Latest news with #IanRoberts
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb telescope discovers tentacled 'jellyfish' galaxy swimming through deep space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have discovered what seems to be a new "jellyfish" galaxy about 12 billion light-years away from Earth using high-resolution imaging from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The galaxy appears to have tentacle-like trails of gas and stars jutting off from one side, likely making it a jellyfish galaxy — a class of galaxies that drip tendrils of star-forming material as they swim through space. Though more analysis is needed to confirm whether the newfound galaxy truly falls into this category, all signs so far indicate that it does. Ian Roberts, an astronomer at Waterloo University, found the unique galaxy while sifting through images taken by JWST. His team's research is available to read on the preprint server arXiv, but has not yet been peer reviewed. "The fact that an interesting galaxy such as this one could be found in such a cursory way suggested that there would be real value in doing a truly systematic search for these sorts of objects," Roberts told Live Science in an email. Jellyfish galaxies develop their tentacles as they undergo a phenomenon called ram pressure stripping, which happens when a galaxy moves through the dense medium between other closeby galaxies within a galaxy cluster. This movement eventually pushes some gas and stars out of the roaming galaxy, leaving them to trail behind. These tentacles sometimes trigger a large number of stars to form. Though astronomers don't believe this kind of pressure stripping to be rare in nearby space, the jellyfish stage is short on the cosmic timescale, so it's unusual to capture these aquatic forms before they disappear, Roberts said. Related: 'Previously unimaginable': James Webb telescope breaks its own record again, discovering farthest known galaxy in the universe Farther out in the universe, though, where JWST observed this new jellyfish galaxy, "we really have no idea" how common they are, Roberts said. Jellyfish galaxies provide a way to study galaxy evolution and star formation. Some galaxies in dense environments form many fewer new stars than others, and understanding the reasons why is fundamental to our understanding of how galaxies change over time. Stars are also affected by ram pressure stripping. Though a surge of new stars may form in the trail behind a jellyfish galaxy, the loss of gas in the center of the galaxy could prevent formation there, according to Roberts. RELATED STORIES —James Webb telescope spots tiny galaxies that may have transformed the universe —Mysterious 'rogue' objects discovered by James Webb telescope may not actually exist, new simulations hint —James Webb telescope discovers its first planet — a Saturn-size 'shepherd' still glowing red hot from its formation While ram pressure stripping is the best explanation for the new observations, there may be other possible reasons that the galaxy looks the way it does, and they can't yet be ruled out. The jelly's appendages could be an illusion; parts of the image that show the tentacles were taken using a method that creates blurring, introducing some uncertainty, Roberts said. With the limited existing data about jellyfish galaxies, it's not clear to astronomers whether a jellyfish galaxy so far out in space is rare or not. "We don't know the answer yet, but the more galaxies like this that are discovered the more clues that we get," Roberts said. The research team is hoping to sharpen their image by gathering data from other telescopes, which would allow them to determine whether or not what they've observed is indeed a jellyfish galaxy.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rod Stewart fans party 160 miles from Glastonbury
Die-hard Rod Stewart fans who were unable to get tickets to see the rock legend play at Glastonbury gathered to recreate the festival magic in a hotel 160 miles (257km) away. More than 100 members of the Rod Stewart Fan Club, from all over the UK and Europe, descended on the Sketchley Grange Hotel, off the A5 at Hinckley, to celebrate their musical hero. Their three-day Big Weekend event culminated in eager fans gathering round a big screen as Stewart, 80, took to the stage on Sunday. "There are so many Rod fans but not all of them could get to Glastonbury," said organiser Ian Roberts. "So we thought we'd bring Glastonbury to Hinckley." Mr Roberts added: "We're all massive fans and we have been meeting like this every year since 2002. "But this year is special because Rod is at Glasto again. "You can't get Glastonbury tickets