ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

The surviving core of a gas giant has been discovered orbiting a distant star by ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ astronomers, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the interior of a planet. The team from the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½â€™s Department of Physics reports the discovery today (1 July) in the journal Nature, and is thought to be the first time the exposed core of a planet has been observed.

Four academics at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ have been awarded a UKRI Future Leader Fellowship, providing world class research in topics ranging from stellar explosions, medieval medical texts for modern medicines, synthetic biology and climate –related financial risks.

A ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ researcher will be one of the first nine Stephen Hawking Fellows, announced today, who will continue Professor Stephen Hawking’s legacy by furthering our understanding of the universe and communicating the wonders of science to the public. They will tackle major scientific questions such as the nature of the early universe and dark matter and whether string theory really is a ‘theory of everything’, engaging with the public through stand-up comedy, art and music.

The majority of stars in the universe will become luminous enough to blast surrounding asteroids into successively smaller fragments using their light alone, according to a ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ astronomer.

When it comes to the biggest and brightest explosions seen in the Universe, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ astronomers have found that it takes two stars to make a gamma-ray burst.

The first evidence of a giant planet orbiting a dead white dwarf star has been found in the form of a disc of gas formed from its evaporating atmosphere.