That's it from us today, thanks for reading.

For more information on the life and achievements of Prof Stephen Hawking, click on the links below:

• Obituary: Stephen Hawking
• Tributes pour in for 'inspirational' physicist

• Cambridge remembers: 'I made some space for Stephen Hawking'
• Stephen Hawking's greatest wish
• Prof Hawking's life in pictures

The Queen will be sending a message of condolence to Stephen Hawking's family, Buckingham Palace has said.

Stephen Hawking's ex-wife, Jane Hawking, who was married to the physicist for 30 years, has said she is "deeply saddened by the news of the death".

She added: "I am glad to be able to say that he died peacefully in the comfort of his own home.

"The peace that he has found is well-earned after such an extraordinary and courageous life, but we shall feel his loss keenly for a long time."

Image source, AFP

India's prime minister Narendra Modi has described Prof Hawking's death as "anguishing" - but added the physicist had left the world a better place than the one he was born into.

Barack Obama, who in 2009 awarded Hawking the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honour, has posted a tribute to the late physicist.

Hawking's daughter, Lucy, can be seen standing with the pair.

London's Evening Standard has printed a "tribute edition" to Stephen Hawking.

The newspaper's editor George Osborne tweeted a picture of the front page.

We've been hearing from people from the world of science, politics, entertainment and beyond about the time they met Professor Hawking.

Tom Arnold, a primary school teacher from Whitstable, Kent, was bowled over to see the great physicist at South Mimms motorway services, where he worked at the time.

"He came in with two carers for a meal in the year 2000. I remember he and his carers had gammon, peas and rice.

"I was thrilled beyond measure but managed to resist the temptation to get carried away and simply nodded with a wide deferential smile."

Queen guitarist Brian May has posted a tribute to Prof Hawking.

May is himself a passionate physicist and the two appeared at a science festival together in 2016.

A condolence book is available for Cambridge students to sign in Hawking's former college, Gonville and Caius.

A few of the students have spoken to the BBC about what the late physicist represented to them.

Gonville and Caius college, where Prof Hawking was a fellow, has lowered its flag to half mast in tribute to the late physicist.

"The college sends its condolences to Professor Hawking’s family," it said in a statement.

Alana Neimanis, in London, has posted a video of her eight-year-old son Samuel saying he will "forever miss" the professor.

She tells BBC News Professor Hawking inspired her son to develop a real love for physics.

"Samuel often plays in the kitchen filling the sink with water and washing up to let the foam drain to see how it emulates the force of a black hole," she says.

Samuel has autism spectrum disorder, and sometimes finds it hard to understand why his friends are not as interested as he is in the laws of physics.

Alana also reflects that Samuel has been inspired by the way Prof Hawking overcame the barriers of his disability to lead a "very successful" life.

Read more tributes on social media here.

Listen here to Professor Hawking reading an extract from his 1966 thesis in which he points out the weaknesses of Einstein's theory of relativity.

On his 70th birthday, the BBC asked for questions from you, the listeners, to put to Professor Hawking.

The Today programme's science editor, Tom Feilden, was the question master...

Simon Mitton
Science historian

Stephen Hawking was the most remarkable author I had the privilege of working with during my career as the director of science publishing at Cambridge University Press.

In 1982, I suggested he write a popular book about the nature of the universe, suitable for the general market.

The book that followed had an impact on the popularisation of science that has been incalculable.

American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was among the first members of the academic world to pay tribute to the late Stephen Hawking.

His death, Tyson said, has left an "intellectual vacuum".

The man may have gone, but his academic contributions live on.

The University of Sheffield's Prof Carsten van de Bruck described the physicist's legacy on gravitational physics and cosmology as "immense".

Prof Paul Hardaker, chief executive of the Institute of Physics, said Hawking had made "fundamental and lasting contributions to cosmology".

Prof David Wands from the University of Portsmouth described him as "one of the great scientists of our time".

Science aside, Stephen Hawking appeared in a number of hit television shows.

His cameos include appearances in The Simpsons, Little Britain and a Monty Python sketch.

Millions of people across the globe have flooded social media with tributes and illustrations.

Many artworks posted in honour of the professor focus on his iconic mobility chair.

You can see more tributes to Prof Hawking here.