for love nor money so we have come here to recreate the vibe. "I think people here think it's even better than the real thing. "Rod is a proper rock star. He likes a drink, loves his football, and he likes a lady." Among the fans was the rock star's sister Mary Cady, 96, who is the patron of the fan club. Her brother offered her a ticket to watch him play at Glastonbury but she opted to join the assembled fans in Hinckley. "It's wonderful," she told the BBC. "Whoever thought he (Stewart) would have gone on so long? I thought it would just be a flash in the pan." Mr Roberts, from Huncote in Leicestershire, said: "Mary's great. She's so supportive - and so is Rod. He's donated his stage clothes in the past for us to auction for charity. "We've had tribute band - people have got dressed up. There are a few Celtic kits, because Rod is a fan, and some very big wigs. "Some people have enough of a barnet for real to pull it off, mind you." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Rod Stewart brings on Mick Hucknall in star-studded Glastonbury legends slot Glastonbury Festival Big Weekend - Facebook group
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rod Stewart fans party in Hinckley - 160 miles from Glastonbury
Die-hard Rod Stewart fans who were unable to get tickets to see the rock legend play at Glastonbury gathered to recreate the festival magic in a hotel 160 miles (257km) than 100 members of the Rod Stewart Fan Club, from all over the UK and Europe, descended on the Sketchley Grange Hotel, off the A5 at Hinckley, to celebrate their musical three-day Big Weekend event culminated in eager fans gathering round a big screen as Stewart, 80, took to the stage on Sunday."There are so many Rod fans but not all of them could get to Glastonbury," said organiser Ian Roberts. "So we thought we'd bring Glastonbury to Hinckley." Mr Roberts added: "We're all massive fans and we have been meeting like this every year since 2002."But this year is special because Rod is at Glasto again."You can't get Glastonbury tickets for love nor money so we have come here to recreate the vibe."I think people here think it's even better than the real thing."Rod is a proper rock star. He likes a drink, loves his football, and he likes a lady." Among the fans was the rock star's sister Mary Cady, 96, who is the patron of the fan brother offered her a ticket to watch him play at Glastonbury but she opted to join the assembled fans in Hinckley."It's wonderful," she told the BBC."Whoever thought he (Stewart) would have gone on so long? I thought it would just be a flash in the pan." Mr Roberts, from Huncote in Leicestershire, said: "Mary's great. She's so supportive - and so is Rod. He's donated his stage clothes in the past for us to auction for charity."We've had tribute band - people have got dressed up. There are a few Celtic kits, because Rod is a fan, and some very big wigs."Some people have enough of a barnet for real to pull it off, mind you."
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Crown witness in case against paedophile ring found in shallow grave
When NRL great Ian Roberts, then known as one of the best front-rowers in the world, first met Arron Light, the latter was just nine years old. In that moment, he could never have predicted that less than a decade later, Aaron would be discovered in a shallow grave, the victim of a brutal murder that to this day remains unsolved. 'I was living in Camperdown in Sydney at the time, and he was in the children's hospital nearby,' he told Gary Jubelin's I Catch Killers podcast. 'He was being treated for complications to do with a knee surgery, and he'd been in hospital for quite some time.' Roberts, who had gone in for a visit as part of his NRL team's outreach program, was taken by the young child's sense of humour and wisdom beyond his years. 'He began poking fun at all the players, saying we were only coming to visit for publicity, having a bit of fun,' he recalls fondly, 'he was a cheeky little kid.' Roberts, who jokingly told Arron he'd come back and visit 'just to annoy you,' struck up a friendship with the boy over the following weeks. 'He was in hospital for at least a few months,' he recalls, 'and over that time I'd pop in every couple of weeks to say G'day.' Over the coming years, Roberts became something of a mentor to Arron, who he'd check in with periodically. Then, in the mid-nineties, by which stage Arron was a young teen, Roberts bumped into him on the street, and learned he'd been sleeping rough in Kings Cross. Keen to help Arron get back on his feet, Roberts would invite him to NRL matches and meet up with the teenager regularly – eventually allowing him to move into his home. 