Our research areas

Tackling big questions in astrophysics and technology

By bringing together astronomy researchers, instrumentation experts and data specialists, our centre works across discipline boundaries, creating a collaborative ecosystem for research and discovery driven by astronomy.

We are one of the largest and fastest-growing astronomical centres of research excellence in Australia, committed to investing in the next generation of researchers.

Our research spans a broad range of astrophysics, instrumentation, technology development and data-intensive capabilities, creating a unique environment for cross-disciplinary research.

Our centre comprises over 50 staff, postdocs and students, with research projects spanning a broad range of theoretical, observational, and computational astrophysics, as well as developing new instrumentation technologies and data-intensive astronomy techniques.

Learn more about our research themes and the projects currently active under them.

Extragalactic astronomy

Extragalactic astronomy is the study of the Universe at distances beyond the limits of our Milky Way and its closest neighbours.

This includes the study of individual distant galaxies, to using those galaxies to trace the very structure and evolution of the Universe.

Stellar and planetary astrophysics

This theme includes:

• stellar structure and evolution, particularly in low and intermediate mass stars, binary interactions (see also theoretical and computation astrophysics)
• chemical evolution and origin of the elements
• clusters and populations (see also Milky Way and Local Group)
• galactic archaeology and galactic formation
• planet formation (see also theoretical and computation astrophysics)
• exoplanets detection (see also instrumentation and space technologies).

Milky Way and Local Group

Our location in the Milky Way provides us with a unique vantage point to study the structure, composition and kinematics of our home galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy and other galaxies in our Local Group.

Astronomers at Macquarie University use imaging, spectroscopy and radio observations to understand the nature of our local environment.

Image by: BY-SA 3.0 IGO, A. Moitinho

Interstellar medium

The interstellar medium (ISM) is the gas and dust between stars – the raw material from which stars form and to which they return when they die. The ISM responds to the energy and mass output by stars, in a complex feedback loop that shapes the lives of galaxies over cosmic time.

Image by: Judy Schmidt, Galactic Centre Infrared+Radio

Theoretical and computational astrophysics

Theoretical and computational astrophysics research aims to generate models that can be tested with observations. Our group works on:

• models of stellar and binary star evolution
• planet formation
• galactic centre magnetic fields
• black holes.

The methodologies are analytical or semi-analytical models and 3D hydrodynamic simulations.

Instrumentation and space technologies

Our centre includes researchers at Australian Astronomical Optics – a recognised world leader in innovative scientific instrumentation, software and research, and a major node of the nationally funded Astralis Instrumentation Consortium.

Our researchers engage with major ground-based observatories, to deliver innovative instruments based on new technologies we are developing. These include:

• the European Southern Observatory (ESO)
• the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).

Data science/data intensive astronomy

Our centre includes the Research Data Services group – part of Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO).

It specialises in creating applications to access diverse research data sets across multiple disciplines, and developing comprehensive data processing platforms for the complex instrument suites of major astronomical observatories.