CfAI Highlights
News, Events and Highlights
Explore below to see whats happening in CfAI. The CfAI list of publications can be found on ADS.
Advancing Metal Optics for Space Systems
The results of this project demonstrate that lightweight, space-grade housing with complex geometries can be realised through additive manufacturing.
World Space Week
Researchers from CfAI were at the Centre for Life in Newcastle on Saturday, 5th October, for World Space Week to present an experiment on the theme “Space & Climate”.
ESTRELLAS: Women in Tech & Sciences
CfAI celebrates ESTRELLAS: Women in Tech & Sciences
On the 20th of September we celebrate ESTRELLAS: Women in Tech & Sciences at Durham University.
CfAI PhD poster lunch
On the 24th of July 2024 the CfAI PhD students did a great job producing posters and presenting them to members of the group
Little iLocater: paving the way for iLocater
First light of Little iLocator spectrograph at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)
Wavefront Sensing in the VLT/ELT Era VIII Workshop
The Wavefront Sensing in the VLT/ELT Era VIII Workshop is being held this year at Durham University from the 23rd to the 25th to September.
Ariadna Calcines Rosario, Best Oral Presentation Prize
Ariadna Calcines Rosario, CfAI Head of Optical Design, Awarded the Best Oral Presentation at the SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation Conference
Space Optics workshop 2024
We were delighted to host the Space Optics: Systems and Applications workshop 2024 here in Durham.
METIS Integral Field Unit for the Extremely Large Telescope.
Today, we bid farewell to the METIS Integral Field Unit pupil mirror array, crafted from 28 meticulously designed slices and a composite planar fold mirror.
Royal Astronomical Society Group Achievement Award for JWST-MIRI Team
The Royal Astronomical Society has awarded the RAS Group Achievement Award 2024 to the team of the instrument MIRI for the JWST.
CfAI would like to welcome Dr. Robert J. Harris (Rob) back!
Dr. Rob Harris joins CfAI as Assistant Professor in Astrophotonics
Spotlight on satellites
Our dedicated team of CfAI staff actively engaged in the 'Spotlight on... Satellites' event, hosted at the Centre for Life in the heart of Newcastle
Space Applications Summer School 2023
CfAI hosted the first Postgraduate Summer School on Space applications in Science and Industry funded by STFC
CfAI optics shed light on the unusual carbon balance at Mars
CfAI has participated in the optics for the NOMAD instrument, a crucial component of the TGO missions and that this instrument is making groundbreaking discoveries.
Our pioneering projects in solar and space technologies awarded funding from UK Space Agency
Our scientists and engineers are at the forefront of global innovation. Experts from our world-leading Physics Department are leading on two pioneering projects.
Durham University and Viasat Collaborate to Advance Free-Space Optical Communications Networks
Leveraging a £200k investment from Viasat, Durham University will focus on developing free-space optics (FSO) turbulence channel characterisation for optical feeder links
European AO Summer School
We are pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2023 European Adaptive Optics Summer School.
CfAI researcher Ryan Griffiths is invited to AO4ELT
Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes is the largest conference in the field. 6 CfAI researchers will be presenting their work this year.
FOAMAS 2023
CfAI members will participate to a workshop in Chiang-Mai Thailand organised by NARIT on Freeform Optics between the 27th and 30th of May 2023.
Katy Hartley is interviewed for TvCanaria
CfAI's Katy Hartley has been interviewed by TvCanaria, for her ground-breaking work demonstrating the first on-sky scintillation correction.
CfAI's Lily Westerby-Griffin and Fionagh Thomson talk about astronomical instrumentation with Durham University Orchestral Society
Durham University Orchestral Society collaborated with the Durham Physics astronomer’s and instrument scientists in a performance of Holst’s The Planet Suites.
CfAI Senior Optical Engineer awarded Young Female Scientist Talent of Spain 2022
Dr Ariadna Calcines awarded the Young Female Scientist Talent Prize is awarded by the Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain.
COAT 2023
Communication and Observations through Atmospheric Turbulence conference to be held in Durham, March 2023
SHIMM at Paranal
Lisa Bardou and Ryan Griffiths test the SHIMM instrument at Paranal, Chile