York astrophysicists take step forward in computer simulations of cosmology

York University and an international team of astrophysicists have made an ambitious attempt to simulate the formation of galaxies and the cosmic large-scale structure throughout staggeringly large swaths of space. First results of their “MillenniumTNG” project are published in a series of 10 articles in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The […]

Astronomers in Residence program returns for second year

The Astronomers in Residence (AIR) program, an initiative by the Allan I. Carswell Observatory, partners with the Killarney Provincial Park to enable astronomers to lead presentations and shows using the park’s observatory. It runs this year from May 1 to Oct. 15. Launched in 2022, the program calls on qualified astronomers to apply to run […]

‘Ghostly’ neutrinos provide new path to study protons

Scientists have discovered a new way to investigate the structure of protons using neutrinos, known as ‘ghost particles’ Media Release from February 1, 2023 Scientists are that much closer to understanding protons today after using a novel technique involving a high-energy neutrino beam to precisely measure their size, which could change how these kinds of […]

York students EXPLORE dark matter in Germany

In late August, nine undergraduate students from York University packed their bags and flew across the pond to join students at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany for the “Astrophysical Laboratories of Fundamental Physics” summer school. The summer school was the culmination of a larger initiative called EXPLORE: EXPeriential Learning Opportunity through Research and Exchange, which […]

Webb reveals a galaxy sparkling with the universe’s oldest star clusters

Media Release from September 29, 2022 Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers from the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) team, including York University, have identified the most distant globular clusters ever discovered. These dense groups of millions of stars may be relics that contain the first and oldest stars in the universe. […]

Astrophysicist Sarah Rugheimer appointed new Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy

On July 1, Associate Professor Sarah Rugheimer began her appointment as the new Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy in the Faculty of Science at York University. Rugheimer is an astrophysicist interested in understanding how to detect life on exoplanets by looking for atmospheric biosignatures (i.e., atmospheric evidence for past or […]

Two new observatory domes coming to York U will improve night sky viewing

Media release from June 8, 2022 State-of-the-art, remote-controlled domes will replace old ones from the 1960s Two new state-of-the-art domes will replace the original 1960s domes at the Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory at York University, opening the night sky for better viewing of planets, stars, nebulas and more. Preparation for the new domes is […]

Researcher seeks to shed light on age-related visual brain diseases

A York University researcher is advancing the use of biophotonics to gain a better understanding of age-related disorders of the eye and brain. Biophotonics uses light technology, including lasers, and is a burgeoning field of research and discovery. Biophysicist Ozzy Mermut has a special interest in age-related disorders of the eye and brain, as well […]

Astrophysics students EXPLORE collaborative research

EXPLORE, which is funded by York’s Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) and Germany’s DFG Collaborative Research Center CRC-TR 211, came into being as the result of conversations between Laura Sagunksi, a former postdoctoral Fellow from York who is now a professor at Goethe University in Frankfurt, and four other professors at York University and Goethe University. The York […]

Research Areas

The Faculty of Science is home to five Departments with over 150 full-time faculty members focusing on research areas spanning nanotechnology to ecosystems to planetary systems. Some of our scientists are also members of Organized Research Units at York University. Below is a listing of our major areas of research within the Faculty of Science, […]