'One night he rang me – he was very upset,' the sportsman recalls, 'I asked him where he was – he was in his squat in Bondi, and it was not good. I just told him: 'grab your stuff mate, you can come and live with us for a while.' We had a spare bedroom, and I was with my partner Shane, so we kind of just decided he could stay with us as long as he went to school.' Over the coming months, Roberts tried to provide Arron with more stability – insisting he kept in touch with his parents, training with him in the gym and offering a positive example of authority in his life. Roberts, who had recently come out as gay, was aware that the presence of a young teen in his life may attract suspicion. 'He knew I was gay, and he had no problem with me or my partner,' says Roberts, 'but I was very keen for him to keep in touch with his parents, so his parents knew everything that was going on. What people struggle to understand was that it wasn't just an act of kindness – this young guy was actually my friend.' For a while, things seemed to be going well in the young teen's life, who'd get up and catch two buses to school at Vaucluse High each morning. Then, Roberts got a phone call from police. 'They told me that the house had been under surveillance, and my head was spinning.' Police explained that Arron had been seen going into suspected pedophiles' houses before coming to live with Roberts. They told him 'that's how he'd been supporting himself.' 'And this put you in a difficult situation,' suggests Jubelin. 'I'd just come out,' explains Roberts, 'I was worried that people were going to surmise what they think had happened.' Police, who had quickly cleared Ian as a suspect, asked him to try and convince Arron to make a formal statement about the pedophiles who had abused him. Roberts, who was plagued by worry about how his friendship with Arron would be perceived, encouraged him to co-operate with police. He says it's one of his biggest regrets. 'I wish so much that I'd just told them to leave him alone, that he was happy and doing well and didn't need to go back and talk about all that stuff. I honestly think if I'd done that, he'd still be alive now.' Shortly after convincing Arron to work with police to expose the alleged pedophile ring he'd been a victim of, Roberts was offered a contract in Townsville, and moved away. Aaron, who was hurt and angry at the distance Roberts had put between them, went rapidly downhill. The last time Roberts heard his voice, it was 1997. 'I got a phone call from a policeman telling me that Arron had been arrested again for stealing,' he says. 'And he wouldn't talk to police, the only person he'd talk to was me. So they phoned me up and put him on and I was trying to calm him down. But he was screaming and he was angry at me by that stage as well. He was entitled to be that way. It just felt like he was alone. He was saying that stuff. He was seeing a lawyer I'd put him in touch with, and I just … I just tried to convince him to co-operate with the police. He disappeared three days later. He was due to give evidence [against the alleged pedophile ring] three days later, and he just never showed up in court.' It would be another five years until Arron's body was found. Believed to have been stabbed, his bones were discovered by construction workers digging a trench along the Alexandria canal in St Peters. 'It's awful, even the way they discovered that it was Arron,' continues Roberts, 'It was the knee. His knee, because he had such complications when I first met him in hospital, his knee had become quite deformed. It was like a bulbous type of thing. That's how they discovered it was him.' An inquest into Arron's death found there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with Arron's murder. NSW deputy state coroner Jacqueline Milledge presided over the inquest into Arron's death. She concluded that 17-year-old Arron died between September 12 and September 18, 1997, in an unknown Sydney location. 'The cause of death is multiple stab wounds,' she said. 'The manner of death is homicide by a person or persons unknown. 'At the time of his death, Arron Light was 17-years-old and was a Crown witness in an impending district court trial.' For Roberts, the pain of Arron's loss, as well as the guilt that plagues him, are wounds that will never heal. 'Regret's not a big enough word,' he tells Gary Jubelin sadly, 'but I just know now that I really let him down.' 'I thought I was okay with this,' he continues, clearly emotional, 'but just talking about it now, it's just like I really let him down. From the person he trusted, he loved me, he so respected me and cared about me. I just let him down.'
