Areas of Research
Areas of Research
Solar System
Planetary scientists continue a long tradition of studying bodies in the solar system, including the Sun, planets, moons, comets, meteors, asteroids, and Kuiper belt objects.
Stellar Astrophysics
Another longstanding tradition at Lowell is the study of stars, from supermassive Wolf-Rayet stars to low-mass M-dwarf varieties.
Exoplanetary Systems
Lowell astronomers search for distant worlds around other stars and characterize their nature.
Galactic & Extragalactic Astronomy
V. M. Slipher’s observations of the redshifts of galaxies a century ago were the first evidence for the expansion of the universe. Research on structures of galaxies and of the universe continues at Lowell today.
Cultural Astronomy
Researchers not only study how the universe works, but also how humans perceive it and integrate these interpretations into culture.
Instrumentation Research & Development
Our instrumentation team carries out a variety of work in support of research instrumentation, outreach telescopes, and historic preservation projects.
A Tradition of Cutting-Edge Research
Lowell has been at the forefront of astronomical research for well over a century, with critical discoveries made from the inner solar system to the far reaches of the universe. The first detection of the expanding universe and the discovery of Pluto are but two of the foundation blocks upon which Lowell’s legacy of research has been built.
Explore Our Research History
Current Research Projects
Comet Research – 2I/Borisov
2I/Borisov, the first definitive interstellar comet detected as it passed through our solar system, gave astronomers the first opportunity to characterize how a comet formed elsewhere compares to comets we routinely observe.
Searching for M-Dwarf Stars
Palantir Stretches Capability of NPOI
The Quest to Understand Dark Energy
Laboratory Studies of the Stability of Liquids in the Outer Solar System
Trans-Neptunian Objects
Detecting Exoplanets
Surveying Meteors
New Horizons Mission
