Astronomy Illinois

Congratulations to Illinois astronomers for earning observing time with the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the next flagship astrophysics observatory from NASA.

Amid intense international competition for the telescope's first cycle of observations, proposals led by Padmavathi Venkatraman, Yue Shen, Zachary Stone, Margaret Verrico and K. Decker French were selected for Cycle 1 observations.

Their projects will use Roman's powerful infrared capabilities to explore active supermassive black holes and galaxies across cosmic time. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement and on helping shape the scientific legacy of Roman from the very beginning!

Rendering of telescope from NASA.

After years of preparation, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) has officially begun observing the universe — marking the start of a new era in astronomy.

Faculty, researchers, and students from Illinois Astronomy have helped build the tools and science that will turn Rubin's unprecedented stream of data into discoveries about exploding stars, dark matter, dark energy, and the changing night sky.

CAPS, NCSA Celebrate Beginning of LSST Project | NCSA | National Center for Supercomputing Applications | Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation | Illinois CAPS, NCSA Celebrate Beginning of LSST Project Posted on June 30, 2026June 30, 2026 by Andrew Helregel For astronomers, researchers and space lovers across the globe, the long wait is finally over. Following approval from the U.S. National Science Foundation review board, the Legacy Survey of Space....

Congratulations to Astronomy Ph.D. candidate Nicholas Earl on successfully defending his dissertation, "Accretion, Transients, and Galaxy Evolution in the Time-Domain Survey Era."

Nicholas's research explored how massive black holes grow and influence the evolution of galaxies, connecting observations of tidal disruption events, active galactic nuclei, transient surveys, and the cold gas that fuels galaxy evolution. His work helps astronomers better understand some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe and prepares the field for the next generation of sky surveys.

Congratulations, Nicholas, and best wishes on the next chapter of your career!

For astrophysics student Ashi Poorey, studying the universe is about more than equations and experiments — it’s about curiosity, discovery, and understanding our place in the cosmos. She recently wrote about her experience for the College of LAS' Insider Blog.

From researching massive stars and hidden stellar companions to presenting at conferences and participating in NASA’s L’SPACE Mission Concept Academy, Ashi has found that astrophysics combines creativity, problem-solving, and wonder in ways that constantly inspire her.

“Astrophysics isn’t just about equations or experiments; it is about understanding the universe and our place in it.”

Read more about why Ashi loves her major: https://las.illinois.edu/blog/2026-04-28/why-i-love-my-major-astrophysics

Please join us in congratulating Grant Merz on the successful defense of his Ph.D. thesis earlier this month!

Grant will be staying with the department as a postdoctoral researcher. Pictured are (from left to right): Prof. Xin Liu, Dr. Grant Merz, Prof. Matias Carrasco Kind (on zoom), Prof. Athol Kemball, Prof. Yuxiong Wang).

Professor Gautham Narayan was recently recognized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Conrad Professional Scholar Award. These professorial scholar awards are funded by a gift from Arlys Conrad and are designed to support the work of exceptionally promising associate professors within the College of LAS.

Narayan works at the intersection of time-domain astrophysics, cosmology, AI, and statistics. He deeply values the mentor-mentee relationship and works with several students, undergraduates and graduates alike, postdocs, and research scientists.

Congratulations, Gautham!

Join us this Thursday, May 21, as we learn about occurrences like Marsquakes and other seismic events on other planets!

Earth science and environmental change professor Ross Maguire will lead the discussion starting at 6 at 25 O'Clock Brewing in Downtown Urbana.

Researchers, students, and faculty came together at AstroFest 2026 to share ideas, showcase research, and explore the many paths in astronomy.

From poster sessions to career conversations, the event highlighted the power of collaboration—and the many directions a future in science can take.

Read more: https://astro.illinois.edu/news/2026-05-05/astrofest-emphasizes-collaboration-and-finding-your-path-astronomy

What happens when you follow science all the way to its limits?

For Eryn Van Wijk, an undergraduate double majoring in astrophysics and philosophy, the answer isn’t choosing one field over the other—it’s exploring where they meet. Their academic path blends big questions about the universe with equally profound questions about knowledge, truth, and what it all means.

From studying the cosmos to thinking about the foundations of science itself, Eryn’s journey is a reminder that curiosity doesn’t have to fit into a single discipline—and sometimes, the most interesting discoveries happen in the space between them.

Read more about Eryn’s story: https://astro.illinois.edu/news/2026-04-30/meet-eryn-van-wijk-undergraduate-majoring-astrophysics-and-philosophy

The astronomy department is proud to announce its Spring 2026 Academic Awards. The winners were recognized in an online ceremony yesterday. The winners were:

Lew Snyder Memorial Travel Award
- Grant Merz
- Zachary Stone
- Maggie Verrico

Mr. and Mrs. Hsiang-pai and Wen-hua Chu Department Of Astronomy Excellence in Research ​ Graduate Student Award
- Maggie Verrico
- David Vizgan

Stanley Wyatt Memorial Award​
- Suvinay Goyal

Congratulations to all the winners! Learn more about them here: https://astro.illinois.edu/news/2026-04-30/department-astronomy-announces-2026-award-winners