After 20 years in the making, and a false start last year, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is finally producing physics results.

The LHC works by accelerating beams of particles around a 27 kilometre underground track; dedicated instruments along the track look out for the products of these particle collisions. The first results were submitted by the ALICE instrument team just six days after the first collisions were made, and were accepted for publication by the European Journal of Physics on 1 December.

“Although we may have to wait a while for the results from high energy collisions, getting results out this early from a new detector is a major achievement,” says UK spokesman for the ALICE collaboration David Evans. “It also shows just how well the detector and the Birmingham-built electronics work.”

The Birmingham-based team designed and built the ALICE trigger electronics, which instructs the detector to record data after a collision, making decisions in less than a tenth of a millionth of a second.

The first collisions were made on 23 November at relatively low energies; the giant experiment will slowly be ramped up to operate with high energy collisions in the new year. The LHC is set to reveal new secrets about the nature of matter and the early Universe. ALICE's role is to study ultra-high energy proton-proton and lead-lead interactions. It will be used to explore the first instants of the Universe a few microseconds after the big bang, when matter was in its primordial state.

“The LHC is now fully on track and gearing up to some unique and possibly world changing science,” says Science and Technology Facilities Council CEO Keith Mason. “We’re very proud of the huge contribution of our skilled scientists here in the UK.”

This special publication features the photography of British astro-imager Nik Szymanek and covers a range of photographic methods from basic to advanced. Beautiful pictures of the night sky can be obtained with a simple camera and tripod before tackling more difficult projects, such as guided astrophotography through the telescope and CCD imaging.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

Hubble Reborn
Hubble Reborn takes the reader on a journey through the Universe with spectacular full-colour pictures of galaxies, nebulae, planets and stars as seen through Hubble's eyes, along the way telling the dramatic story of the space telescope, including interviews with key scientists and astronauts.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

The Planets
From tiny Mercury to distant Neptune and Pluto, The Planets profiles each of the Solar System's members in depth, featuring the latest imagery from space missions. The tallest mountains, the deepest canyons, the strongest winds, raging atmospheric storms, terrain studded with craters and vast worlds of ice are just some of the sights you'll see on this 100-page tour of the planets.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

3D Universe
Witness the most awesome sights of the Universe as they were meant to be seen in this 100-page extravaganza of planets, galaxies and star-scapes, all in 3D!
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE

This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
 U.K. STORE
 E.U. STORE
 U.S. & WORLDWIDE STORE