Tara Murphy – The Conversation

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

March 2, 2026

A cosmic explosion with the force of a billion Suns went unseen – until we caught its echo

Ashna Gulati, University of Sydney and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

Astronomers captured the clearest example yet of one of these hidden explosions.

Composite: Chuck Carter / Gregg Hallinan (Caltech) and Philippe Donn (Pexels)

July 13, 2023

We’ve detected a star barely hotter than a pizza oven – the coldest ever found to emit radio waves

Kovi Rose, University of Sydney and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

Astronomers have detected the coldest star ever found to emit radio waves using the Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope.

Artist’s impression of the PSR J0523-7125 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Carl Knox, ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav)

May 2, 2022

We’ve used a new technique to discover the brightest radio pulsar outside our own galaxy

Yuanming Wang, University of Sydney; David Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

The pulsar PSR J0523-7125 is more than ten times brighter than any other radio pulsar outside the Milky Way.

Sebastian Zentilomo/University of Sydney

October 12, 2021

We found a mysterious flashing radio signal from near the centre of the galaxy

Ziteng Wang, University of Sydney; David Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

Fluctuating radio waves that appear to come from near the heart of the Milky Way are a new puzzle for astronomers.

February 7, 2021

5 twinkling galaxies help us uncover the mystery of the Milky Way’s missing matter

Yuanming Wang, University of Sydney and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

Thanks to the discovery of five twinkling galaxies in a rare alignment, astronomers have been able to calculate — for the first time — the properties and geometry of an invisible gas cloud in space.

Artist’s depiction of a flare-coronal mass ejection event on Proxima Centauri. Mark Myers, ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav)

December 9, 2020

Bad space weather may make life impossible near Proxima Centauri

Andrew Zic, CSIRO and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

We observed a powerful flare and a huge burst of radio waves from our nearest stellar neighbour, Proxima Centauri, indicating violent space weather around the star.

A visualisation of a binary neutron star merger. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab

May 3, 2019

We’ve detected new gravitational waves, we just don’t know where they come from (yet)

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney; Eric Thrane, Monash University, and Qi Chu, The University of Western Australia

The signal came in on ANZAC Day, ripples in space-time from the merger of two neutron stars an estimated 500-million light years away. But where it happened is still a mystery.

Neutron star merger. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab

April 30, 2018

Signals from a spectacular neutron star merger that made gravitational waves are slowly fading away

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney and David Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Astronomers are getting ready to say good bye to the radio emission from a neutron star merger – one of the most energetic events in the universe – that was detected last year.

The Australia Telescope Compact Array in Narrabri, NSW. David Smyth/CSIRO

October 16, 2017

After the alert: radio ‘eyes’ hunt the source of the gravitational waves

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney and David Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

All it took was a single email alert to send the world’s astronomers searching for the source of the latest gravitational wave detected.

An astronomer today is more likely to be online than looking through a telescope. AAP Image/CSIRO

May 10, 2017

Why data‑driven science is more than just a buzzword

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

Science today is increasingly data-driven, but our education system has not caught up.

Massive bodies can send ripples through space time in the form of gravitational waves. NASA

February 11, 2016

Gravitational waves discovered: top scientists respond

Keith Riles, University of Michigan; Alan Duffy, Swinburne University of Technology; Amanda Weltman, University of Cape Town; Daniel Kennefick, University of Arkansas; David Parkinson, The University of Queensland; Maria Womack, University of South Florida; Stephen Smartt, Queen's University Belfast; Tamara Davis, The University of Queensland, and Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

The long awaited discovery of gravitational waves has sent ripples through the scientific world. Here top experts respond to the historic announcement.

The vast expanse of Western Australia is perfect for radio astronomy. Pete Wheeler, ICRAR

February 2, 2016

Tuning in to cosmic radio from the dawn of time

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney; Steven Tingay, Curtin University, and Randall Wayth, Curtin University

The Murchison Widefield Array sits in remote Western Australia far from noisy civilisation so it can help us understand the universe by tuning into radio waves from the distant cosmos.

A 3D visualisation of the plasma tubes conforming to the Earth’s magnetic field. CAASTRO

June 5, 2015

How an undergraduate discovered tubes of plasma in the sky

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney and Cleo Loi, University of Sydney

Cleo Loi was an undergraduate when she made a startling discovery. Her story shows how brilliance, dedication and imagination drive science.

Advanced computational skills are required for day-to-day work in most areas of modern science. kodomut

June 14, 2012

How to teach science and computing in the age of big data

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney and James Curran, University of Sydney

Earlier this week, Senator Chris Evans announced A$5 million worth of science communication grants for 63 projects as part of the Unlocking Australia’s Potential program. We were successful in getting…

When a black hole devours a nearby star, bright gamma-ray flashes can result. Mark Garlick (University of Warwick)

June 20, 2011

Death of a star: how radio waves can capture a cosmic obituary

Tara Murphy, University of Sydney

Some 3.8 billion years ago a star in the constellation of Draco wandered a little too close to a nearby black hole. The star was violently torn apart by the black hole’s tidal forces, creating two massive…

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