The Advanced LIGO team has just announced the direct detection of gravitational waves, a major milestone in the history of science that confirms one of Einstein's predictions and opens a new window into the near and far Universe.

The Eddington Medal is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society for investigations in theoretical astrophysics. Tony Bell has been awarded the 2016 medal for his work on the acceleration of energetic particles by shock fronts occurring in supernova blast waves, active galaxies, the solar wind and elsewhere in the Universe. Acceleration by shocks is thought to be the main source of cosmic rays arriving at the Earth.

The Royal Astronomical Society has awarded the Winton Capital Award in astronomy for 2016 to Dr Ralph Schoenrich of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics. The prize of £1000 is given annually to the post-doctoral researcher working in the UK whose career show the most promise within 5 years of their PhD examination. Dr Schoenrich works to understand the structure and history of our Galaxy. He has both pioneered new ways to model Galactic evolution and invented new techniques for analysing survey data.

On 15 June 2015, V404 Cygni (V404 Cyg), a binary system comprising a sun-like star orbiting a black hole, woke up. A huge outburst of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum ‘lit up’ the sky. The last such outburst was 1989. Dr. Kunal Mooley carried out an intensive observing campaign with the AMI telescope at Cambridge to monitor V404 Cyg. This work, carried out in close collaboration with Professor Robert Fender of the Oxford Astrophysics sub-department, has helped paint a stunning picture how black holes can launch relativistic jets.

Prof Chris Lintott has been awarded the Institute of Physics 2015 Kelvin Medal and Prize "For his major contributions to public engagement with science through conventional media (especially through television) and by leading citizen science projects through Zooniverse, opening a new chapter in the history of science by enabling hundreds of thousands of people to participate in the process of scientific discovery."

Professor Amanda Cooper-Sarkar has been awarded the Institute of Physics 2015 Chadwick Medal and Prize "For her study of deep inelastic scattering of leptons on nuclei which has revealed the internal structure of the proton."

Further details can be found here

Rupert receiving the Winton prize, in New College, from David Carrier and William Shaw of Winton Capital. Rupert Allison, D.Phil student in Astrophysics, has been awarded the Winton Prize, for his D.Phil work on statistical data analysis of large cosmological datasets, as well as statistical analysis methods with broader applicat