*Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics Research, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Universiti Malaya (UM) has been leading many areas of innovative and outstanding research in various fields, from humanities to science and engineering in Malaysia. Among the disciplines in the sciences, astronomy and astrophysics attract significant numbers of students who stay to pursue postgraduate research in observational astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, cosmology, and space science. Faculty members often collaborate with international research institutions and participate in global astronomical projects to contribute to our understanding of the Universe. To further support the next generation of scientists through astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology, the Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics Research (CAAR) was inaugurated on April 11, 2023. This research center combines three previously independent research fields: radio astronomy (led by Prof. Zamri Zainal Abidin), optical astronomy (Dr. Nazhatulshima Ahmad), and theoretical astronomy (Dr. Norhasliza Yusof). By combining these fields under a single research center dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics research, CAAR, led by its first director, Zamri Zainal Abidin, aims to strengthen UM’s position as a leader in astronomical research and further our understanding of the Universe.

The Radio Cosmology Research Laboratory (RCL), founded by Prof. Zamri Zainal Abidin and Prof. Zainol Abidin Ibrahim, has shaped a new research community centered around the first radio astronomical facility in Malaysia. RCL offers various research topics which cover radio instrumentation, solar astronomy, star formation, galaxies, and black holes. The lab has produced 10 PhD and 16 MSc students since its establishment, with 10 PhD and 10 MSc students currently registered. The research topics covered by the lab include dark matter, galactic rotation curves, galaxy cluster dynamics, active galactic nuclei, black holes, the cosmic web, solar radio bursts, fast radio bursts, and radio astronomy instrumentation [1,2,3,4,5]. One of RCL’s main achievements is the construction of the first radio telescope observatory in Malaysia, named the UPSI-UM Radio Astronomical Observatory, which was constructed at the grounds of the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). The L-band radio dish, seven meters in diameter, was designed to kickstart Malaysian radio astronomers’ efforts to use very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), together with their East Asian collaborators. RCL has also been conducting extensive radio frequency interference surveys to determine suitable sites for radio observatories in Malaysia. Publications arising from these surveys have led to the determination of a site for the construction of a larger radio astronomy observatory at Jelebu in Negeri Sembilan, which is planned in collaboration with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. Furthermore, RCL is working together with the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), to engage with international space agencies, such as East Asian Observatories (EAO). The lab, in conjunction with MYSA, has been working to promote Malaysia’s membership in EAO, where Malaysia has been given observer status since 2019. RCL has hosted many international conferences in radio astronomy, for example, the Malaysia VLBI Workshop, last held in 2022 (Fig. 1).

After the successful first Malaysian VLBI Workshop held in Kuala Lumpur in November 2019, a second meeting on the advancement of VLBI in Malaysia was held in 2022

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The Optical Astronomy Research Laboratory (OpARL) was established in October 1998 by Prof. Mohd Zambri Zainuddin and has a rich history of growth and development. Initially staffed by a senior lab assistant and a small group of final-year project students, the laboratory began with basic equipment including three manual telescopes and a 14″ Celestron telescope, generously donated by a Japanese association. In 2006, a dedicated observatory complex was constructed near the Akademi Pengajian Melayu (Academy of Malay Studies), comprising a stellar observatory (An-Najm Observatory) and a solar observatory (As-Syam Observatory). These observatories house a 14″ Celestron telescope and two 6″ Takahashi telescopes, each mounted on robotic Paramount ME mounts for precision tracking and observation. OpARL focuses on studying variable stars and planetary systems, including solar systems, in collaboration with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and governmental agencies like MYSA, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), governmental observatories such as Telok Kemang Observatory, and the Department of Survey and Mapping (JUPEM). OpARL’s research includes a range of studies that covers the spectroscopic and photometric study of variable stars such as contact binaries and cataclysmic variables, the monitoring of asteroids and near-earth asteroids, and the study of sunspots and solar flares. With JAKIM and JUPEM, this lab has been conducting observations of our crescent Moon every month since the year 2000 [6].

Theoretical astrophysics is a branch of astronomy that deals with the mathematical and physical principles that govern the behavior of celestial objects and systems. It involves the development and application of mathematical models to explain and predict astronomical phenomena. At UM, this group’s research interests span from the smallest particles to the largest structures in the Universe, including nuclear astrophysics, stellar evolution, and the evolution of massive stars.

The theoretical astronomy group was formed by Prof. Hasan Abu Kassim and Assoc. Prof. Ithnin Abdul Jalil and currently is led by Dr. Norhasliza Yusof, who specializes in stellar astrophysics, particularly in the study of the evolution of very massive stars [7]. The theoretical physics group actively collaborates with many international universities and institutes, including Keele University, UK; Geneva Observatory, Switzerland; and Sheffield University, UK in massive stars and has close collaborations within the Southeast Asia region including Universitas Indonesia in neutrino physics and Suranaee Institute of Technology in dilepton interaction in astrophysics. With local institutions, the group is actively working with colleagues from Xiamen University Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in the field of general relativity, in particular, in the studies of astrophysical compact objects, and with the Islamic International University in nuclear astrophysics. This group produced a total of 20 postgraduates in the fields of theoretical physics, nuclear astrophysics, and stellar astrophysics, with research topics including nuclear reaction rates in stellar models, the nuclear structure of heavy ions, and neutrino production from stars and stellar population.

The formation of the Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics Research (CAAR) at UM represents a significant milestone in the advancement of astronomical research in Malaysia. By combining the efforts of three existing disciplines in radio, optical, and theoretical astronomy, CAAR provides a comprehensive and integrated approach to expanding astronomy and astrophysics research not just locally, but also internationally, including the Asia Pacific region and beyond. CAAR’s establishment as a central hub for astronomical research in Malaysia represents a substantial step forward in the field. CAAR hopes to inspire multiple generations of astronomers, such as the community gathered at the Global Malaysian Astronomy Convention (GMAC), which was held in 2023 (Fig. 2).

The Global Malaysian Astronomers Convention 2023 brought together local and global Malaysian astronomical communities for the first time to build networks, develop astronomy education, increase visibility, and connect with aspiring astronomers

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