About

Learn more about our world-leading research, our staff and alumni.

Research

Our research focuses on the early Universe, observational cosmology, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. We tackle these fundamental questions using theoretical modelling, numerical simulations, and cutting-edge observations. Explore our research areas to find out more.

Our researchers play leading roles in major international collaborations, including the Dark Energy Survey, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, LOFAR, the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) Survey, the Planck mission, and the POLARBEAR Experiment.

We are also actively involved in next-generation projects such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), 4MOST, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and the Simons Observatory. Members of the Centre were among the founding scientists of the Virgo Consortium, whose pioneering cosmological supercomputer simulations have transformed our understanding of structure formation in the Universe.

Teaching

We teach across undergraduate Physics and Astronomy programmes, delivering specialised courses in astronomy and cosmology that draw on our world-leading research. We also offer the long-established MSc in Astronomy and Cosmology.

Alumni

Thanks to its long history and close association with the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the Astronomy Centre has produced several distinguished alumni. Among our most notable recent graduates is Rosemary Coogan, who completed her PhD at Sussex in 2021 before being selected as an astronaut by the European Space Agency.

History

The Astronomy Centre was established in 1965 with the launch of an MSc programme run jointly with the Royal Observatory Greenwich, then located at Herstmonceux Castle. Read a detailed history.

Location

We're part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, within the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. For directions to campus use "how to find us", or view Sussex Astronomy in Google Maps. We're in the Pevensey III building, on the middle floor (confusingly called Level 4). It is marked on the Campus Map.