A digest of some of the big stories from the past two months

John A Armstrong, Christopher M J Osborne and Lyndsay Fletcher examine how neural networks can be used to explore the nature and location of solar activity.

Jonathan Spencer Jones takes a snapshot of early astronomy in the Caribbean through the lives of two Fellows of the RAS.

Charles S Cockell reviews the eventful history and exciting future of astrobiology: the collaboration between astronomers and biologists.

On his journey from Cape Town to Oxford and now Cambridge, the exoplanet hunter has also been responsible for disproving a spurious detection. Interview by Paul Johnson.

David Jones, Jorge García-Rojas, Ondřej Pejcha and Roger Wesson report on their RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting exploring “Common envelope evolution and post-common-envelope systems”.

Zachary Dickeson and Joel Davis review current morphological observations and future questions about the existence, origin and fate of ancient oceans on Mars.

Leigh N Fletcher shares the research success and future prospects discussed at the UK Solar System Planetary Atmospheres Community Meeting 2020.

Sue Bowler chats with the organizers of the 13 March RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting “The near-Sun solar wind at solar minimum” about how they made it work for attendees in person and online – and the challenges and opportunities for our communities in the coming months.

The RAS 200 project in partnership with Girlguiding UK and the UK Space Agency is proving successful for all ages, as Sue Bowler reports.

Nigel Henbest recalls a meteoric career in science communication.

Ineke De Moortel, Isobel Falconer and Robert Stack explore the achievements and influence of Hannes Alfvén, in particular his seminal Monthly Notices paper of 1947 on the heating of the solar corona.

Philip J Armitage discusses the influence of Hermann Bondi's 1952 Monthly Notices paper on the treatment of a deceptively simple astrophysical process as it continues to inform our understanding of stars and black holes.

Thirty years of chasing the ultimate astroimage have led the amateur astronomer to professional collaborations and worldwide exposure for his stunning photographs. Interview by Paul Johnson.

Steven Phillipps looks back at the RAS at its centenary through the pages of Monthly Notices.

Binary interactions change stellar evolutionary pathways and models of stellar populations – but they are largely ignored. Here J J Eldridge outlines some recent history around the development of stellar evolution and population models, and highlights the significant differences that arise when binary interactions are included.

Chris Lintott reviews a successful modern approach to astronomical research that has surprisingly deep historical roots.

The Astronomer Royal, Martin Rees, spoke about the past and the future at the celebration of the bicentenary of the Royal Astronomical Society on 23 January 2020.

How to submit an article for publication in A&G

Robert Massey shares the action that the RAS is taking – with the help of Fellows in the newly formed Policy Group – to mitigate the effects of satellite megaconstellations on astronomical observation.

A digest of some of the big stories from the past two months

On 23 January 2020, the Royal Astronomical Society gathered in London to celebrate its bicentenary, welcomed by RAS president-elect Emma Bunce

John Dudeney, Richard Horne and Mike Lockwood remember a committed and generous scientist with an infectious love of life.

Roger Bonnet remembers a researcher who pioneered the use of space science in planetary, cometary and cosmic research, playing a vital role in European space research.

Rathindra Kumar Basu

Astronomer Royal for Scotland and inspirational solar physicist, by Lyndsay Fletcher, Nicolas Labrosse and Alec MacKinnon.

Simon Jeffery recalls a dedicated colleague whose work made stellar opacities and pulsations central to models of stellar evolution.