Research Research areas Astronomy & Astrophysics toc About The ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics operates Australia’s largest optical observatory and has access to the world’s largest optical telescopes. Our staff and students have made major contributions to astronomy, mapping the structure and formation of the Milky Way, discovering planets orbiting other stars, measuring dark matter both within our Galaxy and in the wider Universe, and discovering the accelerating expansion of the Universe. Our astronomers include winners of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science and the Nobel Prize. At our administrative home at the Mount Stromlo Observatory we host the Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre which is a national facility established to support the development of the next generation of instruments for astronomy and space science. Our research telescopes are situated in the ANU Siding Spring Observatory, located in the Warrumbungle region of New South Wales. The observatory began as a field station for the Mount Stromlo Observatory and has since become Australia’s premier optical and infrared observatory, housing the state-of-art SkyMapper telescope. The University also has a ten per cent share in the Giant Megellan Telescope under construction in Chile. When completed, it will be the world’s most powerful telescope. Facilities Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre The Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre (AITC) at the University’s Mount Stromlo Observatory is a world-class facility for the design, manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing of ground-based and space-based instruments, and small satellites. View the facility Centre for Advanced Microscopy The Centre for Advanced Microscopy (CAM) provides state-of-the art microscopy and microanalysis equipment to researchers, students and industry partners. View the facility Giant Magellan Telescope The Giant Magellan Telescope will be the world’s most powerful telescope, with a resolution ten times better than the Hubble Space Telescope. View the facility Kioloa Coastal Campus The 348-hectare ANU Kioloa Coastal Campus is one of Australia’s premier field stations, offering a diverse ecology which encourages research across all scientific disciplines. View the facility Makerspace The ANU MakerSpace is an initiative by the Research School of Physics and Engineering, where we know people learn by doing. View the facility Mount Stromlo Observatory The Mount Stromlo Observatory (MSO) is the headquarters of RSAA, located in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. View the facility National Computational Infrastructure The National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) is home to the Southern Hemisphere’s most highly-integrated supercomputer and filesystems, Australia’s highest performance research cloud, and one of the nation’s largest data catalogues—all supported by an expert team. View the facility Podcast Studio The CPAS Podcast Studio is open to staff and students throughout ANU (not just scientists!) to record and grow podcast series. Your success is our success: we want to help you make the biggest and best podcast series in the world. View the facility Science precinct Our new $240-million science precinct on the ANU campus has state-of-the-art biological and chemical research laboratories, as well as a teaching hub. View the facility Siding Spring Observatory Siding Spring Observatory, on the edge of the Warrumbungle National Park near Coonabarabran, NSW, is Australia's premier optical and infrared astronomical observatory. View the facility SkyMapper SkyMapper is a state-of-the-art automated wide-field survey telescope that represents a new vehicle for scientific discovery. View the facility Wood Library Designed by Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb, the Forestry Building (#48) was officially opened on 16 May 1968 by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh with the unveiling of a wooden sculpture in the building’s main foyer. View the facility Articles Just 1 in 5 employees in the space industry are women. This lack of diversity is holding us back How do we find enough people with the skills necessary to grow the space technology sector? Read the article How fast is the Universe really expanding? Multiple views of an exploding star raise new questions We have successfully used a new technique – involving light from an exploding star that arrived at Earth via multiple winding routes through the expanding Universe – to measure how fast the Universe is expanding. Read the article Star witness: why would you find this ANU astrophysicist in court? “If they need me," Dr Brad Tucker says, "it is either a critical point for what is happening or it is a very serious matter, the kind of thing you see on the news, so they want as much detail as possible.” Read the article Load More toc
