Calling all aspiring astronomers! Northwestern’s CIERA REU gives undergrads hands-on research in galaxy evolution, exoplanets, gravitational waves & instrumentation. Work with faculty, attend workshops & field trips, and present your findings! Apply: bit.ly/4jjNetC

Hubble has imaged the aftermath of two rare collisions between rocky bodies in the nearby planetary system—events once thought to happen only every 100,000 years. CIERA member Jason Wang helped confirm the discovery. bit.ly/4s66Pl1 #Science #Astrophysics #CIERA

🍪✨ Winter Solstice = maximum darkness, maximum cookies. CIERA’s first-ever cookie exchange was a sweet success—thanks to everyone who baked, shared, and collaborated their way to a great celebration. Science is better together. 🤝❄️

Summer REU at Northwestern CIERA! Undergrads: dive into 9 weeks of interdisciplinary astrophysics research-exoplanets, galaxy evolution, gravitational waves, instrumentation & more. Field trips, workshops, HPC + Python training included! Learn more: bit.ly/3MDGv18

Here's some fun news! CIERA's VERY own Nathalie Jones and Jason Wang were interviewed yesterday on Fox 32 Chicago about their recent discovery of a new exoplanet! You can watch the interview here: lnkd.in/gPCuhzth

🚀 Applications are OPEN for REACH Summer 2026 at @CIERA_NU! 3-week astronomy research program for high school students 💻 Learn Python + work on real science 🧑‍🚀 Mentored by astrophysicists 💙 No prior coding required | Tuition assistance available 🔗 bit.ly/4p33EI2 #STEM #Astronomy #HighSchoolStudents

A discovery fit for Star Wars: CIERA astronomers have directly imaged a Tatooine-like planet orbiting two suns — and it’s closer to its stars than any other directly imaged planet in a binary system. 🌟🌟🪐https://bit.ly/4q8Dfto @thejason.wang #Exoplanets #Astronomy #Northwestern #CIERA

🚀 Applications are OPEN for Northwestern CIERA’s NSF-funded Astrophysics REU! Join us for 9 weeks of interdisciplinary research, workshops, HPC training, field trips & more. 💰 $6,300 stipend + housing + travel 📅 Deadline: Jan 30 🔗 Apply: bit.ly/3MDGv18

Only 5 days left to apply! CIERA Postdoctoral Associate applications close Dec 15, 2025, 11:59 PM (CT). Take the next step in your astrophysics career. Learn more and apply: ciera.northwestern.edu/opportunities #Postdoc #Astrophysics #CIERA #STEMCareers #AstronomyJobs

Last Astronomer Evening of the year tonight! Hear Andrew Marszewski's talk on “The Origin of Elements: From the Big Bang to Exploding Galaxies and Beyond” and enjoy an interactive gas spectral tube demo run by Nathalie Jones. 🪐 Telescope viewing to follow!

There’s still time to apply! CIERA Postdoctoral Associate applications are open until Dec 15, 2025, 11:59 PM (CT). Learn more and apply bit.ly/48W5PbL #Postdoc #Astrophysics #CIERA #STEMCareers #AstronomyJobs

This #GivingTuesday consider donating to CIERA! Your support fuels the exploration of black holes, neutron stars, exoplanets, galaxies, and the cosmic events that shape our universe. Every gift, large or small, empowers students and scientists to reach farther. ciera.northwestern.edu/donate/

This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for the community of scientists, students, staff, and supporters who help CIERA explore the wonders of our universe. Wishing you a warm and joyful holiday! Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Charles Kilpatrick, Aswin Suresh #Thanksgiving2025 #Gratitude

Just under 3 weeks left to apply for a CIERA Postdoctoral Associate position! Enjoy Thanksgiving and start your application when you’re back: bit.ly/48W5PbL Deadline: Dec 15, 2025, 11:59 PM CT. #Postdoc #CIERA #Northwestern #AstronomyJobs

The final Astronomer Evening of the year will take place on December 5! 🌔 Please note that next Friday’s session is canceled for Thanksgiving break.

