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...
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...
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,...
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,...
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...
CIERA Director Vicky Kalogera Featured in GMT Gala Video
CIERA Director Vicky Kalogera was featured recently in a Giant Magellan Telescope Gala Video celebrating Dr. Walter E. Massey, whose decade guiding the Giant...
Cosmic crash caught on camera
In an unprecedented celestial event, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) captured the dramatic aftermath of colliding space rocks within a nearby planetary system. When...
Rare image of Tatooine-like planet is closest to its twin stars yet
In a discovery that’s fit for a movie, Northwestern University astronomers have directly imaged a Tatooine-like exoplanet, orbiting two suns. While obtaining an image...
Students tackle real-world problems at CIERA-hosted Space Apps Challenge
More than 250 students—ranging from grade schoolers to graduate students—gathered both in-person and online at Chicago’s 1871 on Oct. 4–5, 2025, for the city’s...
A New Eye on the Universe: Harvard Physicist Christopher Stubbs Unveils the Promise of the Rubin Observatory at CIERA Annual Public Lecture
On Friday, October 3, 2025, a record-breaking audience of 350 filled Northwestern’s Ryan Auditorium for the Annual Public Lecture hosted by the Center for...
CIERA Hosts First POSYDON School, Training the Next Generation of Binary Star Modelers
Last month, an international group of astronomers gathered for the inaugural POSYDON School, an intensive training program dedicated to POSYDON, a groundbreaking software developed...