Start of a new research domain combining astronomy and artificial intelligence
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Published by the editorial team, 2 December 2025
Many properties of our Universe remain a mystery due to great observational challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) is already assisting astronomers in their research into these open questions, and that role is set to grow. To better understand the foundations and future of this interaction, ASTRON and Leiden University are establishing a new research field. Prof. dr. Joeri van Leeuwen and team will develop astrophysics-informed AI, and then use it to uncover new astronomy.
The formation, structure, and evolution of our Universe is driven by many different forces and processes. Gravity, light, and explosive outbursts of matter connect the cosmos over vast scales. “We now want to find out how AI can help us understand the laws of nature that shape the Universe,” says the new professor by special appointment, Van Leeuwen.
“The Netherlands hosts radio telescopes that are world leading in astronomical research. These generate more data than entire countries,” says Dr. Violette Impellizzeri, Head of Astronomy and Operations at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. “Analysing all those images already requires supercomputers and AI, and this challenge will only grow with our future telescopes.” That is why ASTRON and Leiden University are jointly establishing the new endowed chair.
The team will carry out curiosity-driven research in a number of fields were AI bridges computer science and astronomy. Van Leeuwen: “Using the latest advances in AI, we will improve telescope processing, optimize efficiency of AI chips for massive data streams, and increase astrophysical fidelity in AI training. That will help us move the boundaries of the unknown.”
“To gain maximum insight into our Universe from the latest data and simulations, we need AI that is both fast and understandable. Van Leeuwen is a pioneer of that field,” says Prof. dr. Ignas Snellen, scientific director of Leiden Observatory. Prof. dr. Marcello Bonsangue, scientific director of LIACS, the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, agrees: “Plus, astronomical datasets are public and open, offering excellent testbeds for innovations in computer science.”