Beletsky Magellan MilkyWay Panorama
Beletsky Magellan MilkyWay Panorama

Observatories

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From the revelation of the universe’s expansion to the discovery of dark energy, Carnegie Observatories researchers have transformed humankind’s understanding of the cosmos. The groundbreaking work continues today at our world-famous Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.

Research Areas arrow_forward
Decoding the universe's deepest mysteries.
Cosmology
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We deploy various tools and techniques to reveal the physics that shaped the universe.

Distant Galaxies
A map of intergalactic hydrogen where yellow-to-red represents high density regions and blue-to-black indicates areas of low density. Credit: Andrew Newman.

We use cutting-edge instruments to probe the intense star formation that happened at Cosmic Noon. 

Instrument Development
Instrument

We have more than a century of experience designing and building ground-breaking instrumentation for our telescopes.

Milky Way
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The Milky Way is an excellent laboratory for understanding the forces that shape galaxies.

Planet Formation & Evolution
Star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk and clouds, science fiction background. Elements of this image furnished by NASA.

Piecing together the processes that shape a planetary system's formation and early evolution.

Solar Systems & Exoplanets
Exoplanet

From discoveries in our Solar System to exploring distant worlds.

Theory
A representation of a merger tree from the model Galacticus, used to determine the formation and evolution of the galaxies. Image courtesy Andrew Benson.

Theory guides insight into the physical nature of the universe. 

Transients
Supernova

We played central role in of two of the most important astrophysical events of the last 200 years. Carnegie astronomers continue to study transient events, including supernovae, tidal disruption events, and gamma-ray bursts.