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.

The Australian National University's 2.3m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in northwest New South Wales.

12 Sep 2019

SkyMapper - Stellar Time Turner

Universe’s Wayback machine Astronomers have discovered a star on the other side of the Milky Way that helps provide answers about the very first stars in the Universe. Located 35,000 lights years from

A purple, gold and pink ball of gas on a fuzzy black sky background filled with stars.

Case Studies

24 Jul 2019

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 round telescope dome sits on top of a hill under a brilliant night sky filled with thousands of stars in the Milky Way.

Research Highlights

14 Dec 2017

NCI makes surveying the Southern Skies possible

Astronomy

Astronomy has been a collaborative activity for a long time: ever since Indigenous Australians first started looking up at the sky. Until recently, we were collaborating by observing the sky together

A nebula captured by NASA telescopes, showing a pink centre with expanding purple rings and hazy stars in the background.

Research Highlights

20 Nov 2017

'Missing stardust problem' solved

Astronomy

Dr Amanda Karakas, NCI user and Senior Lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, is moving our understanding of stardust and star formation forward thanks to updated

Yellow lines streaking out in curves and straight lines from a central focal point.

Research Highlights

18 Sep 2017

Advancing knowledge of dark matter

Astronomy

Physics

Professor Csaba Balazs from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale (CoEPP) is using the NCI supercomputer to advance our knowledge of dark matter particles. Dark matter is

Research Highlights

20 Jul 2017

A simulation of supernova formation

Astronomy

Working as part of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO), scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) are learning about the formation of a certain type of

Artist's impression of a radio pulsar, a central star shooting out bright twisting beams of light.

Research Highlights

14 Jul 2016

Searching for super-dense neutron stars

Astronomy

Researchers are using Raijin to perform the deepest ever search of our galaxy for neutron stars. The discoveries will help test Einstein's theory of general relativity. "It's not possible to test

A pink and purple cloud of gas with a huge amount of bright and dim stars dotted around and through it.

Research Highlights

25 May 2015

Creating antimatter in the lab

Astronomy

Physics

One of science's unresolved questions – Where did all of the antimatter at the origin of the Universe go? – may now be explored with the help of NCI. Professor Igor Bray, Head of Curtin's Department

Research Highlights

24 Jul 2014

The oldest star in the universe

Astronomy

Researchers from ANU have discovered the oldest known star in the universe, with a little help from NCI. The discovery gives us clues to what the universe was like in its infancy, 13.7 billion years

A bright white glow peaks over the horizon of the Earth seen from space.

Research Highlights

17 May 2012

The greatest map ever made

Astronomy

It will be a feat of cartography to rival the achievements of Captain James Cook, the most detailed map of the heavens ever compiled, charting a vast dome of stars extending from the equator to the

Astronomy

SkyMapper - Stellar Time Turner

Astronomy

NCI makes surveying the Southern Skies possible

'Missing stardust problem' solved

Advancing knowledge of dark matter

A simulation of supernova formation

Searching for super-dense neutron stars

Creating antimatter in the lab

The oldest star in the universe

The greatest map ever made

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