Just a few days left: CIERA Postdoctoral Fellowship applications close this Friday! Take the next step in your research career and start your CIERA journey. Learn more and apply bit.ly/48W5PbL

CIERA is thrilled to welcome three new members to our community! JJ Carrasco joins our Core Faculty and Tim Kovachy and Alexander Edison join as Associate Faculty.Excited for the discoveries ahead! #CIERA #Northwestern #Astrophysics #Physics #Astronomy #ResearchExcellence

We know Vicky Kalogera as a world-renowned astrophysicist and CIERA director—but her new @HerStoriesPod interview reveals so much more. From hearing the universe for the first time to finding joy in discovery, this conversation is incredible. 🎧 bit.ly/3XuL1kJ

Postdoc application deadlines are approaching, start your CIERA journey today! Learn more and apply → bit.ly/48W5PbL

Two cosmic collisions. And hints of second-generation black holes born from earlier mergers. New results from @LIGO @ego_virgo @KAGRA_PR with @NorthwesternU’s #CIERA scientists reveal the most precise tests yet of general relativity. bit.ly/47LIIi0

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Pieter van Dokkum, one of the world’s most visionary astrophysicists, will join @NorthwesternU as a new member of CIERA beginning 1/1/27! He brings innovations like the Dragonfly Telephoto Array & MOTHRA telescope. bit.ly/3JIjkl9 #astrophysics #research

Congratulations Nico Bers on receiving an Honorable Mention for the 2025 USRA Distinguished Undergraduate Awards! Nico conducted research in CIERA Director Vicky Kalogera’s group with mentor Sylvia Biscoveanu. 🔗 tinyurl.com/8j2664ht

Don’t miss Astronomer Evenings this Friday, November 7! Our fall/winter hours go into effect this week so we'll kick things off at 8pm. Talks: How the Elements Are Made by Caroline von Raesfeld (PhD student) Exploring the Universe with Virtual Galaxies by Elizabeth Moné (Grad student)

Tomorrow’s the day! Submit your Brinson Prize Fellowship application by Nov 6 at 6 PM (ET).CIERA | Northwestern is also accepting applications for other fellowships and associate positions: ciera.northwestern.edu/opportunities #Postdoc #Astrophysics #CIERA #Northwestern #STEMCareers #AstronomyJobs

🚀 250+ students. 1 mission: Solve real-world problems using NASA data. @CIERA_NU helped host #SpaceAppsChicago—the biggest U.S. chapter of NASA’s global hackathon! 💻🌍 Huge thanks to all the CIERA mentors who inspired the next gen of scientists! 💫 tinyurl.com/4t967bxp

🎉 Huge congratulations to Prof. Giles Novak of @CIERA_NU on being named a 2025 @APSphysics Fellow! Honored for pioneering work in submillimeter polarimetry, star formation, and outstanding mentorship. A well-deserved recognition! 🌟 🔗https://tinyurl.com/y5ef2cfk #Astrophysics

Apply Now for Prestigious Postdoctoral Opportunities at CIERA!
 Join a leading-edge, interdisciplinary astrophysics research community at Northwestern University.
 Learn more and apply: bit.ly/48W5PbL

🚀 350+ filled Ryan Auditorium for CIERA’s Annual Public Lecture! Harvard’s Chris Stubbs spoke on the groundbreaking Vera C. Rubin Observatory, now imaging the sky with a 3,200MP camera. A thrilling glimpse into the future of astrophysics! 🌌 #RubinObs #CIERA #DarkEnergy bit.ly/46RrUaa

🚀@NorthwesternU postdoc George Paul Winstone and collaborators have been awarded a subcontract under NASA’s NIAC Phase II program for the TFINER project — a bold new concept to power deep-space missions using thin-film nuclear materials. 🔗 bit.ly/4nJ3gyq #NASA

CIERA is Now Accepting Applications for 3 Prestigious Postdoctoral Opportunities! Join a vibrant, interdisciplinary research community working at the forefront of astrophysics. Learn more and apply: bit.ly/48W5PbL #Postdoc #Astrophysics #AstronomyJobs

🚨 BREAKTHROUGH ASTRONOMY ALERT! CIERA's Charlie Kilpatrick and Aswin Suresh have used the James Webb Space Telescope to spot something never seen before: The reddest, dustiest red supergiant star ever caught right before it exploded. bit.ly/4o6nuBV

A decades-old mystery may be solved—CIERA's Elena Murchikova & Mark Gorski found signs of a long-sought plasma wind from the Milky Way’s black hole using ALMA data. A major step in understanding our galaxy’s heart. 🖤🌌 Read more: bit.ly/4mPZ0fr #CIERA #Astrophysics

Last month, @CIERA_NU hosted the first-ever POSYDON School—training 55 scientists from around the world in modeling binary stars & black hole mergers using the cutting-edge POSYDON software. Read the story: bit.ly/46HDPHE #GravitationalWaves #OpenScience #SkAIInstitute

Congrats to Dr. Ore Gottlieb, former @NUCIERA postdoc & 2025 #BlavatnikAwards Finalist! Honored for paradigm-shifting work on neutron star mergers. Ore is a Flatiron Fellow & joins @MITPhysics in 2026. bit.ly/46W1eUC #Astrophysics #BlavatnikAwards #FlatironInstitute

