ICRAR News

Australian federal science minister drops in to ICRAR

03 Feb 2012

This morning Senator Chris Evans, Australia's Minister for science, visited The University of Western Australia node of ICRAR along with UWA's new Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson.

Dear Friends and Colleagues

13 Jan 2012

All the staff at ICRAR were deeply saddened today to hear of the untimely and tragic death of Steve Rawlings. Steve was a leader of the international effort to build the SKA and had served as the international project scientist, head of the European SKA consortium and in other major roles that promoted and pushed forward the SKA science case and vision. He was a great researcher, communicator and scientific leader. We will all miss him greatly.

Scientists pinpoint timing of powerful black hole activity

11 Jan 2012

An ICRAR - Curtin University radio astronomer is a step closer to understanding how black holes can launch superfast 'bullets' of gas into space, by identifying the exact moment when these 'bullets' form.

Science Hall of Fame adds a new star

09 Dec 2011

A leading science administrator has been honoured as one of the State’s greatest contributors to scientific endeavour with his induction into the Western Australian Science Hall of Fame.
Dr Bernard Bowen, Chair of the International Centre of Radio Astronomy Research − a collaboration between Curtin University and The University of Western Australia − was inducted at a WA Science Awards gala dinner at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre last night.

WA high-tech business helps astronomers discover the Universe

31 Oct 2011

A quest to study the earliest stars and galaxies in the Universe is underway, with local industry building the first major pieces of a revolutionary new radio telescope in Western Australia, as part of the Murchison Wide-field Array.

ICRAR joins CUDA Research Centre Program

20 Sep 2011

NVIDIA has just announced the successful ICRAR proposal to become a CUDA Research Centre, (http://blogs.nvidia.com/2011/09/new-cuda-research-and-teaching-centers-announced)

theSkyNet Launched

13 Sep 2011

A community computing science initiative to help discover the hidden Universe was officially launched this morning at Curtin University by Western Australia’s Minister for Science and Innovation, the Hon. John Day.

Top scientists head for WA to talk SKA

06 Sep 2011

Top astronomers and engineers from nine countries met in Perth in early September to plan for pre-construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) at The Path to SKA-low workshop. Hosted by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), the workshop attracted more than 75 researchers from Australia, India, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, The Netherlands, South Africa, the UK and the US.

UWA researcher awarded SKA science boost

26 Aug 2011

Astrophysicist Dr Bi-Qing For of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at The University of Western Australia has been appointed as a John Stocker Postdoctoral Fellow to further her research in support of Australia's bid for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

A new way to measure the expansion of the Universe

26 Jul 2011

A PhD student from The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Perth has produced one of the most accurate measurements ever made of how fast the Universe is expanding. Florian Beutler, a PhD candidate with ICRAR at the University of Western Australia, has calculated how fast the Universe is growing by measuring the Hubble constant.

The Milky Way: Galactic Cannibal

11 Jul 2011

Research published in the Astrophysical Journal on Sunday gives astronomers new insight into how our Galaxy may have formed. The Milky Way has a history of devouring smaller neighbouring galaxies that get too close. One such incident, the focus of this recent work, could be responsible for the shape of our Galaxy.

Blogging from Banff

05 Jul 2011

ICRAR Deputy Director, Professor Steven Tingay, is blogging all the details from the international SKA meetings happening in Banff, Canada this week for Cosmos Magazine. This year's annual SKA forum, on July 6th, will be the last before the site decision is made next year.

Spirited stargazing unlimited

05 Jul 2011

More Western Australian school students will be able to take part in an innovative astronomy program through The University of Western Australia, thanks to an agreement signed last week between Hawaiian Pty Ltd and UWA.

Telescope bid supported in federal budget

11 May 2011

The Government will provide $40.2 million over four years to support Australia’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), in partnership with New Zealand.

Radio astronomy strengthens ties between Australia and Asia

03 May 2011

Radio astronomy researchers from the Asia-Oceania region will meet in Perth tomorrow to discuss the latest advances and scientific benefits of the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI).

Future stars to meet ancient stars

28 Apr 2011

The West Australian night sky will ignite the imagination of school students in the Pilbara region in a series of upcoming community events.

The sky is falling and it’s raining Petabytes!

28 Apr 2011

Describing the stereotypical astronomer of yesteryear might stir thoughts of a patient soul endlessly gazing skywards searching for a faint glimmer that might lead to a discovery. But for the astronomers of tomorrow this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Supercomputer to boost SKA chances

13 Apr 2011

Researchers in Australia and New Zealand have been donated a high performance computing facility by IBM, boosting their chances of a successful bid for the $3 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.

Next step for the SKA

05 Apr 2011

This week the International SKA Project has taken the next step towards construction by establishing a founding board and choosing a location for the new SKA Project Office.