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Footy icon Ian Roberts reveals heartbreaking regret after his 17-year-old best friend was murdered before giving evidence against alleged paedophile
He dominated rugby league and broke through barriers as the only footy star in history to come out as gay, but there was one battle that Ian Roberts could not win – and it cost him dearly. The former South Sydney and Manly hardman has forged a successful career on film and on stage since retiring from footy, and continues to champion LGBTQIA+ people from all walks of life. He is known for his strength, physically and for having the character to stand up to the slings and arrows that he wears in order to shield those that are more vulnerable. But Roberts carries a terrible regret in his heart that dates back almost 30 years, when he took in a troubled street kid in Sydney who was allegedly murdered before he could give evidence in an inquest into an alleged paedophile ring. Arron James Light was just 17 years old when he disappeared in 1997, only days before he was due to give evidence in a sexual assault trial involving Frederick George Rix. His body was found five years later in a shallow grave beside the Alexandria Canal in inner Sydney, wrapped in a tarpaulin and bearing at least six stab wounds. Arron had been living on the streets and was taken in by Roberts, who later gave evidence at the Glebe Coroner's Court. Roberts alleged that Rix, a former masseur, was responsible for Arron's murder, telling the inquest, 'I could have saved that boy's life … I feel that I could have saved that boy's life.' Roberts also claimed that he had also been sexually abused by Rix at the age of 15 and described the emotional toll of reconnecting with those memories during the inquest. Arron had been considered a key witness in a police investigation into a suspected paedophile network referred to as the 'Circle of Friends'. His testimony never made it to court. When he failed to appear, the case fell apart. Rix, 81 at the time, denied any involvement in Light's death, and the coroner found there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Today, Roberts still carries the scars of Light's murder and opened up on how he believed he could have saved the teenager's life on the I Catch Killers podcast. Roberts first met Arron around 1990 while visiting Camperdown Children's Hospital, where Arron, aged nine or 10, was being treated for a serious knee injury. He described the boy as 'in this medieval contraption ... had it all in traction,' but despite the situation, Arron was 'really cheeky' and had 'a real sense of humour.' Though not a football fan, Arron and Roberts formed an unlikely bond, and Roberts would visit him every few weeks just to say g'day. After Arron left hospital, he kept in touch by phone, occasionally checking in to say, 'How you going?' Roberts only saw him once or twice in the years that followed, including taking him to a movie and meeting his father. In 1993 or 1994, they crossed paths again on the street, and Arron revealed he was living rough between Kings Cross and Bondi. A distressed Arron called Roberts one night and said he was staying at a 'hostel' in Bondi, which turned out to be a squat in a derelict house. Roberts found the place in terrible condition, with Arron and a few other young men living there. Roberts told him, 'Grab your stuff, mate. Come, you come and stop with us for a while.' At the time, Roberts lived with his partner Shane and flatmate Kirsty, who was already helping Arron with laundry and support. They allowed Arron to move in on the condition that 'you have to go to school' and 'you have to reach out to your mum and dad'. But just when life seemed to be stabilising for the teenager, police made the shocking revelation that would change both of their lives forever. 'The police rang me one day, asked if they could come around and see me,' Roberts recalled. 'My head was spinning because they basically said that he was caught up with in an [alleged] paedophile ring. He'd [been] checked at [alleged] paedophiles' houses and that type of thing.' Roberts was faced with an impossible choice: confront Light over the allegations, or turn a blind eye and potentially let it continue to happen. He said he regrets the decision he made to this day. 'Given my time over again ... I would have done exactly the opposite to what I ended up doing. I said that I would talk to him,' Roberts said. 'Knowing what I know now, I just wish that I said to the police officer that day, "I'm not going to bring this up to him, he's in a safe space now, he's working too, I'm not going to destroy his life".' 'If I had said nothing to Arron, I'm sure that the boy would still be alive today. 'He trusted me, loved me, he so respected me, cared about me, yeah, and I ... I just let him down. 'That conversation with Arron changed everything after that because he agreed to make statements and I went to Townsville. 'I just wanted to get out of Sydney ... he went downhill terribly.' The last time Roberts spoke to Arron was while he was in Townsville preparing for the Super League Tri-series in 1997, the equivalent to the ARL's State of Origin. 'I was just packing my bags, getting ready to leave Townsville to go into camp, and I got a phone call off a policeman,' he said. 'Arron had been arrested again, for stealing. And he wouldn't talk to police, the only person he'd talk to was me. 'They'd phoned me up and put him on. And I was trying to calm him down. 'But he was screaming. And he was angry at me by that stage as well. Which he's quite entitled to be. 'I just felt like he was alone. He was saying that stuff and I was just trying to convince him to cooperate with the police. 'He was seeing a lawyer that I put him in touch with. 'He disappeared three days later.' Light's skeletal remains were found at St Peters in 2002, five long years after that phone conversation. Roberts was able to identify the body because of the knee injury Arron had been battling when they first met. What keeps Roberts going is the memories of the happy days they had together, and the brief window during which Arron felt safe and not abandoned. 'Every time people speak about Arron they talk about how tragic it was,' Roberts said. 'He was such a good kid, he was such a lively, funny, cheeky – he was more an adult than I was. 'I like the fact that a nine-year-old laying there in hospital can give it to you, big tough footballers coming in and he'd give you cheek. 'He was just a good soulmate. People have said, people smarter than I have said, well good on you for, you know, making his life good for a period of time. 'I feel very fortunate that I met him.'
