Astronomy

NCI supports some of the world’s most ambitious and successful astronomy research. From international experimental collaborations to ambitious theoretical modelling, Australian astronomy projects have a breadth and depth requiring robust and reliable research infrastructure. Requirements include computational performance for detailed modelling and data processing, virtual environments for data analysis, and large filesystems for the ongoing ingest of daily updates of telescope data.

Image: mock observations of simulated galaxies with central bars. Left: isolated evolutionary history. Right: interacting evolutionary history, a small fly-by promoted early bar formation.

04 Dec 2023

Unlocking the Secrets of Galactic Bars: A Cosmic Quest

Astrophysicists from the Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA) at the University of Sydney are using the computing power of the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) to create virtual cosmic

Research Highlights

28 Nov 2023

Understanding the origin of stellar masses

Astronomy

Understanding star formation is critical to knowing how the Universe works since almost all phenomena in the cosmos can be linked to the evolution of stars. Scientists from The Australian National

Astronaut in space with Earth in the background

Research Highlights

23 Mar 2023

To the Moon, Mars and medical lab: NCI supports science driving better human health

Radiation physicists from The University of Wollongong’s Centre For Medical Radiation Physics (CMRP) are using the power of NCI’s Gadi supercomputer to help keep astronauts safe and prepare for the

Desert landscape at night, with four radio telescope dishes visible on the horizon and many stars in the sky.

Research Highlights

06 Jan 2023

Flexible Cloud Computing Supporting Australian Radio Astronomy

Astronomy

This research highlight was originally published in NCI's 2021-2022 Annual Report. Researchers from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, are using NCI’s Nirin cloud computer to enhance the

Uncountable stars of different colours and brightness, with the moon superimposed on the image for scale.

Research Highlights

30 Jun 2022

Providing treasure troves of astronomical data

Astronomy

NCI hosts the globally recognised SkyMapper data collection, a unique set of images of the Southern Sky, recently used to discover the fastest growing black hole in the last 9 billion years of cosmic

Swirls of purple, red and yellow showing turbulence from galaxy formation simulations.

Research Highlights

01 Sep 2021

Extreme efficiency astrophysical turbulence simulations

Astronomy

Astronomy researchers are using Gadi’s scale and performance to test the next generation of their star formation simulations. They are simulating the random motions found in magnetised clouds of

The letters A, L, C and G in blue on a translucent background showing computer imagery.

Research Highlights

27 Apr 2021

Generating great Australian science with giant research grants

NCI Australia is proud to support incredible Australian research through the 2021 Australasian Leadership Computing Grants (ALCG). The highly competitive Grants will allow researchers to work on some

Visualisation of turbulence at astronomical scale.

Research Highlights

12 Jan 2021

Study helps unlock secrets of star formation

Astronomy

This was originally published via the ANU newsroom. A new study by an international team of researchers has used computer power to map the so-called "sonic scale", showing the key role turbulence

ALCG letters in blue on transparent computer background.

Research Highlights

23 Apr 2020

Enabling groundbreaking science with the largest compute grants in Australian history

Astronomy

Earth and Environmental Science

Engineering

NCI Australia is proud to support incredible Australian research through the inaugural Australasian Leadership Computing Grants (ALCG).The highly competitive Grant will allow researchers to tackle the

Abstract image showing yellow strands and hazy shapes on a purple background.

Research Highlights

10 Dec 2019

Fluid flow physics facilitates fiendishly fiery formations

Astronomy

Physics

THE CHALLENGE: How do stars form? In clouds of gas millions of kilometres across, over millions of years, how do stars form? We know that gravity and electromagnetism and chemistry, pulling together

Astronomy

Unlocking the Secrets of Galactic Bars: A Cosmic Quest

Understanding the origin of stellar masses

To the Moon, Mars and medical lab: NCI supports science driving better human health

Flexible Cloud Computing Supporting Australian Radio Astronomy

Providing treasure troves of astronomical data

Extreme efficiency astrophysical turbulence simulations

Generating great Australian science with giant research grants

Study helps unlock secrets of star formation

Enabling groundbreaking science with the largest compute grants in Australian history

Fluid flow physics facilitates fiendishly fiery formations

Need support?

Need help from one of our NCI support staff?

Help desk

Site search

Need support?

Need help from one of our NCI support staff?

Help desk