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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

European Stocks Flat as Novo Nordisk Gains Offset Tech Losses

European stocks remained flat in early trading Wednesday, as gains in healthcare were counterbalanced by a decline in technology stocks. The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged down 0.07% at 0810 GMT. Novo Nordisk...

Japan's Service Sector Expands for Third Month Amid Strong Export Demand

Japans service industry continued to grow in January, supported by a rebound in export demand across Asia, according to the latest au Jibun Bank Services PMI report by SP Global Market Intelligence. The index rose to 53.0...

Trump's Bold Moves: A New Era in U.S. Foreign Policy

Trumps Bold Moves: A New Era in U.S. Foreign Policy Overview of Trumps Speech and Iran Policy On February 4, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered an important speech after signing some executive orders in the Oval...

Asian Stocks Rebound as Trump Delays Tariffs on Canada and Mexico

Asian stocks surged on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed planned tariffs on Canada and Mexico, easing immediate trade war concerns. The delay provided a relief rally following Mondays steep declines...

China Hits Back with New Tariffs on U.S. Goods After Trump’s 10% Levy

Chinas finance ministry announced fresh tariffs on U.S. products on Tuesday, responding swiftly to a 10% tariff imposed by President Donald Trump on Chinese imports. The U.S. tariff, which took effect at 0501 GMT, marks...

Politics

Britain Pledges £55M to Strengthen Ukraine Amid War with Russia

British Foreign Minister David Lammy announced 55 million ($68.7 million) in additional financial aid to Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. Lammy, in his second trip since assuming office, met with President...

Philippine Congress Endorses Impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte

The Philippine House of Representatives has endorsed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The case now moves to the Senate, where 23 senators will...

Mexico Confident in Deal With U.S. to Avoid Tariffs Amid Border Disputes

Mexican officials expressed optimism about reaching an agreement with the U.S. before threatened tariffs take effect. President Donald Trump delayed imposing 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month, demanding stronger...

Trump Criticizes U.N., Cuts Engagement with Key Agencies

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the United Nations, calling it not well run but acknowledging its potential. He urged reforms, stating that the U.N. must improve its role in resolving global conflicts. While he...

Trump Expresses Willingness for Deal with Iran but Stresses Nuclear Restrictions

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is willing to negotiate a deal with Iran to improve relations but stressed that Tehran must not develop nuclear weapons. Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump...

Science

South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Inkathazos glowing plasma jets are shown in red and yellow. The starlight from other surrounding galaxies can be seen in the background. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA, CC BY You may not know it, but right...

It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia

Picture this. Its a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to be hot and windy. A lightning strike tonight could spark a fire that...

Earth is bombarded with rocks from space – but who gets to keep these ultimate antiques?

Every day, about 48.5 tonnes of space rock hurtle towards Earth. Meteorites that fall into the ocean are never recovered. But the ones that crash on land can spark debates about legal ownership. Globally, meteorite hunting...

Most of us trust scientists, shows a survey of nearly 72,000 people worldwide

Public trust in scientists is vital. It can help us with personal decisions on matters like health and provide evidence-based policymaking to assist governments with crises such as the COVID pandemic or climate change. In...

Astronauts on NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon will need better boots − here’s why

The U.S.s return to the Moon with NASAs Artemis program will not be a mere stroll in the park. Instead it will be a perilous journey to a lunar location representing one of the most extreme environments in the solar...

Technology

DeepSeek AI Gains Momentum as Chinese Tech Giants Rally Behind It

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is making waves as domestic tech giants, from chipmakers to cloud providers, rally to support its AI models. Companies like Moore Threads and Hygon Information Technology, aiming to compete with...

Former Google Engineer Indicted for Stealing AI Trade Secrets for China

U.S. prosecutors have expanded charges against former Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) software engineer Linwei Leon Ding, accusing him of stealing AI trade secrets to benefit Chinese companies. The federal grand jury in San...

Honda-Nissan Merger Talks May Be Canceled, Boosting Stock Prices

Honda Motor Co. (TYO:7267) and Nissan Motor Co. (TYO:7201) shares surged on Wednesday after reports suggested they may abandon merger plans. Hondas stock rose 2.9%, while Nissan gained 4.3%. Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203)...

JD Vance to Attend AI Summit in Paris Amid U.S.-China Tech Competition

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action (WA:ACT) Summit in Paris next week, according to a French diplomatic source. The visit comes as global competition in AI intensifies,...

Hong Kong Tech Stocks Rally on AI Optimism Despite U.S. Tariffs

Hong Kong-listed Chinese technology stocks surged as optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) advancements from companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) overshadowed concerns about new U.S. tariffs. DeepSeeks...