...where the Universe is our laboratory.
The Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics (WCA) looks to the cosmos to solve the greatest mysteries of the universe. Here, world-class researchers and students come together in an atmosphere of curiosity, creativity and collaboration; exploring our cosmic origin to truly understand the physical processes at work in the Universe. From black holes to cosmology, we aim to understand what lies beyond the Earth. The possibilities for new discovery are limitless.
News
A fresh take on the Hubble constant
In two recently published papers, members of the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Waterloo presented a new measurement of the Hubble parameter using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).
Chasing its tail in the cosmos
Scientists, including Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics’ Professor Lisa Dang, have discovered a huge cloud of helium gas is escaping from the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-121 b, an “ultra-hot Jupiter.” Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists found that the helium stretches into long tails in front of and behindthe planet as it orbits around its star. The planet is losing atmosphere in dramatic ways, but current models can’t fully explain the observed structure, leaving scientists searching for more information.
WCA welcomes Carlos Garcia Garcia
Dr Carlos Garcia Garcia is a cosmologist working at the interface of data and theory to understand the nature of dark energy.