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Lumiere 2023
The Ogden Centre at night illuminated by red and pink art

Welcome to The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics - home of Universal Loom for Lumiere 2023

The award-winning Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics is home to truly world leading work in Astronomy, Cosmology and Physics, drawing together academics, students and researchers from across the globe.

Spanish-American artist Daniel Canogar applies the mechanics of textile looms to the digital realm evoking the sense of a dynamic fabric woven across the multi-faceted façade of the Ogden Centre. The artwork is an interpretation of Einstein’s general theory of the woven nature of space and time as a continuous fabric that is made malleable by matter and energy.
View Lumiere's full programme
The Ogden Centre illuminated with green and pink artwork

What happens inside

We’re active members of a global community of astrophysicists and cosmologists searching for answers to some of the biggest questions in physics today: How do galaxies form? What are dark matter and dark energy? And what will be the ultimate fate of the universe?

Take a look at some of our research and find out more about how we’re making an impact in astronomy, healthcare, business and industry.

  • Durham scientists to map the dark Universe

    The European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid flagship Dark Energy Satellite Mission successfully launched. Euclid's six-year mission is to map the dark Universe, using the positions of galaxies and images of dark matter produced from the gravitational lensing distortions of distant galaxies.
    Artists' impression of a satellite with a space background

  • Durham scientists reveal nearly two million galaxies, quasars and stars in the distant Universe

    Researchers at Durham and their collaborators observed the spectra of the extragalactic objects - the decomposition of light into different colours or wavelengths which reveal the rate at which the Universe is expanding, as well as the physical properties of the galaxies and quasars.
    An image of the 20 different directions used to capture images of the sky by DESI

Durham scientists to map the dark Universe

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid flagship Dark Energy Satellite Mission successfully launched. Euclid's six-year mission is to map the dark Universe, using the positions of galaxies and images of dark matter produced from the gravitational lensing distortions of distant galaxies.
Artists' impression of a satellite with a space background

Durham scientists reveal nearly two million galaxies, quasars and stars in the distant Universe

Researchers at Durham and their collaborators observed the spectra of the extragalactic objects - the decomposition of light into different colours or wavelengths which reveal the rate at which the Universe is expanding, as well as the physical properties of the galaxies and quasars.
An image of the 20 different directions used to capture images of the sky by DESI
Explore our department's research and impact

Meet the people behind the art

Spanish-American artist Daniel Canogar will illuminate the façade of the University’s Ogden Centre. This new commission, Universal Loom, will be a textile-like animated projection inspired by string theory, interpreting the woven nature of space and time. It will be created with astronomical data provided by the ground-breaking work conducted by the University’s physicists, led by Professor Carlos Frenk.

Professor Carlos Frenk elected to Royal Society Council

Congratulations to Professor Carlos Frenk who has been elected to the Council of the Royal Society.
Professor Carlos Frenk with space in the background

Universal Loom Artist Daniel Canogar

Daniel's artworks are generative and driven by algorithms coded and developed in the studio.
Daniel Canogar next to a piece of illuminated art

 

 

From our Student Blogs

Meet three students as they talk about their experiences of studying Physics, researching white dwarf stars and starting a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

What's it like studying Physics?
What's it like studying Physics?
Explosions on the surfaces of white dwarf stars
Explosions on the surfaces of white dwarf stars
Studying cosmology is not what you think!
Studying cosmology is not what you think!
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Look Closer at Our Department of Physics

Our Department of Physics is a thriving centre for research and education. Ranked 2nd in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2023 and in the World Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, we are proud to deliver a teaching and learning experience for students which closely aligns with the research-intensive values and practices of the University.

Discover more about Physics

 

 

The Ogden Centre building on Lower Mountjoy campus

History of the building

Opened in 2017, this £11.5m research centre was designed by internationally renowned Studio Libeskind, the architectural practice behind the master plan for the World Trade Center redevelopment in New York.

Find out more Ogden at 20