Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy - ISSA - University of Malta

Tune in to learn more about ISSA's work in Radio Astronomy and Artificial Intelligence!

Il-Ħamis li ġej fis- 2.30pm Dr Andrea DeMarco mil Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy - ISSA - University of Malta jitkellem fuq radjoastronomija u l-intelliġenza artifiċjali fuq Radio Mocha Malta fuq Radju Malta

STRADA Project: How AI is ushering Radio Astronomy into a new era Project led by Dr Andrea De Marco from the Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy at UM

Read about the latest project STRADA, funded by Xjenza Malta, and spearheaded by Dr Andrea DeMarco, leading a team of machine learning researchers at ISSA, the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) and the School of Physics and Astronomy (University of Edinburgh).

In this project, we are building foundational AI models for radio astronomy research.

STRADA: Teaching AI to read the radio sky Instead of relying only on expensive human labels, the model learns from the structure already present in the data

The edge of the Milky Way's star-forming disc has been elucidated in a study led by Maltese scientists. This research formed part of the doctoral work of former ISSA student Karl Fiteni, under the supervision of Joseph Caruana and Victor P. Debattista. Karl's research had also been awarded the University of Malta's Outstanding Doctoral Award for this work.

The Edge of the Milky Way's Star-Forming Disc Revealed in new research co-authored by UM Professor The work entailed a collaborative effort between institutions in Malta, the U.K., Italy, China, Switzerland, the United States, Brazil, and Chile

Yesterday, ISSA in collaboration with The Astronomical Society of Malta hosted Prof. Andrew J. Bunker from the University of Oxford, who gave a fantastic talk on the James Webb Space Telescope and the most distant galaxies in the Universe. We thank Prof. Bunker for his time, and the audience for their attendance and participation.

Since its launch nearly 4 years ago, the James Webb Space Telescope has been revolutionising our understanding of how galaxies form and involve.

Prof. Andrew Bunker's team has found some of the most distant galaxies so far, and light left these when the Universe was less than 5% of its current age, a time before many of the chemical elements we know today had formed in stars.

Prof. Bunker will show the latest images from James Webb, and explain how taking a spectrum gives us more information about how rapidly stars are forming in the early universe.

Attendance is free but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please register here: https://forms.gle/FvUbNvQkiB7FwQJS6

ISSA took part yesterday in the De La Salle College Careers Day 2026 together with Physics at UM, meeting with inspiring students and the young scientists of tomorrow! 🚀🚀

We are pleased to announce the 3rd Edition of the International Conference on Machine Learning for Astrophysics (ML4ASTRO3), which will be held in Valletta, Malta, from 31 August to 4 September 2026.

As in the previous two editions, the conference will focus on the application of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) techniques to observational and simulation data in astronomy.

The conference is conceived as a periodic event where AI scientists and astronomers can take stock of the state of this rapidly evolving field. It aims to provide a stimulating environment that fosters discussion and promotes the emergence of new ideas and collaborations, particularly among young researchers.

The scientific program will include invited review talks, contributed talks, poster flash talks, and ample time for discussion.

We welcome abstract submissions for oral presentations and poster flash talks, covering a broad range of topics at the intersection of machine learning and astrophysics.

While remote participation will be available, we warmly invite speakers to attend in person to fully benefit from the conference’s collaborative and networking opportunities.

In addition to the scientific program, cultural and social events will also be organized.

*** SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS ***

Observational surveys across different wavelengths
Time domain
Galactic and extra-galactic science
Cosmology & Simulations
Astroparticles and high energy astrophysics
Generative AI for Astronomy

*** REGISTRATION and FEE ***

The conference fee is 300 EUR (250 EUR for students) for registrations completed before 26 June 2026.
Late registration will remain open until 15 August 2026, with a fee of 375 EUR (300 EUR for students).

*** CALL FOR ABSTRACTS ***

Abstract submission is open until 30 April 2026.

For further information, please visit the conference website:
https://indico.ict.inaf.it/e/ml4astro3

For inquiries, please contact the SOC/LOC at:
[email protected]

We kindly ask you to forward this announcement to colleagues who may be interested.

We look forward to welcoming you to Malta!

Best regards,
the ML4ASTRO3 SOC and LOC.

Scientific Organizing Committee:

Filomena Bufano (INAF, Italy)
Andrea DeMarco (University of Malta)
Francisco Förster Burón (University of Chile)
Alessio Magro (University of Malta)
Simone Riggi (INAF, Italy)
Jackson Said (University of Malta)
Eva Sciacca (INAF, Italy)
Sebastian Trujillo (Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Germany)
Eleni Vardoulaki (National Observatory of Athens)

Local Organizing Committee:

Andrea De Marco (University of Malta)
Alessio Magro (University of Malta)
Hayley Camilleri (University of Malta)
Ian Fenech Conti (University of Malta)
Cristobal Bordiu (INAF, Italy)

International Conference on Machine Learning for Astrophysics 3rd Ed. - ML4ASTRO3 The 3rd edition of the International Conference on Machine Learning for Astrophysics (ML4ASTRO3) aims to unite leading researchers actively engaged in applying machine learning to astrophysical studies. Following the success of the previous editions, this international conference is dedicated to exp...

Do you wish to participate in the decision-making process of the F/I/C/S? Representing your fellow
students is a worthwhile endeavour which will provide you with skills and experiences that will also
be very useful in your future career.https://www.um.edu.mt/media/um/docs/studentportal/studentrepresentatives/2526/nominationssent/sentnoticesandnominationsmar25-26/InstituteofSpaceSciencesandAstronomy.pdf