Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)

Northwestern scientists launch projects using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Gravitational-wave detection verifies Stephen Hawking’s theorem

Registration Opens for CIERA Annual Public Lecture

Harvard Astrophysicist Christopher Stubbs to explore dark matter, dark energy & the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s cosmic discoveries

First-of-its-kind supernova reveals inner workings of a dying star

Newly discovered supernova is ‘stripped down to the bone’ to reveal heavier elements

Giant Magellan Telescope enters final design phase

Northwestern scientists will contribute expertise to the world’s most powerful optical telescope

Northwestern scientists launch projects using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Research at CIERA

Researchers at CIERA study a wide variety of topics, all with the aim of advancing the field of astrophysics and expanding our understanding of the Universe.

Black Holes & Dead Stars

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Black Holes & Dead Stars

Supermassive, Intermediate & Stellar Mass Black Holes, White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars . . .

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Exoplanets & The Solar System

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Exoplanets & The Solar System

Planet Formation, Planet Dynamics, Protoplanetary Disks . . .

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Galaxies & Cosmology

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Galaxies & Cosmology

Galaxy Formation, Intergalactic Medium, Galaxy Clusters, Early Universe . . .

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Gravitational Waves & Multi-Messenger Astronomy

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Gravitational Waves & Multi-Messenger Astronomy

Black Hole & Neutron Star Mergers, Gravitational Wave Sources & Their Electromagnetic Counterparts . . .

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Life & Death of Stars

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Life & Death of Stars

Interstellar Medium, Star Formation & Evolution, Supernovae & Their Remnants . . .

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Stellar Dynamics & Stellar Populations

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Stellar Dynamics & Stellar Populations

Star Clusters, Galactic Nuclei, Stellar Collisions & Mergers, Interacting Binaries . . .

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Our Faculty

There are many different methods used to study the cosmos. CIERA researchers use observations and data science to make new discoveries, use theory and computation to explain and predict what we see, and build innovative new instruments to see farther and in more detail than ever before.