Famous ‘Pink Planet’ harbors a salty surprise
James Webb Space Telescope finds salt clouds surround one of the coldest objects ever studied Northwestern University-led astronomers have discovered salty skies surrounding the...
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CIERA Connections: Academic research skills pave path to computer science industry
Former member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Francesca Valsecchi, Ph.D., as well as CIERA Tech Council Member, Angus...
Elena González Prieto awarded Northwestern Presidential Fellowship
On June 22 The Graduate School (TGS) of Northwestern University announced CIERA Graduate Student Elena González Prieto as one of only six awarded the...
Found: Milky Way black hole’s missing wind
The half-century-long search is finally over, opening a new window into the physics at play in the center of the galaxy The hunt...
Ancient Astronomy Meets Modern Stargazing at CIERA’s Astronomy Night Out
CIERA’s fifth annual event blended a public lecture, hands-on activities, and telescope viewing at Dearborn Observatory By Matt Golosinski Photo credits: Bonnie Robinson Hundreds of...
CIERA PhD Student Elizabeth Moné Awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
The 2026 awardees of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) includes CIERA member Elizabeth Moné! The GRFP recognizes outstanding graduate...
CIERA Student Nico Bers Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
Nico Bers, a junior physics major at Northwestern University concentrating in astronomy, has been named a 2026 Goldwater Scholar—one of the nation’s highest honors...
CIERA Announces Northwestern’s First 51 Pegasi b Fellowship Recipient
The Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) is proud to announce that William Balmer (they/them) has been named Northwestern University’s first...
CIERA Welcomes six new CIERA Postdoctoral Fellows
We are delighted to announce that six CIERA Postdoctoral Fellows will be joining the CIERA community in Fall 2026. Please join us in...
Spin separates giant planets from ‘failed stars’
Clearest evidence yet that giant planets spin faster than their cosmic lookalikes For decades, astronomers have struggled to differentiate giant planets from brown dwarfs,...
Gravitational-wave detections double with new catalog
EVANSTON, Ill. — An international team of scientists, including Northwestern University astrophysicists, has detected 128 new gravitational-wave candidates — more than doubling the size...
Synthetic Biology in Space: NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins Visits Northwestern
On February 3, 2026, Microbiologist and retired NASA astronaut Kate Rubins visited Northwestern University to give a special seminar on conducting biology in space,...