Congratulations to CIERA graduate student Piramon Kumnurdmanee, who has been named one of just 37 The Quad Fellowship recipients — selected from nearly 2,000 applicants across Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the U.S.! bit.ly/48SdwQd #QuadFellowship #Astrophysics

We're thrilled to host Harvard physicist Chris Stubbs for our SOLD OUT Annual Public Lecture tonight! 🌌 Catch the livestream: ciera.northwestern.edu/ciera-livest... Stubbs helped shape the Rubin Observatory + leads cutting-edge gravity research! 🚀 #astronomy #cosmology #gravitation #particlephysics

In November 1887, Northwestern’s astronomy journey began with the Dearborn Telescope. 135+ years later, @nuciera.bsky.social leads one of the top 10 astronomy programs in the nation. 🔭 Explore the rich history: sites.northwestern.edu/highlightsof... #CIERA #Northwestern #Astronomy #SpaceScience

TONIGHT at 9 PM at Dearborn Observatory: Divjyot Singh (graduate student) will talk about the solar eclipse and give a gravitational waves demo, followed by Ethan Ro (undergraduate) presenting on the Search for (extraterrestrial) Life. Stay for telescope viewing!

Astrophysicists worldwide are gathering at the first POSYDON School at SkAI to dive into POSYDON v2—a cutting-edge binary population synthesis code. This 4-day workshop helps researchers integrate POSYDON into their work. Learn more: posydon.org #astrophysics #astronomy #CIERA #SkAI #POSYDON

New CIERA PhD student Dean Kousiounelos was the focus of a story by his alma mater Lake Forest College. Dean blends art & science to explore binary stars + gravitational waves. Read the story: bit.ly/4pHsUoS #NSFGRFP #CIERA #Astrophysics

Where are all the black holes? CIERA’s Dr. Lena Murchikova is featured in the Sept. issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine for her work on detecting isolated black holes in our galaxy. Read more 👉 bit.ly/4nV7sen #Astrophysics #BlackHoles #CIERA

Gravitational-wave scientists — including @NorthwesternU astrophysicists — have verified Stephen Hawking’s black hole area theorem for the first time! A decade after the first detection, LIGO captured its clearest signal yet. bit.ly/4nwWStt #BlackHoles #Hawking #LIGO

Congrats to CIERA PhD students Gideon McFarland and Nathalie Jones who have been awarded the 2025–2026 Board of Visitors Graduate Research Fellowships! 🎉We can’t wait to see how they continue shaping the future of astrophysics. bit.ly/3VieEVC

🪐 Astronomy fans: In 3 weeks, Harvard’s Dr. Chris Stubbs headlines CIERA’s 2025 Public Lecture! Learn how Rubin Observatory’s massive data stream will unlock dark matter, dark energy & more. Don’t miss it! 🌌 Register: bit.ly/46vQw8J #astronomy #darkmatter

Over 80 leading researchers reunited at @NorthwesternU to celebrate 15 years of CIERA at the #Fellows15 Conference! Gravitational waves, black holes, exoplanets & more — plus a community that continues to shape the future of astrophysics. 🔗 bit.ly/4pmzwsA #CIERA15 #Astrophysics #GravitationalWaves

Astronomer Evenings tonight at 9 PM! Join us at Dearborn Observatory for a talk on “Simulating and Photographing the Universe” by graduate student Imran Sultan, followed by telescope viewing.

🚀 Day 1 of CIERA Fellows @ 15 kicks off today at @NorthwesternU! We’re celebrating 15 years of CIERA with alumni, postdocs & friends from across the U.S. & Canada. Talks, connections & inspiration await! #CIERAat15 #CIERAFellows15 #AstronomyCommunity

CIERA’s 2025 REU program welcomed 13 incredible undergrads this summer to Northwestern for 9 weeks of immersive astrophysics research—gravitational waves, dark matter, planetary science & more. They leave with skills, friendships & inspiration that’ll last a lifetime. bit.ly/4mBMVuX

🚨 Our discovery of the brightest fast radio burst ever, RBFLOAT, made headlines at CNN! 📰✨ See how CIERA scientists helped trace this cosmic flash with extraordinary precision. 🔗https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/26/science/brightest-fast-radio-burst #FRB #Astronomy #CIERA

Yesterday we celebrated Kari A. Frank as she begins a new chapter. For 8 years, Kari has shaped CIERA with her leadership, kindness, and vision. We're deeply grateful—and excited for the lucky organization that gets her next. Thank you, Kari! 💜 #Leadership #Farewell