Astronomers discover how giant planet survived its star’s death
When astronomers discovered a giant planet orbiting a dead star in 2020, they wondered how it survived its star’s violent demise. Now, observations...
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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...
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...
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,...
CIERA’s Allison Strom awarded Sloan Fellowship
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has named Northwestern University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics member Allison Strom, assistant professor in the...
CIERA’s Alexander Edison Awarded Scientific Software Research Faculty Fellowship
The Simons Foundation has named Northwestern University’s Alexander Edison, research assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, as a recipient of the...
CIERA Alumna Sarah Wellons Joins New Class of Cottrell Scholars
Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) alumna Sarah Wellons, assistant professor of astronomy at Wesleyan University, has been named a recipient...
One-Minute of Science and a Slice of Good Luck: CIERA Welcomes 2026
On January 29, 2026, The Center for Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) rang in the new year in time-honored fashion with its annual...