Northwestern University Joins Giant Magellan Telescope International Consortium

Officials with the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) announced today (Dec. 13) that Northwestern University has joined the international consortium in its quest to construct the $2.54 billion observatory dedicated to exploring the distant universe.

With the addition of Northwestern, which is home to the world-renowned Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and the newly founded NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI), the Pasadena, Calif.-based global consortium expands to 15 international research institutions, including Texas A&M University as a founding partner.

As the consortium’s newest partner and second added in 2024, Northwestern will contribute its expertise in astrophysics, artificial intelligence (AI) and engineering. Specifically, Northwestern researchers will develop and apply AI tools to enhance GMT’s abilities to search for Earth-like planets across the Milky Way, probe the universe’s most energetic explosions and explore the relationship between galaxies and black holes.

“Northwestern University’s strength in AI, astrophysics, and engineering innovation makes them an important addition to our consortium,” said Giant Magellan Telescope Board Chair Dr. Walter Massey, a former director of the National Science Foundation. “Their involvement further establishes the Giant Magellan Telescope as the telescope of choice for America’s top universities, now spanning institutions across Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. This collaboration reflects a nationwide commitment to advancing astronomy and cementing U.S. leadership in manufacturing and scientific discovery.”

GMT officials note that Northwestern joins a distinguished group of American institutions driving one of the largest public-private partnerships in science, which in addition to Texas A&M includes the University of Arizona, Carnegie Science, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Chicago, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Institution and Arizona State University. Together, these institutions award more than 30% of the nation’s Ph.D. degrees and invest more than $250 million annually in research and instrumentation for astronomy in the U.S. — fueling technology innovations and strengthening America’s manufacturing economy. Northwestern’s investment builds the consortium’s momentum as it awaits the NSF’s decision regarding federal participation in the partnership, which would expand GMT access to include all U.S. scientists.

"Northwestern is a terrific addition to the prestigious consortium of institutions that are building the GMT," said Texas A&M astronomer and Founder's Representative Dr. Darren L. DePoy, associate dean for research infrastructure in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of both the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy. "Their strong astrophysics program will strengthen the scientific breadth of the GMT partners and add unique capabilities to understanding the universe in new ways. We look forward to working with our new colleagues to configure the GMT for unbeatable science production."

Northwestern, which is recognized as a leader in cross-disciplinary collaborations at the forefront of astrophysics and AI, is ranked sixth nationally by U.S. News & World Report and 11th in the Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings. CIERA and Northwestern Astronomy also rank among the top 10 nationally for research impact and national awards for faculty. CIERA’s interdisciplinary approach connects astronomy research and education to computer science, engineering and high-performance computing, while the NSF- and Simons Foundation-funded SkAI Institute unites researchers across disciplines to develop innovative, trustworthy AI tools for survey astronomy.

Bolstered by these strengths, Northwestern researchers will contribute essential expertise to the complex datasets generated by the GMT while playing a crucial role in ensuring that the observatory achieves its full potential as a tool for humanity’s continuing exploration of the universe and unparalleled scientific discovery.

“Northwestern’s commitment to interdisciplinary research — particularly in astrophysics, AI, data science and engineering — positions us to lead the next wave of astronomical research,” Northwestern President Michael H. Schill said. “Our full partnership with the Giant Magellan Telescope Consortium is a testament to this vision. I am especially grateful for [CIERA and SkAI Director] Vicky Kalogera’s leadership and efforts to secure this partnership. This collaboration will provide unparalleled opportunities for our students and faculty to push the boundaries of research and innovation as we seek to understand the universe.”

The GMT, which now is 40% under construction across 36 states and on track to be operational in Chile by the early 2030s, will deliver up to 200 times the resolution and sensitivity of today’s leading telescopes, offering unprecedented power for astronomical discovery. Unique among the new class of extremely large telescopes, it features the widest field of view and the only science instruments capable of detecting and analyzing Earth-like planets in the reflected light of their host stars. It will be the first ground- or space-based telescope, operating now or in the future, capable of such unprecedented detections. This revolutionary capability moves the field beyond traditional transit detection methods for the first time.