Prof Emma Bunce (@drbuncen) header
Prof Emma Bunce (@drbuncen) profile picture

Prof Emma Bunce

@drbuncen

Director of the Institute for Space @uniofleicester; Planetary Scientist @PhysicsUoL; PI of @BepiColombo MIXS instrument; CoI on @ESA_JUICE. Views my own.

 Leicester
www2.le.ac.uk/departments/physics/people/emmabunce
Joined June 2011
  • Tweets4.2K
  • Following652
  • Followers1.9K
Really excited to be taking on this new role! 🤩 – at Leicester, England
University of Leicester (@uniofleicester) profile pictureUniversity of Leicester@uniofleicester22 Feb 2023
Congratulations to Professor Emma Bunce, who has been appointed the new Director of the Institute for Space. @drbuncen is a professor of planetary plasma physics. Her experience and expertise in space-related research will prove invaluable in her new role. #CitizensOfChange
Image from University of Leicester (@uniofleicester)
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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
NSFVoyager2 (@NSFVoyager2) profile picture
NSFVoyager2
@NSFVoyager229 Oct 2024
Good news: JPL is in contact again with Voyager 1, but on a very slow and faint link. Thanks to the great efforts of the Deep Space Network, which was able to pick up an incredibly weak S-band transmission.
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A truly inspirational visit to NASA’s @NASAJPL at @Caltech. Proud that @uniofleicester researchers partner with @NASAJPL on space missions to deepen our knowledge of the universe. @drbuncen @LeighFletcher @SpaceParkLeic
Image from Nishan Canagarajah (@NCanagarajah)
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.@ESA’s Juice and @NASA’s Europa Clipper being in the Jupiter system simultaneously presents a unique opportunity to enhance the scientific output of both missions. This collaboration builds on the legacy of previous discoveries, paving the way for new insights, allowing us to better understand ocean worlds beyond Earth with unprecedented clarity, shedding light on their interactions with their environments. This is crucial as we strive to comprehend the habitability potential of planets around other stars.
NASA (@NASA) profile pictureNASA
@NASA14 Oct 2024
Replying to @NASA
Leaving our water world, to explore another 🚀 @EuropaClipper launched from @NASAKennedy at 12:06pm ET (16:06 UTC) on a @SpaceX Falcon Heavy, beginning a 1.8-billion-mile journey to explore the mysteries of Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon.
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So excited for this! 🤝
ESA's Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) profile pictureESA's Juice mission
@ESA_JUICE15 Oct 2024
What’s better than one Jupiter-bound spacecraft? Two! #ESAJuice will join forces with @EuropaClipper to tackle one of the biggest questions out there: are there ingredients for life in the Jupiter system? Learn more about this dream team 👉 esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
Artist impression of ESA's Juice spacecraft exploring the moon Ganymede. Jupiter is visible in the background. Credit: ESA (acknowledgement: ATG Medialab)

ALT Artist impression of ESA's Juice spacecraft exploring the moon Ganymede. Jupiter is visible in the background. Credit: ESA (acknowledgement: ATG Medialab)

Artist's impression of NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft exploring the moon Europa. Jupiter is visible in the background. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ALT Artist's impression of NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft exploring the moon Europa. Jupiter is visible in the background. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) profile picture
BepiColombo
@BepiColombo13 Sep 2024
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this beautiful timelapse of last week's Mercury flyby, set to some special music inspired by a crater that appears in some images 😉
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I always want my posts to be an escape from the toxicity of the internet. No politics, no anger, no trolling. Just a nice palate cleanser for anyone who’s having a bad day. Everyone can benefit from taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the universe.
Image from Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy)
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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
ESA Cluster (@ESA_Cluster) profile picture
ESA Cluster
@ESA_Cluster8 Sep 2024
Right about now, Cluster's Salsa satellite is taking the plunge into Earth's atmosphere. Farewell, Salsa! Thank you for your service!🫡
Illustration of a satellite burning up as it travels through Earth's atmosphere. Pieces of the satellite are breaking off

ALT Illustration of a satellite burning up as it travels through Earth's atmosphere. Pieces of the satellite are breaking off

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Great to see 😊
Science and Technology Facilities Council (@STFC_Matters) profile pictureScience and Technology Facilities Council@STFC_Matters5 Sep 2024
We're delighted to announce Professor Michele Dougherty as our next Executive Chair. Prof. Dougherty, who is a Professor of Space Physics at @imperialcollege, is expected to take up the position in January. Find out more: ukri.org/news/executive-chai…
Photo portrait of Prof Michele Dougherty

ALT Photo portrait of Prof Michele Dougherty

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Wow! @UniofLeicester is Daily Mail University of the Year 2025. Thrilled to receive this accolade for our continued commitment to excellence in education and inclusivity. Congratulations to all our staff, students, alumni, and supporters. @MailOnline #UniversityOfTheYear
Image from Nishan Canagarajah (@NCanagarajah)
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Oooh lovely view of peak ring crater Vivaldi there @BepiColombo ! 😍😍😍
BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) profile pictureBepiColombo
@BepiColombo5 Sep 2024
Its closest pass yet and its first-ever views of Mercury's south pole – last night was quite a night for #BepiColombo! Enjoy this taste of our fourth Mercury flyby. Details & images 👇esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
BepiColombo's best images yet highlight fourth Mercury flyby

