err… that ain’t me…
- FAO @ghurford.bsky.social and @astroroyalscot.bsky.social here is the movie where you can see (amongst other things) me spending the night on Guajara with Brian May #astronomy www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/det...
- Check out the latest Supermassive podcast episode, about Dark Skies and all them pesky satellites. With Izzie Clarke, @drbecky.bsky.social, @robertmassey.bsky.social, yours truly, and @sundogplanets.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy, aka Sam Lawler. Then lobby your MP. shows.acast.com/the-supermas...