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Michael J. I. Brown

Associate professor in astronomy, Monash University
I am an observational astronomer, studying how galaxies evolve over billions of years.

I was born and raised in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs. My interest in astronomy began as a child, when the Voyager spacecraft visited the outer planets. I undertook my undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Melbourne during the 1990s. For my PhD, I used (now antiquated) photographic plates to identify thousands of galaxies and measure their distribution in space.

In 2000 I joined the staff of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, and started working on surveys of the distant Universe with large ground-based telescopes and satellites. In 2004 I was awarded Princeton University’s Henry Norris Russell Fellowship, and studied the growth of the most massive galaxies. Using thousands of galaxies in the constellation of Bootes, I found that the most massive galaxies have grown slowly over the past seven billion years, which is almost certainly due to mergers of galaxies.

Since 2007 I have been at Monash University’s School of Physics and Astronomy. I am measuring spectra of galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum, which is useful for measuring the distances to galaxies, the luminosities of galaxies and how rapidly galaxies form stars. I am also using large astronomical surveys to measure how rapidly galaxies are growing, and how this growth compares to the growth of dark matter halos.

Want to buy a home telescope? Tips from a professional astronomer to help you choose

Jan 01, 2024 12:07 pm UTC| Life

While the unaided eye or binoculars can reveal much of the night sky, a telescope reveals so much more. Seeing Saturns rings or the Moons craters with your own eyes can be an oh wow moment. However, choosing the right...

Economy

Australian Consumer Sentiment Jumps 6% in August as Rate Outlook Improves

Australian consumer sentiment strengthened sharply in August, driven by improving household finances and greater confidence about the outlook for interest rates, according to the latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute survey....

Colombia Earthquake Losses Estimated at $9.58 Billion as Reconstruction Challenge Mounts

Economic losses from the powerful earthquake that struck Colombia last week could reach 30 trillion pesos ($9.58 billion), President Abelardo De La Espriella said Monday, highlighting the enormous financial toll of the...

US Eyes Refinery Boost as Trump Seeks Relief From High Gas Prices

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington is preparing measures to help refiners increase fuel production as the Trump administration looks for ways to bring down gasoline prices following the U.S.-Israeli war on...

Canada Faces 50% U.S. Tariffs as Trade Tensions Threaten USMCA Talks

Canada is bracing for a new wave of 50% U.S. tariffs this week, raising concerns over job losses, weaker investment and fresh uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). U.S. President Donald Trump...

Wall Street Falls as Oil Prices Rise, Fed Minutes and Retail Earnings in Focus

Wall Street closed lower Monday as investors stepped back following a record-setting week, while rising oil prices and persistent Middle East tensions weighed on market sentiment. The SP 500 fell 0.5% to 7,748.14, the...

Politics

Trump Says Kim Jong Un Responded to Outreach After US Scales Back South Korea Military Drills

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his recent outreach, signaling renewed communication between the two leaders as Washington moves to reduce joint military...

Trump Says Iran Should Surrender as Nuclear Deal Talks Stall

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran is unlikely to accept the agreement he considers necessary to end the war with the United States, insisting Tehran must surrender and abandon any path toward developing a...

Gérald Darmanin Backs Édouard Philippe for 2027 French Presidential Election

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has thrown his support behind former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe for Frances 2027 presidential election, ruling out a potential bid of his own as the countrys...

Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks Escalate as Strikes Hit Moscow, Kyiv and Romania

Russia and Ukraine exchanged major missile and drone attacks overnight, leaving several people dead and damaging industrial and commercial facilities as the war continues to intensify. Russian forces struck ArcelorMittal...

US CENTCOM Chief Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew Amid Mental Health Concerns

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln following a recent visit to the aircraft carrier, describing their performance and resilience as awe-inspiring amid growing...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

BofA Sees Micron EPS Topping $230 by 2030, Backs Major Stock Upside

Bank of America expects Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) to deliver more than $230 in earnings per share by fiscal 2030, significantly above Wall Streets current peak estimates, as artificial intelligence demand reshapes the...

Anthropic Revenue Run Rate Hits $65 Billion as IPO Plans Accelerate

Anthropics annual revenue run rate surpassed $65 billion by the end of July, highlighting the artificial intelligence startups rapid expansion as it prepares for a potential initial public offering later this year. The...

Google to Buy Spirit Airlines Business Data for $10 Million to Train AI

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has agreed to acquire internal business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines for $10 million, with plans to use the information for product development and artificial intelligence training....

Alphabet Eyes First Australian Dollar Bond as AI Spending Drives Funding Push

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is preparing for its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance as the U.S. technology giant explores new funding sources amid rapidly rising artificial intelligence investment. The...

Alibaba Sells Lingxi Games for Over $1.5 Billion Amid AI Push

Alibaba Group is reportedly selling its gaming subsidiary Lingxi Games in a transaction that could value the Chinese video game studio at more than $1.5 billion, as the technology giant redirects resources toward...