The new Australian Decadal Plan for Astronomy
- Dirk Goës
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
By Dirk Goës
On the 9th of July 2025 at the annual scientific meeting of the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) the Australian Academy of Science launched the Astronomy Decadal Plan 2026-2035. It was developed by Australia’s professional astronomers over the last two years through a series of workshops, roadshows and surveys. It aims to keep Australia at the forefront of astronomical research and is the first decadal plan to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomy.
The decadal plan is organised around three overarching priorities. Under Groundbreaking Facilities Australian astronomers aim to convert the soon to expire strategic partnership with ESO (European Southern Observatory) into permanent membership. This will enable continued Australian access to the ESO VLT (Very Large Telescope) which is made up of four 8.2-metre optical telescopes, the ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) radio telescope and grant us access to the under construction 39-metre optical Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). The plan also promotes continued strong investment in the SKA (Square Kilometre Array) radio telescopes currently under construction in Western Australia and South Africa.
Under Building Australian Capacity, the plan highlights the importance of the continued development of high-performance computing infrastructure for astronomy. Current examples include the Ngarrgu Tindebeek supercomputer at Swinburne University and the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre in Western Australia. This priority also includes maintaining and strengthening our international collaborations and promoting our pioneering instrumentation. For example, Australian astronomers were recently granted access to the groundbreaking Vera C. Rubin Observatory in exchange for our software expertise. The Astralis Instrumentation Consortium builds innovative optical instruments for major telescope projects around the world.
The Thriving Australian Community priority emphasises the importance of outreach & education, building connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Astronomy and the promotion of dark & quiet skies and sustainable astronomy. The report advocates for a “a new nationally coordinated and funded program of education and outreach” primarily targeting school children.
Questions for the next decade
The decadal plan identifies four of the most exciting science questions that Australian astronomers can help answer over the next decade.
Formation and evolution: how is stellar and galaxy evolution interconnected across all scales?
Previously isolated studies of stellar evolution and galaxy evolution now need to come together to build a full picture of the evolution and structure of the Milky Way and all types of galaxies. This includes looking at the influence of black holes, supernovae, stellar mergers and binary stars on the structure and environment of galaxies. Through the GALAH survey Australian astronomers are world leaders in galactic archaeology, the study of the history of the Milky Way and how it formed.
Composition and cosmology: what is the dark universe made of?
The nature of dark matter and dark energy remain a mystery. Australian researchers can continue to contribute to unlocking these mysteries for example through the dark matter detector located 1-km underground in a gold mine in Stawell, Victoria.
Extreme physics: how does physics work in extreme environments?
Using observations from multiple sources including the electromagnetic spectrum, gravitational waves, cosmic rays and neutrinos will help astronomers delve deeper into extreme events such as neutron star mergers and the creation of blackholes. This will help refine models of the interior of stars and reveal how matter behaves at extreme densities. These multi-messenger observations will also provide a laboratory for more precise tests of general relativity in extreme environments.
Life and our place in the universe: how do planetary systems form and evolve – and are they habitable?
New surveys and observatories will reveal thousands more exoplanets over the next decade, including detailed spectra of their atmospheres. These spectra will enable the study of habitability and may even reveal signatures of life. This research will also help astronomers better understand the evolution of our own solar system and what makes it unique.
Resources
The full Decadal Plan:
The list of white papers on which the Decadal Plan is based:
The cover art of the decadal plan is from the Cosmic Echoes art exhibition. It is a combined exhibition of Australian and South African artists who live close to the SKA telescopes:
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