Latest news and comment Audience - Any Audience -AlumniIndustrySchools, prospective students and communityResearchUndergraduatesGraduatesDepartment of Physics (requires login) Research theme - Any Research theme -Accelerator physicsAstronomy and astrophysicsBiological physicsClimate physicsExoplanets and planetary physicsFields, strings, and quantum dynamicsFundamental particles and interactionsInstrumentationLasers and high energy density scienceParticle astrophysics & cosmologyPhotovoltaics and nanosciencePlasma physicsQuantum information and computationQuantum materialsQuantum optics & ultra-cold matter Sub-department - Any Sub-department -AstrophysicsAtmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary PhysicsAtomic and Laser PhysicsCondensed Matter PhysicsParticle PhysicsProfessional and support servicesRudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics First proof of black hole ‘plunging regions' Einstein has been proved correct with a key prediction about black holes, an international team led by researchers from the Department of Physics at Oxford. 16 May 2024 Dr Siemion honoured by SETI Institute Dr Andrew Siemion has been awarded the SETI Institute’s 2024 Drake Award for his exceptional and pioneering contributions to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and radio astronomy and his leadership in the field. 28 March 2024 Royal Society Research Professorship for Professor Smartt Professor Stephen Smartt, Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious Royal Society Research Professorship. 20 February 2024 Discovery of brightest OH maser Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have discovered the brightest and most distant extragalactic hydroxyl maser from an untargeted survey with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. 30 January 2024 Latest JWST images publicly released A set of highly detailed images of 19 nearby spiral galaxies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have been publicly released today; the extraordinary images will provide several new puzzle pieces for astronomers and astrophysicists around the world. 29 January 2024 Professor Ferreira recognised by RAS Professor Pedro Ferreira has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Eddington Medal 2024 for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics. 12 January 2024 Most sensitive search for intelligent life beyond our galaxy to date Breakthrough Listen announce findings from the most sensitive search to date for ‘technosignatures’ – signs of intelligent life – beyond the Milky Way. 6 December 2023 Extraordinary new space phenomenon mystifies scientists Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have helped to discover a spectacularly bright and unusual explosion in a galaxy 4.4 billion light-years away. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. 15 November 2023 First detection of heavy element from star merger Researchers from the University of Oxford's Department of Physics have contributed to an international effort to identify the neutron star merger responsible for an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst. 25 October 2023 Commentary: Sophia Vaughan on searching for an exo-rainbow DPhil student Sophia Vaughan comments on her work with an international collaboration on how the search for exo-rainbows could soon reveal an Earth-like planet. 31 July 2023 The dust of ages The James Webb Space Telescope detects interstellar dust grains in the first billion years of cosmic time 20 July 2023 Why we need to go back to the Moon Emeritus Professor Joe Silk on why we need to go back to the Moon 20 July 2023 Load More
First proof of black hole ‘plunging regions' Einstein has been proved correct with a key prediction about black holes, an international team led by researchers from the Department of Physics at Oxford. 16 May 2024
Dr Siemion honoured by SETI Institute Dr Andrew Siemion has been awarded the SETI Institute’s 2024 Drake Award for his exceptional and pioneering contributions to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and radio astronomy and his leadership in the field. 28 March 2024
Royal Society Research Professorship for Professor Smartt Professor Stephen Smartt, Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious Royal Society Research Professorship. 20 February 2024
Discovery of brightest OH maser Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have discovered the brightest and most distant extragalactic hydroxyl maser from an untargeted survey with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. 30 January 2024
Latest JWST images publicly released A set of highly detailed images of 19 nearby spiral galaxies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have been publicly released today; the extraordinary images will provide several new puzzle pieces for astronomers and astrophysicists around the world. 29 January 2024
Professor Ferreira recognised by RAS Professor Pedro Ferreira has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Eddington Medal 2024 for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics. 12 January 2024
Most sensitive search for intelligent life beyond our galaxy to date Breakthrough Listen announce findings from the most sensitive search to date for ‘technosignatures’ – signs of intelligent life – beyond the Milky Way. 6 December 2023
Extraordinary new space phenomenon mystifies scientists Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have helped to discover a spectacularly bright and unusual explosion in a galaxy 4.4 billion light-years away. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. 15 November 2023
First detection of heavy element from star merger Researchers from the University of Oxford's Department of Physics have contributed to an international effort to identify the neutron star merger responsible for an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst. 25 October 2023
Commentary: Sophia Vaughan on searching for an exo-rainbow DPhil student Sophia Vaughan comments on her work with an international collaboration on how the search for exo-rainbows could soon reveal an Earth-like planet. 31 July 2023
The dust of ages The James Webb Space Telescope detects interstellar dust grains in the first billion years of cosmic time 20 July 2023
Why we need to go back to the Moon Emeritus Professor Joe Silk on why we need to go back to the Moon 20 July 2023