Promotor: H.J.A. Röttgering, Co-promotor: M. Haverkorn

We have conducted a full spectral line survey of the 3-13 micron region of two massive protostars, AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136, for the first time at high spectral resolution.

Large areas of space are filled by molecular clouds that consist of gas and dust grains that are the remnants of dead stars. When these clouds start collapsing, the decreasing temperature and increasing density cause gas particles to start accreting onto dust grain surfaces.

One of the key quests in astronomy is to study the growth and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. Radio observations provide a powerful means of studying the formation of stars and subsequent buildup of distant galaxies, in a way that is unbiased by the presence of dust.

The high velocity tail of the total velocity distribution of stars provides essential insight into fundamental properties of the Galaxy.

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From now on, you can listen to the intriguing stories of our staff any time you wish! On this page you can find out more about the new podcast series of the faculty of Humanities.

Promotor: G.A. van der Marel, Co-Promotor: J.D.C. Codée

The Faculty of Science is housed in various buildings situated in the Bio Science Park Leiden.

On the occasion of the Women & Girls in Science Day, BBC Science Focus Magazine highlighted 6 prominent female chemists. Among them is Leiden professor Ewine van Dishoeck: 'Astrochemist investigating the building blocks of life'.

From the discovery of exoplanets to the hunt for extraterrestrial life. At the Astronomy Gala on 17 December in the concert hall in Leiden, astronomers looked back, but above all ahead. With King Willem-Alexander as guest of honour.

Not everything that comes close to a black hole is swallowed by it. Black holes can also hurl material away, and that chance turns out to be considerably bigger than previously thought. Martijn Oei's accidental discovery and his subsequent research on it earned him a cum laude promotion on 12 Decemb…

Simulations of galaxy formation provide much more information about galaxies than a telescope. Simulations have been improving significantly in recent years. Astronomer Evgenii Chaikin made such a significant contribution to this field that he graduated with honours on February 27th.

A logical next step and a new challenge: Harold Linnartz is ready for his new position as Programme Director (PD) of the Leiden Observatory. He will follow up current PD Paul van der Werf on 1 October. 'The programme has grown tremendously. That will be a logistics tour de force.'

Forming at the nodes of the Cosmic Web and growing hierarchically via mass accretion, galaxy clusters are the largest virialized halos in our universe, composed of dark matter (DM; ≥85%), ionized hot plasma in the intracluster medium (ICM; ≥10-15%), and galaxies (≥1-5%).

Contact us about initial teacher education, educational research and teacher professional development

Within the two-year Astronomy master’s programme, you can choose from seven specialisations, ranging from fundamental or applied astronomy research in cosmology, instrumentation or data science, to combinations of astronomy research with education, management or science communication.

The Astronomy and Science Based Business specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and includes a one-year astronomy component (60 - 80 EC) and a business component in the second year (40 - 60 EC).

Leiden Observatory provides full education programmes in Astronomy both at the bachelor’s and master’s level. We integrate world-class scientific research and excellent education. Read all about our study programmes!

We investigate the buildup of galaxies from various vantage points. The first two chapters focus on the stellar content of galaxies, especially the distribution of stellar masses at birth and potential variations therein in various galactic environments.

It has now been well established that shocks and turbulent motions in the intra-cluster medium (ICM) generated through cluster mergers can produce large-scale synchrotron emission.

The Astronomy and SCS specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and consists of an astronomy component (60 - 80 EC) and a science communication component (40 - 60 EC).

The Astronomy and Education specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and includes a one-year astronomy component and a teacher’s education component in the second year.

The Astronomy and Data Science specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and includes mandatory courses in Computer Sciences, a selection of electives in Astronomy and two research projects.

The Astronomy and and High-Tech Innovation specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and includes an astronomy component (60 EC), mostly in the first year, and a High-Tech Innovation component, mostly in the second year (60 EC).

The Astronomy and Cosmology specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and offers advanced Astronomy and Physics courses and two research projects.

The Astronomy and Education specialisation enables you to connect your scientific experience in astronomy with the theory and practice of teaching in the classroom.

Leiden astronomer Tim de Zeeuw has been appointed Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion. He received the distinction on 14 May to mark his departure as Director General of the ESO European Astronomy organisation. The celebration took place during the 2018 Dutch Astronomers Conference in Groningen.

She left Leiden after her PhD and now, 14 years later, she returns as Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy. Mariska Kriek investigates how galaxies originate and evolve. And she is eagerly awaiting the launch for the new James Webb telescope: ‘The coolest things we are going to find are those we’re…

The Astronomy Research specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and includes a wide selection of Astronomy electives and two research projects.

He discovered how to determine the rotation and centre of our Milky Way, predicted where comets come from and laid the groundwork for radio astronomy: Leiden Professor of Astronomy Jan Hendrik Oort (1900 – 1992). Piet van der Kruit, whose PhD supervisor was Oort himself, has written a biography about…

The Astronomy and Instrumentation specialisation consists of 120 European Credit Transfer System (EC) points and includes highly specialized instrumentation courses, a selection of advanced electives and two research projects.

To be eligible for Astronomy and Science Communication and Society at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Astronomy at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements. PLEASE NOTE: The specialisation High-Tech Innovation starts in September 2026.

To be eligible for Astronomy Research at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Astronomy and Cosmology at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Astronomy and Instrumentation at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.

To be eligible for Astronomy and Business Studies at Leiden University, you must meet the following admission requirements.