This simultaneous view of cause and effect has never been done before, and promises to tell us a lot about how the Sun and Earth interact, helping a research field known as space weather.
Details:
Launching in spring 2026, SMILE is going to take X-ray images of the region of near Earth space where the solar wind first encounters the Earth's magnetic field. SMILE will also take pictures of the northern hemisphere aurora, using an ultraviolet camera.
Picture illustartes SMILE's operations. SMILE! Taking the first pictures of the magnetosphere Dr Jenny Carter School or Physics and Astronomy & Space Park Leicester 9th March 2026 Launching in spring 2026, SMILE is going to take X-ray images of the region of near Earth space where the solar wind first encounters the Earth's magnetic field. SMILE will also take pictures of the northern hemisphere aurora, using an ultraviolet camera. This simultaneous view of cause and effect has never been done before, and promises to tell us a lot about how the Sun and Earth interact, helping a research field known as space weather.
🔭🎢 Join our webinar today at 5pm (GMT) to learn from Dr Jenny Carter about her new ESA mission called SMILE, due to launch soon.
Sign up here 👉 le.ac.uk/physics/abou...
SMILE will take X-ray images of the location that the solar wind first encounters the Earth's magnetic field and of the aurora.
We'd love to gather amateur Jupiter imaging over the next few weeks to provide context for this Jupiter campaign from #JWST (plus Juno with be flying by Feb 25th on #PerijoveDay!). More details here:
leighfletcher.substack.com/p/supporting...
Looking to start a PhD in Physics & Astronomy in 2026? The team @physicsuol.bsky.social have announced their STFC-funded projects on offer next year, spanning astrophysics, planetary science, and space instrumentation. Deadline: Jan 18th, contact us to learn more!
le.ac.uk/study/resear...
Land Surface Temperature (LST) view of London, UK, on 30 July 2024 from Sentinel 3a. The LST data have been downscaled using Vis/SWIR inputs from Landsat 9 and Sentinel 2a and a bottom-of-atmosphere optimal estimation methodology to refine the estimates from 1 km data to 100 m. Global Climate Chapter Cover Image from the “BAMS State of the Climate, 2024”. Image produced by the Land Surface Temperature Group in NCEO-Leicester.
🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: High resolution thermal data for climate adaption to urban heating
We're advertising this project with Dr Ghent, providing crucial inputs to climate adaptation and urban greening strategies
For details of all our PhD projects look here: www.findaphd.com/phds/departm... 🧪🎢
IR spectrum of COS from the Coblentz Society's evaluated infrared reference spectra collection. https://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/inchi?ID=C463581&Type=IR-SPEC&Index=0
🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Carbonyl sulfide (COS) as climate diagnostic: improving space-based observations
We're advertising this project with Dr Harrison, doing a complete re-evaluation of infrared spectroscopy of COS
For details of all our PhD projects look here www.findaphd.com/phds/departm... 🧪🎢
Thawing permafrost can result in the loss of terrain, as seen in this image where part of the coastal bluff along Drew Point, Alaska, has collapsed into the ocean. Credit: Benjamin Jones, USGS
🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Impact of Abrupt Permafrost Thaw on Climate Change Projections
We're advertising this project with Dr Robert Parker, using Earth Observation to detect and quantify abrupt thaw transitions
For details of all our PhD projects look here: www.findaphd.com/phds/departm... 🧪🎢
🧪🎢 Public talk on Robotic Exploration of our Solar System today at 4:30pm (GMT)
Join Prof Leigh Fletcher to learn about orbiters like the Juno and JUICE missions at Jupiter, rovers on the surface of Mars, and space telescopes like Hubble and JWST
Register here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/robotic-ex...
Ship tracks are one of the clearest signs of how human aerosol emission can alter the properties of clouds and, thereby, the Earth's energy budget. Credit: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/20248/ship-tracks-in-the-northern-pacific
🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Sands of Time: Monitoring Aerosols to Improve Climate and Weather Forecasts
We're advertising this project with Dr Adam Povey, improving our predictions of dust plume evolution
For details of all our PhD projects look here: www.findaphd.com/phds/departm... 🧪🎢
🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: “Chasing the Black Swan”: Toward Robust Frameworks for Predicting Extreme Weather in a Changing Climate
We're advertising this project with Dr Tim Trent, and scientists from the UK Met Office
For details of all our PhD projects look here: www.findaphd.com/phds/departm... 🧪🎢
I still can’t believe they said my name!! I got the Global Space Award 2025 in the category of Science Breakthrough for my leadership of the M-MATISSE mission concept to Mars! A really wonderful night! Next step is to do our super best for the mission to be selected in June 2026!
