National Astronomy Meeting 2021: Media invitation

Around 850 astronomers and space scientists will gather online from 19 – 23 July, for the Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy Meeting 2021 (NAM 2021) hosted by the University of Bath. Postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the conference is the largest annual astronomy and space science event in the UK and will see leading scientists from the UK and around the world present the latest cutting-edge research.

NAM 2021 incorporates the annual meetings of the Magnetosphere Ionosphere Solar-Terrestrial (MIST) and UK Solar Physics (UKSP) groups. The conference is principally sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the University of Bath.

Sessions at NAM 2021 will cover the gamut of astronomy and space science. Researchers will discuss topics including Solar System exploration, the interaction between the Sun and the Earth, gravitational lensing, and the chemical evolution of the cosmos. Alongside astrophysics research are sessions on the cultural heritage and impact of astronomy, art and astronomy, the impact of satellite megaconstellations, public engagement, and diversity.

The formal meeting is accompanied by public and schools events, including a free lecture by Professor Andrew Coates from Mullard Space Science Laboratory on future missions to Mars.

Meeting arrangements and a full and up to date schedule of the scientific programme can be found on the official website, and updates will go out on the conference Twitter account.

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend the meeting and can register at no cost. A virtual press office will run for the duration of the conference – from 09:00 BST on Monday 19 July to 17:00 BST on Friday 23 July. A series of releases, issued under embargo, will cover key scientific results presented at the meeting.

For free registration or to access embargoed content in a password-protected area of the conference website, please contact a member of the press team (see below).

Media contacts

Anita Heward

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243


[email protected]

Dr Morgan Hollis

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 700


[email protected]

Dr Robert Massey

Royal Astronomical Society

Tel: +44 (0)20 7292 3979

Mob: +44 (0)7802 877 699


[email protected]

Vittoria D’Alessio

University of Bath

Tel: +44 (0)1225 383135


[email protected]

Notes for editors

About the Royal Astronomical Society


The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

About the Science and Technology Facilities Council


The Science and Technology Facilities Council is part of UK Research and Innovation – the UK body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. STFC funds and supports research in particle and nuclear physics, astronomy, gravitational research and astrophysics, and space science and also operates a network of five national laboratories as well as supporting UK research at a number of international research facilities including CERN, FERMILAB and the ESO telescopes in Chile. STFC is keeping the UK at the forefront of international science and has a broad science portfolio and works with the academic and industrial communities to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar.

STFC’s Astronomy and Space Science programme provides support for a wide range of facilities, research groups and individuals in order to investigate some of the highest priority questions in astrophysics, cosmology and solar system science. STFC’s astronomy and space science programme is delivered through grant funding for research activities, and also through support of technical activities at STFC’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre and RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. STFC also supports UK astronomy through the international European Southern Observatory.

About the University of Bath


The University of Bath is one of the UK’s leading universities both in terms of research and our reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and graduate prospects.

The University is rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the Government’s assessment of teaching quality in universities, meaning its teaching is of the highest quality in the UK.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 research assessment 87 per cent of our research was defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. From developing fuel efficient cars of the future, to identifying infectious diseases more quickly, or working to improve the lives of female farmers in West Africa, research from Bath is making a difference around the world.

Well established as a nurturing environment for enterprising minds, Bath is ranked highly in all national league tables. We are ranked 6th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2021, and 9th in The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 and 10th in the Complete University Guide 2021. Our sports offering was rated as being in the world’s top 10 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2021.

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