Aaron Geller

Aaron Geller is a Research Associate Professor at Northwestern University, affiliated with the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and the IT Research Computing and Data Services (RCDS). He combines astrophysics research with data science leadership, focusing on stellar and planetary dynamics within star clusters.

• Stellar dynamics and gravitational interactions
• Binary and multiple star systems
• Exoplanetary system evolution
• Gravitational wave sources
• Data visualization tools for astrophysics

Research Interests include understanding how gravitational encounters in star clusters influence stellar and planetary systems, particularly exotic objects like blue stragglers, blue lurkers, and compact binaries. He also develops interactive 3D visualization tools like Firefly for both research and public outreach.

Scientific Awards include:

• NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Lindheimer Postdoctoral Fellowship

In Grants and Outreach, he has secured NSF funding for studies on stellar dynamics and co-created visualization platforms used in academia and institutions like the Adler Planetarium. His Firefly tool enables exploration of datasets like Gaia DR3 and FIRE simulations.