BepiColombo's best images yet highlight fourth Mercury flyby

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has successfully completed its fourth of six gravity assist flybys at Mercury, capturing images of two special impact craters as it uses the little planet’s gravity...

esa.int
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I am delighted that @UniofLeicester has been shortlisted for the prestigious Times Higher Education University of the Year 2024. Fantastic recognition for the hard work of students, staff, alumni, and all our supporters. @timeshighered #CitizensOfChange
Image from Nishan Canagarajah (@NCanagarajah)
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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
ESA Science (@esascience) profile picture
ESA Science
@esascience2 Sep 2024
Teams from across ESA and industry have worked hard to overcome a glitch that prevented @BepiColombo's thrusters from operating at full power. The mission is still on track, with a new trajectory that will take it just 165 km from Mercury’s surface on Wednesday 👉 esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
Spacecraft in front of planet

ALT Spacecraft in front of planet

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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) profile picture
BepiColombo
@BepiColombo4 Sep 2024
Just in time for the Mercury flyby tonight, our poster gallery gets upgraded with a #BepiColombo poster. Download it here 👉 esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Publica…
BepiColombo mission poster, 2024 edition. The poster shows artist’s impression of the BepiColombo spacecraft at Mercury: ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (foreground) and JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (background). The background image of Mercury was taken by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft. The poster reads: Bepicolombo. Investigating Mercury's mysteries.

ALT BepiColombo mission poster, 2024 edition. The poster shows artist’s impression of the BepiColombo spacecraft at Mercury: ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (foreground) and JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (background). The background image of Mercury was taken by NASA’s Messenger spacecraft. The poster reads: Bepicolombo. Investigating Mercury's mysteries.

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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) profile picture
BepiColombo
@BepiColombo5 Sep 2024
This stunning image is BepiColombo's first ever of Mercury's south pole (top right of planet). It was taken 23 minutes after closest approach at a distance of 3500 km.
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😍
BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) profile pictureBepiColombo
@BepiColombo5 Sep 2024
Our #BepiColombo @esaoperations team confirm all went well with our Mercury flyby last night. Now we wait and see what images & data our instrument teams collected! Stay tuned for a selfie-cam update later today. Here's a sneak preview 🤫
Grey cratered and pock-marked planet, with spacecraft parts visible in the foreground.

ALT Grey cratered and pock-marked planet, with spacecraft parts visible in the foreground.

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Our 4th flyby of Mercury - one milestone closer to the full science mission! 😎
BepiColombo (@BepiColombo) profile pictureBepiColombo
@BepiColombo4 Sep 2024
Right now, #BepiColombo is just 165 km from Mercury's surface. This is the closest the spacecraft has ever been, and the closest it will ever get. Having just passed the planet's north pole, the spacecraft will soon capture its first-ever images of the south pole. Stay tuned!
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Brilliant! What an amazing and talented group of people we have @uniofleicester covering key policy topics!
University of Leicester (@uniofleicester) profile pictureUniversity of Leicester@uniofleicester19 Aug 2024
To celebrate the launch of the University of Leicester’s new Institute for Policy, our experts tell us how their research can be used to help inform and tackle the most complex of challenges that lie at the heart of today’s policy agenda. #CitizensOfChange | #ClimateChange
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Prof Emma Bunce retweeted
Mahesh Anand (@ma235camb) profile picture
Mahesh Anand@ma235camb21 Aug 2024
Huge congratulations to colleagues in #India and ⁦⁦⁦⁦⁦⁦@isro⁩ on the publication of first science results from #Chandrayaan-3 APXS measurements. A tremendous achievement for India and for the global #lunar community ⁦@PMOIndia⁩ nature.com/articles/s41586-0…

Chandrayaan-3 APXS elemental abundance measurements at lunar high latitude

Nature - In situ measurements of the elemental abundances in the lunar southern high-latitude regions show that the local terrain is fairly uniform and mostly composed of ferroan anorthosite, a...

nature.com
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#ESAJuice is coming back to Earth. Our fearless traveller is getting a nudge from the Moon and Earth next week, in the first of four flybys that will put Juice on precisely the right path to arrive at Jupiter in July 2031. Details 👉 esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
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🌏🛰️ On 20 August, #ESAJuice will fly past Earth as part of a world-first lunar-Earth flyby. Juice will come as close as 6807 km from Earth 👉 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Image…
Infographic showing Juice's lunar-Earth flyby, step II, Earth. We see Juice's trajectory past the Moon and Earth. An inset on the right provides more details about the approach to Earth. The text at the top reads: On 20 August, ESA’s Juice mission will fly past Earth as part of a world-first lunar-Earth flyby. The flyby will use the gravity of the Moon and Earth to bend Juice’s path through space, bringing it one step closer to Jupiter.

ALT Infographic showing Juice's lunar-Earth flyby, step II, Earth. We see Juice's trajectory past the Moon and Earth. An inset on the right provides more details about the approach to Earth. The text at the top reads: On 20 August, ESA’s Juice mission will fly past Earth as part of a world-first lunar-Earth flyby. The flyby will use the gravity of the Moon and Earth to bend Juice’s path through space, bringing it one step closer to Jupiter.

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