Astronomy and Astrophysics

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation commits $200 million support for Thirty-Meter Telescope

The University of California and the California Institute of Technology have received a $200 million commitment over nine years from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation toward the further development and construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT).

How to make the brightest supernova ever: explode, collapse, repeat

UCSC astrophysicist Stan Woosley provided an explanation for a supernova so bright--about 100 times as luminous as a typical supernova--that it challenged the theoretical understanding of what causes supernovae.

Scientists discover record-breaking fifth planet orbiting a star beyond our solar system

A team of American astronomers announced the discovery of a fifth planet around a star called 55 Cancri.

UCSC astronomer Sandra Faber and chemist Jin Zhang elected 2007 AAAS Fellows

Two UCSC scientists--Sandra Faber, University Professor and chair of astronomy and astrophysics, and Jin Zhang, professor of chemistry and biochemistry--have been honored as 2007 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Scientists study tiny galaxy halfway across the universe

A tiny galaxy nearly halfway across the universe, the smallest in size and mass known to exist at that distance, has been identified and studied by an international team of over a dozen scientists, including four at UCSC.

Multiwavelength images of distant universe now available on Google Sky

A massive project to map a distant region of the Universe in multiple wavelengths--from x-rays through ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and radio waves--is releasing its data this week to both fellow scientists and the general public.

Major gift supports crucial piece of Automated Planet Finder

The Gloria and Kenneth Levy Foundation has donated $600,000 to fund an innovative spectrometer for the Automated Planet Finder at UC's Lick Observatory.

Thirty-Meter Telescope Project Receives $15 Million from Moore Foundation

UC and Caltech have each received $7.5 million in additional funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for the development of the Thirty-Meter Telescope.

Adaptive optics pinpoints two supermassive black holes in colliding galaxies

Astronomers have used powerful adaptive optics technology at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to reveal the precise locations and environments of a pair of supermassive black holes at the center of an ongoing collision between two galaxies 300 million

UCSC astronomer Douglas Lin appointed director of Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in China

Douglas Lin, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UCSC, has been named founding director of the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (KIAA) at Peking University in Beijing, China.

Music and stargazing entice summer visitors to Mt. Hamilton's Lick Observatory

UC's Lick Observatory offers its 27th season of evening programs for music lovers and astronomy buffs this summer, featuring concerts, lectures, and opportunities to view the night sky through the observatory's history-making telescopes atop Mt. Hamilton.

Supernova Sage: Stan Woosley

Stan Woosley, one of the world's leading theoretical astrophysicists, studies the evolution of massive stars--and their explosive demise.

AEGIS survey reveals new principle governing galaxy formation and evolution

Faced with the bewildering array of galaxies in the universe, from orderly spirals to chaotic mergers, it is hard to imagine a unifying principle that describes them all with mathematical precision. But that is just what astronomers have now discovered.

UC Santa Cruz students see stars, thanks to local company

UCSC ranked first in nation for research impact in physics

In a new analysis of research publications from top U.S. universities, the University of California, Santa Cruz, ranked first for the impact of its faculty in the field of physics and fifth in the field of space sciences.

DOE awards support UCSC research on dark matter and supernovae

The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded valuable computing time on one of the world's most powerful supercomputers to two research projects led by scientists at UCSC.

Donald Osterbrock, eminent astronomer and former director of Lick Observatory, dies at age 82

Donald Osterbrock, an eminent astronomer, a leading authority on the history of astronomy, and former director of UC's Lick Observatory, died suddenly on Thursday, January 11. He was 82.

Astronomers find the most distant star clusters hidden behind a nearby cluster

Astronomers have discovered the most distant population of star clusters ever seen, hidden behind one of the nearest such clusters to Earth.

Astronomers discover an enormous halo of red giant stars around Andromeda

Astronomers have found an enormous halo of stars bound to the Andromeda galaxy and extending far beyond the swirling disk seen in images of the famous galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbor.