Research subjects

Astronomy is the science of the whole universe. It includes everything from the sun, planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies to the entire universe.

At the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University, research is conducted in a number of subjects in astronomy and astrophysics. The research includes both theoretical and observational studies. The research field within the department includes scientific areas such as studies of the sun, planets, stars, supernovae, and galaxies.

Research

Our research areas

Astronomy

Man has always looked at the starry sky and thought about our place in the universe.

Research subjects

Volume rendering of the stalled accretion shock in a core-collapse supernova.

Computational Astrophysics

This research field develops and uses advanced computer models to study complex astrophysical processes.

Galaxies

How galaxies formed and evolved to become the beautiful objects we see today is a very hot topic in current astrophysics. This question is deeply connected to cosmology and the origin of the universe. Research in this area extends from the center of our own galaxy, to the end of the "dark age", when the first stars and galaxies in the universe were formed.

Solar Physics

The Sun is the nearest star to us, and compared to other stars, can be studied in great detail.

Stars, Planets and Astrobiology

The birth and evolution of stars and planets is of key interest for understanding our universe.

Supernovae

Most massive stars and some less massive stars in close binary systems end their lives in giant explosions, so-called supernovae. A supernova is seen as a new star in a distant galaxy, which first becomes brighter for a few weeks and then slowly fades. Remnants of previous supernovae can be seen in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.