The MACRO Consortium is proud to announce the acceptance of its first peer-reviewed paper for publication, marking a major milestone for the research alliance.
MACRO is a collaborative effort of four Midwest liberal arts colleges (Augustana College in Rock Island, IL; Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA; Knox College in Galesburg, IL; Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN) and the University of Iowa. MACRO operates a fully robotic optical telescope in southern Arizona. The project brings together students, faculty, and researchers across institutions to explore astrophysical phenomena through hands-on, sophisticated research projects.
MACRO’s first manuscript — published in the prestigious Astrophysical Journal — showcases the strength of its cross-institutional collaboration. The team’s paper presents new findings on two famous and well-studied stars in the rho Ophiuchi star formation complex, concluding that rho Ophiuchi B is a brighter source of X-rays than rho Ophiuchi A, based on recent Chandra X-ray Observatory data.
The paper’s lead author is Dr. Sean Gunderson (PhD, University of Iowa ’23), now a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Gunderson’s article features multiple co-authors from the MACRO Consortium, including current University of Iowa undergraduate student Alexandrea Moreno and recent graduates Jackson Codd (Macalester College ’23) and Alexis Riggs (Knox College ’24).
The project’s broader impact lies in the model of collaboration it represents: a small college research program that engages with the nation’s leading research institutions and that showcases the discovery potential of robotic telescopes.
Looking ahead, the MACRO team is preparing additional manuscripts on stars rho Ophiuchi C and rho Ophiuchi D, with a dozen more targets in the star formation complex lined up for future investigation.
CONTACT: Babs Santos, Director of Media Relations & Public Affairs, Macalester College; [email protected]; W: 651-696-6451
November 3 2025
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