Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)

CIERA Summer 2026 REU Program Application Now Open

Pursue an astrophysics-based interdisciplinary research project with CIERA faculty - Deadline: Jan 30

Application Now Open for REACH Summer 2026

3-week astronomy research program for high school students

Rare image of Tatooine-like planet is closest to its twin stars yet

Discovered in old data, new exoplanet was formed after the dinosaurs went extinct

Renowned astrophysicist Pieter van Dokkum to join Northwestern

Van Dokkum develops new astronomical tools to study galaxy formation and evolution

Discover the rich legacy of astronomy at Northwestern

Told through the stories of the many buildings and people on our campus over the years

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.