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Darren Baskill

Lecturer, Physics and Astronomy, University of Sussex
Darren Baskill is a lecturer and outreach officer in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Sussex, with over 25 years’ experience of professional and amateur astronomy, and in organising and delivering science events for schools, colleges, and the public.

His specialism is in communicating astronomy to the public, giving talks and working with the media on all aspects of astronomy and astrophotography, having appeared on BBC TV, radio and news online on many occasions, as well as frequently writing for the BBC Focus magazine.

He previously taught astronomy at the Royal Observatory Greenwich science centre and planetarium in London, where he initiated the highly successful Astronomy Photographer of the Year public competition and exhibition, and he was a calibration scientist for the European XMM-Newton space telescope at the University of Leicester before that, ensuring that the data delivered to astronomers around the world was of the highest quality.

Darren has a degree in Astrophysics and a PhD in X-ray Astronomy (looking at the physics of cataclysmic variable star systems) both from the University of Leicester. He is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a member of the Institute of Physics (serving on the committee of the IOP South Central Branch) and is a director of Ensonglopedia, a musical theatre company based in Lewes, East Sussex.

Why do the aurora look better through a camera?

May 15, 2024 07:51 am UTC| Nature

On 10 and 11 May 2024, large parts of the world were treated to their most spectacular display of the aurora the northern and southern lights in a generation. Thanks to modern cameras, the phenomenon was all over social...

Economy

Gold Prices Hit Record High Above $5,100 as Safe-Haven Demand Surges

Gold prices soared to a historic high above $5,100 per ounce on Monday, extending a powerful rally as investors flocked to the precious metal amid escalating geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Spot gold...

Morgan Stanley Raises KOSPI Target to 5,200 on Strong Earnings and Reform Momentum

Morgan Stanley has raised its end-2026 target for South Koreas benchmark stock index, the KOSPI, citing robust earnings momentum and ongoing structural reforms that continue to support further upside despite the markets...

Asian Stocks Mixed as Yen Surges and Markets Await Fed, Tech Earnings

Asian stock markets traded mixed on Monday as investors stayed cautious ahead of a highly anticipated Federal Reserve policy meeting later this week and a heavy global technology earnings calendar. Market sentiment across...

Asian Currencies Climb as Dollar Slumps, Yen Jumps on Intervention Speculation

Most Asian currencies strengthened on Monday as the U.S. dollar extended sharp losses ahead of the Federal Reserves highly anticipated policy meeting later this week. The Japanese yen led gains in the region, surging to...

China Yuan Hits 32-Month High as Central Bank Manages Appreciation Pace

Chinas yuan strengthened to a fresh 32-month high against the U.S. dollar on Monday, supported by a combination of central bank guidance, a weaker dollar, and seasonal corporate demand ahead of the Lunar New Year. The...

Politics

U.S., South Korea Deepen Defense Ties as Seoul Pursues Nuclear-Powered Submarine

The United States and South Korea have agreed to deepen defense cooperation, particularly regarding Seouls pursuit of a nuclear-powered submarine, in a move that underscores a shifting security dynamic on the Korean...

Australia Day Protests Highlight Deep Divisions Over Indigenous Rights and Immigration

Thousands of Australians marked Australia Day on Monday by attending large-scale Invasion Day rallies across major cities, showing support for Indigenous Australians and calling for unity amid growing political and social...

U.S. Security Guarantees for Ukraine Ready as Kyiv Awaits Signing Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced that a key U.S. document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is fully prepared, with Kyiv now waiting for confirmation on when and where it will be signed....

Trump’s Centralized Foreign Policy Sparks Greenland Controversy and Ally Concerns

A recent Reuters report reveals how President Donald Trumps highly centralized foreign policy approach triggered diplomatic shockwaves over Greenland, alarming U.S. allies and even senior officials within his own...

More Than 100 Venezuelan Political Prisoners Released Amid Ongoing Human Rights Scrutiny

At least 104 people identified as political prisoners by a prominent Venezuelan human rights organization were released from detention on Sunday, marking a significant development in Venezuelas ongoing political prisoner...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Samsung Set to Begin HBM4 Production for Nvidia and AMD

Samsung Electronics is preparing to begin mass production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, known as HBM4, as early as next month, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The...

U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are calling for closer congressional scrutiny of a new deal involving TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance, raising fresh concerns about national security, data privacy, and potential Chinese...

Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market

Swedens telecom equipment giant Ericsson announced plans to significantly boost shareholder returns after reporting a sharp rise in net cash and continued margin improvements, even as the global mobile network market...

Microsoft Restores Microsoft 365 Services After Widespread Outage

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it has fully restored access to its Microsoft 365 productivity suite following a widespread service outage that disrupted users across multiple regions, particularly in North America. The...

Tesla Plans FSD Subscription Price Hikes as Autonomous Capabilities Advance

Teslas Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is set to become more expensive over time as its technology improves, according to CEO Elon Musk. The announcement comes as Tesla Inc. continues its transition away from a one-time...