News - Trottier Space Institute at McGill

Astronomers reveal first image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy

May 12, 2022, McGill Newsroom

McGill University researchers Prof. Daryl Haggard and Hope Boyce part of the global effort to unlock clues left by black holes. Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the workings of such giants, which are thought to reside at the centre of most galaxies. The image was produced by a global research team called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, using observations from a worldwide network of radio telescopes.

Eve Lee Awarded 2022 Annie Jump Cannon Award

Feb 24, 2022, AAS Newsroom

MSI Professor Eve J. Lee has been awarded the 2022 Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy from the American Astronomical Society (AAS) for her illuminating work on the formation of stars, debris disks, and planets. The Award’s selection committee pronounced that “Dr. Lee’s piercing insight, curiosity, and ability to distill complex processes into key concepts have enabled her to make pioneering strides in understanding the formation of planetary systems.” The Annie Jump Cannon Award recognizes outstanding research and promise for future research by a female researcher within five years after earning her PhD.

Call for Applications: MSI Summer Undergrad Research Awards 2022

Jan 17, 2022, MSI

We are currently accepting applications for 2022 MSI Summer Undergraduate Research Awards. Deadline to apply: Feb. 24, 2022. See announcement for full details.

New insights into seasons on a planet outside our solar system

Jan 13, 2022, McGill Newsroom

Research team led by MSI grad student Lisa Dang provides new insight into what seasons looks like on a planet outside our solar system. The researchers also suggest that the oval orbit, extremely high surface temperatures (2,000 degrees C- hot enough to vaporize rock) and “puffiness” of XO-3b reveal traces of the planet’s history. The findings will potentially advance both the scientific understanding of how exoplanets form and evolve and give some context for planets in our own solar system.

Prof. Robert Brandenberger awarded 2021 CAP Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Physics

Dec 9, 2021, CAP Newsroom

MSI Prof. Robert Brandenberger was awarded the 2021 CAP Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Physics, to recognize his coupling of ground-breaking developments in theoretical cosmology with recent dramatic advances in observational astronomy of the early universe.

Call for Applications: MSI Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021

Oct 25, 2021, MSI

We are currently accepting applications for MSI Postdoctoral Fellowships. See job posting for full details. Deadline: 01-Dec-2021.

Neutron stars: A cosmic gold mine

Oct 21, 2021, Astronomy Magazine

MSI Director Vicky Kaspi spoke to Astronomy Magazine about the potential of neutron stars to solve some of physics' greatest mysteries.

The largest space telescope in history is about to blow our minds

Sep 22, 2021, Vox

Exploring strange new worlds. Understanding the origins of the universe. Searching for life in the galaxy. These are not the plot of a new science fiction movie, but the mission objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA is building and launching the Webb in partnership with the European Space Agency and Canada MSI graduate student Lisa Dang will be among the first batch of astronomers to get time on the new instrument!

Vox's

Sep 22, 2021, Vox Media, Unexplainable

After decades of planning, NASA is finally (finally!) set to launch the successor to the Hubble. The new Webb telescope will be a paradigm shift for astronomy, exploring places in the cosmos that have been completely invisible to us until now. But first, it has to safely reach a point nearly a million miles away from the Earth.

Ten McGill researchers honoured by the Royal Society of Canada

Sep 7, 2021, McGill Reporter

Prof. Daryl Haggard named a Member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. The Members of the College are Canadians who, at an early stage in their career, have demonstrated a high level of achievement. Fifty-one Canadian universities and the National Research Council nominate members to the College, which is the first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for Canadian intellectual leadership. Each new cohort represents an emerging generation of scholarly, scientific, and artistic leadership from coast-to-coast.