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Brad E Tucker

Astrophysicist/Cosmologist, Australian National University
I am an Astrophysicist/Cosmologist, and currently a Fellow at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mt Stromlo Observatory and Senior Lecturer at the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University.

I have my hand in a variety of things, but the majority of my work involves exploding stars called supernova, and cosmology, the study of the universe. A certain type of supernova, called a type Ia, can be used as a standard candle that can trace our universe's history.

For this work, I am involved with a number of supernova surveys. I have been working on the ESSENCE Project, The CfA Supernova Search, The Carnegie Supernova Project and also using Mt Stromlo's new SkyMapper telescope. I am one of the leads of the Kepler Extra-Galactic Survey, KEGS, a Kepler Space Telescope Key Program, to understand why and how stars blow. I am leading a project to build a network of ultraviolet telescopes in the upper atmosphere which are being built at Mt Stromlo.

In addition to research, I frequently give talks to school groups and the general public about astronomy and have regular segments on various radio stations talking about astronomy news and events.

Among other things, I have developed a series of astronomy coins in conjunction with the Royal Australian Mint, consulted on science fiction movies, advised on astronomy-themed art projects, and have been featured in specials on the National Geographic Channel.

I am currently in the process of writing my first popular book and producing a Massive Open Online Course.

Space Science Series

Only 100 years ago the Milky Way was visible from central Paris. Here’s how we can get the night sky back

Aug 12, 2024 06:03 am UTC| Science

For the more than 100,000 years humans have been on Earth, we have looked up at night and seen the stars and our celestial home, the Milky Way galaxy. Cultures all around the world have stories and records incorporating...

Space Science Series

Why is the universe ripping itself apart? A new study of exploding stars shows dark energy may be more complicated than we thought

Jan 09, 2024 23:06 pm UTC| Science

What is the universe made of? This question has driven astronomers for hundreds of years. For the past quarter of a century, scientists have believed normal stuff like atoms and molecules that make up you, me, Earth,...

Economy

Oil Prices Soar Over 8% After Israel Launches Preemptive Strike on Iran

Oil prices surged sharply in Asian markets on Friday after Israel launched a large-scale preemptive airstrike on Iran, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict and potential disruptions to global oil supply. As of...

Gold Soars as Israel-Iran Conflict Triggers Safe-Haven Rush

Gold prices surged in Asian trading on Friday as geopolitical tensions escalated following Israels preemptive airstrikes on Iran, targeting numerous military and nuclear facilities. The strikes triggered a wave of...

Dollar Gains with Yen and Franc as Israel Strikes Iran, Oil and Gold Prices Surge

The U.S. dollar rose sharply alongside safe-haven currencies like the Japanese yen and Swiss franc following reports that Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Two U.S. officials confirmed the strikes to Reuters, clarifying...

Japan Denies Discussing U.S. Treasury Holdings in Tariff Talks

Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato clarified on Friday that Japans $1 trillion-plus U.S. Treasury holdings were not specifically discussed in meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Speaking at a regular...

US Stock Futures Drop as Israel Launches Strikes on Iran

U.S. stock futures plunged late Thursday following reports that Israel launched military strikes on Iran. The SP 500 Futures dropped 1.5% to 5,961.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures fell 1.7% to 21,567.55, and Dow Jones Futures...

Politics

Trump to Hold Security Meeting After Israeli Strikes on Iran Raise Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump will convene a National Security Council meeting at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday, following Israeli airstrikes on Iran that heightened fears of wider conflict in the Middle East. The White House...

Iran Vows Harsh Retaliation After Israeli Strike on Nuclear Sites

Iran has warned of a harsh and decisive retaliation following an Israeli airstrike on its nuclear facilities early Friday, escalating fears of a broader Middle East conflict. According to a high-ranking Iranian security...

Israel Coordinated Iran Strike with U.S., Denies Rift Claims

Israel fully coordinated its recent military strike on Iranian targets with the United States and informed Washington ahead of the operation, according to an Israeli official quoted by state broadcaster Kan on Friday. The...

South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung Vows Business-Friendly Trade Talks with U.S.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his commitment to pro-business policies and trade reform on Friday, pledging to ease regulations and accelerate tariff negotiations with the United States. Speaking at a...

Senator Padilla Handcuffed During DHS Press Conference, Sparks Outrage

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed, handcuffed, and briefly detained during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference in Los Angeles on June 12. Padilla, a Democrat from California, attempted to...

Science

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

SpaceX Starship Test Flight Reaches New Heights but Ends in Setback

SpaceXs massive Starship rocket, central to Elon Musks vision for interplanetary travel, launched its ninth uncrewed test flight from Starbase, Texas, on May 27, 2025. The two-stage vehiclecomprising the upper-stage...

Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency

Jared Isaacman, billionaire, CEO and nominee to become the next NASA administrator, faced questions on April 9, 2025, from members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation during his confirmation...

Lab-grown meat: you may find it icky, but it could drive forward medical research

Lab-grown meat causes heated debates. Proponents see benefits for the climate and animal welfare. Opponents worry about a Frankenstein food they regard as risky and unnatural. Whatever your opinion, the technology...

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

Technology

Apple Shifts iPhone Exports from India to U.S. to Bypass China Tariffs

Apple is ramping up iPhone exports from India to the U.S. to sidestep rising tariffs on Chinese-made devices. From March to May 2025, Foxconn exported $3.2 billion worth of iPhones from India, with a striking 97% headed to...

FAA Closes Investigation Into SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Engine Failure

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it has officially concluded its investigation into the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap, attributing the incident to a hardware failure in one of the...

Meta Invests $14.3B in Scale AI to Boost AGI Ambitions

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has made a strategic $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, valuing the AI data infrastructure startup at over $29 billion. The move marks Metas second-largest deal after its $19 billion...

Reddit User Growth Slows for Third Straight Month as Digital Ad Market Rebounds

Reddits user base declined for the third consecutive month in May, according to Piper Sandler. The platform lost 6 million users month-over-month, driven mainly by a 7 million drop in feed ad units. Conversation units,...

OpenAI Eyes $40B Fundraise with Backing from Saudi PIF, Reliance, and SoftBank

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions with major global investors, including Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Indias Reliance Industries (NSE:RELI), as it seeks to raise up to $40 billion in fresh funding,...