Giant cosmic tails point to a recent marriage

18 Mar 2011

ICRAR astronomers have shown that our nearest galactic neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds, became entangled in a cosmic dance over the past few billion years, with a dramatic close encounter around 1.2 billion years ago.

MWA partnership puts local industry on the map

07 Mar 2011

Scientists and industry seek the first stars and galaxies.
ICRAR has taken delivery from Poseidon Scientific Instruments in Fremantle, Western Australia of a production-ready receiver for the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA).

ICRAR recognised in Australia Day Achievement Awards

28 Jan 2011

As part of recent Australia Day celebrations, two West Australians were awarded Australia Day Team Achievement Medallions for their contribution to the Australia/New Zealand bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project.

Imaging the Interstellar Medium

14 Dec 2010

The nature of the Interstellar Medium has long been a focus for astronomers and scientists. Recent innovation in techniques to image the material occupying the space between stars might be the key to understanding the mechanisms that drive stellar formation and the evolution of galaxies.

MRO experiment opens new window to the early Universe

09 Dec 2010

Thirteen billion years ago our universe was dark. There weren't stars or galaxies; only hydrogen gas left over after the Big Bang. Eventually the first stars ignited and their radiation transformed the nearby gas atoms into ions. This phase of the universe’s history is called the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), and it has never before been observed.

Spectrum management in the Mid West Radio-Quiet Zone

06 Dec 2010

An effective radio spectrum management regime affirms strong support for the Australian and New Zealand SKA bid. Commonwealth and Western Australian Government officials met on the 2nd of December to discuss spectrum management in the Mid West Radio-Quiet Zone

KAREN connects Australian and New Zealand SKA teams over 5500 km

25 Nov 2010

Significant upgrade is an important milestone to meet increasing data capacity demands for leading-edge international science, including the SKA.

Dish repurposed in New Zealand

22 Nov 2010

A 30m Telecom NZ satellite dish has been repurposed into New Zealand's largest radio telescope antenna. Telecom handed the reins of the telescope over to Auckland University of Technology (AUT) last Friday the 19th of November.

WA soars into top 100 supercomputer list

17 Nov 2010

For the first time in history, Western Australia has entered the prestigious ranks of the top 100 supercomputers on the planet, thanks to iVEC’s installation of a Performance Optimised Data Centre (POD) at its Murdoch facility.

Robotic Telescope swings into action for cosmic explosion

29 Oct 2010

Just 215 seconds after receiving a signal from NASA and with no direct human involvement, the Zadko telescope turned its attention to the light coming from a powerful explosion millions of light years away.

New clues for the formation of Globular Clusters

26 Oct 2010

In a letter published in this week’s Astrophysical Journal, ICRAR astronomer Dr Kenji Bekki outlines his discovery that the globular clusters we observe today may have evolved from massive “super clusters” in the distant past.

Wireless internet inventor honoured

08 Oct 2010

Curtin University has recognised Dr John O’Sullivan’s ground breaking work in astronomy and wireless technologies by bestowing him with an Honorary Doctorate of Science. The award was presented at a graduation ceremony at Curtin Stadium on 25 September.

New telescope puts focus on high school discoveries

30 Sep 2010

A new internet telescope was launched by State Education Minister Dr Elizabeth Constable at The University of Western Australia last Friday the 24th of September.

A Flying Visit by Australia's Astronaut

18 Aug 2010

Dr Andy Thomas, Australia’s first astronaut, is heading to Perth from 13th-15th September to let us know what it is like beyond the horizon.

Astronomers align for stellar meeting

09 Aug 2010

Astronomers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) joined a historic Australia-China Commonwealth Roundtable on Astronomy at the Shanghai Expo on Monday 2 August 2010.

Astronomical Awesomeness

05 Aug 2010

ICRAR Astronomer Dr Megan Argo was one of the profs invited to participate in Scitech's 'Profs and Pints' astronomy night - Astronomical Awesomeness last week. The question was 'Why do we ask why?' and the panel spoke briefly and then participated in a discussion with a 130 strong audience.

NATA Accreditation for ICRAR

04 Aug 2010

The National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA), has recently accredited ICRAR as an inspection body for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC).

Peer pressure on a galactic scale

21 Jul 2010

ICRAR astronomer Dr Kenji Bekki has shown that when a cluster of galaxies grows, individuals feel the pressure and start forming new stars in massive bursts.

New Astronomy Centre of Excellence Announced

19 Jul 2010

The Australian Research Council announced $20.6 million for a new astronomy Centre of Excellence on Friday July 16th.

anzSKA bid boosted at International SKA Forum 2010

25 Jun 2010

Eleven ICRAR staff participated in the International SKA Forum (ISKAF) 2010 last week, helping boost the Australian and New Zealand bid to host the SKA.

