Latest news and comment Audience - Any Audience -AlumniIndustrySchools, prospective students and communityResearchUndergraduatesGraduatesInternational Year of QuantumDepartment 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 Astronomers spot one of the largest spinning structures ever found in the Universe An international team led by the University of Oxford has identified one of the largest rotating structures ever reported: a ‘razor-thin’ string of galaxies embedded in a giant spinning cosmic filament, 140 million light-years away. 4 December 2025 Into Change Award for groundbreaking collaboration An international collaboration, including Professor Stephen Smartt FRS MRIA, has been recognised with an Into Change Award by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. 3 December 2025 AI breakthrough helps astronomers spot cosmic events with just a handful of examples A new study co-led by the University of Oxford and Google Cloud has shown how general-purpose AI can accurately classify real changes in the night sky. 8 October 2025 First evidence of black hole and astrophysical jets alignment Scientists have found direct evidence that the fastest and most powerful astrophysical jets are locked to the spin of the black hole that launches them. The results have been published in Nature Astronomy. 23 September 2025 Distant galaxies reveal hidden effect from Big Bang Physicists at the University of Oxford have found the first compelling observational evidence that the Cosmic Microwave Background – the faint afterglow of the Big Bang – affects radio signals from distant galaxies. 15 September 2025 AI tool helps astronomers find supernovae in a sky full of noise A new AI-powered tool has reduced astronomers’ workload by 85% filtering through thousands of data alerts to identify the few genuine signals caused by supernovae – powerful explosions from dying stars. 11 September 2025 New insights into rare pulsar Physicists from the University of Oxford have been part of an international team who have uncovered new insights into the behaviour of a rare transitional millisecond pulsar. 15 July 2025 Third ever detection of interstellar object The discovery of 3I/ATLAS – an interstellar comet shooting through the Solar System – sent astronomers scrambling last week, excited for only their third chance to study a small body from another star. 11 July 2025 Dr Vaughan awarded RAS thesis prize Dr Sophia Vaughan has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society's Michael Penston Thesis Prize following her DPhil at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics. 3 July 2025 First look: the trailer for Rubin’s movie of the sky The first images from the extraordinary NSF-DOE Vera C Rubin Observatory have been made public today. 23 June 2025 Jocelyn Bell Burnell appointed Companion of Honour Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been appointed Companion of Honour in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for her services to astronomy and physics and to diversity. 14 June 2025 Meet...Deaglan Bartlett We work among extraordinary people doing extraordinary things; get to know some of them by reading these quick-fire interviews. 9 June 2025 Load More
Astronomers spot one of the largest spinning structures ever found in the Universe An international team led by the University of Oxford has identified one of the largest rotating structures ever reported: a ‘razor-thin’ string of galaxies embedded in a giant spinning cosmic filament, 140 million light-years away. 4 December 2025
Into Change Award for groundbreaking collaboration An international collaboration, including Professor Stephen Smartt FRS MRIA, has been recognised with an Into Change Award by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. 3 December 2025
AI breakthrough helps astronomers spot cosmic events with just a handful of examples A new study co-led by the University of Oxford and Google Cloud has shown how general-purpose AI can accurately classify real changes in the night sky. 8 October 2025
First evidence of black hole and astrophysical jets alignment Scientists have found direct evidence that the fastest and most powerful astrophysical jets are locked to the spin of the black hole that launches them. The results have been published in Nature Astronomy. 23 September 2025
Distant galaxies reveal hidden effect from Big Bang Physicists at the University of Oxford have found the first compelling observational evidence that the Cosmic Microwave Background – the faint afterglow of the Big Bang – affects radio signals from distant galaxies. 15 September 2025
AI tool helps astronomers find supernovae in a sky full of noise A new AI-powered tool has reduced astronomers’ workload by 85% filtering through thousands of data alerts to identify the few genuine signals caused by supernovae – powerful explosions from dying stars. 11 September 2025
New insights into rare pulsar Physicists from the University of Oxford have been part of an international team who have uncovered new insights into the behaviour of a rare transitional millisecond pulsar. 15 July 2025
Third ever detection of interstellar object The discovery of 3I/ATLAS – an interstellar comet shooting through the Solar System – sent astronomers scrambling last week, excited for only their third chance to study a small body from another star. 11 July 2025
Dr Vaughan awarded RAS thesis prize Dr Sophia Vaughan has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society's Michael Penston Thesis Prize following her DPhil at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics. 3 July 2025
First look: the trailer for Rubin’s movie of the sky The first images from the extraordinary NSF-DOE Vera C Rubin Observatory have been made public today. 23 June 2025
Jocelyn Bell Burnell appointed Companion of Honour Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been appointed Companion of Honour in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for her services to astronomy and physics and to diversity. 14 June 2025
Meet...Deaglan Bartlett We work among extraordinary people doing extraordinary things; get to know some of them by reading these quick-fire interviews. 9 June 2025