Leicester has partnered with the China Scholarship Council to provide #PhD funding for Chinese students, with astro/planetary @physicsuol.bsky.social specifically mentioned as a priority. If you have contacts with Chinese undergrads, please do share - deadline Dec 11th.
le.ac.uk/study/resear...
Congratulations to our Prof Nial Tanvir and the rest of the international ENGRAVE collaboration awarded the Danish Government's inaugural Into Change Award for their work discoving the formation sites of the heaviest elements
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: AGN variability: hidden signals in the noise
We're advertising this project with Prof Simon Vaughan, analysing AGN with methods that go beyond traditional models and assumptions
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Novel Pu Gd oxides for Space Nuclear Power Systems
We're advertising this project with Dr Emily Jane Watkinson, investigating new options to power exploration of the outer solar system
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: From gamma-ray bursts to fast radio bursts: the nature of astrophysical transients across the electromagnetic spectrum
We're advertising this project with Dr Starling, where you'll be rapidly responding to astrophysical events
Follow the link for all our PhD projects 🔭🧪🎢
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: SMILE: Northern Lights, Camera, Action!
We're advertising this project with Prof Steve Milan, using ESA's new SMILE spacecraft to study connections between aurora and electrical currents in space
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Towards a unified model of the Milky Way's dynamics
We're advertising this project with Dr Paul McMillan, using Hamiltonian mechanics to understand our galaxy's history
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Revealing Mercury’s surface composition with BepiColombo MIXS
We're advertising this project with Dr Martindale, using first data from BepiColombo to determine whether surface minerals have been lifted there by asteroids
For details of all our PhD projects look here:
The Uranus and Neptune systems as seen by JWST/NIRCam (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale). Uranus and its classical satellites are shown on the left against a background of galaxies; Uranus and Neptune are shown on the right replete with reflective rings and clouds. NIRSpec and MIRI will be used to provide full spectroscopy of the Uranus and Neptune atmospheres.
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Exploring the Atmospheres of Uranus & Neptune with JWST
We're advertising this project with Prof Leigh Fletcher, using infrared spectral data to investigate the changing atmospheres of the ice giants
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
SMILE will have two imagers; the SXI with a view of the dayside magnetopause (purple), and the UVI with a view of the Northern Hemisphere aurora (green). The University of Leicester led the build of the SXI, shown in the inset. Credit: Composite by J. A. Carter, background NASA.
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: SMILE! Novel X-ray views of the magnetosphere
We're advertising this project with Dr Jennifer Carter, analysing data from SMILE (launch early 2026) to understand Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear...
The NGTS telescopes operating in their shed at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, Chile Credit: ESO/G. Lambert
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Discovering and characterizing extra-solar planets with the Next Generation Transit Survey and TESS
We're advertising this project with Dr Matt Burleigh, analysing data on long-period exoplanets
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
The environments and internal structure of example HotDOGs. The left panel shows an ALMA image of structure in the distribution of cosmic dust around HotDOG W2246, see Diaz-Santos et al. (2018) above in Science. The right panel shows gas around another HotDOG in the background, with ALMA velocity information highlighted in the centre, see the space.com reference above.
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: The astrophysics and environments of the most luminous galaxies
We're advertising a project with Prof Andrew Blain, using survey data to understand the brightest infrared bursts in dusty galaxies
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
Stickney crater on martian moon Phobos as observed by HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Study Phobos' surface with MMX
We're advertising this project with Dr Chrysa Avdellidou, analysing Phobos' craters to determine its origin.
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
Artist’s impression of a disc wind dispersing a planet-forming disc around a young star. Credit ESO / M. Kornmesser.
🔭🧪🎢 PhD Project focus: Understanding protoplanetary disc evolution
We're advertising this project with Prof Richard Alexander, making simulations of accretion of planet-forming discs onto their star.
For details of all our PhD projects look here: le.ac.uk/study/resear... 🔭🧪🎢
Decorative
🔭🧪🎢 The next Open Day at the University of Leicester is tomorrow! Come and see what studying Physics here is all about!
Sign up here: le.ac.uk/open-days
Gain a world-class Physics education while learning from experts in Space science, Astrophysics and Earth Observation Science. 🔭🧪🎢
Thanks to the team at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory for hosting me today: home of Dragonfly quadcopter to Titan (model below), Parker Solar Probe, New Horizons to Pluto, DART asteroid impactor, and more. Talked HabWorlds, JWST, heliophysics and exoplanets, all in one exhausting day.
Fantastic first part of the week at ESAC at the BepiColombo @science.esa.int Science Working Team meeting… just a bit over a year before arriving to Mercury! ✨✨ very exciting, and always great to go back home, even if just for a few days!
