The Institute for Astronomy

The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is one of four major components of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh (the other three being the Institute for Physics (IfP), the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC), and the National e-Science Centre (NeSC)). The IfA shares the historic and beautiful Royal Observatory Edinburgh (ROE) site on Blackford Hill with the UK Astronomical Technology Centre (UK ATC). This allows the astronomers within the University to work in close scientific collaboration with the STFC-funded scientists and instrument builders within the UK ATC.

As well as forming a major research area within the School of Physics and Astronomy, the IfA also undertakes a vigorous teaching programme at both undergraduate and post-graduate level, leading to BSc Hons, MPhys Hons and PhD degrees in Astrophysics.

The Head of the IfA is Professor John Peacock. There are currently eleven permanent academic staff, four visiting or emeritus staff, and a large number (roughly twenty) of research and technical staff, as well as around thirty postgraduate research students. The research programmes pursued at the IfA are extremely varied, but the main strengths are in Cosmology, Active Galaxies and Quasars, Star Formation, Low Mass Stars, Protoplanetary systems, and project work in Survey Astronomy and e-Science undertaken by the Wide Field Astronomy Unit (WFAU).

Contacting the Institute

For general enquiries, please contact our Administrative Assistant:

Tel: +44 (0) 131 668 8403 (office) or +44 (0) 131 668 8100 (switchboard)
Fax: +44 (0) 131 668 8416
Email: paw

All email addresses are username@roe.ac.uk

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © The University of Edinburgh

The Royal Observatory Edinburgh comprises the UK Astronomy Technology Centre of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Institute for Astronomy of the University of Edinburgh and the ROE Visitor Centre.