Young Scientist Award for ICRAR researcher

14 Jun 2010

ICRAR researcher Dr Hayley Bignall has received a Young Scientist Award to attend the 2010 Asia-Pacific Radio Science Conference to be held in September in Toyama, Japan.

Natural energy to help power exploration of the Universe

11 Jun 2010

The Federal Government has announced that the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) and the Pawsey High-Performance Computing Centre for SKA Science will receive $47.3 million for the development of solar and geothermal energy technologies.

Australian Appointed Deputy International SKA Project Scientist

13 May 2010

Australian Dr Minh Huynh has recently been appointed Deputy International SKA Project Scientist and will be joining the Square Kilometre Array team later this year.

ICRAR connects new telescopes to achieve milestone

25 May 2010

Six radio telescopes across Australia and New Zealand have joined forces to act as one giant telescope, linking up over a distance of 5500 km for the first time.

$4.6M awarded towards the Murchison Widefield Array

18 May 2010

The Curtin node of ICRAR recently signed a contract to receive $4.6M in new funding for the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope.

ICRAR postgraduate students present their research

24 May 2010

The first annual ICRAR Postgraduate Student Presentations Day was recently held at ICRAR Brodie Hall.

Remote primary students talk astronomy across the globe

25 May 2010

Students from the Carnarvon School of the Air recently participated in a Universe Awareness (UNAWE) workshop with ICRAR astronomer Dr Megan Argo.

ICRAR student promotes careers in science to WA youth

19 May 2010

ICRAR PhD candidate Jacinta Delhaize recently spoke at the WA Governor’s Science forum, this year focussing on youth, science and sustainability.

A Day in the Life of an Astronomer

13 May 2010

Ever wondered what an astronomer does when they're on a plane? Wednesday the 21st of April was the World-Wide Day in Science where scientists around the globe write about the highlight of their day.

ICRAR awarded Super Science Fellowships for SKA work

12 Apr 2010

Under the Australian Government’s $27.2 million Super Science Fellowships scheme, five new fellows will join ICRAR and work on SKA related projects.

Italy offer to host international SKA headquarters

08 Apr 2010

The Italian government announced their bid to host the coordinating headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array last week at the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) SKA workshop in Rome.

Local Indigenous art heads to South Africa

29 Mar 2010

A range of original artworks by Indigenous artists from WA’s Mid West will touch down in South Africa this week.

SKA visualisation 2010 released

05 Mar 2010

A new Square Kilometre Array fly-over has been created by Swinburne Astronomy Productions with updated design and configuration data.

Honey, I shrunk the receiver

18 Mar 2010

CSIRO has entered a new collaboration to develop a tiny radio receiver that could eventually be used in mobile phones, and will be used in the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP).

First signal received by future telescope

04 Mar 2010

An historic milestone was reached recently in Australia’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array telescope – a future international radio telescope that will be the world’s largest and most sensitive.

ICRAR Astronomer takes Dr Who to Supernova 2007gr

04 Mar 2010

ICRAR astronomer Dr Megan Argo is what you might conservatively call a Dr Who fan. Join her as she takes the good doctor on a trip to Supernova 2007gr.

Australia and NZ team up for $3.1b project

03 Mar 2010

More than 150 scientists and representatives from both sides of the Tasman met in Auckland last week to progress the joint bid to host a NZ$3.1 billion international radio astronomy project, the Square Kilometre Array.

ICRAR Researchers featured in "Science Matters"

12 Feb 2010

ICRAR researchers have been featured in the latest issue of 'Science Matters', the newsletter of the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences at UWA.

New leader of CSIRO Astronomy and Space Sciences division

20 Jan 2010

Former Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Dr Philip Diamond, has been appointed Chief of CSIRO’s Astronomy and Space Sciences Division.

Launch of SKA website for schools

11 Dec 2009

An interactive educational website dedicated to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope to encourage Australian school students to reach for the stars. www.ska.edu.au

Latest anzSKA newsletter now available

07 Dec 2009

The anzSKA Newsletter is published on a quarterly basis to keep interested parties informed about the progress of SKA-related activities in Australia and New Zealand.

ASKAP Antenna Passes Factory Testing

06 Dec 2009

The first Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) 12-metre antenna has passed factory testing.

Agreement brings State one step closer to SKA

02 Dec 2009

The Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) Indigenous land use agreement is now in place.

Early expansion and astronomical ambitions

18 Nov 2009

The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (or ICRAR) is only three months old but like the early Universe it’s already rapidly expanding.

ICRAR awarded ARC Future Fellowships

04 Nov 2009

The Australian Government has announced the results of the first round of ARC Future Fellowships.

ICRAR is GO for Launch

12 Sep 2009

The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research or ICRAR was officially launched in Perth on September 1.